Guides for Codespaces

Learn how to make the most of GitHub

All Codespaces guides

48 guides found

Quickstart for GitHub Codespaces
Quickstart
Try out GitHub Codespaces in 5 minutes.
- Codespaces
Deep dive into GitHub Codespaces
Quickstart
Understand how GitHub Codespaces works.
- Codespaces
Introduction to dev containers
How-to guide
When you work in a codespace, the environment you are working in is created using a development container, or dev container, hosted on a virtual machine.
- Codespaces
- Set up
- Fundamentals
Setting up a Node.js project for GitHub Codespaces
Tutorial
Get started with a Node.js, JavaScript, or TypeScript project in GitHub Codespaces by creating a custom dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Set up
Setting up a Python project for GitHub Codespaces
Tutorial
Get started with a Python project in GitHub Codespaces by creating a custom dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Set up
Setting up a C# (.NET) project for GitHub Codespaces
Tutorial
Get started with a C# (.NET) project in GitHub Codespaces by creating a custom dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Set up
Setting up a Java project for GitHub Codespaces
Tutorial
Get started with a Java project in GitHub Codespaces by creating a custom dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Set up
Setting up a PHP project for GitHub Codespaces
Tutorial
Get started with a PHP project in GitHub Codespaces by creating a custom dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Set up
Setting a minimum specification for codespace machines
How-to guide
You can avoid under-resourced machine types being used for GitHub Codespaces for your repository.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Adding features to a devcontainer.json file
How-to guide
With features, you can quickly add tools, runtimes, or libraries to your dev container configuration.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Automatically opening files in the codespaces for a repository
How-to guide
You can set particular files to be opened automatically whenever someone creates a codespace for your repository and opens the codespace in the Visual Studio Code web client.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Specifying recommended secrets for a repository
How-to guide
You can add a setting to your dev container configuration that will prompt people to set specific development environment secrets when they create a codespace.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Facilitating quick creation and resumption of codespaces
How-to guide
You can add a link to take people straight to a page for creating a codespace, with your choice of options preconfigured. Alternatively you can link to the "Resume codespace" page.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Setting up a template repository for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can help people get started with a project by setting up a template repository for use with GitHub Codespaces.
- Codespaces
- Set up
Personalizing GitHub Codespaces for your account
How-to guide
You can personalize GitHub Codespaces by using a dotfiles repository on GitHub or by using Settings Sync.
- Codespaces
- Set up
- Fundamentals
Creating a codespace for a repository
How-to guide
You can create a codespace for a branch in a repository to develop online.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Creating a codespace from a template
How-to guide
If you're starting a new project, you can create a codespace from a blank template or choose a template specially designed for the type of work you want to do.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Developing in a codespace
How-to guide
You can work in a codespace using your browser, Visual Studio Code, or in a command shell.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Deleting a codespace
How-to guide
You can delete a codespace you no longer need.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Forwarding ports in your codespace
How-to guide
You can forward ports in your codespace to test and debug your application. You can also manage the port protocol and share the port within your organization or publicly.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Opening an existing codespace
How-to guide
You can reopen a codespace that you have closed or stopped and return to your work.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Stopping and starting a codespace
How-to guide
You can stop and start your codespace to save resources and to pause work.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Working collaboratively in a codespace
How-to guide
You can work collaboratively with other people in a codespace by using Visual Studio Live Share.
- Codespaces
- Developer
Using GitHub Codespaces in Visual Studio Code
How-to guide
You can develop in your codespace directly in Visual Studio Code by connecting the GitHub Codespaces extension with your account on GitHub.
- Codespaces
- Visual Studio Code
- Developer
Using GitHub Codespaces with GitHub CLI
How-to guide
You can work with GitHub Codespaces directly from your command line by using gh, the GitHub command line interface.
- Codespaces
- CLI
- Developer
Using source control in your codespace
How-to guide
After making changes to a file in your codespace you can quickly commit the changes and push your update to the remote repository.
- Codespaces
- Fundamentals
- Developer
Using GitHub Codespaces for pull requests
How-to guide
You can use GitHub Codespaces in your web browser, or in Visual Studio Code to create pull requests, review pull requests, and address review comments.
- Codespaces
- Visual Studio Code
- Developer
Changing the machine type for your codespace
How-to guide
You can change the type of machine that's running your codespace, so that you're using resources appropriate for the work you're doing.
- Codespaces
Configuring automatic deletion of your codespaces
How-to guide
Inactive codespaces are automatically deleted. You can choose how long your stopped codespaces are retained, up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Codespaces
Setting your default editor for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can set your default editor for Codespaces in your personal settings page.
- Codespaces
Setting your default region for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can set your default region in the GitHub Codespaces profile settings page to personalize where your data is held.
- Codespaces
Setting your timeout period for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can set your default timeout for GitHub Codespaces in your personal settings page.
- Codespaces
Managing your account-specific secrets for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can store sensitive information, like tokens, that you want to access in your codespaces via environment variables.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Security
- Secret store
Managing access to other repositories within your codespace
You can manage the repositories that GitHub Codespaces can access.
- Codespaces
- Security
Managing GPG verification for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can allow GitHub to automatically use GPG to sign commits you make in your codespaces, so other people can be confident that the changes come from a trusted source.
- Codespaces
- Developer
- Security
Enabling or disabling GitHub Codespaces for your organization
How-to guide
You can control which users can use GitHub Codespaces in your organization's private repositories.
- Codespaces
- Billing
- Administrator
Managing the cost of GitHub Codespaces in your organization
Reference
You can check your GitHub Codespaces usage and set usage limits.
- Codespaces
- Billing
Managing development environment secrets for your repository or organization
Development environment secrets allow you to store sensitive information in your organization or repository for use with GitHub Codespaces.
- Codespaces
- Secret store
- Security
Restricting access to machine types
How-to guide
You can set constraints on the types of machines users can choose when they create codespaces in your organization.
- Codespaces
Restricting the base image for codespaces
How-to guide
You can specify which base images can be used to create the dev container for new codespaces created within your organization.
- Codespaces
Restricting the idle timeout period
How-to guide
You can set a maximum timeout period for any codespaces owned by your organization.
- Codespaces
Restricting the retention period for codespaces
How-to guide
You can set a maximum retention period for any codespaces owned by your organization.
- Codespaces
Restricting the visibility of forwarded ports
How-to guide
You can set constraints on the visibility options users can choose when they forward ports from codespaces in your organization.
- Codespaces
Reviewing your organization's audit logs for GitHub Codespaces
How-to guide
You can use the audit log to review all actions related to GitHub Codespaces.
- Codespaces
- Security
- Administrator
About billing for GitHub Codespaces
Overview
Learn about the costs for using GitHub Codespaces, and the monthly usage quotas included with GitHub personal accounts.
- Codespaces
- Billing
Using the Visual Studio Code Command Palette in GitHub Codespaces
Reference
You can use the Command Palette feature of Visual Studio Code to access many commands in GitHub Codespaces.
- Codespaces
- Visual Studio Code
Disaster recovery for GitHub Codespaces
This article describes guidance for a disaster recovery scenario, when a whole region experiences an outage due to major natural disaster or widespread service interruption.
- Codespaces
Security in GitHub Codespaces
Reference
Overview of the GitHub Codespaces security architecture, with guidelines to help you maintain security and minimize the risk of attack.
- Codespaces
- Security

All Codespaces guides

Quickstart for GitHub Codespaces

Deep dive into GitHub Codespaces

Introduction to dev containers

Setting up a Node.js project for GitHub Codespaces

Setting up a Python project for GitHub Codespaces

Setting up a C# (.NET) project for GitHub Codespaces

Setting up a Java project for GitHub Codespaces

Setting up a PHP project for GitHub Codespaces

Setting a minimum specification for codespace machines

Adding features to a devcontainer.json file

Automatically opening files in the codespaces for a repository

Specifying recommended secrets for a repository

Facilitating quick creation and resumption of codespaces

Setting up a template repository for GitHub Codespaces

Personalizing GitHub Codespaces for your account

Creating a codespace for a repository

Creating a codespace from a template

Developing in a codespace

Deleting a codespace

Forwarding ports in your codespace

Opening an existing codespace

Stopping and starting a codespace

Working collaboratively in a codespace

Using GitHub Codespaces in Visual Studio Code

Using GitHub Codespaces with GitHub CLI

Using source control in your codespace

Using GitHub Codespaces for pull requests

Changing the machine type for your codespace

Configuring automatic deletion of your codespaces

Setting your default editor for GitHub Codespaces

Setting your default region for GitHub Codespaces

Setting your timeout period for GitHub Codespaces

Managing your account-specific secrets for GitHub Codespaces

Managing access to other repositories within your codespace

Managing GPG verification for GitHub Codespaces

Enabling or disabling GitHub Codespaces for your organization

Managing the cost of GitHub Codespaces in your organization

Managing development environment secrets for your repository or organization

Restricting access to machine types

Restricting the base image for codespaces

Restricting the idle timeout period

Restricting the retention period for codespaces

Restricting the visibility of forwarded ports

Reviewing your organization's audit logs for GitHub Codespaces

About billing for GitHub Codespaces

Using the Visual Studio Code Command Palette in GitHub Codespaces

Disaster recovery for GitHub Codespaces

Security in GitHub Codespaces