coder/code-server · error · Error

--idle-timeout-seconds must be greater than 60 seconds.

Error message

--idle-timeout-seconds must be greater than 60 seconds.

What it means

The CLI enforces that --idle-timeout-seconds be strictly greater than 60 (cli.ts:419). A timeout of 60 seconds or fewer would disconnect idle sessions so aggressively that legitimate pauses (compiling, reading) would drop the connection, so it is rejected at parse time.

Solutions

Set a value greater than 60, e.g. `--idle-timeout-seconds=900` (15 minutes)
To disable idle disconnect entirely, omit the flag (the default is 0/disabled)
Double-check the intended value if you copied it from a runbook

Example fix

# before
code-server --idle-timeout-seconds=30

# after
code-server --idle-timeout-seconds=900

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

function validateIdleTimeout(seconds: number): void {
  if (!Number.isFinite(seconds)) throw new Error("idle-timeout-seconds must be a number")
  if (seconds !== 0 && seconds <= 60) {
    throw new Error(`idle-timeout-seconds must be > 60 (got ${seconds}); use 0 or omit to disable`)
  }
}
// call before passing args to code-server
validateIdleTimeout(Number(args["idle-timeout-seconds"] ?? 0))

Prevention

Treat 0/omitted as 'disabled' and any positive value as needing > 60
Centralize timeout validation in a config helper so all entry points share it
Document the lower bound in your deployment runbook

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `code-server --idle-timeout-seconds=30` (or any numeric value <= 60), or `--idle-timeout-seconds=60` (the boundary, also rejected).

Common situations: Operators trying to tighten resource usage by setting a very short idle disconnect; typos dropping a digit (e.g. `600` -> `60`).

Understand the failure class

Timeouts: ETIMEDOUT, deadlines, and hung requests — what actually expires when a request times out.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of coder/code-server@8a7bf87a4d (2026-09-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cabdd57b4e16ec4e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/node/cli.ts:452

        ;(args[key] as boolean) = true
        continue
      }

      // Might already have a value if it was the --long=value format.
      if (typeof value === "undefined") {
        // A value is only valid if it doesn't look like an option.
        value = argv[i + 1] && !argv[i + 1].startsWith("-") ? argv[++i] : undefined
      }

      if (!value && option.type === OptionalString) {
        ;(args[key] as OptionalString) = new OptionalString(value)
        continue
      } else if (!value) {
        throw error(`--${key} requires a value`)
      }

      if (key === "idle-timeout-seconds" && Number(value) <= 60) {
        throw new Error("--idle-timeout-seconds must be greater than 60 seconds.")
      }

      if (option.type === OptionalString && value === "false") {
        continue
      }

      if (option.path) {
        value = path.resolve(value)
      }

      switch (option.type) {
        case "string":
          ;(args[key] as string) = value
          break
        case "string[]":
          if (!args[key]) {
            ;(args[key] as string[]) = []
          }

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