opencode-container

2 min read Original article ↗

Run OpenCode inside an Arch Linux Docker container that closely mirrors a local development environment, while limiting access to sensitive files on the host.

Features

  • Arch Linux–based image
  • Runs as the host user (same username, UID, GID)
  • Per-project isolation: Each project gets its own container (identified by project path hash)
  • Shared persistent home: All containers mount the same home directory from XDG_DATA_HOME, allowing tools to persist across projects
  • Sudo access: OpenCode agent can install project-specific dependencies that persist in the stopped container
  • Hard linking support: Can hard link files like ~/.gitconfig to share configurations with containers
  • Mounts only the current project directory (same absolute path inside container)
  • Security boundary: No access to SSH keys, passwords, or full $HOME (intentionally prevents remote code pushes)
  • Simple shell function (opencode) to launch interactively

Install

Change to your projects directory and clone the repository:

cd ~/Projects/
git clone https://git.jeena.net/jeena/opencode-container.git

Source the helper file opencode.aliases in your shell configuration
(.bashrc or .zshrc) so the opencode function is available in new sessions.

We set up the XDG_DATA_HOME/opencode-container/container-home directory as a central $HOME inside of the container, independent of the session or project directory we start in. This persists the whole $HOME from inside the container so everything OpenCode writes into config files, etc. persists there.

Environment Variables

  • XDG_DATA_HOME: Override default data directory (default: ~/.local/share)

Usage

From any project directory:

opencode

The image is built automatically on first use if it does not already exist.
OpenCode starts inside the container with the current directory mounted and set as the working directory.