devcontainer-setup
Creates devcontainers with Claude Code, language-specific tooling (Python/Node/Rust/Go), and persistent volumes. Use when adding devcontainer support to a project, setting up isolated development environments, or configuring sandboxed Claude Code workspaces.
About this skill
The 'devcontainer-setup' skill empowers AI agents to quickly provision isolated and sandboxed development environments. It generates a complete devcontainer configuration, integrating 'Claude Code' for AI-assisted development, alongside essential language-specific tooling for Python, Node.js, Rust, and Go. The skill also ensures persistent volumes are configured, preserving user data and settings across sessions. This is ideal for rapidly onboarding new projects, ensuring consistent development environments, or providing a secure, sandboxed workspace for AI agents to operate within.
Best use case
Adding devcontainer support to an existing or new project. Setting up isolated and consistent development environments for various programming languages. Configuring secure, sandboxed workspaces with Claude Code integration for AI-assisted coding. Streamlining developer onboarding by automating environment setup.
Creates devcontainers with Claude Code, language-specific tooling (Python/Node/Rust/Go), and persistent volumes. Use when adding devcontainer support to a project, setting up isolated development environments, or configuring sandboxed Claude Code workspaces.
A fully configured devcontainer environment ready for development, complete with Claude Code integration, language-specific toolchains for the specified language, and persistent storage. The agent will typically confirm the successful setup and provide instructions on how to access or utilize the new devcontainer.
Practical example
Example input
Set up a devcontainer for my new Python project, including Claude Code.
Example output
Successfully generated devcontainer configuration for your Python project with Claude Code and persistent storage. You can now open your project in a devcontainer-compatible IDE to begin development. Would you like instructions on how to access this environment?
When to use this skill
- When the user explicitly asks to 'set up a devcontainer' or 'add devcontainer support' to a project.
- When the user requests a sandboxed development environment with Claude Code integration.
- When the user needs an isolated development environment with persistent configuration for Python, Node, Rust, or Go projects.
When not to use this skill
- When the user already has a devcontainer configuration and only wants to modify an existing setup, rather than create a new one.
- When the user requires a highly customized devcontainer setup that goes beyond the default language-specific tooling provided.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/devcontainer-setup/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How devcontainer-setup Compares
| Feature / Agent | devcontainer-setup | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Claude | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | easy | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Creates devcontainers with Claude Code, language-specific tooling (Python/Node/Rust/Go), and persistent volumes. Use when adding devcontainer support to a project, setting up isolated development environments, or configuring sandboxed Claude Code workspaces.
Which AI agents support this skill?
This skill is designed for Claude.
How difficult is it to install?
The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# Devcontainer Setup Skill
Creates a pre-configured devcontainer with Claude Code and language-specific tooling.
## When to Use
- User asks to "set up a devcontainer" or "add devcontainer support"
- User wants a sandboxed Claude Code development environment
- User needs isolated development environments with persistent configuration
## When NOT to Use
- User already has a devcontainer configuration and just needs modifications
- User is asking about general Docker or container questions
- User wants to deploy production containers (this is for development only)
## Workflow
```mermaid
flowchart TB
start([User requests devcontainer])
recon[1. Project Reconnaissance]
detect[2. Detect Languages]
generate[3. Generate Configuration]
write[4. Write files to .devcontainer/]
done([Done])
start --> recon
recon --> detect
detect --> generate
generate --> write
write --> done
```
## Phase 1: Project Reconnaissance
### Infer Project Name
Check in order (use first match):
1. `package.json` → `name` field
2. `pyproject.toml` → `project.name`
3. `Cargo.toml` → `package.name`
4. `go.mod` → module path (last segment after `/`)
5. Directory name as fallback
Convert to slug: lowercase, replace spaces/underscores with hyphens.
### Detect Language Stack
| Language | Detection Files |
|----------|-----------------|
| Python | `pyproject.toml`, `*.py` |
| Node/TypeScript | `package.json`, `tsconfig.json` |
| Rust | `Cargo.toml` |
| Go | `go.mod`, `go.sum` |
### Multi-Language Projects
If multiple languages are detected, configure all of them in the following priority order:
1. **Python** - Primary language, uses Dockerfile for uv + Python installation
2. **Node/TypeScript** - Uses devcontainer feature
3. **Rust** - Uses devcontainer feature
4. **Go** - Uses devcontainer feature
For multi-language `postCreateCommand`, chain all setup commands:
```
uv run /opt/post_install.py && uv sync && npm ci
```
Extensions and settings from all detected languages should be merged into the configuration.
## Phase 2: Generate Configuration
Start with base templates from `resources/` directory. Substitute:
- `{{PROJECT_NAME}}` → Human-readable name (e.g., "My Project")
- `{{PROJECT_SLUG}}` → Slug for volumes (e.g., "my-project")
Then apply language-specific modifications below.
## Base Template Features
The base template includes:
- **Claude Code** with marketplace plugins (anthropics/skills, trailofbits/skills, trailofbits/skills-curated)
- **Python 3.13** via uv (fast binary download)
- **Node 22** via fnm (Fast Node Manager)
- **ast-grep** for AST-based code search
- **Network isolation tools** (iptables, ipset) with NET_ADMIN capability
- **Modern CLI tools**: ripgrep, fd, fzf, tmux, git-delta
---
## Language-Specific Sections
### Python Projects
**Detection:** `pyproject.toml`, `requirements.txt`, `setup.py`, or `*.py` files
**Dockerfile additions:**
The base Dockerfile already includes Python 3.13 via uv. If a different version is required (detected from `pyproject.toml`), modify the Python installation:
```dockerfile
# Install Python via uv (fast binary download, not source compilation)
RUN uv python install <version> --default
```
**devcontainer.json extensions:**
Add to `customizations.vscode.extensions`:
```json
"ms-python.python",
"ms-python.vscode-pylance",
"charliermarsh.ruff"
```
Add to `customizations.vscode.settings`:
```json
"python.defaultInterpreterPath": ".venv/bin/python",
"[python]": {
"editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
"editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
"source.organizeImports": "explicit"
}
}
```
**postCreateCommand:**
If `pyproject.toml` exists, chain commands:
```
rm -rf .venv && uv sync && uv run /opt/post_install.py
```
---
### Node/TypeScript Projects
**Detection:** `package.json` or `tsconfig.json`
**No Dockerfile additions needed:** The base template includes Node 22 via fnm (Fast Node Manager).
**devcontainer.json extensions:**
Add to `customizations.vscode.extensions`:
```json
"dbaeumer.vscode-eslint",
"esbenp.prettier-vscode"
```
Add to `customizations.vscode.settings`:
```json
"editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
"editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
"source.fixAll.eslint": "explicit"
}
```
**postCreateCommand:**
Detect package manager from lockfile and chain with base command:
- `pnpm-lock.yaml` → `uv run /opt/post_install.py && pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`
- `yarn.lock` → `uv run /opt/post_install.py && yarn install --frozen-lockfile`
- `package-lock.json` → `uv run /opt/post_install.py && npm ci`
- No lockfile → `uv run /opt/post_install.py && npm install`
---
### Rust Projects
**Detection:** `Cargo.toml`
**Features to add:**
```json
"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/rust:1": {}
```
**devcontainer.json extensions:**
Add to `customizations.vscode.extensions`:
```json
"rust-lang.rust-analyzer",
"tamasfe.even-better-toml"
```
Add to `customizations.vscode.settings`:
```json
"[rust]": {
"editor.defaultFormatter": "rust-lang.rust-analyzer"
}
```
**postCreateCommand:**
If `Cargo.lock` exists, use locked builds:
```
uv run /opt/post_install.py && cargo build --locked
```
If no lockfile, use standard build:
```
uv run /opt/post_install.py && cargo build
```
---
### Go Projects
**Detection:** `go.mod`
**Features to add:**
```json
"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/go:1": {
"version": "latest"
}
```
**devcontainer.json extensions:**
Add to `customizations.vscode.extensions`:
```json
"golang.go"
```
Add to `customizations.vscode.settings`:
```json
"[go]": {
"editor.defaultFormatter": "golang.go"
},
"go.useLanguageServer": true
```
**postCreateCommand:**
```
uv run /opt/post_install.py && go mod download
```
---
## Reference Material
For additional guidance, see:
- `references/dockerfile-best-practices.md` - Layer optimization, multi-stage builds, architecture support
- `references/features-vs-dockerfile.md` - When to use devcontainer features vs custom Dockerfile
---
## Adding Persistent Volumes
Pattern for new mounts in `devcontainer.json`:
```json
"mounts": [
"source={{PROJECT_SLUG}}-<purpose>-${devcontainerId},target=<container-path>,type=volume"
]
```
Common additions:
- `source={{PROJECT_SLUG}}-cargo-${devcontainerId},target=/home/vscode/.cargo,type=volume` (Rust)
- `source={{PROJECT_SLUG}}-go-${devcontainerId},target=/home/vscode/go,type=volume` (Go)
---
## Output Files
Generate these files in the project's `.devcontainer/` directory:
1. `Dockerfile` - Container build instructions
2. `devcontainer.json` - VS Code/devcontainer configuration
3. `post_install.py` - Post-creation setup script
4. `.zshrc` - Shell configuration
5. `install.sh` - CLI helper for managing the devcontainer (`devc` command)
---
## Validation Checklist
Before presenting files to the user, verify:
1. All `{{PROJECT_NAME}}` placeholders are replaced with the human-readable name
2. All `{{PROJECT_SLUG}}` placeholders are replaced with the slugified name
3. JSON syntax is valid in `devcontainer.json` (no trailing commas, proper nesting)
4. Language-specific extensions are added for all detected languages
5. `postCreateCommand` includes all required setup commands (chained with `&&`)
---
## User Instructions
After generating, inform the user:
1. How to start: "Open in VS Code and select 'Reopen in Container'"
2. Alternative: `devcontainer up --workspace-folder .`
3. CLI helper: Run `.devcontainer/install.sh self-install` to add the `devc` command to PATHRelated Skills
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