Deploy and Host

Deploy a fully-configured Ubuntu 22.04 development environment with SSH access on Railway. This template provides a complete containerized workspace with development tools, CLI utilities, and remote SSH connectivity for cloud-based development.

About Hosting

This template creates a Docker container running Ubuntu 22.04 with SSH server enabled, allowing you to connect remotely to your Railway deployment. Unlike traditional VPS hosting, this runs as a containerized environment on Railway's infrastructure, providing instant deployment and automatic scaling capabilities.

Why Deploy

• Instant Development Environment: Get a fully-configured Ubuntu workspace in seconds
• Remote Access: SSH directly into your Railway container for command-line development
• Pre-installed Tools: Comes with Node.js, Ruby, Rails, GitHub CLI, Railway CLI, and Claude Code
• Zero Configuration: Automatic setup of development tools and authentication
• Cloud-Based: Access your development environment from anywhere
• Cost-Effective: Pay only for what you use with Railway's pricing model

Common Use Cases

• Remote Development: Access a Linux development environment from any device
• CI/CD Testing: Use as a staging environment for testing deployments
• Learning & Education: Provide students with consistent development environments
• Temporary Workspaces: Quick setup for short-term projects or experimentation
• Cross-Platform Development: Develop on Linux from Windows or macOS machines
• Team Collaboration: Shared development environments for team projects

Dependencies for

Deployment Dependencies

• Docker: The template uses a custom Ubuntu 22.04 Docker image
• Railway Account: Required for deployment and hosting
• SSH Client: For connecting to the deployed container (available on most systems)

Runtime Dependencies

• Ubuntu 22.04: Base operating system
• OpenSSH Server: For SSH connectivity
• Node.js 18+: JavaScript runtime with npm, pnpm, yarn
• Ruby 3.2: With Rails and bundler pre-installed
• System Tools: git, curl, wget, build-essential, network utilities

Optional Dependencies

• GitHub Personal Access Token: For GitHub CLI authentication
• Railway CLI: For managing Railway projects (installed automatically)
• Claude Code: AI development assistant (pre-installed)

Features

• SSH Server: OpenSSH pre-configured with clean login (no welcome messages)
• Security: Root login disabled, user with sudo permissions
• Development Tools: Complete Node.js and Ruby development stack
• CLI Tools: GitHub CLI, Railway CLI, PostgreSQL client, Redis tools
• Package Managers: npm, pnpm, yarn, bundler
• Automated Setup: Git configuration, CLI authentication ready

Setup Instructions

1. Configure SSH Credentials

Option A: Environment Variables (Recommended)

1. Deploy the template to Railway
2. In your project settings, add environment variables:
   • SSH_USERNAME - Your desired username
   • SSH_PASSWORD - Your desired password
   • GH_TOKEN - GitHub token (optional)
   • GITHUB_EMAIL - Git email (optional)
   • GITHUB_NAME - Git name (optional)

Option B: Modify Configuration File

1. Fork this repository
2. Edit ssh-user-config.sh with your credentials
3. Deploy your fork to Railway

2. Configure TCP Proxy

1. Go to your Railway project → Settings → Networking
2. Under Public Networking, click TCP Proxy
3. Add port 22 for SSH access
4. Redeploy the project

3. Connect via SSH

ssh {username}@{domain} -p {port}

Railway will provide the domain and port in your project dashboard.

⚠️ Important Limitations

• No Persistent Storage: Data is lost on redeployment (use Railway volumes for persistence)
• Container Environment: This is not a VPS - it's a containerized application
• Temporary File System: Files created during runtime are not preserved across deployments

Security Considerations

• Always change default SSH credentials before production use
• Consider using SSH keys instead of passwords
• Root login is disabled by default for security
• The default user has sudo privileges for administrative tasks

License

This project is licensed under the terms included in the LICENSE file.