🚀 Claude + GitHub + VS Code Workspace Template

Production-ready development environment combining Claude AI, GitHub Codespaces, and VS Code for maximum productivity.

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✨ What You Get

🎯 Pre-configured Codespace with:

• Node.js (LTS) + Python 3.11 + Git
• GitHub Copilot & Copilot Chat
• Remote SSH for VPS connections
• Port forwarding (3000-3010, 5678)
• Essential VS Code extensions

🤖 AI-Powered Workflow:

• Claude AI for architecture & debugging
• GitHub Copilot for code completion
• Integrated development workflow

🔐 Security First:

• SSH key management
• Environment variable handling
• Secure .gitignore configuration

📚 Complete Documentation:

• Step-by-step setup guides
• Best practices & workflows
• Troubleshooting resources

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🏃 Quick Start (5 Minutes)

1. Create Your Project

Option A: Use This Template

1. Click "Use this template" → "Create a new repository"
2. Name your project
3. Choose public/private
4. Click "Create repository"

Option B: Clone & Customize

git clone https://github.com/JeffreyLovett/claude-github-codespace-template.git my-project
cd my-project

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2. Launch Codespace

1. Go to your repository on GitHub
2. Click Code → Codespaces → Create codespace on main
3. Wait 2-3 minutes for environment setup
4. Start coding! 🎉

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3. Verify Installation

Run in Codespace terminal:

node --version    # Should show v20.x
python --version  # Should show 3.11.x
git --version     # Latest
gh auth status    # GitHub CLI authenticated

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📖 Full Documentation

Document	Purpose
WORKSPACE_SETUP.md	Complete setup walkthrough
docs/CLAUDE_INTEGRATION.md	Claude AI workflow guide
docs/SSH_VPS_GUIDE.md	Remote server connections

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🛠️ What's Included

Development Tools

• Node.js (LTS): JavaScript/TypeScript runtime
• Python 3.11: Data science, automation, backends
• Git: Version control
• GitHub CLI: Repository management from terminal
• SSH: Secure remote connections

VS Code Extensions

• GitHub Copilot - AI code completions
• GitHub Copilot Chat - Conversational AI assistance
• Remote SSH - Connect to VPS/servers
• Python - Python development
• ESLint - JavaScript linting
• Prettier - Code formatting
• GitLens - Git visualization

Port Forwarding

Pre-configured ports: 3000-3010, 5678

• Web servers (Express, Next.js, etc.)
• Development tools
• Debugging ports

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🎯 Common Workflows

Workflow 1: New Feature with Claude + Copilot

# 1. Plan architecture with Claude (in browser)
# → Describe your feature, get design suggestions

# 2. Implement in Codespace
npm init -y
npm install express

# 3. Let Copilot help write code
# → Start typing, accept suggestions

# 4. Test & iterate
npm test

Workflow 2: Deploy to VPS

# 1. Generate SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

# 2. Add to server
ssh-copy-id user@your-server.com

# 3. Deploy
npm run build
rsync -avz ./dist/ user@server:/var/www/app/
ssh user@server 'sudo systemctl restart app'

Workflow 3: Database-Driven App

# 1. Install dependencies
npm install express pg dotenv

# 2. Set environment variables
# GitHub → Settings → Codespaces → Secrets
# Add: DATABASE_URL

# 3. Connect & code
# Copilot helps with DB queries

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🔐 Security Best Practices

✅ Configured for you:

• .gitignore excludes secrets, keys, .env
• SSH keys stay in Codespace (never committed)
• Environment variables via Codespace secrets

⚠️ Remember to:

• Use strong SSH key passphrases
• Rotate keys every 6-12 months
• Never commit API keys or tokens
• Use .env files for local secrets

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🚀 Reusing This Template

For Every New Project:

1. Go to template repo (this one)
2. Click "Use this template"
3. Name your new project
4. Launch Codespace
5. Install project dependencies:

   npm init -y
   # or
   pip install -r requirements.txt

That's it! Same environment, different project.

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🏢 Team Usage

For Organizations:

1. Fork this template to your org
2. Customize .devcontainer/devcontainer.json (add org-specific tools)
3. Team members use org template for consistent environments
4. No more "works on my machine" issues

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🎓 Learning Resources

New to Codespaces?

• GitHub Codespaces Docs
• VS Code in Browser Guide

New to Claude?

• Claude.ai
• Read: docs/CLAUDE_INTEGRATION.md

New to Copilot?

• GitHub Copilot Docs

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🐛 Troubleshooting

Codespace won't start

• Check GitHub Codespaces status page
• Try rebuilding container: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Rebuild Container"

Copilot not working

• Extensions panel → Ensure "GitHub Copilot" is enabled
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "GitHub Copilot: Sign In"

SSH connection failing

• See docs/SSH_VPS_GUIDE.md troubleshooting section

Port not accessible

• PORTS tab (bottom panel) → Right-click port → "Port Visibility: Public"

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📊 Repository Structure

claude-github-codespace-template/
├── .devcontainer/
│   └── devcontainer.json       # Codespace configuration
├── docs/
│   ├── CLAUDE_INTEGRATION.md   # AI workflow guide
│   └── SSH_VPS_GUIDE.md        # Server connection guide
├── .gitignore                  # Security-first ignore rules
├── README.md                   # This file
└── WORKSPACE_SETUP.md          # Complete setup walkthrough

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🤝 Contributing

Improvements welcome!

1. Fork this repository
2. Create feature branch: git checkout -b feature/improvement
3. Commit changes: git commit -m 'Add improvement'
4. Push: git push origin feature/improvement
5. Open Pull Request

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🎉 You're Ready!

┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  PRODUCTION-READY WORKSPACE TEMPLATE   │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                        │
│  ✅ Development environment            │
│  ✅ AI-powered coding                  │
│  ✅ Secure remote access               │
│  ✅ Complete documentation             │
│  ✅ Reusable for all projects          │
│                                        │
│  🚀 START BUILDING NOW!                │
│                                        │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘

Next Steps:

1. ✅ Launch Codespace (if you haven't)
2. 📖 Read WORKSPACE_SETUP.md
3. 🔑 Set up SSH keys (see SSH_VPS_GUIDE.md)
4. 🤖 Try Claude integration (see CLAUDE_INTEGRATION.md)
5. 💻 Start coding!

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Questions? Feedback? Open an issue or discussion!

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