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How to request a remote Zulip development instance
Under specific circumstances, typically during sprints, hackathons, and Google Code-in, Zulip can provide you with a virtual machine with the development environment already set up.
The machines (droplets) are being generously provided by DigitalOcean. Thank you DigitalOcean!
Step 1: Join GitHub and create SSH keys
To contribute to Zulip and to use a remote Zulip developer instance, you'll need a GitHub account. If you don't already have one, sign up here.
You'll also need to create SSH keys and add them to your GitHub account.
Step 2: Create a fork of zulip/zulip
Zulip uses a forked-repo and rebase-oriented workflow. This means that all contributors create a fork of the Zulip repository they want to contribute to and then submit pull requests to the upstream repository to have their contributions reviewed and accepted.
When we create your Zulip dev instance, we'll connect it to your fork of Zulip, so that needs to exist before you make your request.
While you're logged in to GitHub, navigate to zulip/zulip and click the Fork button. (See GitHub's help article for further details).
Step 3: Make request via chat.zulip.org
Now that you have a GitHub account, have added your SSH keys, and forked zulip/zulip, you are ready to request your Zulip developer instance.
If you haven't already, create an account on https://chat.zulip.org/.
Next, join the development help stream. Create a new stream message with your GitHub username as the topic and request your remote dev instance. Please make sure you have completed steps 1 and 2 before doing so. A core developer should reply letting you know they're working on creating it as soon as they are available to help.
Once requested, it will only take a few minutes to create your instance. You will be contacted when it is complete and available.
Next steps
Once your remote dev instance is ready:
- Connect to your server by running
ssh zulipdev@<username>.zulipdev.orgon the command line (Terminal for macOS and Linux, Bash for Git on Windows). - There is no password; your account is configured to use your SSH keys.
- Once you log in, you should see
(zulip-py3-venv) ~$. - To start the dev server,
cd zulipand then run./tools/run-dev. - While the dev server is running, you can see the Zulip server in your browser at http://zulip.username.zulipdev.org:9991.
- The development server actually runs on all subdomains of
username.zulipdev.org; this is important for testing Zulip's support for multiple organizations in your development server.
Once you've confirmed you can connect to your remote server, take a look at:
- developing remotely for tips on using the remote dev instance, and
- our Git & GitHub guide to learn how to use Git with Zulip.
Next, read the following to learn more about developing for Zulip: