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QA&Test 2026
Bilbao
TUTORIAL
Container Developer Environments
Virtualizing your IDEs for embedded projects
Dr. Oleg Nenashev
Independent Consultant
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Disclaimer
● I am at this conference as
independent consultant,
#OpenToWork
● I do not represent any of my
current client(s) or employers
● Opinions are my own
speakerdeck.com/onenashev
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> whoami
Dr. Nenashev / Mr. Jenkins
Community Builder, Dev Tools
DevRel & DevOps Consultant
@oleg_nenashev
oleg-nenashev
https://oleg.swiss/
#RussiansAgainstPutin #StandWithUkraine
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> whoami --automotive --embedded --hardware
@oleg_nenashev
oleg-nenashev
https://oleg.swiss/
LibreCores CI
CloudBees Embedded &
Automotive Day
in Stuttgart
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Embedded Developers
Can Have Nice Things
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Today’s Workshop
https://github.com/oleg-nenashev/c
de-for-embedded-workshop
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What you will learn?
● Dev Containers basics
● Dev Containers and AI integrations
● Using Dev Containers for Python and C/C++ projects
● Using Dev Containers for ROS/Gazebo
● Using Dev Containers in CI and Cloud Developer Environments
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Today’s tools
● Visual Studio Code
● Dev Containers
● Docker Desktop or Podman
● GitHub Copilot
● GitHub Codespaces
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Today
IEEE Spectrum
Research among
members
https://spectrum.ieee.org/top-progra
mming-languages-2021
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Workshop chapters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Introduction to Dev Containers
Environment Setup
Dev Containers intro, with Python stack
Using AI and agents in Dev Containers
C/C++ tooling in a Dev Container
Custom Docker images in Devcontainers
ROS2 and Gazebo in a Dev Container
Optional - YOU CHOOSE
8.
9.
10.
11.
Using Devcontainers in CI
Integration Testing with Testcontainers
Connecting hardware to a Dev Container
Moving to a Cloud Developer Environment
Part I.
9:15 - 10:30
Part II.
11:00 - 13:00
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Risks - Network
Docker images
& packages
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Risks - GitHub Stability
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Before we start
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Is your laptop
enough to work
on the main
project?
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Your DevEnv is already elsewhere
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What does engineer use daily?
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CI Systems
Issue Trackers
Chats
Zoom / Google Meet / …
Email
Calendar
…
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CloudBees Office,
Neuchatel, ~2015
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Local Development
In Containers
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Why containers?
●
Configuration
Management as Code
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Reusability
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Fast provisioning
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Clean environments
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Disposability
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Clustering
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My Previous Presentations
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Developer Tools & Containers
Jenkins, Docker, WireMock, Testcontainers
See https://speakerdeck.com/onenashev/collections/embedded
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2017 - Docker in Embedded
Prototypes, Dev Tools
Docker Swarm Cluster on Raspberry Pi
Test Infrastructures, CI/CD
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2023 - Containers in testing for
embedded projects
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2025 - Local Dev
Environments in
containers, too
Local Container
Engine or Cloud
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01 - Dev Containers 101
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+
IDE Integrations
https://containers.dev/
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Dev Containers
are not just simple containers
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Containerized IDEs
Source: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers
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Dev Containers 101
https://hub.docker.com/r/microsoft/devcontainers-cpp
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Dev Containers 101
.devcontainer/
devcontainer.json Configuration JSON
Docker image,
container parameters,
IDE plugins
containers.dev/
implementors/spec/
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Dev Containers
● Official images for common tech stacks
● Dev Container images provided by projects
and vendors
● DYI: Single container
● DYI: Multi-container instances
https://github.com/
devcontainers/images
containers.dev/guide/dockerfile
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Dev Containers for your dev environments
Your developer tools and environments,
packaged as containers. With proper
developer experience
Supported in:
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Visual Studio Code (link)
Visual Studio (link)
IntelliJ Platform IDEs (link)
Cloud IDEs and Services
CI/CD Systems
https://containers.dev/
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Et Windows?
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Multiple Docker engines run
on Windows
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Normally, Windows
Subsystem for Linux is used
(WSL2) under the hood
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Native Windows containers
are possible, too
○
Not in this workshop
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Add-ons
● Templates
https://containers.dev/templates
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Add-ons
● Templates
● Features
https://containers.dev/features
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* For Python
Most Python
features come
from pipx
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Add-ons
● Templates
● Features
● IDE Plugins
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Python Example
Source:
https://github.com/wiremock/python-wiremock
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Example - CMake in
a Dev Container
https://github.com/testcontainers/
testcontainers-native
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Example GoogleTest in a Dev
Container
https://github.com/testcontainers/
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testcontainers-native
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Add-ons
● Templates
● Features
● IDE Plugins
● Post-init hooks
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Dev Containers Reuse
Source:
https://containers.dev/overview#De
velopment-vs-production
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Reuse
Dev Containers
can be shared as a
part of your project
Dev Containers
can be reused in
CI/CD pipelines
https://github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-native/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml
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02 - AI Integrations
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Dev Containers supports AI
1. IDE Integrations and plugins for Generative AI and
Agentic development
a.
b.
c.
All plugins work
Built-in sandboxing for agents through the container
GitHub access tokens and integrations are propagated
2. MCPs can run locally, can connect to external
services and to the ones on the dev machine
3. LLM/SLM providers can be connected, including local
ones
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LLM Runtimes
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LLM Runtimes
Backends
https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp#
supported-backends
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Example - Ollama as a DevContainer Feature
https://github.com/prulloac/devcontainer-features/tree/main/src/ollama
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And Claude?
● https://code.claude.com/docs/en/devcontainer
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04 - C/C++ Tooling
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C/C++ Developers
Can Have Nice Things
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C/C++ - Quick Start
1. Clone https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-cpp
2. Open the project in VSCode
3. Install the Dev Containers extension
4. Reopen the project in a container
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C++
Template
https://github.
com/devcont
ainers/templa
tes/tree/main/
src/cpp
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Dev Containers
https://containers.dev/features
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Sample: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-cpp
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4
Environment runs in a container
2.
The workspace is mapped
3.
Tools are accessible
4.
IDE plugins, including Git,
Intellisense & Co
5.
AI Agent works, too
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1.
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Sample: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-cpp
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04 - Custom Images
for Dev Containers
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Dev Containers
● Official images for common tech stacks
● Dev Container images provided by projects
and vendors
● DYI: Single container
● DYI: Multi-container instances
https://github.com/
devcontainers/images
containers.dev/guide/dockerfile
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No content
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DIY Dev Containers
1. Single container
From image registry
or Dockerfile
containers.dev/guide/dockerfile
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DYI Dev Containers
1. Single container
2. Multi-container systems
containers.dev/guide/dockerfile#docker-compose
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05 - ROS 2 and Gazebo
in a Dev Container
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Let’s take a real embedded
example!
● Open Robotics stack
● ROS 2 - Robot Operating System
○
https://github.com/ros2
● Gazebo - simulator
○
https://gazebosim.org/
● Python and C/C++ runtime and
development stack
FOSDEM 2025 - OPEN
ROBOTICS ROOM
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What will we do?
● Show & Tell for the Dev Container
● The demo is based on the official Gazebo + ROS 2 template
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○
gazebosim/ros_gz_project_template
gazebosim.org/docs/latest/ros_gz_project_template_guide
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Show & Tell - Next steps
● See
oleg-nenashev/cde-for-embedded-workshop/blob/main/05-ros-gaz
ebo/README.md
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https://code.claude.com/docs/en/de
vcontainer
O6 - Container Cloud
Developer Environments (CDEs)
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IDEs
CloudBees Office,
Neuchatel, ~2015
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We were doing CDEs before they were a mainstream
Image source:
https://www.combell.com/en/blog/w
hat-is-rdp-remote-desktop-protocol/
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Cloud Developer Environments
● Most of the functionality runs in
the cloud
● Local Tools / IDEs are just
wrappers
● SaaS, public cloud or self-hosted
● Resources and licenses can be
shared
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Embedded
Projects
CDE suitable for
your projects
DYI
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Existing CDEs
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GitHub Codespaces
Eclipse Che / Theia
Ona (fka Gitpod)
AWS Cloud9
Strong Network (Citrix)
Coder
Cloudomation
…
Web based AI IDEs
Source:
https://discord.com/blog/how-discord-moved-engin
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eering-to-cloud-development-environments
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Example - GitHub Codespaces
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Example - GitHub Codespaces
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Optional Chapters
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Choose the next step (if we have time)
● Using Devcontainers in CI
● Integration Testing with Testcontainers
● Connecting hardware to a Dev Container
● Moving to a Cloud Developer Environment
● Using Nix in Devcontainers
All examples are in
https://github.com/oleg-nenashev/cde-for-embed
ded-workshop
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07 - Integration Testing
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Containers bring
advantages to
embedded projects
See
https://speakerdeck.com/
onenashev/collections/e
mbedded
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Dev Containers offers container nesting tools
● Docker-in-Docker feature
○
Create child containers inside a container,
independent from the host's docker instance.
○
Docker (Docker-in-Docker)
○
Compatible with Testcontainers
● Docker outside of Docker
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○
Re-use the host Docker socket, adding the
Docker CLI to a container.
Docker (docker-outside-of-docker)
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Demos
● Quickstart:
○
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-cpp
● My Example - Testcontainers for C/C++
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○
○
github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-c
Testcontainers can run in Dev Containers
You can use GitHub Codespaces too
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WireMock for
Google Test / C++
github.com/testcontainers/te
stcontainers-c/tree/main/de
mo/google-test
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08 - Using hardware,
FPGAs and Simulators
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Testing with hardware
Attached peripherals
VM,
container
or
bare-metal
Your
Developer
Machine
Deploy bit-files,
Blasting cables
Debugging cables,
firmware upload
Runtime
Tools
Drivers
Peripherals
We don’t
change them,
huh?
Power
Reset
when it hangs
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Docker & FPGA - HOWTO
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USB/Ethernet Ports can be exposed to a container
Docker image can include tools and drivers
https://github.com/halfmanhalftaco/fpga-docker
https://www.starwaredesign.com/index.php/blog/
64-fpga-meets-devops-xilinx-vivado-and-jenkins-with-docker
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Hardware tests with containers?
Expectations
● It works
Reality
● It works on a success path
● You can run containers in
privileged mode
● BUT: software errors, timeouts,
access conflicts, device hanging
when switching containers
● You can use drivers from host OS
● BUT: you still need special test
equipment and drivers
There are limitations, but doable
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Containers for Simulations
● We avoid using Hardware when possible
● Low overhead and startup time
● Resource quota management
○ CPU/RAM
○ Prioritization for users
○ Licenses
● Multi-instance tests (Docker Compose, Kubernetes
Pods, etc.)
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Example - Xilinx Tools
FPGA grids can be served
and used in Kubernetes
CDEs can be provisioned
accordingly
https://github.com/Xilinx/FP
GA_as_a_Service
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QEMU
● Multi-platform
execution on a
single machine
● Container
adapters are
available
https://github.com/qemus
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Dev Container for Simulations
● Most Simulators already have Docker images
● Docker images can be quickly converted to Dev Containers
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Example - Verilator
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09 - Custom CDE
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Existing CDEs, but for Embedded Projects
● IDE Extensions
● Dev Container(s) for…
○
Build Tools
○
Simulators
○
Verification tools
● Testcontainers
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Embedded
Projects
Better Dev X or
security/compliance may
require a custom CDE
CDE suitable for
your projects
DYI
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DIY CDE Cluster
Your Cloud
FPGA as a
service
Source:
https://medium.com/@elliotgraebert/laptop-development-is-dead
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-why-remote-development-is-the-future-f92ce103fd13
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DYI CDEs
● You can build a CDE on
your own
● IDEs with CDE plugins
● Control planes
● Workspaces & Cloud
● Storage / Data
(!) Security aspect is an area for commercial CDEs
Source: https://coder.com/
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DYI CDEs
● Dev Containers and
compatible IDEs
● Container Engines (e.g.
Docker) and Kubernetes for
the environment
● Device Plugins for FPGA
(e.g. one for Xilinx)
● KubeVirt for virtual
machines
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THE END?
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Takeaways
1. Consider using Dev Containers
2. There are tools and frameworks for
embedded projects, but a lot of DYI
3. For common software stacks, the
existing IDEs are at your service
4. There are features for many
common use-cases
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QUESTIONS?
Contacts:
E-mail: [email protected]
GitHub: oleg-nenashev
Twitter: @oleg_nenashev
#OpenToWork
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References
● https://github.com/oleg-nenashev/workshop-dev-containers-for-em
bedded/ and the links there
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