Problem
I find it burdensome creating and configuring my development environment all over again when using a new laptop or system.
The need for speed when installing packages, extensions, and compiling code is also very important, and the network plays a big role in that.
After setting it all up, I also don’t want anything to disrupt the environment. I also want to be able to log in or access it reliably and easily anytime I need from any machine without having to set it all up again.
Having dealt with this scenario many times, I found a way to create this environment, call upon it when I need and put it off when I don’t — and also have the ability to back it up anytime I make progress with new states of the storage/system.
This may not be for everyone, but I think many developers may find value in this setup depending on their situation.
Solution
Create a Linux server in the cloud and use VS Code’s Remote SSH feature to securely access it, with the capability to manage the file system from the editor like you would locally.
I call it “The DevBox”. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? Let’s build it.
Cost Considerations
This solution is going to cost a roughly fixed amount per month for EBS storage and snapshots (minimal) and a variable amount for EC2 compute, depending on how many hours you keep the server up in a month.
Take note and check the cost of what you are going to build (using the AWS Pricing Calculator) based on how you will use it.
Step 1 – Create a Dedicated Network for the DevBox
I chose to create a small VPC with a /24 network, which is just ideal for this case.
You can optionally add an S3 Private Gateway Endpoint for no extra charge. This would be useful for copying files from authorized S3 buckets into your environment when needed.
I chose a simple public subnet design with a restricted instance security group allowing SSH access only from my IP address.
Step 2 – Create the DevBox EC2 Instance
You can go with the latest Amazon Linux AMI or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which I used in this setup.
Restrict SSH access to your IP in the security group for security.
Step 3 – Configure SSH Access in VS Code
- Right-click the left panel of your VS Code editor and ensure the Remote Explorer is checked.
- Right-click on SSH and open the config file.
- Edit the config file as shown below:
- User: Varies depending on the AMI you use.
- IdentityFile: Points to the location of your key file.
- HostName: The remote server IP address.
- Connect in a new window.
- Confirm the step by hitting the Enter key.
It should take a few seconds to connect and configure — and boom! You’re connected via SSH within VS Code, while utilizing cloud storage and networking.
Further Steps
- Install your packages and set up your environment as needed.
- Expand the storage as you grow.
- Optionally add a second EBS volume as the data/working volume.
- Connect to an S3 bucket within your account via the S3 Gateway.
- Back up the volume, stop, and/or terminate the instance as needed.
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