[Template] SSH Linux - Add support for deploying Coder on existing Linux systems (bare-metal installation) #605

IamTaoChen · 2025-12-15T06:59:42Z

Description

A draft that allow user connect existing linux system though coder by ssh

Type of Change

Template Information

Path: registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux

Testing & Validation

Tests pass (bun test)
Code formatted (bun fmt)
Changes tested locally

Related Issues

IamTaoChen · 2025-12-17T09:51:15Z

I'm not sure if this is needed by others and suitable, so it's just a draft

matifali · 2025-12-17T10:48:31Z

Thanks for the contribution @IamTaoChen. Please move this to your own namespace. Follow the instructions here: https://coder.com/docs/about/contributing/templates

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR introduces a new Coder template that enables provisioning of existing Linux systems as Coder workspaces via SSH. The template supports both password and SSH key authentication methods, allowing users to deploy the Coder agent on bare-metal or pre-existing Linux installations without creating new infrastructure.

Key Changes

SSH-based deployment template with configurable authentication (password or SSH key)
Dynamic application selection (VS Code Desktop, VS Code Web, Cursor)
Automated agent lifecycle management with startup/stop provisioners

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 5 changed files in this pull request and generated 6 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf	Terraform configuration defining SSH connection, agent deployment, and application modules
registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md	Template documentation covering prerequisites, architecture, parameters, and usage
registry/IamTaoChen/README.md	Author profile and template registry metadata
registry/IamTaoChen/.images/avatar.png	Author avatar image (binary)
.icons/linux.svg	Linux/Tux icon for template display

Copilot · 2025-12-17T11:54:21Z

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+---
+display_name: Deploy Coder on existing Linux System
+description: Provision an existing Linux system as a by deploying the Coder agent via SSH with this example template.


Grammatical error: "as a by deploying" should be "as a workspace by deploying" or simply "by deploying".

Copilot · 2025-12-17T11:54:21Z

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md

+
+1. Create a new workspace in Coder using this template.
+2. Fill in the parameters with your Linux system's details.
+3. Start the workspace—Coden will connect via SSH and deploy the agent.


Typo: "Coden" should be "Coder".

registry/IamTaoChen/README.md

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

Copilot · 2025-12-17T11:54:22Z

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

+  connection {
+    type        = "ssh"
+    host        = data.coder_parameter.host.value
+    user        = data.coder_parameter.username.value
+    port        = data.coder_parameter.port.value
+    password    = local.ssh_password
+    private_key = local.ssh_private_key
+    timeout     = "5m"


Security concern: SSH credentials (password or private key) are stored in Terraform state and passed as environment variables. Consider adding documentation warning users about this security implication, especially for production use. Users should be aware that these credentials will be stored in the Terraform state file.

I want to use the ssh-key pair which generate by coder but I don't know how to read the private_key

You should be able to access this from data "coder_workspace_owner" "me" {}

Here are the docs related: https://registry.terraform.io/providers/coder/coder/latest/docs/data-sources/workspace_owner

The only thing is you would need to be able to put this key from coder on the target machine before actually making the connection which would require password auth to begin with so unless we had a way to source it from the target machine it might be moot

I agree. But we may not wanna save the password into coder. So the solution is that the user login the system and add the public key(which is shown in coder) into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys manually.

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

IamTaoChen · 2025-12-17T11:56:35Z

After #606 merge, can add KasmVNC into apps

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 5 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

Copilot · 2025-12-17T12:13:58Z

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

+      "    kill -TERM \"$PID\" || true",
+      "    sleep 5",
+      "    kill -KILL \"$PID\" || true",


The kill command sequence may fail silently if the process doesn't exist or has already exited. The kill -0 check is good, but between the check and the actual kill, the process could exit. Additionally, kill -KILL after a 5-second sleep may be too aggressive. Consider adding error handling and potentially increasing the grace period, or checking if the process is still running before sending SIGKILL.

Suggested change

" kill -TERM \"$PID\" || true",

" sleep 5",

" kill -KILL \"$PID\" || true",

" kill -TERM \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null || echo \"Warning: failed to send SIGTERM to process $PID\" >&2",

" for i in $(seq 1 10); do",

" if ! kill -0 \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null; then",

" break",

" fi",

" sleep 1",

" done",

" if kill -0 \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null; then",

" kill -KILL \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null || echo \"Warning: failed to send SIGKILL to process $PID\" >&2",

" fi",

@IamTaoChen

Adding error handling here is a good idea.

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/main.tf

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md

registry/IamTaoChen/README.md

IamTaoChen added 3 commits December 15, 2025 14:47

try to deploy coder on existed linux system

0976d62

fix deploy scripts

32ebb21

make display_apps.vscode_insiders =false

17bb5cf

IamTaoChen changed the title ~~try to deploy coder on existed linux system~~ [Template] SSH Linux - Add support for deploying Coder on existing Linux systems (bare-metal installation) Dec 15, 2025

IamTaoChen added 3 commits December 16, 2025 03:18

add count for deploy_coder_agent

cafa17a

kill agent while workspace stopped

de7bfff

fix count

1cc00d2

relocation

a5df5b7

matifali requested a review from Copilot December 17, 2025 11:50

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of matifali December 17, 2025 11:50 View session

run 'bun fmt'

a6483f1

IamTaoChen marked this pull request as ready for review December 17, 2025 11:53

Merge branch 'main' into ssh-linux

235cd8d

Copilot AI reviewed Dec 17, 2025

View reviewed changes

IamTaoChen added 2 commits December 17, 2025 19:59

fix spell

4561e43

add 'Security Considerations' into README.md

025c544

IamTaoChen requested a review from Copilot December 17, 2025 12:08

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of IamTaoChen December 17, 2025 12:09 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Dec 17, 2025

View reviewed changes

optimize msg

17497a6

matifali requested a review from DevelopmentCats December 17, 2025 13:16

Merge branch 'main' into ssh-linux

c1de5d3

DevelopmentCats reviewed Jan 7, 2026

View reviewed changes

registry/IamTaoChen/templates/ssh-linux/README.md Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

DevelopmentCats reviewed Jan 7, 2026

View reviewed changes

registry/IamTaoChen/README.md Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

update README

a2e6956

DevelopmentCats reviewed Jan 8, 2026

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registry/IamTaoChen/README.md Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

update README

e6a3560

DevelopmentCats and others added 4 commits January 12, 2026 08:06

Merge branch 'main' into ssh-linux

6719135

Optimize exit scripts

e8075f3

fix

2d6539d

add ssh_key from coder

483c804

-      "    kill -TERM \"$PID\" || true",
-      "    sleep 5",
-      "    kill -KILL \"$PID\" || true",
+      "    kill -TERM \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null || echo \"Warning: failed to send SIGTERM to process $PID\" >&2",
+      "    for i in $(seq 1 10); do",
+      "      if ! kill -0 \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null; then",
+      "        break",
+      "      fi",
+      "      sleep 1",
+      "    done",
+      "    if kill -0 \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null; then",
+      "      kill -KILL \"$PID\" 2>/dev/null || echo \"Warning: failed to send SIGKILL to process $PID\" >&2",
+      "    fi",

[Template] SSH Linux - Add support for deploying Coder on existing Linux systems (bare-metal installation) #605

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[Template] SSH Linux - Add support for deploying Coder on existing Linux systems (bare-metal installation) #605

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IamTaoChen commented Dec 15, 2025 •

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