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DevPod Basics

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What is DevPod?

DevPod is a new project that enables users to run open-source dev containers and VMs on any infrastructure. It serves as an open-source alternative to products like GitHub Codespaces, but it’s client-only and can run on any platform. DevPod follows a provider model, similar to Terraform, which allows it to support various backing infrastructures for running dev containers. It comes with providers for local Docker containers, AWS, GCP, Azure, and more. DevPod uses the Dev Containers standard to configure dev environments, making it compatible with VS Code, Codespaces, and other tools that use that standard. DevPod comprises a Desktop app and a Command Line Interface (CLI).

Why DevPod?

  • Cost savings: DevPod is typically 5-10 times cheaper than comparable existing services, as it utilizes bare virtual machines in any cloud and automatically shuts down unused virtual machines.
  • No vendor lock-in: Select the cloud provider that best suits your needs, whether it be the cheapest or the most powerful. DevPod supports all cloud providers, and you can easily switch to a different provider with a single command.
  • Local development: DevPod provides the same developer experience locally, so you don’t need to rely on a cloud provider at all.
  • Cross IDE support: DevPod supports VSCode and the entire Jetbrains suite, and all other IDEs can be connected through simple SSH.
  • Client-only: There’s no need to install a server backend, as DevPod runs solely on your computer.
  • Open-Source: DevPod is 100% open-source and extensible. If a provider doesn’t exist, you can create your own.
  • Rich feature set: DevPod already offers support for pre-builds, auto inactivity shutdown, and synchronization of git and docker credentials, with many more features in the pipeline.
  • Desktop App: DevPod comes with an easy-to-use desktop application that abstracts away all the complexity. If you prefer, DevPod also offers a feature-rich CLI for building your own integrations.

Reference

  • https://devpod.sh/
  • https://github.com/loft-sh/devpod
  • https://containers.dev/
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