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Install

8 min read

How to install code-server.

Install

This document demonstrates how to install code-server on various distros and operating systems.

install.sh

The easiest way to install code-server is to use our install script for Linux, macOS and FreeBSD. The install script attempts to use the system package manager if possible.

You can preview what occurs during the install process:

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

To install, run:

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

You can modify the installation process by including one or more of the following flags:

  • --dry-run: echo the commands for the install process without running them.
  • --method: choose the installation method.
    • --method=detect: detect the package manager but fallback to --method=standalone.
    • --method=standalone: install a standalone release archive into ~/.local.
  • --prefix=/usr/local: install a standalone release archive system-wide.
  • --version=X.X.X: install version X.X.X instead of latest version.
  • --help: see usage docs.

When done, the install script prints out instructions for running and starting code-server.

If you're concerned about the install script's use of curl | sh and the security implications, please see this blog post by sandstorm.io.

If you prefer to install code-server manually, despite the detection references and --dry-run feature, then continue on for information on how to do this. The install.sh script runs the exact same commands presented in the rest of this document.

Detection reference

  • For Debian and Ubuntu, code-server will install the latest deb package.

  • For Fedora, CentOS, RHEL and openSUSE, code-server will install the latest RPM package.

  • For Arch Linux, code-server will install the AUR package.

  • For any unrecognized Linux operating system, code-server will install the latest standalone release into ~/.local.

    • Ensure that you add ~/.local/bin to your $PATH to run code-server.

  • For macOS, code-server will install the Homebrew package (if you don't have Homebrew installed, code-server will install the latest standalone release into ~/.local).

    • Ensure that you add ~/.local/bin to your $PATH to run code-server.

  • For FreeBSD, code-server will install the npm package with yarn or npm.

  • If you're installing code-server onto architecture with no releases, code-server will install the npm package with yarn or npm

    • We currently offer releases for amd64 and arm64.
    • The npm package builds the native modules on post-install.

yarn, npm

We recommend installing with yarn or npm when:

  1. You aren't using a machine with amd64 or arm64.
  2. You are installing code-server on Windows
  3. You're on Linux with glibc < v2.17, glibcxx < v3.4.18 on amd64, glibc < v2.23, or glibcxx < v3.4.21 on arm64.
  4. You're running Alpine Linux or are using a non-glibc libc. See #1430 for more information.

Installing code-server with yarn or npm builds native modules on install.

This process requires C dependencies; see our guide on [installing with yarn and npm]./npm.md for more information.

Standalone releases

We publish self-contained .tar.gz archives for every release on GitHub. The archives bundle the node binary and node modules.

We create the standalone releases using the npm package, and we then create the remaining releases using the standalone version.

The only requirement to use the standalone release is glibc >= 2.17 and glibcxx >= v3.4.18 on Linux (for macOS, there is no minimum system requirement).

To use a standalone release:

  1. Download the latest release archive for your system from GitHub.
  2. Unpack the release.
  3. Run code-server by executing ./bin/code-server.

You can add ./bin/code-server to your $PATH so that you can execute code-server without providing full path each time.

Here is a sample script for installing and using a standalone code-server release on Linux:

mkdir -p ~/.local/lib ~/.local/bin
curl -fL https://github.com/cdr/code-server/releases/download/v$VERSION/code-server-$VERSION-linux-amd64.tar.gz \
  | tar -C ~/.local/lib -xz
mv ~/.local/lib/code-server-$VERSION-linux-amd64 ~/.local/lib/code-server-$VERSION
ln -s ~/.local/lib/code-server-$VERSION/bin/code-server ~/.local/bin/code-server
PATH="~/.local/bin:$PATH"
code-server
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

Debian, Ubuntu

The standalone arm64 .deb does not support Ubuntu 16.04 or earlier. Please upgrade or build with yarn.

curl -fOL https://github.com/cdr/code-server/releases/download/v$VERSION/code-server_$VERSION_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i code-server_$VERSION_amd64.deb
sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, SUSE

The standalone arm64 .rpm does not support CentOS 7. Please upgrade or build with yarn.

curl -fOL https://github.com/cdr/code-server/releases/download/v$VERSION/code-server-$VERSION-amd64.rpm
sudo rpm -i code-server-$VERSION-amd64.rpm
sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

Arch Linux

# Install code-server from the AUR using yay.
yay -S code-server
sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

# Install code-server from the AUR with plain makepkg.
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/code-server.git
cd code-server
makepkg -si
sudo systemctl enable --now code-server@$USER
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

macOS

brew install code-server
brew services start code-server
# Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml

Docker

# This will start a code-server container and expose it at http://127.0.0.1:8080.
# It will also mount your current directory into the container as `/home/coder/project`
# and forward your UID/GID so that all file system operations occur as your user outside
# the container.
#
# Your $HOME/.config is mounted at $HOME/.config within the container to ensure you can
# easily access/modify your code-server config in $HOME/.config/code-server/config.json
# outside the container.
mkdir -p ~/.config
docker run -it --name code-server -p 127.0.0.1:8080:8080 \
  -v "$HOME/.config:/home/coder/.config" \
  -v "$PWD:/home/coder/project" \
  -u "$(id -u):$(id -g)" \
  -e "DOCKER_USER=$USER" \
  codercom/code-server:latest

Our official image supports amd64 and arm64. For arm32 support, you can use a community-maintained code-server alternative.

Helm

You can install code-server using the Helm package manager.

Windows

We currently do not publish Windows releases. We recommend installing code-server onto Windows with yarn or npm.

Note: You will also need to build cdr/cloud-agent manually if you would like to use code-server --link on Windows.

Raspberry Pi

We recommend installing code-server onto Raspberry Pi with yarn or npm.

Termux

Please see code-server's Termux docs for more information.

Cloud providers

We maintain one-click apps and install scripts for cloud providers such as DigitalOcean, Railway, Heroku, and Azure.

Uninstall

code-server can be completely uninstalled by removing the application directory, and your user configuration directory.

To delete settings and data:

rm -rf ~/.local/share/code-server ~/.config/code-server

install.sh

If you installed with the install script, by default code-server will be in ~/.local/lib/code-server-<version> and you can remove it with rm -rf. e.g.

rm -rf ~/.local/lib/code-server-*

Homebrew

To remove the code-server homebrew package, run:

brew remove code-server

# Alternatively
brew uninstall code-server

yarn, npm

To remove the code-server global module, run:

yarn global remove code-server

or

npm uninstall -g code-server

Debian, Ubuntu

To uninstall, run:

sudo apt remove code-server

See an opportunity to improve our docs? Make an edit.

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