# Codespaces Nonsense - Coderoad Error

**URL:** <https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203>\
**Category:** freeCodeCamp Support\
**Created:** [January 23, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203 "2026-01-23T21:39:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TKonan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/tkonan/32/404321_2.png) [@TKonan](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/TKonan)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203/1 "2026-01-23T21:39:20Z")

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This note about CodeSpaces is baffling:

Clicking the button below will start a new project. If you have previously started the Build a Database of Video Game Characters course, go to the [repository page](https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/rdb-alpha) to re-open a previous workspace.Learn more about [Codespace workspaces](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/relational-database-curriculum-in-codespaces/761449).

This is seen at:

> **[freeCodeCamp.org](https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/relational-databases-v9/workshop-database-of-video-game-characters/build-a-database-of-video-game-characters)**
>
> Learn to Code — For Free

There’s no clue on the repository page about how to re-open a previous workspace, and the help link sheds no light.

When I do get into a codespace through connecting to the active “freeCodeCamp/rdb-alpha - friendly computing-machine” codespace, it’s not obvious I’m there, it’s not obvious when it’s ready, and the `CodeRoad: Start command yields an error:`

> command ‘coderoad.start’ not found

Got any better clues?

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**Author:** ![sam29](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/sam29/32/379550_2.png) [@sam29](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/sam29)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203/2 "2026-01-31T13:51:12Z")

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I have to admit the entire process with Codespaces + Coderoad does make me feel rather stupid. I have a Codespace where I half-finished the World Cup Database project. Now I can’t connect to the database:

```auto
psql: error: could not connect to server: Connection refused
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket “/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432”?

```

Can’t restart the coderoad course:

> “Oops!
> 
> ### Select An Empty VSCode Workspace
> 
> Start a project in an empty folder.
> 
> Once selected, the extension will close and need to be re-started.”

And can’t find any relevant information or help on what to do in the situation. I can copy my unfinished scripts into a new Codespace, but then I’d have to recreate all the tables and relationships between them, and I’d rather not. There’s quite possibly a way to solve this within the VSCode instance, but it’s not at all clear how to do so.

Would it be possible to get some more information on what to do in these cases added to the Codespaces/Coderoad instructions? In general I find them rather frustrating and unintuitive to use. Database stuff seems a rather slow and labourious process and having to throw out half my work would only make it more so.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TKonan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/tkonan/32/404321_2.png) [@TKonan](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/TKonan)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203/3 "2026-02-16T22:11:17Z")

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I guess there’s nobody prepared to answer to this, Sam.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/original/3X/e/1/e1c433102e34b46dfaa3e15d13ab9a514b127078.svg) [@system](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/codespaces-nonsense-coderoad-error/775203/4 "2026-03-16T22:11:22Z")

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