Google once again showed its "conscientious big money" nature and launched Project IDX (now renamed Firebase Studio), which provides all Google users with a cloud development environment with amazing configuration for free. This article will share my initial experience with this platform, explore its features, limitations, and what it can be used for for ordinary users like us.
What is IDX and how do I get it?
According to the official definition, IDX is a browser-based development workspace integrated with artificial intelligence, designed to simplify the development, management and deployment process of full-stack web and multi-platform applications.
- How to get it: Visit the official website
idx.google.com,useAny Google AccountLog in to apply for free use. - Amazing configuration: Each workspace has up to 16-core CPU, 64GB RAM, 300GB hard driveconfiguration, which is usually very expensive at traditional cloud service providers.
Core feature: non-persistent storage
Despite the attractive configuration, IDX has a fundamental difference from traditional cloud servers (VPS/ECS): it usesNon-persistent VM storagedesign.
- Working principle: When you start an IDX workspace, the platform will create a custom template (such as Android Studio, Flutter, React, etc.) or your own custom configuration file (
dev.nix) to build the runtime environment. - as a result of: You can use the terminal (
Terminal) Any software that you installed manually (such astailscale,1paneletc.) or system-level configurations, after the workspace is closed or idle for a period of time (the official description mentions a maximum of 24 hours)Will be completely cleared and resetOnly code and dependencies managed via configuration files will be retained. - position: This means that IDX mainly provides aConvenient and reproducible development and testing environment, rather than a general cloud server that allows you to install software at will and run services for a long time.
What can ordinary people do with IDX?
Based on the above features and my limited understanding, I think ordinary users can use IDX to achieve the following goals:
- Get a temporary, pure Internet environment:
- principle: By accessing IDX through a browser, you have a cloud computer running Ubuntu with a specific public IP.
- use: This relatively isolated and clean environment can be used to perform some sensitive operations, such as registering certain foreign accounts that have high requirements for the IP environment.
- IP Region: The server IPs I have applied for are mainly located atTaiwan, ChinaorOregon, USA. A network test comparison of the two servers is attached at the end of the article.
- Quickly get an Android virtual machine (AVD):
- method: Select the "Android Project" template in IDX to create a workspace with Android Studio built in. You can create and run an Android virtual machine directly in the web version of Android Studio.
- Advantages: For users who only have an iPhone or don't want to install Android Studio on a local Windows computer, this is a very convenient way to experience Android applications or perform related operations (such as registering a specific App account).
Performance and experience
- network: Although the server bandwidth is very high (tested to be around 5000Mbps), for domestic users, it is very difficult to access Taiwan or US servers.High latency, the online operation experience of the web version IDE or virtual machine can only be considered average.
- Computational performance: Despite having a 16-core CPU and 64GB of memory, in actual use (such as running an Android virtual machine), there is no "unattainable" performance advantage, and the improvement is limited compared to local operation (it may even appear more laggy due to network latency).
Conclusion and Recommendations
Google IDX (Firebase Studio) is a powerful tool for developers that provides a free, highly configurable, and quickly reconfigurable cloud development environment.
- Who is it for: Interested in IDX built-in development templates (such as Web, Flutter, Android) and need to conduct rapid prototyping, development, and testingDevelopers; or wantExperience with a specific development environmentUsers who don't want to pollute their local machines.
- Who is not suitable for: Expect it to beGeneral cloud server, users who need to run services for a long time and save customized installation software.
- Normal users: You can use it to obtain a temporary clean IP or quickly experience an Android virtual machine, but you must accept the limitations of its non-persistence and network latency.
Due to its temporary storage and scheduled restoration characteristics, there is currently no way to save customized installation content for a long time. If you want to perform more complex operations, you may need to wait for community developers to study and share.
Appendix: Taiwan vs Oregon server network test comparison
oregon
https://paste.spiritlhl.net/#/show/lAkWo.txt
Taiwan
http://hpaste.spiritlhl.net/#/show/zWr7U.txt
