What's installed on your code-server server?
- code-server, installed with the official script under /usr/local
- HTTPS through Caddy on an sslip.io address, with WebSocket connections passed through
- Password-protected sign-in, with the service itself listening only on 127.0.0.1:8080
- An unprivileged app user and a /home/app/proje working folder
- git and the build-essential compiler tools
- Firewall with ports 22, 80 and 443 open, while port 8080 stays internal
What size do you need for code-server?
code-server's official docs recommend at least 1 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores, so this install starts at 2 cores. As a rule of thumb, 2 GB is a comfortable start for small projects with few extensions, and 4 GB suits language servers such as TypeScript or Java and compiling. RAM and CPU go up or down from your panel. Disk can only grow.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 25 GB NVMe | $3.08/mo | |
| Medium | 2 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 40 GB NVMe | $4.51/mo | |
| Powerful | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo |
Who is it for?
- Developers who want to write code from a tablet or a light laptop
- Anyone who wants the same setup and extensions on every device
- People who'd rather run builds and tests on a server than on their own computer
- Learners who don't want to install anything on their computer
- Anyone who wants to run an app on the server and try it in the browser
What happens after you order?
- Set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts and code-server installs itself. On the Overview tab, wait for the App row to say code-server is ready.
- Open the Panel address link and enter the password from the Password row.
- Open a terminal from Terminal, New Terminal, and bring your project into /home/app/proje with git clone.
- Install extensions from Extensions in the left menu.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- Anyone who knows your password can run commands on the server, so don't share it.
- The terminal opens as the unprivileged app user. To install packages with apt, connect to the server over SSH as root.
- Extensions come from the Open VSX gallery. Microsoft keeps its own marketplace for its own products, so an extension missing from Open VSX won't appear.
- The panel keeps showing the install password. If you change it in config.yaml, keep the new one safe yourself.
- Updates don't happen by themselves. The official way is to install the new version over the old one: rerun the install script, then systemctl restart code-server.
code-server questions and answers
What is code-server, and how is it different from VS Code?
code-server is an open source project that runs VS Code on a server so you can use it from a browser. The interface is VS Code, while files and commands run on the server. Extensions come from the Open VSX gallery, not Microsoft's marketplace.
How much RAM does code-server need?
The official docs recommend at least 1 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores. As a rule of thumb, 2 GB is a good start for small projects, and 4 GB for projects that use language servers and compile. If it isn't enough, you scale up from your panel.
Will my VS Code extensions work in code-server?
Extensions published on Open VSX install from the Extensions panel. Microsoft limits its own marketplace to its own products, so extensions published only there won't show up.
How do I test a web app I'm building in code-server?
Start your app in the terminal, on port 3000 for example, and add /proxy/3000/ to the end of your address. code-server passes the request to your app, so you don't need to open a port in the firewall.
How do I change the code-server password?
Change the password line in /home/app/.config/code-server/config.yaml and run systemctl restart code-server as root. The panel keeps showing the install password, so keep the new one safe yourself.
Do I have sudo in code-server, and how do I install packages?
The terminal opens as the unprivileged app user. To install packages, connect from your computer over SSH as root and run apt install. Root is always yours, and you can give the app user sudo rights if you like.