replace welcome page by workspace readme at installation time

[hecnavsanz]

After installing code-server, I've created a workspace that it's mapping to a directory with a readme.md file and setup in the $HOME/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace file this entry:

"settings": { "workbench.startupEditor": "readme" }

and in the $HOME/.local/share/code-server/User/settings.json this other entry:

"workbench.startupEditor": "none"

When I'm accessing the first time to code-server I'm getting the Welcome page .. not my readme.md page. I'm trying but no way to setup code-server to display my readme.md page and not the Welcome page.

Thnx in adv.

[hecnavsanz]

Also just for curiosity, at FAQs suggest to set workspace in the query entry in the coder.json file ... but even doing so ... when accessing the first time the entry is removed. My coder.json :

{ "query": { "workspace": "$HOME/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace" }, "lastVisited": { "url": "$HOME/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace", "workspace": true }, "update": { "checked": 1638291450345, "version": "3.12.0" } }

Thnx again.

[jsjoeio]

Hmm...what version of code-server are you using? Can you post basic repro steps? Happy to try myself locally. I don't use Workspaces though so repro steps would help!

[hecnavsanz]

v.3.12

steps:

1. Install code-server.
2. copy custom config.yaml to /home/user/.config/code-server directory:
   bind-addr: host1:8080
auth: none
cert: false
3. Start code-server : systemctl start code-server@user
4. Install VSCode extensions in code-server:
   code-server --install-extension ms-python.python
code-server --install-extension kelvin.vscode-sshfs
5. Setup codr, user and workspace settings:
   codr
   mkdir /home/user/.config/code-server
cp coder.json /home/user/.config/code-server
   with coder.json:
   { "query": { "folder": "/home/user/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace" }, "lastVisited": { "url": "/home/user/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace", "workspace": true } }
   and ...
   user
   mkdir /home/user/.local/share/code-server/User
cp settings.json /home/user/.local/share/code-server/User
   with settings.json:
   { "workbench.colorTheme": "Default Dark+", "workbench.startupEditor": "readme", "files.exclude": { "**/.*": true }
   and ...
   workspace
   mkdir /home/user/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces
cp settings.code-workspace /home/user/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/ws-name.code-workspace
   with settings.code-workspace:
   { "folders": [ { "name": "host1", "path": "/home/user" } ] }
6. use a sample readme.md file in /home/user.

Maybe it's more simple than this ... basically I want to after the installation open a custom readme.md file located in $HOME or other directory when first time access to codr ... instead of the end-user to see the Welcome page and enter into guided steps.

I'm creating Vagrant boxed and automating w/ Ansible the installation process ... to create a lab env w/ multiple machines so students can use a controller vm w/ everything to access remotely to other machines and a readme.md with the lab instructions.

Thanks in adv.

[jsjoeio]

Hmm...I feel like we can simplify this a lot more:

1. install code-server
2. run code-server with settings.json suggested
3. open workspace which has readme

Expected: see readme
Actual: see Welcome page

With that in mind, let's test!

Video

Screen.Recording.2021-12-06.at.10.19.21.AM.mov

I even made this test dir a workspace and it works as expected.

a readme.md with the lab instructions

As long as you have the right settings.json and a readme in the lab repo, then it should work as you want.

[hecnavsanz]

Thnx Joe .. it gave to me some ideas to solve this issue:

Basically to automate this when deploying code-server:

1. Install code-server: curl -fsSL https://code-server.dev/install.sh | sh
2. Install code-server extensions: code-server --install-extension ...
3. Deploy custom config.yaml at /home/<user>/.config/code-server directory:

--- config.yaml
bind-addr: <host_pub_ip>:443
auth: none
cert: true

4. Create workspaces directory: mkdir /home/<user>/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces
5. Deploy custom coder.json at /home/<user>/.local/share/code-server:

# coder.json
{
  "query": {
    "folder": "/labs"
  },
  "lastVisited": {
    "url": "/home/<user>/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces/labs.code-workspace",
    "workspace": true
  }
}

Note: the /labs directory contains the readme.md markdown file that will preview automatically.
6. Deploy custom settings.json at /home/<user>/.local/share/code-server/User:

# settings.json
{
        "workbench.startupEditor": "readme"
}

7. Deploy custom labs.code-workspace at /home/<user>/.local/share/code-server/User/Workspaces:

# settings.code-workspace
{
        "folders": [
                {
                        "name": "<name>",
                        "path": "/labs"
                }
        ]
}

8. Start code-server: systemctl start code-server@<user>
9. Verify:
   

Thanks again.

[jsjoeio]

Oh wow! This is an awesome workflow. Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share with us!

cc @bpmct I think you'll find this interesting.