# code-server — VS Code in the Browser from Any Machine

> Run a full VS Code IDE on a remote server and access it through your browser. Develop from any device with consistent environments and zero local setup.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# code-server — VS Code in the Browser from Any Machine

## Quick Use
```bash
curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh
code-server --bind-addr 0.0.0.0:8080
```

## Introduction
code-server lets you run VS Code on any server and access it in the browser. It gives teams a consistent development environment while offloading compute to powerful remote hardware, so you can code from a tablet, Chromebook, or any thin client.

## What code-server Does
- Serves the full VS Code editor over HTTP/HTTPS in any modern browser
- Supports most VS Code extensions from the marketplace
- Persists workspace state, settings, and keybindings across sessions
- Provides built-in terminal access to the remote host
- Allows multi-user setups behind a reverse proxy with auth

## Architecture Overview
code-server wraps the open-source VS Code codebase and bundles it with a Node.js HTTP server. It patches the editor to run its extension host and file system operations server-side, then streams the UI to the browser over WebSockets. Static assets are served once and cached, keeping subsequent loads fast even on slower connections.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via the one-line script, Homebrew, or Docker (`codercom/code-server`)
- Set a password in `~/.config/code-server/config.yaml` or via `--auth`
- Bind to `0.0.0.0` and place behind Caddy, Nginx, or Traefik for TLS
- Configure `--cert` and `--cert-key` for built-in self-signed or custom HTTPS
- Persist data by mounting `~/.local/share/code-server` in Docker

## Key Features
- Full VS Code experience including IntelliSense, debugging, and source control
- Extension support covers language servers, themes, and productivity tools
- Works on low-powered devices since compute runs server-side
- Integrated terminal provides direct shell access to the host
- Link sharing lets you give collaborators instant access to a workspace

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Coder** — full platform for cloud dev environments; code-server is the lightweight single-user core
- **GitHub Codespaces** — managed hosted environments; code-server is self-hosted and free
- **Gitpod** — workspace automation with prebuilds; code-server focuses on a simple VS Code instance
- **Eclipse Che** — Kubernetes-native IDE platform with heavier infrastructure requirements
- **JupyterLab** — notebook-first interface for data science; code-server is a general-purpose editor

## FAQ
**Q: Can I use my existing VS Code extensions?**
A: Most extensions work. A few with native binary dependencies may need recompilation for the server OS and architecture.

**Q: How do I secure code-server for public access?**
A: Place it behind a reverse proxy with TLS and enable password or OAuth authentication. Never expose it without auth on a public IP.

**Q: Does code-server support multiple users?**
A: Each instance serves one user. For teams, run separate containers per user or use the Coder platform for multi-tenant management.

**Q: What are the minimum server requirements?**
A: At least 1 CPU core and 2 GB RAM for basic use. Larger projects and more extensions benefit from additional resources.

## Sources
- https://github.com/coder/code-server
- https://coder.com/docs/code-server

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/56d3225a-3e67-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot