How to Install Coder on OpenBSD

Coder is a software development tool that allows you to remotely run and develop code from a web browser. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Coder on OpenBSD.

Prerequisites

Before we begin the installation process, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • OpenBSD installed on your system
  • Access to the root account or a user account with sudo privileges
  • A web browser to access the Coder interface

Step 1 – Installing Docker

The first step is to install Docker on your OpenBSD system. Docker is a containerization platform that allows you to run applications in isolated environments. Coder runs on Docker, so you need to install Docker before you can install Coder.

  1. Open the OpenBSD terminal.
  2. Run the following command:
$ doas pkg_add docker

This will install the latest version of Docker on your system.

  1. Start the Docker service by running the following command:
$ doas rcctl start docker

Step 2 – Installing Coder

Now that you have Docker installed on your OpenBSD system, you can proceed with the installation of Coder.

  1. Use your web browser to navigate to https://coder.com/.
  2. Click on the "Get Started" button on the home page.
  3. Select "Docker" as the deployment method.
  4. Choose your preferred configuration options and copy the installation command provided on the Coder website.
  5. Open the OpenBSD terminal and run the copied command with root privileges like below:
$ doas sh -c 'echo "net.inet.ip.forwarding=1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf'
$ doas sysctl net.inet.ip.forwarding=1
$ doas sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh)"

Step 3 – Running Coder

Now that you have installed Coder, you can start using it by running the "code-server" command in your terminal. This will start the Coder server and provide you with a URL to access the Coder interface.

  1. Open a new terminal window or tab.
  2. Run the following command:
$ code-server
  1. You will see a URL printed on the terminal like below:
INFO  Using config file ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml
INFO  code-server 3.11.1  7d8061bffd796d7b15a70ffac9f4d4d4de208684
INFO  Using user-data-dir ~/.local/share/code-server
INFO  Using browser /usr/local/bin/chromium
INFO  code-server listening on http://127.0.0.1:8080
  1. Copy the URL provided in the output to your web browser.
  2. You will be directed to the Coder login page. Enter a username and password to log in.
  3. You're now ready to start developing code from the web interface.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have shown you how to install Coder on OpenBSD. With Coder, you can develop and run code remotely from a web browser, making it a convenient tool for software developers who work with OpenBSD.