Org-private Codespaces aren't accessible to other org members

[alaws-scottlogic]

Select Topic Area

Bug

Body

We have a repo in our organisation which we have created a Codespace for and set it to be "private to organisation". However, when another user in the organisation tries to hit the URL, they see a 404 error.

The Codespace, repo and user all belong to the organisation. We've tried with a couple of different users and repos and are consistently seeing the same behaviour.

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[44erxyz]

Common Causes & Solutions

1. Codespaces Access Settings at Organization Level

The organization owner needs to ensure that GitHub Codespaces is enabled for the affected users. According to Enabling or disabling GitHub Codespaces for your organization:

Go to your organization's Settings → Codespaces → General
Under "Codespaces access," verify that the setting allows the affected users to access Codespaces in private repositories
Options include: "Disabled," "Selected users," or "All members and collaborators"

2. Repository Access Requirements

Users need proper repository access to interact with Codespaces. They need either:

Read access to the repository + forking permissions, OR
Write access to push changes directly

3. Port Visibility Settings

When you forward a port in a Codespace, the port visibility settings determine who can access it:

Private: Only you can access
Private to Organization: Organization members should be able to access
Public: Anyone with the URL can access

If users are getting 404 errors on the forwarded port URL, double-check:

The port is actually forwarded and the Codespace is running
The port visibility is set to "Private to Organization" (not just "Private")
The users are authenticated to GitHub and are members of the organization

[alaws-scottlogic]

We've checked our config against all of these solutions and are still getting the 404 error. Both users have codespace access and admin access to the repo we're testing it with. The port is private to the organisation

[44erxyz]

Try to open the Codespace URL directly (not the port URL)

They will see:

1. 404 if they are not the owner
   

2. 403 if they are blocked by org policy
   

   Success only if they own the Codespace

If they cannot open the Codespace itself, they will never be able to access its ports.

[alaws-scottlogic]

Your description matches the observed behaviour, but from the documentation, anyone in the organisation with the port's URL should be able to access the running application, not just the owner.
https://docs.github.com/en/codespaces/developing-in-a-codespace/forwarding-ports-in-your-codespace#sharing-a-port

[alaws-scottlogic]

This was a bug which has now been fixed

[44erxyz]

nice