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How to Install and Configure Code-Server

Running VS Code in a browser, with a self-signed or ADCS wildcard certificate for HTTPS.

Kishore 2 min read
IaC Automation Code

VS Code on any machine, reachable from a browser. This post covers installing code-server, enabling HTTPS, and pointing it at a wildcard certificate generated in Active Directory Certificate Services.

Why I use it

  • A consistent development environment from any device
  • No local install — everything runs on the server
  • Microsoft VS Code extensions work as they do locally

System requirements

At minimum:

  • 1 GB RAM
  • 2 CPU cores

Installation

curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh
sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER

Check the service status afterwards:

sudo systemctl status code-server@$USER

To serve over HTTPS, edit the config file:

vi ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml
Config values to change
  • Set bind-addr to 0.0.0.0:8080
  • Set the password
  • Set cert to true

After those changes the file looks like this:

bind-addr: 0.0.0.0:8080
auth: password
password: SuperStrongPassword
cert: true

Using an ADCS-generated certificate

I created a wildcard SSL certificate in ADCS for other requirements where SSL encryption is needed, and reused it here.

Watch the video

How to install code-server, generate a wildcard SSL certificate, and use it with code-server:

Running it safely

code-server is powerful and dangerous if exposed carelessly: it is a full shell and file system behind a password.

  • Bind address. bind-addr: 0.0.0.0:8080 exposes it to the network. That is fine inside a lab; on anything reachable from the internet, put it behind a reverse proxy (nginx or Caddy) with TLS and real authentication instead.
  • Certificate. cert: true generates a self-signed certificate, which browsers will warn about. For a lab that is acceptable; for anything shared, use a real certificate (the ADCS wildcard in this post, or Let’s Encrypt via the reverse proxy).
  • Password. The config stores it in plain text. Treat the file as a secret and do not commit it.
  • Updates. code-server moves fast. Re-run the install script periodically, or pin a version and upgrade deliberately.
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