Code Server VS Code

beginner

VS Code in the browser with full extension support and persistent workspace.

Overview

Code-server is Microsoft's VS Code editor running entirely in a web browser, developed by Coder to enable remote development workflows. Originally created to solve the challenge of accessing powerful development environments from any device, code-server maintains full compatibility with VS Code extensions while running on remote servers or containers. This browser-based IDE has revolutionized how developers approach remote work and resource-intensive development tasks. This stack combines code-server with NGINX as a reverse proxy to create a robust web-based development environment. The NGINX component handles SSL termination, request routing, and can provide additional security layers through rate limiting and authentication. Code-server runs the actual VS Code instance with full extension marketplace access, integrated terminal, and file system operations, while NGINX manages external access and can serve static assets efficiently. Development teams working across multiple devices, organizations requiring consistent development environments, and individual developers seeking powerful remote coding capabilities will find this combination particularly valuable. The setup enables coding from tablets, Chromebooks, or any device with a modern browser while leveraging server-grade hardware for compilation, testing, and resource-intensive operations. Remote development teams can maintain identical environments regardless of local hardware constraints.

Key Features

Complete VS Code experience in browser with full extension marketplace access
Integrated terminal with sudo access for system-level operations
Real-time collaborative editing and shared development sessions
NGINX reverse proxy with SSL termination and custom domain support
Password and token-based authentication for secure access
Persistent workspace and configuration storage across container restarts
HTTP/2 support through NGINX for improved browser performance
Built-in file explorer with upload/download capabilities for local file management

Common Use Cases

1Remote development teams maintaining consistent coding environments across different operating systems
2Educational institutions providing standardized programming environments for students on various devices
3Freelance developers working from client sites or co-working spaces without local development setup
4Organizations developing on powerful cloud instances while using lightweight local devices
5Development on ARM-based devices like Raspberry Pi with browser access from desktop machines
6Secure coding environments where source code must remain on controlled servers
7Multi-platform development requiring different toolchains available through containerized environments

Prerequisites

Minimum 2GB RAM recommended for smooth VS Code operation with multiple extensions
Docker host with ports 80, 443, and 8443 available for web access
Modern web browser with WebSocket support for real-time editor synchronization
Basic understanding of NGINX configuration for SSL certificates and custom domains
File system permissions allowing Docker volume mounting for persistent workspace storage

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  code-server: 
3    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/code-server:latest
4    environment: 
5      PUID: 1000
6      PGID: 1000
7      TZ: ${TZ}
8      PASSWORD: ${PASSWORD}
9      SUDO_PASSWORD: ${SUDO_PASSWORD}
10    ports: 
11      - "8443:8443"
12    volumes: 
13      - code_config:/config
14      - workspace:/workspace
15    networks: 
16      - code-net
17    restart: unless-stopped
18
19  nginx: 
20    image: nginx:alpine
21    ports: 
22      - "80:80"
23      - "443:443"
24    volumes: 
25      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
26    depends_on: 
27      - code-server
28    networks: 
29      - code-net
30    restart: unless-stopped
31
32volumes: 
33  code_config: 
34  workspace: 
35
36networks: 
37  code-net: 
38    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# Timezone
2TZ=UTC
3
4# Passwords
5PASSWORD=secure_password
6SUDO_PASSWORD=secure_sudo_password
7
8# User/Group IDs
9PUID=1000
10PGID=1000

Usage Notes

1VS Code at http://localhost:8443
2Enter password to access
3Full VS Code extension support
4Persistent workspace in /workspace

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

code-server

code-server:
  image: lscr.io/linuxserver/code-server:latest
  environment:
    PUID: 1000
    PGID: 1000
    TZ: ${TZ}
    PASSWORD: ${PASSWORD}
    SUDO_PASSWORD: ${SUDO_PASSWORD}
  ports:
    - "8443:8443"
  volumes:
    - code_config:/config
    - workspace:/workspace
  networks:
    - code-net
  restart: unless-stopped

nginx

nginx:
  image: nginx:alpine
  ports:
    - "80:80"
    - "443:443"
  volumes:
    - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
  depends_on:
    - code-server
  networks:
    - code-net
  restart: unless-stopped

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  code-server:
5    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/code-server:latest
6    environment:
7      PUID: 1000
8      PGID: 1000
9      TZ: ${TZ}
10      PASSWORD: ${PASSWORD}
11      SUDO_PASSWORD: ${SUDO_PASSWORD}
12    ports:
13      - "8443:8443"
14    volumes:
15      - code_config:/config
16      - workspace:/workspace
17    networks:
18      - code-net
19    restart: unless-stopped
20
21  nginx:
22    image: nginx:alpine
23    ports:
24      - "80:80"
25      - "443:443"
26    volumes:
27      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
28    depends_on:
29      - code-server
30    networks:
31      - code-net
32    restart: unless-stopped
33
34volumes:
35  code_config:
36  workspace:
37
38networks:
39  code-net:
40    driver: bridge
41EOF
42
43# 2. Create the .env file
44cat > .env << 'EOF'
45# Timezone
46TZ=UTC
47
48# Passwords
49PASSWORD=secure_password
50SUDO_PASSWORD=secure_sudo_password
51
52# User/Group IDs
53PUID=1000
54PGID=1000
55EOF
56
57# 3. Start the services
58docker compose up -d
59
60# 4. View logs
61docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/code-server-vscode/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Connection refused on port 8443: Verify code-server container is running and PASSWORD environment variable is set
Extensions fail to install: Increase container memory allocation and check internet connectivity for marketplace access
NGINX 502 Bad Gateway: Ensure code-server service is healthy and inter-container networking allows communication
Authentication loop or constant password prompts: Clear browser cookies and verify PASSWORD matches between attempts
File permissions denied in terminal: Check PUID/PGID environment variables match host user permissions
Slow performance or timeouts: Increase code-server container resources and verify NGINX upstream timeout settings

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

code-servernginx

Related Recipes

Ad Space

Shortcuts: C CopyF FavoriteD Download