[](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-php)
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 **[GitHub Codespaces](https://github.com/features/codespaces)** or **[Visual Studio Code Dev Containers](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/containers)**.
This is a sample project that lets you try out either option in a few easy steps. We have a variety of other [vscode-remote-try-*](https://github.com/search?q=org%3Amicrosoft+vscode-remote-try-&type=Repositories) sample projects, too.
> **Note:** If you already have a Codespace or dev container, you can jump to the [Things to try](#things-to-try) section.
For more info, check out the [GitHub documentation](https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/github/developing-online-with-codespaces/creating-a-codespace#creating-a-codespace).
If you already have VS Code and Docker installed, you can click the badge above or [here](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-try-php) to get started. Clicking these links will cause VS Code to automatically install the Dev Containers extension if needed, clone the source code into a container volume, and spin up a dev container for use.
1. If this is your first time using a development container, please ensure your system meets the pre-reqs (i.e. have Docker installed) in the [getting started steps](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/containers/getting-started).
> **Note:** Under the hood, this will use the **Dev Containers: Clone Repository in Container Volume...** command to clone the source code in a Docker volume instead of the local filesystem. [Volumes](https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/) are the preferred mechanism for persisting container data.
> **Note:** This container runs as a non-root user with sudo access by default. Comment out `"remoteUser": "vscode"` in `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json` if you'd prefer to run as root.
- Notice that PHP debugging and IntelliSense are already included in the container since the `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json` lists `"felixfbecker.php-debug"`, `"bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client"`, and `"mrmlnc.vscode-apache"` as extensions to install automatically when the container is created.
- Notice port 8000 in the 'Ports' view is labeled "Hello Remote World." In `devcontainer.json`, you can set `"portsAttributes"`, such as a label for your forwarded ports and the action to be taken when the port is autoforwarded.