Deploy and Host

Deploy your own Ubuntu 24.04 cloud workstation on Railway in one click. This template builds from the Dockerfile in parham7991/railway-ubuntu-ssh-claude, starts sshd on port 22, and automatically exposes it via Railway TCP Proxy.

Steps:

1. Set ROOT_PASSWORD (required) in Variables
2. Click Deploy
3. Go to Service → Settings → Networking → copy your TCP Proxy domain and port
4. Connect: ssh root@ -p

The container configures root password, optional sudo user, authorized_keys, and injects ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN on every boot. No manual VPS setup.

About Hosting

This template hosts a persistent SSH server inside Railway's container runtime:

• Base: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS minimal
• Service: OpenSSH Server (sshd) running on port 22
• Access: Direct root login with password or key auth (AUTHORIZED_KEYS)
• Tooling: git, curl, wget, vim, nano, micro, tmux, screen, zsh, htop, btop, bat, ripgrep, jq, Python 3, Node.js + npm, build-essential
• AI: Claude Code (Anthropic official CLI) pre-installed, managed via claude-settings.json (OpenRouter-ready by default)
• UX: cl / زم command opens a persistent tmux session claude running Claude Code, ARA TM welcome banner, bilingual EN/FA support via APP_LANG

Hosting is ephemeral by design (Docker), not a traditional VPS. Use Railway Volumes if you need persistence.

Why Deploy

• Instant Workstation: No need to rent a VPS. Get root SSH in 30 seconds on Railway's global edge.
• AI-Powered Coding: Claude Code is already installed. Run cl and start building with AI in your terminal.
• Secure by Default: ROOT_PASSWORD is mandatory — container refuses to start without it. Your token is never baked into the image.
• Full Control: Real root, apt-get, systemd-less but full Linux. Install anything.
• Bilingual & Remote-Friendly: Built for English and Persian developers, OpenRouter support for regions where Anthropic direct API is limited.
• One-Click + TCP Proxy Pre-configured: Unlike other SSH images, the TCP proxy on port 22 is already defined in railway-template.json.

Common Use Cases

1. Cloud Dev Environment: Code from iPad, Chromebook, or any low-spec device via SSH.
2. Claude Code Cloud Runner: Run Claude Code 24/7 in a tmux session without keeping your laptop on.
3. Emergency Jump Box: A secure, disposable root box with nmap, curl, traceroute, whois.
4. CI/CD Debugging: SSH into a Railway-like environment to test builds.
5. Learning Linux & AI: Teach students SSH, tmux, and AI-assisted development without local setup.

Dependencies for

This template has zero external service dependencies. It is a standalone Docker service.

Optional integrations for extended use:

• For AI features: OpenRouter API key or Anthropic API key as ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN
• For Persistence: Railway Volume Mount at /root or /home
• For Code Sync: Your GitHub repo (git clone inside)

Deployment Dependencies

Required:

• ROOT_PASSWORD (secret, string): Mandatory root password. The entrypoint /usr/local/bin/ssh-user-config.sh will exit 1 if missing, preventing insecure deploy.

Optional:

• ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN (secret): Token for Claude Code. Supports sk-ant-... (Anthropic) and sk-or-... (OpenRouter). Injected into ~/.claude/settings.json on boot.
• SSH_USERNAME + SSH_PASSWORD: Creates secondary sudo user (both must be set).
• AUTHORIZED_KEYS: One or more SSH public keys for root (ssh-rsa, ssh-ed25519).
• APP_LANG: en (default) or fa for Persian runtime messages.

Infrastructure:

• Builder: DOCKERFILE (Ubuntu 24.04)
• Start Command: /usr/local/bin/ssh-user-config.sh
• Port: 22/tcp with Railway TCP Proxy enabled
• Restart Policy: ON_FAILURE (10 retries)

© ARA TM · Maintained by Parham_7991 · MIT