code-server Workspace

Coder template that provisions a single Docker container with code-server (VS Code in browser), JetBrains IDE support (via Gateway), git clone, and git commit signing — all sharing the same filesystem.

Architecture

┌──────────────────── Coder Workspace (Docker container) ────────────────────┐
│                                                                            │
│  Base Image: ubuntu:24.04 (stock — tools installed at first startup)       │
│  Mode: unprivileged (privileged = false)                                   │
│                                                                            │
│  ┌────────────────────┐  ┌────────────────────┐                            │
│  │   code-server       │  │   JetBrains IDE    │                            │
│  │   (port 8080)       │  │   (via Gateway)    │                            │
│  │                     │  │                     │                            │
│  │   Browser IDE for   │  │   GoLand, IntelliJ │                            │
│  │   editing and       │  │   PyCharm, etc.    │                            │
│  │   code review       │  │                     │                            │
│  └─────────┬──────────┘  └─────────┬──────────┘                            │
│            │                       │                                       │
│              Shared filesystem                                             │
│              /home/coder/<workspace-name>                                   │
│              (Coder persistent volume)                                     │
│                                                                            │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What's Included

Component	Purpose
code-server (port 8080)	VS Code in the browser for editing and code review
JetBrains IDE (via Gateway)	GoLand, IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, CLion, and more — connect from your local JetBrains Gateway
Git clone	Auto-clone a repo into `/home/coder/<workspace-name>` on startup
Git commit signing	SSH-based commit signing via Coder's git SSH key

JetBrains IDE Support

Select a JetBrains IDE when creating your workspace. Supported IDEs:

IDE	Parameter Value
GoLand	`GO`
IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate	`IU`
IntelliJ IDEA Community	`IC`
PyCharm Professional	`PY`
PyCharm Community	`PC`
WebStorm	`WS`
PhpStorm	`PS`
CLion	`CL`
RubyMine	`RM`
Rider	`RD`
RustRover	`RR`

How to connect:

Select your preferred IDE when creating the workspace
Install JetBrains Gateway on your local machine
Install the Coder plugin in Gateway
Connect to your workspace — the IDE backend runs in the container, the UI runs locally

Parameters

When creating a workspace, you'll be prompted for:

Parameter	Required	Default	Description
Git Name	No	—	`git config user.name`
Git Email	No	—	`git config user.email`
Git Repository URL	No	—	Repo to clone into `/home/coder/<workspace-name>`
Git Branch	No	—	Branch to check out
Dotfiles Repository	No	—	Applied via `coder dotfiles` on startup
GitHub Token	No	—	Personal access token for GitHub CLI
JetBrains IDE	No	None	JetBrains IDE to use via Gateway
CPU Cores	No	4	2 / 4 / 8 cores
Memory (GB)	No	4	2 / 4 / 8 / 16 GB
Disk Size (GB)	No	20	10 / 20 / 50 / 100 GB

Resource Sizing Guide

Workload	CPU	Memory	Disk	Notes
Light (small repos)	2	2 GB	10 GB	Minimum viable
Medium (recommended)	4	4 GB	20 GB	Medium repos, builds
Heavy (large projects, builds)	8	8 GB	50 GB	Complex projects

Memory breakdown at 4 GB: ~2 GB code-server, ~2 GB headroom for builds and tools. JetBrains IDEs may need 4–8 GB for comfortable use.

Usage

Push the template

coder templates push code-server-workspace --directory .

Create a workspace

coder create my-workspace --template code-server-workspace

Access services

code-server: Click "VS Code (Browser)" in the Coder dashboard
JetBrains IDE: Open JetBrains Gateway → Coder plugin → select workspace
Terminal: Use the web terminal or SSH

File Structure

├── main.tf          # Providers, data sources, locals, git-clone module, git signing, JetBrains module
├── variables.tf     # Coder parameters (git config, IDE selection, resources)
├── agent.tf         # Coder agent, env vars, metadata, startup scripts
├── apps.tf          # coder_app resources (code-server)
├── container.tf     # Docker volume, Ubuntu image, unprivileged container
├── outputs.tf       # Workspace URL, container name, volume name
├── config/
│   └── settings.json # Default code-server settings (deployed on first start)
└── README.md

Security Notes

Container runs as unprivileged (privileged = false).
Git commit signing uses SSH keys fetched from Coder's agent API.
All Coder apps use share = "owner" — only the workspace owner can access them.
Outbound internet access is required for git operations and package installation.

Known Issues

Issue	Workaround
First startup is slow (installs all deps)	Subsequent starts use cached marker files and skip installation
code-server extensions from Open VSX may be outdated	Install specific `.vsix` files in startup script if needed
`disk_gb` parameter doesn't enforce volume size	Docker local volumes don't support size limits; parameter is informational
JetBrains IDE download on first start takes time	IDE is cached in persistent volume after first download

Verification Checklist

After deploying, verify:

Workspace starts and Coder agent connects (green status)
code-server opens in browser and shows project directory
JetBrains Gateway connects and IDE opens (if selected)
Git repo is cloned (if configured)
Git commit signing works (git log --show-signature)
Workspace stop/start preserves files in /home/coder
Dashboard metadata shows correct status

Eun/coder-template

README