Before You Install

Before you install CodeForge, make sure the container runtime and client you plan to use are ready.

Recommended Setup

The smoothest first experience is:

• Docker Desktop or Docker Engine running
• VS Code with the Dev Containers extension
• A Claude subscription or API access for Claude Code authentication

Required Software

Docker

CodeForge runs inside a DevContainer, so you need a working container runtime.

Platform	Runtime	Recommended Version
macOS	Docker Desktop	4.x or later
Windows	Docker Desktop with WSL 2 backend	4.x or later
Linux	Docker Engine	24.x or later

Check Docker first:

docker info

If that fails, start Docker before going further.

DevContainer Client

CodeForge follows the Dev Containers specification. These clients are supported:

Client	Best For	Notes
VS Code	First-time users	Recommended path. Requires the Dev Containers extension and VS Code 1.85+.
DevContainer CLI	Terminal-only users	Works well, but port forwarding is manual unless you use dbr.
GitHub Codespaces	Cloud setup	No local Docker required.
JetBrains Gateway	JetBrains users	Requires the Dev Containers plugin.
DevPod	Alternative client	Works with the same devcontainer.json.

Claude Code

CodeForge installs Claude Code inside the container, but you still need valid Claude access:

• Claude Pro, Claude Max, or Claude API access
• Authentication on first launch, or a preconfigured auth token in your secrets setup

Windows Requirement

Windows users need WSL 2. Docker Desktop’s legacy Hyper-V path is not supported for this workflow.

Hardware Guidance

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
RAM	8 GB	16 GB or more
Disk	20 GB free	40 GB free
CPU	2 cores	4+ cores

CodeForge configures the container with --memory=6g --memory-swap=12g, so Docker needs headroom above that.

Network Expectations

The first build downloads the base image plus tooling and can pull several gigabytes depending on cache state. After setup, most workflows work locally, but GitHub and web-backed features still require network access.

Preflight Checklist

Before installing, confirm all of these:

1. docker info works.
2. Your client is installed and updated.
3. You know which setup path you want: VS Code, CLI, Codespaces, or JetBrains.
4. You have Claude credentials ready for first launch.

Next Steps

• New users: Install in VS Code
• Terminal users: Use the DevContainer CLI
• Other environments: Other Clients
• Problems before install: Troubleshooting