code-server with Docker Compose

What code-server needs

Only figures code-server's own documentation publishes, each linked to the page it is on. Where the project gives no number, this page does not invent one.

On top of this, Caddy (the reverse proxy in the file) is a single small container.

Which hardware code-server has images for

Read from each image's manifest list in its registry (anonymous, read-only) when this page was built. An app counts for a CPU only if every one of its images lists it.

• x86-64 PC or NAS (linux/amd64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 4/5, 64-bit OS (linux/arm64): every image has a build.
• Raspberry Pi 3 or Zero 2 W, 32-bit OS (linux/arm/v7): no image for code-server. No image for this hardware; the builder leaves the app out.

A manifest says an image exists for a CPU, not how well code-server runs on it: a build for arm64 or arm/v7 can still be too slow or need more memory than the board has. The RAM and disk code-server publishes are in the table above and, for a whole set of apps against a Raspberry Pi, on Will it run on my machine?. A tag like latest can move to a new digest after the date checked.

docker-compose.yml

This is exactly what the builder writes for code-server alone on example.org: the official definition with its published ports removed and Caddy added in front. Every ${VARIABLE} is defined in the .env below.

# docker-compose.yml built at dankhost.com for: code-server
# Each app block is its official compose definition. Only the names were prefixed with
# the app slug (services, containers, volumes, bind folders, .env variables) so any set of
# apps can share one file; other differences are listed under "Changed:" in each block.
# Only Caddy publishes ports. Secrets live in .env next to this file.

services:
  # ---- Caddy: the one reverse proxy, HTTPS certificates from Let's Encrypt ----
  # Source: https://caddyserver.com/docs/running (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Source: https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki/Using-Docker-Compose (checked 2026-09-23)
  # Caddyfile goes in ./caddy/Caddyfile. Fixed address 172.30.0.2 so apps can trust it exactly.
  caddy:
    image: "caddy:2"
    container_name: "caddy"
    restart: "unless-stopped"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "443:443/udp"
    volumes:
      - "./caddy:/etc/caddy"
      - "caddy-data:/data"
      - "caddy-config:/config"
    networks:
      proxy:
        ipv4_address: "172.30.0.2"

  # ---- code-server (code.example.org) ----
  # Source: https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/docs/install.md (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/docs/requirements.md (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/docs/FAQ.md (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/src/node/cli.ts (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Source: https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/docs/guide.md (checked 2026-09-30)
  # Changed: Removed the documented '127.0.0.1:8080:8080' port; Caddy reaches code-server:8080 on the proxy network.
  #          The documented binds of $HOME/.local, $HOME/.config and $PWD become the folders ./local, ./config and ./project next to this file, mounted at the same /home/coder paths.
  #          Removed -u "$(id -u):$(id -g)" and -e DOCKER_USER=$USER: a compose file cannot run those shell commands. The image then runs as its own user coder (UID 1000, set in its Dockerfile), so the three folders must be writable by UID 1000.
  #          Added PASSWORD, a generated value in .env: code-server's options say the password "can only be passed in via $PASSWORD or the config file". Without it, code-server writes a random one into ./config/code-server/config.yaml.
  code-server:
    image: "codercom/code-server:latest"
    container_name: "code-server"
    environment:
      PASSWORD: "${CODE_SERVER_PASSWORD}"
    volumes:
      - "./code-server/local:/home/coder/.local"
      - "./code-server/config:/home/coder/.config"
      - "./code-server/project:/home/coder/project"
    networks:
      proxy: {}

networks:
  # Pinned so the trusted-proxy address given to each app (172.30.0.2) is exact.
  # If "docker compose up" reports "Pool overlaps", change 172.30.0 here, in Caddy's
  # ipv4_address and in every trusted-proxy value to a free 172.x.0 range.
  proxy:
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: "172.30.0.0/24"
          ip_range: "172.30.0.128/25"
          gateway: "172.30.0.1"

volumes:
  caddy-data:
  caddy-config:

Caddyfile save as caddy/Caddyfile

Caddy gets and renews the HTTPS certificate for code.example.org by itself once the DNS record points at your server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# Caddyfile built at dankhost.com. Save it as ./caddy/Caddyfile next to docker-compose.yml.
# Caddy gets and renews a Let's Encrypt certificate for each name below by itself,
# once the DNS records point at this server and ports 80 and 443 reach it.

# code-server
code.example.org {
	reverse_proxy code-server:8080
}

Already running nginx, Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy or Traefik? The reverse-proxy settings code-server needs, for all four, each cited to code-server's own docs.

.env

The secret is left blank here on purpose: a password printed on a public page is the same for everyone who copies it. The builder fills it with random letters and digits made in your browser.

# .env for code-server, from dankhost.com/app/code-server/. Fill the blank secret before starting.
# Keep this file private (chmod 600).

# code-server
# 32 random letters and digits: the builder fills this in your browser
CODE_SERVER_PASSWORD=

Changes from the official file

Besides prefixing every service, container, volume, folder and variable with code-server (so any set of apps can share one file), these are all the differences from what the project documents:

• Removed the documented '127.0.0.1:8080:8080' port; Caddy reaches code-server:8080 on the proxy network.
• The documented binds of $HOME/.local, $HOME/.config and $PWD become the folders ./local, ./config and ./project next to this file, mounted at the same /home/coder paths.
• Removed -u "$(id -u):$(id -g)" and -e DOCKER_USER=$USER: a compose file cannot run those shell commands. The image then runs as its own user coder (UID 1000, set in its Dockerfile), so the three folders must be writable by UID 1000.
• Added PASSWORD, a generated value in .env: code-server's options say the password "can only be passed in via $PASSWORD or the config file". Without it, code-server writes a random one into ./config/code-server/config.yaml.

Notes for code-server behind the proxy

• Log in with CODE_SERVER_PASSWORD from .env. Anyone with it gets a terminal inside the container and every file in ./code-server/project, so treat it like an SSH password.
• Before the first start: mkdir -p ./code-server/local ./code-server/config ./code-server/project && sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ./code-server (the image runs as UID 1000).
• To keep the password as an argon2 hash instead, the FAQ gives HASHED_PASSWORD with every $ doubled to $$ in a compose file; hashed-password takes precedence over password.
• The install page uses the image tag 'latest'. The documented docker run sets no restart policy: run "docker compose up -d" after a reboot, or add restart: unless-stopped.

Back it up

code-server publishes no backup procedure. Your code is in ./project; ./config holds config.yaml and ./local holds extensions and editor settings.

Below is the BACKUP.md the builder writes next to the compose file above: which of its folders and volumes hold data, what to copy with which container stopped, and a restore check. Pick more apps in the builder and it covers them all in one file.

# BACKUP.md built at dankhost.com for: code-server

What to copy from the docker-compose.yml built with this file, the database dump each project documents (rewritten for the service names in that file), what to copy with which container stopped, and how to check the result. Run every command in the folder that holds docker-compose.yml.

The folders are owned by the containers' users: put sudo in front of tar if it says "Permission denied". Named volumes live under /var/lib/docker/volumes, not next to the compose file, so they are copied through a throwaway ubuntu container (Docker's documented --volumes-from method). tar makes a full copy each run; for large folders an incremental tool (restic, borg, rsync) saves time and space.

Never run "docker compose down -v" on this file: it deletes the named volumes of every app in it.

## Before you start

    BACKUP=/mnt/backup/selfhost   # change this: a disk or machine other than this server's system disk
    mkdir -p "$BACKUP"

## Every time: the three stack files

    tar czf "$BACKUP/stack-files.tar.gz" docker-compose.yml .env caddy

.env holds the database passwords and secret keys the apps were set up with; keep this archive as private as the data.

## Caddy (the reverse proxy)

Caddy's docs: 'The data directory must not be treated as a cache.' It holds the TLS certificates and their private keys; without it Caddy has to ask Let's Encrypt for every certificate again.

- caddy-data (named volume, /data in caddy)
  BACK UP: TLS certificates, private keys, OCSP staples.
- caddy-config (named volume, /config in caddy)
  SKIP: the last active configuration, kept for 'caddy run --resume', which this setup does not use: it starts from the Caddyfile.
- ./caddy (/etc/caddy in caddy)
  IN stack-files.tar.gz: the Caddyfile, copied with the stack files above.

Copy (Caddy keeps serving while you copy):

    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu tar cvf /backup/caddy-data.tar /data

Restore check:

    tar tf "$BACKUP/caddy-data.tar" > /dev/null && echo OK
    docker run --rm --volumes-from caddy -v "$BACKUP":/backup ubuntu bash -c "cd /data && tar xvf /backup/caddy-data.tar --strip 1"

Sources:
- Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory: https://caddyserver.com/docs/conventions#data-directory (checked 2026-09-24)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-24)

## code-server

code-server publishes no backup procedure. Your code is in ./project; ./config holds config.yaml and ./local holds extensions and editor settings.

What this compose mounts:
- ./code-server/local (/home/coder/.local in code-server)
  BACK UP: installed extensions and VS Code user data (settings, keybindings, state).
- ./code-server/config (/home/coder/.config in code-server)
  BACK UP: code-server/config.yaml (bind address, auth, password if it wrote one).
- ./code-server/project (/home/coder/project in code-server)
  BACK UP: your code: everything you open and edit in code-server.

1. Copy (code-server keeps running):
   These are ordinary files; an editor saving during the copy only risks that one file, which the next backup gets. Use git for code you care about.

    tar czf "$BACKUP/code-server-local.tar.gz" ./code-server/local
    tar czf "$BACKUP/code-server-config.tar.gz" ./code-server/config
    tar czf "$BACKUP/code-server-project.tar.gz" ./code-server/project

Restore check:

    tar tzf "$BACKUP/code-server-local.tar.gz" > /dev/null && echo OK
    tar tzf "$BACKUP/code-server-config.tar.gz" > /dev/null && echo OK
    tar tzf "$BACKUP/code-server-project.tar.gz" > /dev/null && echo OK

Put a copy back (with code-server stopped):

    tar xzf "$BACKUP/code-server-local.tar.gz"   # recreates ./code-server/local; move the old folder aside first
    tar xzf "$BACKUP/code-server-config.tar.gz"   # recreates ./code-server/config; move the old folder aside first
    tar xzf "$BACKUP/code-server-project.tar.gz"   # recreates ./code-server/project; move the old folder aside first

Put the three folders back owned by UID 1000 (chown -R 1000:1000 ./code-server) and run docker compose up -d.

Sources:
- code-server docs: Install (Docker: docker run, volumes, amd64 and arm64): https://github.com/coder/code-server/blob/main/docs/install.md (checked 2026-09-30)
- Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/#back-up-restore-or-migrate-data-volumes (checked 2026-09-30)

Sources

Every page below was fetched on the date shown.

• code-server docs: README checked 2026-09-30 (what it does)
• code-server docs: Requirements (1 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores at the minimum; WebSockets) checked 2026-09-30 (hardware requirements, compose definition and proxy settings)
• code-server docs: Install (Docker: docker run, volumes, amd64 and arm64) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings, backup plan)
• code-server docs: FAQ (config.yaml, password, hashed-password, HASHED_PASSWORD in Docker Compose) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• code-server source: cli.ts (password "can only be passed in via $PASSWORD or the config file") checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• code-server docs: Setup and configuration guide (Caddy and NGINX reverse proxy examples) checked 2026-09-30 (compose definition and proxy settings)
• Caddy docs: Keep Caddy running (Docker Compose section) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Vaultwarden wiki: Caddy with HTTP challenge (uses the caddy:2 image) checked 2026-09-23 (Caddy)
• Docker docs: Volumes, Back up, restore, or migrate data volumes checked 2026-09-30 (backup plan)
• Caddy docs: Conventions, Data directory checked 2026-09-24 (backup plan)

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