Jul 31, 2024 3 min read

Code-Server: Your Self-Hosting Setup and Management Guide

Code-Server: Your Self-Hosting Setup and Management Guide
Table of Contents

Code-Server is a self-hosted Visual Studio Code (VS Code) environment that runs in your browser, giving you the power of a fully-featured IDE accessible from anywhere. By self-hosting Code-Server, you retain complete control over your data, customize your development environment, and collaborate securely. This guide will walk you through installing, configuring, managing, and leveraging Code-Server, with actionable, code-driven examples to ensure a seamless experience.

Installing Code-Server

πŸ“¦ Docker/Docker Compose Setup

Using Docker Compose is one of the easiest and most portable ways to deploy Code-Server. Below is an example docker-compose.yml file to get started:


version: '3.8'

services:

code-server:

image: codercom/code-server:latest

container_name: code-server

ports:

- "8443:8443"

environment:

- PASSWORD=your_secure_password

volumes:

- ./config:/home/coder/.config

- ./projects:/home/coder/projects

restart: unless-stopped

To deploy the container, run the following commands:


mkdir code-server && cd code-server

nano docker-compose.yml # Paste the above content

docker-compose up -d

This setup maps the application to port 8443, stores configuration in the ./config directory, and mounts ./projects for your source code and files.

πŸš€ Manual Installation

For users who prefer direct installation on a Linux server, follow these steps:

  1. Install dependencies and download the Code-Server binary:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl

curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh

  1. Start the Code-Server service:

systemctl --user enable --now code-server

  1. Access the configuration file at ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml to set a custom password or enable authentication.

Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Nginx can be used to route traffic and secure Code-Server efficiently.

🌐 Nginx Configuration

Create a new Nginx server block for Code-Server:


server {

listen 80;

server_name code-server.example.com;

location / {

proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8443;

proxy_set_header Host $host;

proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;

proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;

proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;

proxy_set_header Connection upgrade;

proxy_http_version 1.1;

}

}

Save this file in /etc/nginx/sites-available/code-server and enable it:


ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/code-server /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx

πŸ”’ SSL/TLS Setup

Secure Code-Server with Let's Encrypt:


sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

sudo certbot --nginx -d code-server.example.com

Renew the certificates automatically:


echo "0 0 * * * certbot renew --quiet" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab

πŸ› οΈ Testing and Reloading Nginx

Test that Nginx is routing traffic correctly:


curl -I http://code-server.example.com

Reload Nginx if changes are made:


sudo systemctl reload nginx

Logging and Debugging Code-Server

πŸ—ƒοΈ Enabling Debug Logs

To enable debug-level logging, modify ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml:


logLevel: debug

Reload the Code-Server process to apply the changes.

πŸ“„ Viewing Logs

If running Code-Server in Docker:


docker logs -f code-server

For manual installations, access logs directly:


journalctl --user-unit code-server -f

πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting Common Issues

A common issue is port conflicts. Validate if other services are using port 8443:


sudo netstat -tuln | grep 8443

Change the port in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml if necessary.

πŸ“€ Exporting Logs

Send logs to an external system like ELK by using filebeat or redirecting logs to a file:


code-server > /var/log/code-server.log 2>&1

Backup and Restore

πŸ—‚οΈ File-Based Backups

To back up Code-Server settings and projects:


tar -czvf code-server-backup.tar.gz ~/.config/code-server ~/projects

Restore with:


tar -xzvf code-server-backup.tar.gz -C ~/

πŸ“… Automated Backup Scripts

Automate backups using a cron job:


echo "0 2 * * * tar -czvf ~/code-server-backup-\$(date +\%F).tar.gz ~/.config/code-server ~/projects" | crontab -

Updating and Upgrading Code-Server

⬆️ Updating Docker Images

For Docker deployments, pull the latest image and recreate the container:


docker-compose pull

docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

πŸ› οΈ Manual Updates

For manual installations, update Code-Server with:


curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh

πŸ” Checking for Updates

Verify the current version and latest available version:


code-server --version

curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/coder/code-server/releases/latest | grep tag_name

Leveraging Code-Server’s Unique Features

πŸ”§ Enabling APIs

Code-Server supports API usage. Enable it by adding the following to ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml:


bind-addr: 0.0.0.0:8443

auth: password

password: your_secure_password

Access the API via tools like curl:


curl -X GET http://127.0.0.1:8443/api/v1/health

🌟 Advanced Configurations

To integrate third-party tools like Git, ensure they are installed on the host:


sudo apt install git

Configure Git settings in the Code-Server terminal:


git config --global user.name "Your Name"

git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Wrapping Up

Self-hosting Code-Server empowers you with a secure, fully-featured IDE accessible from anywhere. In this guide, we covered installation, reverse proxy configuration, logging, backups, updates, and advanced features. With these steps, you can deploy and manage Code-Server efficiently while tailoring it to your workflows. Start customizing your environment and take control of your development experience today!

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