coder-server

This is my opinionated attempt to build a lightweight docker image to run openvscode-server. Think vscode, on the browser.

Enough talking, show me some numbers:

REPOSITORY	SIZE¹
codercom/code-server:latest	697MB
linuxserver/code-server:latest	563MB
gitpod/openvscode-server:latest	523MB
ghcr.io/raonigabriel/coder-server:latest	208MB

• (1) Uncompressed sizes, on amd64. Those values are even smaller on aarch64!!

Features

1. Based on my coder-core instead of Ubuntu. This translates to musl being used instead of glib, but compatibility libraries are also preinstalled.
2. Its is Alpine, but using bash instead of ash.
3. By using tini, we ensure that child processes are correctly reaped.
4. Default user coder and group coder using UID and GID = 1000, to ease volume-mapping permissions issues.
5. Passwordless, sudo support: easily install extra packages with apk (e.g, sudo apk add docker-cli jq)
6. Preinstalled cloudflare tunnel client, like ngrok but free!! This allows you to create reverse tunnels (when your are behind nat). See their docs here
7. Preinstalled tooling (node, npm, git, curl, socat, openssh-client, nano, unzip, brotli, zstd, xz) !!!
8. Image is hosted on GitHub Container Registry, hence no Dockerhub caps.

Guidelines that I follow

• Whenever possible, install software directly from the Alpine repositories, i.e. use apk instead of downloading / manually installing them.
• Keep it small: do not cross the 250MB image size boundary.
• Multi arch (amd64 && arm64)

Security notice

1. By default this image is not with running with HTTPS but HTTP instead. Its your responsibility to add a reverse-proxy to do that. If you dont, keep in mind that some issues may arise, regarding service workers on the browser. This is because they need HTTPS to work properly.

2. By default this image has no security enforced (user / password). Its your responsibility to add a reverse-proxy to do that.

Usage

docker run -d -p 8000:8000 ghcr.io/raonigabriel/coder-server:latest

Then, point your browser to http://localhost:8000

Setting up reverse tunnels

Official Guide

Tutorial

Video

Creating your own derived image (Java example)

FROM ghcr.io/raonigabriel/coder-server:latest

# Setup env variables
ENV JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/default-jvm \
    MAVEN_HOME=/usr/share/java/maven-3 \
    GRADLE_HOME=/usr/share/java/gradle

# Installing Java and tools
RUN sudo apk --no-cache add maven gradle && \
# Installing Java extensions
    openvscode-server --install-extension vscjava.vscode-java-pack \
    vscjava.vscode-gradle vscjava.vscode-spring-initializr

Licenses

Apache License 2.0

Disclaimer

• I am not sponsored neither work for cloudflare. I just happen to use their services, because they are cool!
• This code comes with no warranty. Use it at your own risk.
• I don't like Apple. Fuck off, fan-boys.
• I don't like left-winged snowflakes. Fuck off, code-covenant.
• I will call my branches the old way. Long live master, fuck-off renaming.