This page extends[devcontainers.md](./devcontainers.md) with patterns for multiple dev containers,

user-controlled startup, repository selection, and infrastructure tuning.

Run independent dev containers in the same workspace so each component appears as its own agent.

Each dev container appears as a separate agent, so developers can connect to any

component in the workspace.

Let developers extend the repo’s`devcontainer.json` with an ignored (by Git)`devcontainer.local.json` file

so they can add personal tools without changing the canonical configuration:

Add the file name to your project's`.gitignore` or the user's

[global exclude file](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/git-basics/ignoring-files#configuring-ignored-files-for-all-repositories-on-your-computer).

Use`coder_parameter` booleans to let workspace creators choose which dev containers start automatically,

reducing resource usage for unneeded components:

Prompt users to pick a repository or team at workspace creation time and clone the selected repo(s) automatically into the workspace:

Adjust workspace infrastructure to set memory/CPU limits, attach a custom Docker network,

or add persistent volumes—to improve performance and isolation for dev containers:

1. Run`docker ps` inside the workspace to ensure Docker is available.

1. Check`/tmp/startup.log` for agent logs.

Coder supports two independent ways to run Dev Containers inside a workspace.

Use this page to decide which path fits your project or platform needs.

| Capability / Trait| Dev Containers integration (CLI-based)| Envbuilder Dev Containers|

|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|

| Templates| Standard`devcontainer.json`| Terraform + Envbuilder blocks|

| Suitable for CI / AI agents| Yes. Deterministic, composable| Less ideal. No isolated container|

Choose the new integration if:

[Dev Container integration](./devcontainers.md) documentation.

Envbuilder remains a solid choice when:

[Envbuilder Dev Container](../managing-templates/devcontainers/add-devcontainer.md#envbuilder-terraform-provider) documentation.

1. Ensure the workspace image can run Docker and has sufficient resources:

Coder detects and launches the dev container automatically.

1. Verify ports, SSH, and rebuild prompts function as expected.

-[Dev Containers Integration](./index.md)

-[Troubleshooting Dev Containers](../../../user-guides/devcontainers/troubleshooting-dev-containers.md)

Dev containers provide a consistent, reproducible development environment using the

[Development Containers specification](https://containers.dev/).

To enable dev containers in workspaces,[configure your template](../creating-templates.md) with the dev containers

modules and configurations outlined in this doc.

Dev containers improve consistency across environments by letting developers define their development setup.

When integrated with Coder templates, they provide:

RUN npm install -g @devcontainers/cli

If you don't use[`git_clone`](#clone-the-repository), point the resource at the folder that contains`devcontainer.json`:

This step is optional, but it ensures that the project is present before the dev container starts.

Enhance your dev container experience with additional features.

For more advanced use cases, consult the[advanced dev containers doc](./advanced-dev-containers.md).

</details>

To disable the dev containers integration in your workspace, add the`CODER_AGENT_DEVCONTAINERS_ENABLE` environment variable to your existing`coder_agent` block:

This guide shows platform administrators how to add an Envbuilder dev container template to Coder.

| Template| Description|

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


The`onCreateCommand`,`updateContentCommand`,`postCreateCommand`, and

`postStartCommand` lifecycle scripts are run eachtime the container is started.

Lifecycle scripts are managed by project developers.

- [Choose an approach to Dev Containers](../../extending-templates/dev-containers-envbuilder.md)

- [Dev container security and caching](./devcontainer-security-caching.md)

Envbuilder provides two release channels:

[Envbuilder GitHub repository](https://github.com/coder/envbuilder/) for more

information and to submit feature requests or bug reports.

Visit the

[Envbuilder repository](https://github.com/coder/envbuilder/blob/main/docs/devcontainer-spec-support.md)

Envbuilder can pull only pre-approved images and artifacts when you configure it with your enterprise proxies,

firewalls, and artifact managers.

You may need to authenticate to your container registry, such as Artifactory, or

Git provider such as GitLab, to use Envbuilder. See the

[Envbuilder documentation](https://github.com/coder/envbuilder/blob/main/docs/container-registry-auth.md)

for more information.

To improve build times, dev containers can be cached. There are two main forms

of caching:

You may also wish to consult a

[documented example usage of the`envbuilder_cached_image` resource](https://github.com/coder/terraform-provider-envbuilder/blob/main/examples/resources/envbuilder_cached_image/envbuilder_cached_image_resource.tf).

-[Dev container releases and known issues](./devcontainer-releases-known-issues.md)

-[Dotfiles](../../../../user-guides/workspace-dotfiles.md)

is not required. It also means that dev container builds can scale independently

of the Coder control plane and even run within a CI/CD pipeline.

-[Add an Envbuilder dev container template](./add-devcontainer.md)

-[Choose an approach to Dev Containers](../../extending-templates/dev-containers-envbuilder.md)