fix: make devcontainer portable across hosts #116
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Reviewer's GuideSwitches Claude Code devcontainer feature from a Node/npm-based installation to a pixi-based claude-shim installation, simplifies host mounts by using a single ~/.claude bind plus a host init script, and ensures the pixi bin paths are on PATH so the claude CLI works across fresh hosts and different environments. Sequence diagram for devcontainer startup with pixi-based Claude Code installationsequenceDiagram
actor DevUser as Dev_user
participant Host as Host_machine
participant InitHost as init_host_sh
participant DevPod as Devpod
participant Docker as Docker_engine
participant Container as Devcontainer
participant Feature as claude_code_feature_install_sh
participant Pixi as pixi
DevUser->>DevPod: devpod up .
DevPod->>Host: Read devcontainer_json
DevPod->>InitHost: initializeCommand init_host_sh
InitHost->>Host: mkdir -p $HOME/.claude
DevPod->>Docker: Build devcontainer image
Docker->>Container: Create container with bind mount ~/.claude
DevPod->>Container: Start container
Container->>Feature: Run feature install script
Feature->>Container: Resolve target_user and target_home
Feature->>Container: Check claude at target_home/.pixi/bin/claude
alt claude_binary_missing
Feature->>Container: Check command -v pixi
alt pixi_missing
Feature-->>DevUser: Print error and exit
else pixi_available
alt running_as_root_and_target_user_not_root
Feature->>Pixi: su - target_user -c "pixi global install claude-shim"
else non_root_or_target_user_root
Feature->>Pixi: pixi global install claude-shim
end
Feature->>Container: Verify target_home/.pixi/bin/claude exists
end
else claude_binary_present
Feature->>Container: Print existing claude version
end
Feature->>Container: create_claude_directories
Feature->>Container: mkdir -p ~/.claude and subdirs
Feature->>Container: Ensure config files exist
Feature->>Container: chown -R target_user:target_user ~/.claude
Feature-->>DevUser: Print success and usage message
DevUser->>Container: claude --version
Container->>Pixi: Execute claude from pixi bin
Pixi-->>DevUser: Display Claude Code version
Flow diagram for claude-code install.sh with pixi-based installationflowchart TD
A[Start main] --> B[Resolve target_user and target_home]
B --> C{claude at target_home/.pixi/bin/claude exists?}
C -- Yes --> D[Print existing Claude Code version]
D --> H[create_claude_directories]
C -- No --> E{command -v pixi succeeds?}
E -- No --> F[Print pixi required error and exit 1]
E -- Yes --> G{running as root and target_user not root?}
G -- Yes --> G1[Run su - target_user -c 'pixi global install --channel blooop claude-shim']
G -- No --> G2[Run pixi global install --channel blooop claude-shim]
G1 --> I[Verify target_home/.pixi/bin/claude exists]
G2 --> I[Verify target_home/.pixi/bin/claude exists]
I -->|Exists| H[create_claude_directories]
I -->|Missing| J[Print installation failed, exit 1]
H --> H1[mkdir -p ~/.claude and subdirectories]
H1 --> H2[Create .credentials.json and .claude.json if missing]
H2 --> H3[Set chmod 600 on credentials, 644 on config]
H3 --> H4{running as root?}
H4 -- Yes --> H5[chown -R target_user:target_user ~/.claude]
H4 -- No --> H6[Skip chown]
H5 --> K[Print feature activated and usage]
H6 --> K[Print feature activated and usage]
K --> L[End main]
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Hey - I've found 1 issue, and left some high level feedback:
- The hardcoded PATH entries for
$HOME/.pixi/envs/claude-shim/binassume a specific pixi global env name; consider deriving the actual bin paths frompixi infoor relying on~/.pixi/binonly to avoid breaking if the env layout or name changes. - The
install.shmessaging about configuration being stored in aclaude-configDocker volume appears inconsistent with the new host~/.claudeinitialization and bind-mount approach; update the user-facing output so it accurately reflects the current storage and persistence behavior.
Prompt for AI Agents
Please address the comments from this code review:
## Overall Comments
- The hardcoded PATH entries for `$HOME/.pixi/envs/claude-shim/bin` assume a specific pixi global env name; consider deriving the actual bin paths from `pixi info` or relying on `~/.pixi/bin` only to avoid breaking if the env layout or name changes.
- The `install.sh` messaging about configuration being stored in a `claude-config` Docker volume appears inconsistent with the new host `~/.claude` initialization and bind-mount approach; update the user-facing output so it accurately reflects the current storage and persistence behavior.
## Individual Comments
### Comment 1
<location> `.devcontainer/claude-code/install.sh:25-26` </location>
<code_context>
- # Install with npm
- npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
+ # Determine target user for pixi global install
+ local target_user="${_REMOTE_USER:-vscode}"
+ local target_home="${_REMOTE_USER_HOME:-/home/${target_user}}"
+
+ # Install with pixi global from blooop channel
</code_context>
<issue_to_address>
**suggestion (bug_risk):** Home directory resolution in `install_claude_code` is less defensive than in `create_claude_directories` and can point to a non-existent path.
`create_claude_directories` does a full fallback chain for the home directory (`_REMOTE_USER_HOME` → `$HOME` → `/home/${target_user}`) and errors if none exist, but `install_claude_code` just uses `_REMOTE_USER_HOME` or `/home/${target_user}` without checking the path exists. If `_REMOTE_USER_HOME` is wrong or missing, install will succeed for the user but the verification step and `claude_bin` resolution in `main()` can point at a non-existent directory and falsely report the CLI as missing.
Consider extracting the home-resolution logic into a shared helper (or at least applying the same fallback + existence checks here) so installation and verification both rely on a validated `target_home`.
Suggested implementation:
```
# Determine target user for pixi global install
local target_user="${_REMOTE_USER:-vscode}"
# Resolve target home directory with fallbacks and validation
local target_home="${_REMOTE_USER_HOME:-}"
# If _REMOTE_USER_HOME is not set, try to infer from current user or /home/<user>
if [ -z "${target_home}" ]; then
# If we're already running as the target user and HOME is set, prefer that
if [ "$(id -un 2>/dev/null)" = "${target_user}" ] && [ -n "${HOME}" ]; then
target_home="${HOME}"
# Otherwise fall back to the conventional /home/<user> path if it exists
elif [ -d "/home/${target_user}" ]; then
target_home="/home/${target_user}"
fi
fi
# Ensure we ended up with a valid, existing home directory
if [ -z "${target_home}" ] || [ ! -d "${target_home}" ]; then
echo "Error: could not determine a valid home directory for user '${target_user}'." >&2
echo "Checked _REMOTE_USER_HOME ('${_REMOTE_USER_HOME:-}'), \$HOME ('${HOME:-}'), and /home/${target_user}." >&2
exit 1
fi
# Install with pixi global from blooop channel
```
To fully align installation and verification:
1. Extract this home-resolution logic into a shared helper function (e.g. `resolve_target_home()`) near the top of the script.
2. Update `create_claude_directories` to call that helper instead of duplicating the logic, so both functions rely on the same validated `target_home`.
3. Ensure `main()` and any `claude_bin` / verification logic also call the same helper (or use the same `target_home` variable) rather than recomputing the home path differently.
</issue_to_address>Help me be more useful! Please click 👍 or 👎 on each comment and I'll use the feedback to improve your reviews.
- Add init-host.sh to create ~/.claude directory on host before container starts - Use bind mount for ~/.claude folder instead of individual file mounts - Switch from npm to pixi for claude installation (claude-shim package) - Remove Node.js dependency from claude-code feature - Add pixi bin paths to .profile for proper PATH setup - Add initializeCommand to devcontainer.json to run host init script - Install pixi automatically if not found in base image - Feature now adds PATH setup to user profile (self-contained) This allows the devcontainer to work on fresh hosts without requiring pre-existing ~/.claude files, while still sharing credentials across all devcontainers. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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- Remove hardcoded $HOME/.pixi/envs/claude-shim/bin from PATH in both Dockerfile and install.sh - rely on ~/.pixi/bin only - Add resolve_target_home() helper function for consistent, defensive home directory resolution with proper fallbacks - Update messaging to say "bind-mounted from host" instead of "Docker volume" Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Add conditional PATH entry for ~/.pixi/envs/claude-shim/bin to work around pixi trampoline bug that fails for bash script executables - Remove claude --version calls during feature install to avoid downloading the Claude binary during container build - Claude binary will now be downloaded on first user invocation Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Summary
init-host.shscript to create~/.claudedirectory on host before container startsclaude-shimpackage~/.claudefolder instead of individual file mounts that fail on fresh hosts.profilefor proper PATH setup (bypasses pixi trampoline issue with bash scripts)Changes
.devcontainer/claude-code/init-host.sh(new): Creates~/.claudeon host if missing.devcontainer/claude-code/devcontainer-feature.json: Simplified mounts, removed Node.js dependency.devcontainer/claude-code/install.sh:pixi global install claude-shiminstead of npm.profile.devcontainer/Dockerfile: Adds pixi bin paths to PATH.devcontainer/devcontainer.json: AddsinitializeCommandto run host init scriptTest plan
devpod up .on fresh host with no~/.claudedirectoryclaude --versionreturns2.1.2 (Claude Code)🤖 Generated with Claude Code