A **development container** is a running [Docker](https://www.docker.com) container with a well-defined tool/runtime stack and its prerequisites. You can try out development containers with GtiHub Codespaces or **[VS Code Remote - Containers](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/containers)**.
[GitHub Codespaces](https://github.com/features/codespaces) both use this same concept to quickly create customized, cloud-based development environments accessible [from VS Code](https://aka.ms/vso-dl) or the web. _Request access to beta if user does not already have it_
The [VS Code Remote - Containers](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/download/containers) extension allows you to clone a repository or open any folder mounted into (or already inside) a dev container and take advantage of VS Code's full development feature set.
This is a sample project that lets you try out either option in a few easy steps.
1. If this is your first time using a development container, please follow the [getting started steps](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/containers/getting-started).
- Press <kbd>F1</kbd> and select the **Remote-Containers: Try a Sample...** command.
- Choose the "Node" sample, wait for the container to start and try things out!
> **Note:** Under the hood, this will use **Remote-Containers: Open Repository in Container...** command to clone the source code in a Docker volume instead of the local filesystem.
> **Note:** This container runs as a non-root user with sudo access by default. Comment out `"remoteUser": "node"` in `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json` if you'd prefer to run as root.
- Try adding some code and check out the language features. Notice that `eslint` and the `vscode-eslint` extension are already installed in the container _insert reasoning_.