Eclipse Che

What Eclipse Che is

Eclipse Che runs development IDEs in Kubernetes and lets users create workspaces from a Git repository or sample. Online use requires a browser. Available IDEs include Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs, while GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket identities can be connected through OAuth. Workspaces use Devfiles, YAML configuration that can be versioned alongside application source code. Teams can share a development setup by URL, and Che can run on public or private Kubernetes clusters. Workspace access uses OIDC authentication, with Kubernetes RBAC checking whether users can enter a workspace. The project supports air-gapped networks, enterprise TLS certificates, proxies and FIPS. Code is cloned to a persistent volume by default, but other workspace file changes are wiped when a workspace stops unless they are stored on persistent volume. Eclipse Che is free and open source, with web and self-hosted availability. Community support is linked through project Slack, chat and a mailing list. The maker and headquarters are listed in Brussels, Belgium; the Eclipse Foundation was created in January 2004 as an independent not-for-profit corporation.

Who it suits

Eclipse Che suits development teams that want browser-accessible workspaces on Kubernetes and need to configure them with Devfiles. Its self-hosted deployment and enterprise environment support may fit organizations with their own infrastructure requirements.

Getting started

1. Visit https://eclipse.dev/che/.
2. Choose web access in a browser or deploy Che on a public or private Kubernetes cluster.
3. Create a workspace from a Git repository or sample.
4. Connect a GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket identity through OAuth.
5. Configure the workspace with a Devfile and use a persistent volume for changes that must remain after stopping.

Verdict

Eclipse Che provides Kubernetes based development workspaces with several IDE and Git identity options. Teams should account for how workspace files persist when a workspace stops.