Setup: Dev Container

Run Drasi Server in a VS Code Dev Container

  4 minute read  

Use VS Code Dev Containers for a consistent development environment with all dependencies pre-installed.

Prerequisites

  • Git — Needed to clone the Drasi Server code
  • Docker — Needed to run the Drasi Server Dev Container and the PostgreSQL database used in the tutorial
  • VS Code — Needed to run the Drasi Server Dev Container and edit files during the tutorial
  • VS Code Dev Containers extension — Needed to run the Drasi Server Dev Container

If you are not sure you have these prerequisites installed, or need help installing them, see the troubleshooting section at the end of this page for guidance.

Step 1: Clone Drasi Server Repo

Clone the Drasi Server repository. In a terminal, run:

git clone https://github.com/drasi-project/drasi-server.git

Step 2: Open Drasi Server in a VS Code Dev Container

Once the cloning is complete, change to the newly created drasi-server folder and open it in VS Code:

cd drasi-server
code .

Tip: If you are using VS Code Insiders, use code-insiders . instead of code . to open the folder.

When VS Code opens, look for a notification that says: Folder contains a Dev Container configuration file. Reopen folder to develop in a container.

Click Reopen in Container.

VS Code will display a list of available Dev Container configurations. Select Drasi Server - Getting Started Tutorial from the list.

Note: If you don’t see the notification described, press F1 and type “Dev Containers: Reopen in Container”. Then press enter to run the command then select “Drasi Server - Getting Started Tutorial” from the list of configurations.

The container takes several minutes to build on first run. During this time the setup script will:

  1. Download Drasi Server and put the executable in the ./bin/drasi-server folder.
  2. Install a PostgreSQL client for use during the tutorial.
  3. Install curl, which is used in later tutorial steps.

Watch the terminal for: ✅ Drasi Server Getting Started tutorial environment is ready!

This indicates the container is ready to use.

Step 3: Verify the Setup

Verify that Drasi Server is accessible by running the following command in the terminal:

./bin/drasi-server --version

You should see output showing the version number, for example:

drasi-server 0.1.0

If you see a “file not found” error, the build may not have completed. Check the terminal output for errors and try rebuilding the container.

✅ Setup Complete

You now have Drasi Server accessible at ./bin/drasi-server from the repository root.

Continue with the Tutorial

Troubleshooting

Installing Git

The tutorial uses git to clone the Drasi Server repository. If you don’t have Git installed, you can install it from the Git download page.

To verify Git is installed, run:

git --version

You should see output like git version 2.x.x. If you see “command not found”, install Git from the link above.

Installing Docker

The tutorial uses Docker to run the Drasi Server Dev Container and the PostgreSQL database.

If you are not sure you have Docker installed or that it is running, you can verify by running:

docker ps

If Docker is running, you’ll see a table with these headings showing running containers (even if no containers are running):

CONTAINER ID   IMAGE   COMMAND   CREATED   STATUS   PORTS   NAMES

If you don’t have Docker installed, the easiest way to get started depends on your platform:

If you see an error like Cannot connect to the Docker daemon, Docker isn’t running. Start Docker Desktop (Mac/Windows) or the Docker service (sudo systemctl start docker on Linux) and wait for it to fully initialize, then try again. If problems persist, see the Docker troubleshooting guide for additional help.

Installing VS Code

The tutorial uses VS Code to run the Drasi Server Dev Container and edit files. If you don’t have VS Code installed, you can install it from the Visual Studio Code download page.

Installing VS Code Dev Containers Extension

The tutorial uses the VS Code Dev Containers extension to run the Drasi Server Dev Container. You can install it from the VS Code Marketplace.

Dev Container Tips

Port Forwarding

The Dev Container automatically forwards ports to your local machine. Check the Ports tab in VS Code to access:

  • Port 8180 (Drasi Server API)
  • Port 8181 (SSE stream)
  • Port 5532 (PostgreSQL)

Rebuild the Container

If you change .devcontainer/getting-started/devcontainer.json:

  1. Press F1
  2. Select “Dev Containers: Rebuild Container”

Exit the Dev Container

To return to local development:

  1. Press F1
  2. Select “Dev Containers: Reopen Folder Locally”