Deploy and Host Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box on Railway

Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box is a persistent Ubuntu 24.04 LTS machine you open in your browser. It boots with Node.js 22, Python 3, git, build tools and the three major AI coding agents — Claude Code, OpenAI Codex CLI and Google Gemini CLI — pre-installed, behind a password-protected web terminal. Run agents on long tasks, clone repos, test scripts or just have a Linux shell from any device, including an iPad or a locked-down work laptop.

About Hosting Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box

The template deploys the official ubuntu:24.04 image with a start command that installs the toolchain on boot (about 2–3 minutes on first deploy) and then launches ttyd, a lightweight web terminal, on your Railway public domain with HTTP basic auth (USERNAME / generated PASSWORD). Your home directory /root — including /root/workspace, Claude Code settings, Codex and Gemini logins, SSH keys and shell history — is on a Railway volume, so everything survives restarts and redeploys. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY to skip interactive login, or log in once inside the terminal (subscription logins persist on the volume). 1 GB RAM is plenty for CLI agents; scale up for heavy builds.

Common Use Cases

Run Claude Code / Codex / Gemini CLI on long autonomous coding tasks without keeping your laptop awake
A disposable-but-persistent Linux sandbox for trying tools, scripts and repos safely
Remote dev shell from a tablet, Chromebook or restricted corporate machine
Cheap always-on box for cron jobs, scrapers and CLI utilities

Dependencies for Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box Hosting

Docker image ubuntu:24.04 (installs ttyd, Node 22, Python 3, git and the AI CLIs on boot)
A Railway volume mounted at /root
USERNAME + PASSWORD for the web terminal (password is generated for you — copy it from Variables)

Implementation Details

Open your public domain, enter the username and password from the service's Variables tab, then:

claude        # Claude Code (uses ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or /login)
codex         # OpenAI Codex CLI
gemini        # Google Gemini CLI

Use tmux to keep agents running while you close the tab. To add more packages permanently, extend the Start Command in the service settings.

Why Deploy Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Ubuntu Cloud Dev Box on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.