---
tags:
  - service
  - josiedot
  - devtools
domain: devspaces.apps.hub.euw.container.mom
status: active
stack:
  - Neovim
  - ttyd
  - Podman
  - OpenShift Dev Spaces
auth: Dev Spaces (Keycloak)
---
# neoche (Dev Spaces Neovim Editor)

Neovim editor integration for Eclipse Che / Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces. Runs Neovim in the browser via ttyd using the init container injection pattern from che-code.

## URLs
- Dashboard: https://devspaces.apps.hub.euw.container.mom
- Editor endpoint: port 7681 on workspace route
- Launch any repo: `https://devspaces.apps.hub.euw.container.mom/#https://github.com/<org>/<repo>?che-editor=neoche/neovim/insiders`

## Stack
- Neovim 0.10.4 (glibc + musl builds)
- ttyd 1.7.7 (web terminal)
- machine-exec 7.56.0 (Che terminal multiplexing, port 3333)
- Container: FROM scratch, 6-stage multi-stage UBI9 rootfs
- Registry: quay.io/pfeifferj/neoche:insiders (private, global pull secret configured)

## Architecture
1. **preStart**: `neovim-injector` init container copies binaries to shared `/neovim` volume
2. **postStart**: workspace container runs `entrypoint-volume.sh` which:
   - Detects platform (glibc/musl via `ldd /bin/ls`)
   - Starts machine-exec on port 3333
   - Clones dotfiles if `DOTFILES_REPO` is set (uses `DOTFILES_TOKEN` for private repos)
   - Bootstraps a Neovim distribution if `NVIM_DISTRO` is set
   - Launches ttyd+nvim on port 7681

Ships both glibc and musl Neovim builds; runtime detection selects the right one for any base image.

## Dotfiles
- `DOTFILES_REPO` env var in editor definition: `https://github.com/pfeifferj/dotfiles`
- Repo contains `.config/nvim/` with lazy.nvim config (leader=`,`, nvim-tree, telescope, lualine, treesitter, etc.)
- Private repo auth via `DOTFILES_TOKEN` injected from Kubernetes secret `neoche-dotfiles` in workspace namespace
- Secret uses DevWorkspace Operator automount: `controller.devfile.io/mount-to-devworkspace: "true"` + `controller.devfile.io/mount-as: env`
- Entrypoint clones dotfiles, copies `.config/` to `$HOME`, then treesitter/lazy.nvim install on first open
- Treesitter requires `prefer_git = true` in container environments

## Distribution Bootstrapping
If no dotfiles and no existing config, `NVIM_DISTRO` env var bootstraps:
- `lazyvim`, `astrovim`, `nvchad`, `kickstart`

## Cluster Config
- **Namespace (control plane)**: `openshift-devspaces`
- **Namespace (workspaces)**: `josie-devspaces`
- **CheCluster**: `devspaces` in `openshift-devspaces`, default editor `che-incubator/che-code/latest`
- **Editor ConfigMap**: `neovim-editor-definition` with labels `app.kubernetes.io/part-of=che.eclipse.org` + `app.kubernetes.io/component=editor-definition`
- **Pull secret**: quay.io creds merged into cluster global pull secret (`openshift-config/pull-secret`)
- **Storage**: `devspaces-storage` StorageClass (no-provisioner, WaitForFirstConsumer), local PV `devspaces-josie-pv` at `/var/devspaces/josie` on `master-0`, Retain policy (must clear claimRef after workspace deletion)
- **GitHub PAT**: secret `github-pat-josie` in `josie-devspaces` with `che.eclipse.org/scm-personal-access-token` labels for private repo cloning
- **Dotfiles token**: secret `neoche-dotfiles` in `josie-devspaces` with DevWorkspace Operator automount labels

## Deployment
- `make build` (podman, multi-stage Dockerfile)
- `make push` (quay.io/pfeifferj/neoche:insiders)
- `make deploy-editor` (oc create configmap + oc label)

## Known Issues
- PV claimRef must be manually cleared after workspace deletion (`oc patch pv devspaces-josie-pv --type json -p '[{"op":"remove","path":"/spec/claimRef"}]'`)
- nvim-treesitter curl download fails in containers; use `prefer_git = true`
- Workspace SA is created dynamically per workspace; global pull secret is the reliable way to provide image pull access

## Source
- Repo: `/home/josie/development/personal/neoche`
- Dotfiles: `github.com/pfeifferj/dotfiles` (private)
- License: EPL-2.0

## Related
- [[services]]