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devcontainer/README.md
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DevContainer User 065a6534e3 docs: comprehensive updates for new Helm chart structure
Major documentation updates to reflect the reorganized Helm chart:

- Update README.md and CLAUDE.md to use new mcp.sidecars structure
- Reflect removal of Happy daemon automatic startup
- Document new logical values organization (Basic → Access → Infrastructure → Integrations → Smart Defaults)
- Update all MCP sidecar examples to use mcp.sidecars instead of mcpSidecars
- Document new quickstart deployment options and progressive disclosure
- Update troubleshooting sections with current configurations
- Standardize all secret environment variable references to SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE

This completes the documentation sync following the major Helm chart
user experience improvements implemented in previous commits.

Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)
via [Happy](https://happy.engineering)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-Authored-By: Happy <yesreply@happy.engineering>
2026-02-22 13:32:49 +00:00

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14 KiB
Markdown

# Dev Container
![Build and Push](https://github.com/cpfarhood/devcontainer/actions/workflows/build-and-push.yaml/badge.svg)
A containerized cloud development environment with web-based GUI access, featuring:
- **VSCode or Google Antigravity** via browser-based VNC (port 5800)
- **SSH access** option (OpenSSH on port 22, additive with any IDE)
- **Happy Coder** AI assistant backed by Claude
- **Automatic GitHub repo cloning** on startup
- **Persistent home directory** via ReadWriteMany PVC
- **Kubernetes-native** Helm chart deployment
## Quick Start
### Option A: Quickstart (Recommended)
For 80% of users, use the simplified quickstart values:
```bash
# Copy and customize the quickstart template
cp chart/values-quickstart.yaml my-values.yaml
# Edit my-values.yaml to set your name and repository:
# name: mydev
# githubRepo: https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo
# Deploy with minimal configuration
helm install mydev ./chart -f my-values.yaml
```
### Option B: One-Command Deploy
```bash
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo
```
### Option C: Full Configuration
### 1. Create a secret
The secret is picked up automatically via `envFrom`. Keys recognised:
| Key | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| `GITHUB_TOKEN` | PAT for private repo access (`repo` scope) |
| `VNC_PASSWORD` | Password for the VNC web UI |
| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | API key — alternative to browser-based Claude login |
| `SSH_AUTHORIZED_KEYS` | Public key(s) for SSH access (required when `ssh: true`) |
| `HOMEASSISTANT_URL` | Home Assistant URL (required when `mcpSidecars.homeassistant.enabled: true`) |
| `HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN` | Home Assistant long-lived access token (required when `mcpSidecars.homeassistant.enabled: true`) |
| `DATABASE_URI` | PostgreSQL connection string (required when `mcpSidecars.pgtuner.enabled: true`) |
| `PGTUNER_EXCLUDE_USERIDS` | Comma-separated PostgreSQL user OIDs to exclude from monitoring (optional) |
```bash
kubectl create secret generic devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--from-literal=GITHUB_TOKEN='ghp_...' \
--from-literal=VNC_PASSWORD='changeme'
```
Or use SealedSecrets:
```bash
kubectl create secret generic devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--from-literal=GITHUB_TOKEN='ghp_...' \
--from-literal=VNC_PASSWORD='changeme' \
--dry-run=client -o yaml | \
kubeseal --format=yaml | kubectl apply -f -
```
### 2. Deploy with Helm
```bash
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo
```
### 3. Access
```bash
# Local port-forward
kubectl port-forward deployment/devcontainer-mydev 5800:5800
open http://localhost:5800
```
Or configure an ingress / Gateway API HTTPRoute pointing at port 5800.
### 4. Authenticate Claude
On first launch, open a terminal in the VSCode GUI and run:
```bash
claude
```
A Chrome browser window will open inside VNC for the Claude Max OAuth login. Credentials are stored on the home PVC and persist across pod restarts.
---
## Helm Chart Reference
The Helm chart uses a logical organization with these main sections:
- **Basic Configuration**: name, image, githubRepo
- **Access & Interface**: IDE, SSH, display, user settings
- **Infrastructure**: storage, resources, cluster access
- **Integrations**: Happy Coder, MCP sidecars
- **Smart Defaults**: auto-detection and profiles
📖 **Documentation**:
- [USAGE.md](chart/USAGE.md) - Comprehensive examples and scenarios
- [values-quickstart.yaml](chart/values-quickstart.yaml) - Minimal configuration
- [values.schema.json](chart/values.schema.json) - IDE validation support
### Core values
| Value | Default | Description |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| `name` | `""` | Instance name — used in all resource names (`devcontainer-{name}`) |
| `githubRepo` | `""` | Repository to clone into `/workspace` on startup |
| `ide` | `vscode` | IDE to launch — `vscode`, `antigravity`, or `none` (see below) |
| `ssh` | `false` | Also start an OpenSSH server on port 22 (additive, any `ide`) |
| `image.repository` | `ghcr.io/cpfarhood/devcontainer` | Container image |
| `image.tag` | `latest` | Image tag |
### IDE choice
`ide` controls what GUI is launched in the VNC session:
| Value | Port | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `vscode` (default) | 5800 (VNC) | VSCode desktop via browser-based VNC |
| `antigravity` | 5800 (VNC) | Google Antigravity (VSCode fork with AI) via VNC |
| `none` | — | No IDE; container stays alive (useful when `ssh: true`) |
### SSH access
`ssh: true` starts OpenSSH on port 22 **in addition to** the IDE. It works with any `ide` value:
```bash
# SSH-only (no VNC)
helm install mydev ./chart --set name=mydev --set ide=none --set ssh=true
# VSCode in VNC + SSH access at the same time
helm install mydev ./chart --set name=mydev --set ssh=true
```
Add your public key to the env secret:
```bash
kubectl create secret generic devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--from-literal=GITHUB_TOKEN='ghp_...' \
--from-literal=SSH_AUTHORIZED_KEYS='ssh-ed25519 AAAA...'
```
Then connect:
```bash
kubectl port-forward deployment/devcontainer-mydev 2222:22
ssh -p 2222 user@localhost
```
### Happy Coder
| Value | Default | Description |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| `happyServerUrl` | `https://happy.farh.net` | Happy Coder server endpoint |
| `happyWebappUrl` | `https://happy-coder.farh.net` | Happy Coder webapp URL |
| `happyHomeDir` | `/home/user/.happy` | Happy runtime state directory (persists on the home PVC) |
| `happyExperimental` | `true` | Enable experimental Happy features |
### Kubernetes cluster access
The `clusterAccess` value provisions a ServiceAccount, Role/ClusterRole, and binding so the devcontainer pod can interact with the Kubernetes API. The default is `none` — no RBAC resources are created.
| Value | Scope | Verbs |
|-------|-------|-------|
| `none` (default) | — | no access |
| `readonlyns` | release namespace | `get`, `list`, `watch` |
| `readwritens` | release namespace | `*` |
| `readonly` | cluster-wide | `get`, `list`, `watch` |
| `readwrite` | cluster-wide | `*` |
```bash
# Give the pod read-only access to its own namespace
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo \
--set clusterAccess=readonlyns
```
With any non-`none` value, a `ServiceAccount` named `devcontainer-{name}` is created and set as the pod's `serviceAccountName`, so `kubectl` and any in-cluster API calls use it automatically.
### MCP Sidecars
The devcontainer includes MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers as sidecar containers that enable AI assistants to interact with various services:
| Sidecar | Default | Purpose |
|---------|---------|---------|
| `mcp.sidecars.kubernetes.enabled` | `true` | Kubernetes API access via MCP |
| `mcp.sidecars.flux.enabled` | `true` | Flux GitOps operations via MCP |
| `mcp.sidecars.github.enabled` | `false` | GitHub API access via MCP (DISABLED: archived image) |
| `mcp.sidecars.homeassistant.enabled` | `false` | Home Assistant smart home control via MCP |
| `mcp.sidecars.pgtuner.enabled` | `false` | PostgreSQL performance tuning and analysis via MCP |
| `mcp.sidecars.playwright.enabled` | `true` | Browser automation and web testing via MCP |
**Notes:**
- Kubernetes and Flux sidecars require `clusterAccess` != `none` to be deployed (automatically disabled when no cluster access)
- Kubernetes and Flux sidecars inherit the pod's ServiceAccount RBAC permissions (controlled by `clusterAccess`)
- Home Assistant sidecar requires `homeassistant-url` and `homeassistant-token` in the env secret
- PostgreSQL tuner sidecar requires `database-uri` in the env secret (PostgreSQL connection string)
- Playwright sidecar provides browser automation and web testing capabilities
**Disable MCP sidecars:**
```bash
# Disable multiple sidecars
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo \
--set mcp.sidecars.kubernetes.enabled=false \
--set mcp.sidecars.flux.enabled=false \
--set mcp.sidecars.playwright.enabled=false
# Or selectively disable
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo \
--set mcp.sidecars.flux.enabled=false # Disable only Flux MCP
```
**Enable Home Assistant MCP:**
```bash
# Create secret with Home Assistant credentials
kubectl create secret generic devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--from-literal=GITHUB_TOKEN='ghp_...' \
--from-literal=HOMEASSISTANT_URL='http://homeassistant.local:8123' \
--from-literal=HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN='your_long_lived_access_token'
# Deploy with Home Assistant MCP enabled
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo \
--set mcp.sidecars.homeassistant.enabled=true
```
**Enable PostgreSQL Tuner MCP:**
```bash
# Create secret with PostgreSQL connection string
kubectl create secret generic devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--from-literal=GITHUB_TOKEN='ghp_...' \
--from-literal=DATABASE_URI='postgresql://user:password@postgres.example.com:5432/dbname'
# Deploy with PostgreSQL tuner MCP enabled
helm install mydev ./chart \
--set name=mydev \
--set githubRepo=https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo \
--set mcp.sidecars.pgtuner.enabled=true
```
**Custom MCP configuration:**
```yaml
# values.yaml override
mcp:
sidecars:
kubernetes:
enabled: true
image:
repository: quay.io/containers/kubernetes_mcp_server
tag: v0.0.57
port: 8080
resources:
requests:
memory: "64Mi"
cpu: "50m"
limits:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "500m"
flux:
enabled: false # Disabled in this example
github:
enabled: false # Disabled by default (archived image)
homeassistant:
enabled: true
image:
repository: ghcr.io/homeassistant-ai/ha-mcp
tag: stable
port: 8087
resources:
requests:
memory: "64Mi"
cpu: "50m"
limits:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "500m"
pgtuner:
enabled: true
image:
repository: dog830228/pgtuner_mcp
tag: latest
port: 8085
resources:
requests:
memory: "64Mi"
cpu: "50m"
limits:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "500m"
playwright:
enabled: true
image:
repository: microsoft/playwright-mcp
tag: latest
port: 8086
resources:
requests:
memory: "128Mi"
cpu: "100m"
limits:
memory: "512Mi"
cpu: "1000m"
```
### Display and resources
| Value | Default | Description |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| `display.width` | `1920` | VNC width (px) |
| `display.height` | `1080` | VNC height (px) |
| `secureConnection` | `0` | Set to `1` if TLS is not terminated upstream |
| `userId` | `1000` | UID for the app user |
| `groupId` | `1000` | GID for the app user |
| `storage.size` | `32Gi` | Home PVC size |
| `storage.className` | `ceph-filesystem` | StorageClass (must be ReadWriteMany) |
| `shm.sizeLimit` | `2Gi` | `/dev/shm` size (memory-backed; used by Electron apps) |
| `resources.requests.memory` | `2Gi` | |
| `resources.requests.cpu` | `1000m` | |
| `resources.limits.memory` | `8Gi` | |
| `resources.limits.cpu` | `4000m` | |
| `envSecretName` | `devcontainer-{name}-secrets-env` | Override the secret name |
---
## Architecture
### Startup flow
```
Container start
→ cont-init.d/20-fix-user-shell.sh — fix shell/home on baseimage-gui app user
→ cont-init.d/25-start-sshd.sh — start sshd if SSH=true
→ /startapp.sh (runs as app user, UID 1000)
→ init-repo.sh
→ clone / pull GITHUB_REPO into /workspace/{repo}
→ IDE=vscode: code --new-window --wait /workspace/{repo}
IDE=antigravity: antigravity --no-sandbox --user-data-dir ~/.config/antigravity ... /workspace/{repo}
IDE=none: sleep infinity
(SSH=true: sshd also running as root on port 22; host keys persisted on PVC)
```
### Storage
| Mount | Source | Persistence |
|-------|--------|-------------|
| `/home` | ReadWriteMany PVC (`userhome-{name}`) | Survives pod restarts — stores Claude credentials, dotfiles, git config |
| `/workspace` | `emptyDir` | Ephemeral — repo is re-cloned on each pod start |
Happy Coder's runtime state (`HAPPY_HOME_DIR`) is kept in `/home/user/.happy` on the persistent home PVC, so auth credentials and settings survive pod restarts when manually started.
---
## Troubleshooting
### Happy Coder (manual startup)
Happy daemon is not started automatically. Launch it manually when needed:
```bash
# Start Happy Coder daemon manually
happy daemon start
# Check daemon status
happy daemon status
# View daemon logs
ls ~/.happy/logs/
# Stop daemon if needed
happy daemon stop
```
### Claude not authenticated
Browser-based OAuth login is the primary method (works inside VNC via the Chrome wrapper). If you prefer API key auth:
```bash
kubectl patch secret devcontainer-mydev-secrets-env \
--type='json' \
-p='[{"op":"add","path":"/data/ANTHROPIC_API_KEY","value":"'$(echo -n "sk-ant-..." | base64)'"}]'
```
Then restart the pod to pick up the new env var.
### VNC not loading
```bash
kubectl port-forward deployment/devcontainer-mydev 5800:5800
kubectl logs deployment/devcontainer-mydev
kubectl describe pod -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=mydev
```
### Pod not picking up new image after upgrade
The chart uses `image.tag: latest`. Kubernetes won't restart the pod on a Helm upgrade unless the Deployment spec changes. Force a restart manually:
```bash
kubectl rollout restart deployment/devcontainer-mydev
```
### Repository not cloning
```bash
kubectl logs deployment/devcontainer-mydev | grep "Repository Initialization"
kubectl exec deployment/devcontainer-mydev -- env | grep GITHUB
```
---
## Local Docker run
```bash
docker run -d \
-p 5800:5800 \
-e GITHUB_REPO="https://github.com/youruser/yourrepo" \
-e GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_..." \
-e VNC_PASSWORD="changeme" \
-v $(pwd)/home:/home \
ghcr.io/cpfarhood/devcontainer:latest
```
---
## Building
```bash
docker build -t ghcr.io/cpfarhood/devcontainer:latest .
docker push ghcr.io/cpfarhood/devcontainer:latest
```
The image is also built and pushed automatically by CI on every push to `main` and on version tags (`v*`).
---
## Credits
- Base image: [jlesage/docker-baseimage-gui](https://github.com/jlesage/docker-baseimage-gui)
- AI assistant: [Happy Coder](https://happy.engineering) + [Claude](https://claude.ai)