Replacing Node-RED with a 10 MB browser editor and a start.sh

Description and use

Codeshell replaced Node‑RED with a lightweight browser editor and a start.sh script, enabling client integrations to run in isolated containers with a persistent /code volume, eliminating separate repositories and simplifying management when the server is disconnected.

Problem

Custom integrations for each client server had to be written on a server that could be disconnected from the internet, making Node‑RED fragile and requiring manual code editing inside containers.

Outcome

Codeshell reduced integration development complexity, eliminated the need for per‑client repositories, and ensured code persistence across server disconnects and restarts.

Workflow

• 1. Build a Docker image of codeshell (Go backend, Svelte/CodeMirror frontend).
• 2. Run the container with ports 8080 (editor) and 3000 (integration).
• 3. Mount a persistent volume for /code and optional volumes for /root and /opt.
• 4. Edit integration code in the browser editor or via terminal.
• 5. Create or modify start.sh to install runtimes and run the integration.
• 6. Start the container; codeshell supervises start.sh and provides restart/stop controls.
• 7. On each restart, start.sh installs missing dependencies and runs the integration.
• 8. On‑Prem Manager snapshots the /code volume for versioning and backup.

Evidence

Node‑RED was the default for these integrations before I joined. It is fragile for this kind of work: An async for loop is hard to write. Five API calls with something equivalent to Promise.all is close to rocket science. Debugging is the worst part.

Source

A VS Code‑like editor in the browser, on the server, with the code directory mounted from outside so it survives a restart.

Source

Running one integration is one container: docker run -d --name myapp ... ghcr.io/panth977/code-shell:latest

Source

codeshell supervises the script. Its output shows as a start.sh entry in the terminal panel, next to your own terminals, with Restart and Stop buttons, and its state is in the top bar: running, stopped, exited, waiting or missing.

Source