docs/content/codespaces/setting-up-your-project-for-codespaces/setting-a-minimum-specification-for-codespace-machines.md

title, shortTitle, intro, permissions, versions, type, topics, product

title	shortTitle	intro	permissions	versions	type	topics	product
Setting a minimum specification for codespace machines	Set a minimum machine spec	You can avoid under-resourced machine types being used for {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for your repository.	People with write permissions to a repository can create or edit the codespace configuration.	fpt ghec * *	how_to	Codespaces Set up	{% data reusables.gated-features.codespaces %}

Overview

When you create a codespace for a repository you are typically offered a choice of available machine types. Each machine type has a different level of resources. For more information, see "Changing the machine type for your codespace."

If your project needs a certain level of compute power, you can configure {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} so that only machine types that meet these requirements are available for people to select. You configure this in the devcontainer.json file.

{% note %}

Important: Access to some machine types may be restricted at the organization level. Typically this is done to prevent people choosing higher resourced machines that are billed at a higher rate. If your repository is affected by an organization-level policy for machine types you should make sure you don't set a minimum specification that would leave no available machine types for people to choose. For more information, see "Restricting access to machine types."

{% endnote %}

Setting a minimum machine specification

1. {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for your repository are configured in the devcontainer.json file. If your repository does not already contain a devcontainer.json file, add one now. See "Add a dev container to your project."

2. Edit the devcontainer.json file, adding a hostRequirements property such as this:

   "hostRequirements": {
      "cpus": 8,
      "memory": "8gb",
      "storage": "32gb" 
   }
   

   You can specify any or all of the options: cpus, memory, and storage.

   To check the specifications of the {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} machine types that are currently available for your repository, step through the process of creating a codespace until you see the choice of machine types. For more information, see "Creating a codespace."

3. Save the file and commit your changes to the required branch of the repository.

   Now when you create a codespace for that branch of the repository you will only be able to select machine types that match or exceed the resources you've specified.

   

Further reading

• "Introduction to dev containers"