Practical overview
When it fits
Use it when you want a prepared Rust and Solana toolset as a starting point for workspace setup, rather than a hosted application for using Solana.
Who it is for
- Developers building Solana projects with Rust and Anchor.
- Teams seeking a customizable starting point for a shared Solana development workspace.
- Developers who want to use a prepared toolset in Codespaces or a local Docker container.
Documented uses
- Start a Solana development workspace with Rust and Anchor tools already included.
- Open the starter environment in a cloud Codespaces workspace or a local VS Code container.
- Extend a basic development environment with tools suited to a project or team's workflow.
Requirements & limits
The documented Codespaces workflow requires an account. The local container workflow requires VS Code, the Remote - Containers extension and Docker. The repository is public and MIT-licensed.
- The starter lists Solana version 1.8.2 alongside Anchor, Rust and Cargo.
- The repository describes the workspace as basic and intended to be expanded, rather than as a complete project-specific setup.
- The local container route is documented separately from the cloud Codespaces route and requires Docker.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Load the starter in a local VS Code container
Open the starter environment in a local Docker container using VS Code.
Before you start
- VS Code
- The Remote - Containers VS Code extension
- Docker
Steps
Install VS Code, the Remote - Containers extension and Docker.
In VS Code, open the remote development menu and choose “Remote-Containers: Open Repository in container.”
Enter “codespaces-examples/rust” and choose to create a unique volume.
Wait for the container connection, then install the Rust Analyzer language server when prompted.
Expected outcome
A local VS Code session connected to a container with the starter's code and extensions running inside it.
Guide limitations
- The README's example points to codespaces-examples/rust; check the repository instructions when selecting the project to open.
Create and connect to a Codespaces environment
Create a cloud development environment using the repository's documented Codespaces workflow.
Before you start
- A Visual Studio Codespaces account
Steps
Sign in to Visual Studio Codespaces and open the environments page.
Choose “Create environment” and enter an environment name and Git repository.
Select an instance type and idle-suspension period; configure dotfiles if needed.
Create the environment, then connect from the browser or launch it in VS Code or VS Code Insiders.
Expected outcome
A Codespaces environment that can be opened in a browser or connected to from a supported VS Code client.
Guide limitations
- The README identifies account signup as outside the scope of its instructions.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 16 October 2026
- Original website title
- harrisrobin/solana-dev-container · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

