Code Server Student Image

A self-contained OpenShift deployment for providing individual code-server environments to students.

Features

• Complete Development Environment: Pre-installed with Python, Node.js, Java, Docker, kubectl, oc CLI, and Helm
• Laptop-Free Workshop: No student setup required - everything runs in the browser
• Student Quick Start Guide: Comprehensive guide for students new to code-server/VS Code
• Multi-Student Support: Template-based deployment for easy scaling
• Security: Network policies, resource quotas, and RBAC for student isolation
• Persistent Storage: Each student gets their own workspace that persists
• Auto-Configuration: Welcome materials and git configuration templates

Quick Start

1. Build the Image

The project uses Shipwright for automated builds:

./build-and-verify.sh

The script detects whether you are on an x86_64 or arm64 system and passes the correct architecture to Shipwright so multi-arch builds work out of the box.

You can override the default build timeout by setting the BUILD_TIMEOUT environment variable before running the script.

2. Deploy Students

Use the admin deployment script for complete student environment setup:

# Deploy complete student environment (recommended)
./admin/deploy/complete-student-setup-simple.sh 1 25

# This creates:
# - Student namespaces with code-server deployments
# - OpenShift user accounts with shared password
# - ArgoCD RBAC configuration for GitOps access
# - OAuth authentication setup
# - Production-ready security and resource limits

# For smaller test deployments
./admin/deploy/complete-student-setup-simple.sh 1 5

# Individual deployment components (advanced)
./admin/deploy/deploy-bulk-students.sh 1 25      # Just deploy environments
./admin/deploy/configure-argocd-rbac.sh 1 25     # Just configure ArgoCD

If a student's namespace already exists, the script logs a warning and skips deployment. Use --force to redeploy.

3. Access Student Environments

After deployment, each student will have:

• A unique URL: https://studentXX-code-server.apps.your-cluster.com
• A generated password (saved in student-credentials.txt)
• Their own isolated namespace with resource limits
• STUDENT-QUICK-START.md guide for first-time users

For students new to code-server/VS Code: Direct them to click on STUDENT-QUICK-START.md in their workspace file explorer for a complete tutorial on using the environment.

4. Populate Workspace with Workshop Repos (optional)

Run the helper script inside a student terminal to clone the training repositories:

./clone-workshop-repos.sh

Architecture

Image Contents

• Base: Latest code-server from Coder
• Languages: Python 3, Node.js, Java 17
• Tools: Git, Docker, kubectl, oc CLI, Helm, Maven, Gradle
• Extensions: Python, YAML, JSON, Kubernetes, Docker extensions pre-installed

OpenShift Resources

Each student gets their own namespace with:

• Deployment: Single replica code-server pod
• Service: Internal cluster access
• Route: External HTTPS access
• PVCs: code-server-pvc for the workspace and shared-pvc for Tekton pipelines
• ResourceQuota: CPU/memory limits
• NetworkPolicy: Isolation from other students
• RBAC: Limited permissions within their namespace

Admin Workflow Structure

The repository is organized for efficient admin operations:

admin/
├── deploy/     # Deployment scripts
│   ├── complete-student-setup-simple.sh    # ← MAIN DEPLOYMENT SCRIPT
│   ├── deploy-bulk-students.sh             # Individual environment deployment
│   └── configure-argocd-rbac.sh            # ArgoCD access configuration
├── manage/     # Operations and management
│   ├── monitor-students.sh                 # Environment monitoring
│   ├── teardown-students.sh                # Environment cleanup
│   └── batch-pod-delete.sh                 # Bulk operations
└── validate/   # Testing and validation
    ├── end-to-end-test.sh                  # Complete deployment testing
    └── comprehensive-validation.sh         # Environment validation

Configuration

Resource Limits (per student)

• CPU: 200m request, 1000m limit
• Memory: 1Gi request, 2Gi limit
• Storage: 1Gi persistent volume
• Pods: Maximum 5 pods per namespace

Customization

• Modify student-template.yaml to adjust resources or add components
• Update Dockerfile to include additional tools or languages
• The Dockerfile creates /home/coder/workspace/... directories as root before switching to user 1001.
• Edit startup.sh to customize the welcome experience

Files

• Dockerfile - Enhanced code-server image with development tools
• student-template.yaml - OpenShift template for multi-student deployment
• deploy-students.sh - Management script for student environments
• startup.sh - Custom startup script with welcome message
• gitconfig-template - Git configuration template
• shipwright/ - Build automation configuration
• Legacy files (for reference):
  • code-server-*.yaml - Original single-student deployment
  • htpasswd-oauth.yaml - OAuth configuration
  • users.htpasswd - User authentication

Security Features

• Network Isolation: Students cannot access each other's environments
• Resource Quotas: Prevent resource exhaustion
• RBAC: Limited permissions within student namespaces
• Non-root: Container runs as non-privileged user (1001)
• TLS: All external access is encrypted

Monitoring

Check student environment status:

# Use admin monitoring tools
./admin/manage/monitor-students.sh

# Manual monitoring commands
oc get namespaces -l student                    # List student namespaces
oc get resourcequota -A | grep student          # Check resource usage
oc get deployments -A | grep code-server        # Monitor deployments
oc get pods -A | grep code-server               # Check pod status

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Build fails: Check Shipwright build logs

   oc logs -f buildrun/code-server-student-image-xxxxx -n devops

2. Student can't access environment: Verify route and service

   oc get route -n studentXX
   oc get pods -n studentXX

3. Resource issues: Check quotas and limits

   oc describe resourcequota -n studentXX

Cleanup

Remove all student environments:

# Use admin teardown tools
./admin/manage/teardown-students.sh 1 25        # Remove specific range

# Manual cleanup (if needed) 
oc get namespaces -l student --no-headers -o custom-columns=":metadata.name" | xargs -I {} oc delete namespace {}

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Make your changes
3. Test with a small number of students
4. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.