ocp-devspaces-install

name	ocp-devspaces-install
metadata	{"author":"rhoai3-coding-demo","version":"1.0.0","platform-family":"ocp","platform-baseline":"repo","ocp-baseline":"repo","skill-group":"OpenShift Platform"}
description	Use when installing, upgrading, or uninstalling Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces 3.28, including dsc CLI usage, CheCluster CR, OperatorHub installation, and disconnected/restricted network installation. Do NOT use for concepts (use ocp-devspaces-about), administration (use ocp-devspaces-admin), user workflows (use ocp-devspaces-user-guide), or release notes (use ocp-devspaces-release-notes).

OCP Dev Spaces Install

Use this skill to ground OpenShift Dev Spaces installation guidance in the official Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces 3.28 Installation guide for the active baseline in docs/PLATFORM_BASELINE.md.

Source Grounding

Read references/source-capture.md before using product behavior. Official Red Hat documentation is product authority. This skill covers the installation lifecycle: requirements, dsc CLI, RBAC permissions, standard installation (CLI and web console), restricted environment installation, external identity provider (Keycloak), CheCluster CR patching during install, verification, and uninstallation. It does not cover administration, CheCluster field reference, user workflows, or release notes.

Prerequisites

• OpenShift Container Platform 4.16–4.22 cluster (CLI install requires 4.22+)
• Supported architectures: x86_64, s390x, ppc64le, arm64
• Active oc session with administrative permissions
• dsc CLI management tool installed (for CLI method)
• Only one Dev Spaces instance per cluster

Installation Methods

Two methods are supported:

• CLI (dsc): Full control over configuration. Install with dsc server:deploy --platform openshift. Supports CheCluster CR patching via --che-operator-cr-patch-yaml.
• Web console: Standard OperatorHub workflow. Install the Operator, create the openshift-devspaces namespace, then create a CheCluster instance from the Installed Operators page.

The Dev Spaces Operator depends on the Dev Workspace Operator. Both must be installed in the same namespace. The same applies if Web Terminal Operator is also deployed.

Restricted Environment

Air-gapped clusters require mirroring container images and the Operator catalog to a private registry before installation. Key parameters include --catalog-source-name=devspaces-disconnected-install and --skip-devworkspace-operator. Network policies must allow traffic from openshift-devspaces to user project pods.

External Identity Provider (Keycloak)

Deploy with Keycloak as external OIDC provider by patching the CheCluster CR with spec.networking.auth fields including oAuthClientName, identityProviderURL, and OAuth proxy environment variables. Requires creating a devspaces client in Keycloak and adding it to the OpenShift authentication audiences.

CheCluster CR Overview

The CheCluster CR (apiVersion: org.eclipse.che/v2) is the central configuration object. During installation, pass a patch file to dsc with --che-operator-cr-patch-yaml. After installation, edit with oc edit checluster/devspaces -n openshift-devspaces. Key spec sections include networking.auth, components.cheServer, and devEnvironments.

Upgrade

The Operator supports automatic upgrades through OLM approval strategy. Use dsc server:deploy to upgrade an existing installation. For restricted environments, re-run the mirroring script with updated version parameters before upgrading.

Uninstallation

Remove Dev Spaces with dsc server:delete. Options:

• --delete-namespace: Also removes the openshift-devspaces namespace
• --delete-all: Also removes the Dev Workspace Operator

Verify removal:

oc get namespace openshift-devspaces

Workflow

1. Confirm the active OpenShift baseline in docs/PLATFORM_BASELINE.md.
2. Read references/official-doc-extraction.md.
3. Identify whether the task concerns installation, restricted environment setup, identity provider integration, verification, or uninstallation.
4. For GitOps manifests, verify all API versions and CheCluster fields before committing.
5. For live operations, use the repo environment guard.
6. Validate the output with references/validation-checklist.md when present.

Related Skills

• Use ocp-devspaces-about for Dev Spaces concepts and architecture overview.
• Use ocp-devspaces-admin for CheCluster CR administration and configuration.
• Use ocp-devspaces-user-guide for workspace creation and user workflows.
• Use ocp-devspaces-release-notes for release notes and known issues.
• Use manage-devspaces for demo-specific Dev Spaces workspace management.

References

• references/source-capture.md
• references/official-doc-extraction.md