🧰 Setup Prerequisites

1. Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
   • Download from https://code.visualstudio.com.
   • Recommended IDE for this setup.
2. Install Docker Desktop
   • Download for your platform (Windows, macOS, or Linux) from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop.
   • During installation, skip any optional sign-ins or opt-ins.
   • After installation, launch Docker Desktop and ensure it’s running in your system tray.

💾 Clone the F′ Devcontainer Repository

1. Open a terminal and run:

git clone [email protected]:TeraLink-1/fprime-dev-container.git

I recommend you use SSH for cloning. If you have not set up an SSH key, cloning with SSH will not work.

If you need help setting this up, a guide is linked below: https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/adding-a-new-ssh-key-to-your-github-account

💻 Prepare VS Code

1. Open VS Code and install the following extensions (all by Microsoft):
   • Remote Development
   • Remote Explorer
   • Dev Containers
   • Docker
   • Container Tools
2. After installation, close and reopen VS Code to refresh extensions.

🐳 Build and Launch the Dev Container

1. Open the cloned fprime-devcontainer folder in VS Code (this must be the root folder). (Avoid opening parent directories to prevent path issues.)
2. Open a terminal inside VS Code and run:

docker compose up --build

• This builds the Docker image (Ubuntu-based) and launches the container.
• The first build may take ~1 minute.

1. Once built, verify the container is running:
   • In Docker Desktop, it will appear green and marked as “running.”
   • In VS Code’s Remote Explorer, you’ll see the fprime-dev-container with a ▶️ icon.