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Raspberry Pi WiFi Access Point with Code-Server Development Environment

 

Introduction

In this follow-up guide, we'll transform your Raspberry Pi 4 into a powerful mobile development station that doubles as a WiFi access point. Building on our previous USB-C setup, we'll add a second WiFi interface, configure the built-in WiFi as an access point, and set up a complete development environment accessible from your iPad.



What We'll Achieve

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

  1. Dual WiFi Setup: USB WiFi adapter for internet connectivity + built-in WiFi as an access point
  2. Internet Sharing: Other devices can connect to your Pi's WiFi and access the internet
  3. Docker Environment: Container platform for running services
  4. Code-Server IDE: VS Code in your browser, accessible from your iPad
  5. GitHub Integration: SSH keys configured for seamless Git operations

Perfect for: Mobile development, on-the-go coding, providing WiFi hotspot, creating a portable dev environment

Prerequisites

  • Raspberry Pi 4 with USB-C setup completed (see previous guide)
  • SSH access to Pi via USB-C interface (critical - we'll be reconfiguring WiFi)
  • USB WiFi adapter (I used the TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter)
  • iPad with terminal app (Terminus, Blink Shell, etc.)

⚠️ Important: Ensure you can SSH via USB-C before starting, as we'll be reconfiguring wireless interfaces!

Hardware Setup

Required Hardware

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (any RAM variant)
  • USB WiFi Adapter - AC1300 or similar dual-band adapter
  • SD Card with Raspberry Pi OS
  • iPad or laptop with USB-C
  • USB-C cable (data + power)

Network Architecture

After setup, your Pi will have three network interfaces:

  • usb0: USB-C connection to iPad/laptop (10.42.0.x network)
  • wlan1: USB WiFi adapter connected to your home WiFi (internet source)
  • wlan0: Built-in WiFi acting as Access Point (10.42.0.x network)

Step 1: Add and Configure USB WiFi Adapter

1.1 Install the USB WiFi Adapter

Plug your USB WiFi adapter into one of the Pi's USB ports. The adapter should be automatically recognized.

1.2 Identify the Adapter

# Check all network interfaces
iwconfig

# Or use ip command
ip link show

Your USB adapter will appear with a name like wlx5abbe3a7dd86 (based on its MAC address).

1.3 Create Persistent Interface Name

To ensure the interface name stays consistent across reboots, we'll create a udev rule.

Get the MAC address:

ip link show | grep wlx -A 1

Look for the line with link/ether - that's your MAC address (e.g., 5a:bb:e3:a7:dd:86).

Create udev rule:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

Add this line (replace MAC address with yours):

SUBSYSTEM=="net", ACTION=="add", ATTR{address}=="5a:bb:e3:a7:dd:86", NAME="wlan1"

Apply the rule:

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger
sudo reboot

After reboot, your USB WiFi adapter should consistently appear as wlan1.

1.4 Remove Existing wlan0 Connections

Before configuring the new setup, remove any existing connections on the built-in WiFi card:

# List connections on wlan0
sudo nmcli connection show | grep wlan0

# Delete them (replace 'connection-name' with actual name)
sudo nmcli connection delete connection-name

1.5 Connect wlan1 to Your WiFi Network

Now configure the USB adapter to connect to your home WiFi for internet access:

sudo nmcli connection add \
  ifname wlan1 \
  type wifi \
  ssid "YourWiFiName" \
  wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk \
  wifi-sec.psk "YourWiFiPassword" \
  con-name my-wifi

Verify connection:

sudo reboot

After reboot, check connectivity:

# Check connection status
nmcli con show --active

# Test internet
ping -c 4 google.com

# Check IP address
ip addr show wlan1

If usb0 is configured with ipv4.method shared, your iPad should now also have internet access through the Pi.

Step 2: Configure wlan0 as Access Point

Now we'll turn the built-in WiFi (wlan0) into an access point that other devices can connect to.

2.1 Create Access Point

sudo nmcli con add \
  type wifi \
  ifname wlan0 \
  con-name RaspberryPi-AP \
  autoconnect yes \
  ssid "RaspberryPi-AP" \
  802-11-wireless.mode ap \
  802-11-wireless.band a \
  ipv4.method shared \
  wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk \
  wifi-sec.psk "12345678"

What this does:

  • Creates an access point on wlan0
  • SSID: RaspberryPi-AP
  • Password: 12345678
  • ipv4.method shared enables DHCP server and NAT
  • Auto-connects on boot

2.2 Activate the Access Point

sudo reboot

2.3 Verify Access Point

After reboot:

# Check AP status
nmcli con show --active | grep RaspberryPi-AP

# Check wlan0 IP (should be 10.42.0.1)
ip addr show wlan0

# View connected clients
iw dev wlan0 station dump

2.4 Test from Another Device

On your phone or another device:

  1. Search for WiFi networks
  2. Connect to "RaspberryPi-AP"
  3. Enter password: 12345678
  4. You should get an IP like 10.42.0.x
  5. Test internet connectivity

Step 3: Install Docker

Docker will host our code-server and other services.

3.1 Set Up Docker Repository

# Update package index
sudo apt update

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl

# Create keyrings directory
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

# Add Docker's GPG key
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

# Add Docker repository
echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# Update package index again
sudo apt update

3.2 Install Docker

sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

3.3 Configure Docker Permissions

# Add docker group (may already exist)
sudo groupadd docker

# Add your user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Activate group changes
newgrp docker

3.4 Verify Installation

# Test Docker
docker run hello-world

# Check Docker version
docker --version

# Check Docker Compose
docker compose version

Step 4: Set Up Code-Server

Code-Server brings VS Code to your browser, making it perfect for iPad development.

4.1 Create Project Directory

mkdir -p ~/docker/code-server
cd ~/docker/code-server

4.2 Create Docker Compose File

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following:

services:
  code-server:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/code-server:latest
    container_name: code-server
    env_file:
      - .env
    volumes:
      - ${CODE_SERVER_CONFIG_PATH}:/config
    ports:
      - "${CODE_SERVER_PORT}:8443"
    restart: unless-stopped

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter).

4.3 Create Environment File

nano .env

Paste the following:

# User / Group
PUID=1000
PGID=1000
TZ=America/New_York

# Authentication
PASSWORD=YourSecurePassword
SUDO_PASSWORD=YourSecurePassword

# Code-server options
DEFAULT_WORKSPACE=/config/workspace

# Host configuration
CODE_SERVER_CONFIG_PATH=./config
CODE_SERVER_PORT=8443

Important: Change PASSWORD and SUDO_PASSWORD to something secure!

Save and exit.

4.4 Start Code-Server

docker compose up -d

4.5 Access Code-Server

From your iPad (connected via USB-C or WiFi):

  1. Open Safari or Chrome
  2. Navigate to: https://rasp.local:8443 (replace rasp with your Pi's hostname)
  3. Accept the self-signed certificate warning
  4. Enter your password

You should now see VS Code running in your browser!

Step 5: Configure GitHub SSH Keys

To use Git seamlessly from code-server, we'll set up SSH keys.

5.1 Generate SSH Key on Raspberry Pi

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_github_email@example.com"

When prompted:

Enter file in which to save the key: /tmp/id_ed25519
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): [Press Enter]
Enter same passphrase again: [Press Enter]

5.2 Copy Public Key

cat /tmp/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the entire output (starts with ssh-ed25519).

5.3 Add Key to GitHub

  1. Go to GitHub.com
  2. Click your profile → Settings
  3. Click SSH and GPG keys
  4. Click New SSH key
  5. Title: "Raspberry Pi Code-Server"
  6. Paste your public key
  7. Click Add SSH key

5.4 Move Keys to Code-Server

# Copy keys to code-server config
sudo cp /tmp/id_ed25519* ~/docker/code-server/config/.ssh/

# Set proper permissions
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ~/docker/code-server/config/.ssh/
sudo chmod 600 ~/docker/code-server/config/.ssh/id_ed25519
sudo chmod 644 ~/docker/code-server/config/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# Clean up temporary keys
rm /tmp/id_ed25519*

5.5 Test GitHub Connection

Open code-server in your browser, then open the integrated terminal.

First, configure Git with your details:

git config --global user.name "github_username"
git config --global user.email "github_email_address"

Replace github_username with your GitHub username and github_email_address with your GitHub email.

Test SSH connection to GitHub:

ssh -T git@github.com

You should see:

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

Success! You can now clone, push, and pull from GitHub repositories.

Step 6: Using Your Setup

From iPad via USB-C

  1. Connect Pi to iPad via USB-C cable
  2. Wait 30 seconds for connection
  3. Open browser: https://rasp.local:8443
  4. Start coding!

From iPad via WiFi

  1. Connect to "RaspberryPi-AP" WiFi
  2. Open browser: https://10.42.0.1:8443
  3. Start coding!

From Other Devices

Any device connected to "RaspberryPi-AP" can:

  • Access the internet through the Pi
  • Access code-server at https://10.42.0.1:8443
  • SSH to the Pi at 10.42.0.1

Network Topology

Internet
   ↓
[Home WiFi Router]
   ↓
[wlan1 - USB WiFi Adapter]
   ↓
[Raspberry Pi 4]
   ↓
   ├─→ [wlan0 AP] → Other WiFi devices (10.42.0.x)
   └─→ [usb0] → iPad/Laptop (10.42.0.x)

Troubleshooting

WiFi Adapter Not Recognized

# Check USB devices
lsusb

# Check kernel messages
dmesg | grep -i wifi

# Manually load driver (if needed)
sudo modprobe 8812au  # Example for Realtek chipsets

Access Point Not Visible

# Check wlan0 status
nmcli dev status | grep wlan0

# Restart connection
sudo nmcli con down RaspberryPi-AP
sudo nmcli con up RaspberryPi-AP

# Check AP channel
iw dev wlan0 info

# Check if AP mode is supported
iw list | grep -A 10 "Supported interface modes"

No Internet on Connected Devices

# Verify wlan1 has internet
ping -I wlan1 -c 4 google.com

# Check IP forwarding
cat /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward  # Should return 1

# Enable if disabled
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
echo "net.ipv4.ip_forward=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf

Code-Server Not Accessible

# Check if container is running
docker ps

# View logs
docker logs code-server

# Restart container
docker restart code-server

# Check port binding
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 8443

SSH Keys Not Working

# Check permissions in container
docker exec -it code-server ls -la /config/.ssh

# Should show:
# -rw------- id_ed25519
# -rw-r--r-- id_ed25519.pub

# Fix permissions if needed
docker exec -it code-server chmod 600 /config/.ssh/id_ed25519
docker exec -it code-server chmod 644 /config/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Customization Tips

Change AP Password

sudo nmcli con modify RaspberryPi-AP wifi-sec.psk "NewPassword123"
sudo nmcli con down RaspberryPi-AP
sudo nmcli con up RaspberryPi-AP

Change AP SSID

sudo nmcli con modify RaspberryPi-AP 802-11-wireless.ssid "MyCustomSSID"
sudo nmcli con down RaspberryPi-AP
sudo nmcli con up RaspberryPi-AP

Set WiFi Channel

sudo nmcli con modify RaspberryPi-AP 802-11-wireless.channel 6
sudo nmcli con down RaspberryPi-AP
sudo nmcli con up RaspberryPi-AP

Install VS Code Extensions

In code-server:

  1. Click Extensions icon (left sidebar)
  2. Search and install extensions
  3. They'll persist in the config volume

Add More Docker Services

Add to docker-compose.yml:

services:
  code-server:
    # ... existing config ...
  
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
    container_name: portainer
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  portainer_data:

Use Cases

Mobile Development Workflow

  1. Connect iPad to Pi via USB-C
  2. Open code-server in Safari
  3. Clone your GitHub repository
  4. Code, test, commit, push
  5. All from your iPad!

Portable WiFi Hotspot

  • Traveling with multiple devices
  • Conference/event WiFi sharing
  • Emergency internet sharing
  • IoT project development

Learning Environment

  • Practice Linux administration
  • Learn Docker and containerization
  • Experiment with networking
  • Safe environment for testing

Security Considerations

Change Default Passwords

# Update code-server password in .env
nano ~/docker/code-server/.env
# Change PASSWORD and SUDO_PASSWORD

# Restart code-server
cd ~/docker/code-server
docker compose down
docker compose up -d

Use Strong WiFi Password

# Use at least 12 characters with mixed case, numbers, symbols
sudo nmcli con modify RaspberryPi-AP wifi-sec.psk "MyStr0ng!P@ssw0rd"

Enable Firewall (Optional)

sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp   # SSH
sudo ufw allow 8443/tcp # Code-server
sudo ufw enable

Regular Updates

# Update Pi OS
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Update Docker images
cd ~/docker/code-server
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Performance Tips

Monitor Resources

# Check CPU/Memory
htop

# Check temperature
vcgencmd measure_temp

# Check WiFi signal
iwconfig wlan1 | grep -i signal

Optimize for iPad

In code-server settings:

  • Enable auto-save
  • Reduce editor font size if needed
  • Use split view for multitasking
  • Install keyboard shortcuts extension

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional mobile development environment powered by your Raspberry Pi! This setup gives you:

✅ Portable WiFi access point for multiple devices

✅ Professional IDE accessible from iPad

✅ Full Git integration with GitHub

✅ Docker environment for running services

✅ All powered by a single USB-C cable

This configuration is perfect for mobile developers, digital nomads, students, or anyone who wants a powerful, portable development environment.

Next Steps

  • Explore VS Code extensions for your workflow
  • Set up additional Docker services (databases, web servers, etc.)
  • Configure custom domains with mDNS
  • Add more storage with USB drives
  • Experiment with IoT projects

Additional Resources

Changelog

  • 2026-01-24: Initial release

Questions or issues? Open an issue on GitHub or leave a comment below!

Found this helpful? Star the repository and share with others!

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