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1. Create a project

Sign in to the RBS Dashboard and create a new project.
  1. Click New Project.
  2. Choose Create new repository — this uses the built-in RBS Git server.
  3. Give your project a name and click Create.

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2. Connect your code editor

RBS integrates directly with your code editor. Install the RBS extension and connect to your workspace.
  1. Install the RBS extension from the marketplace.
  2. Open the command palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P).
  3. Run RBS: Connect to Workspace.
  4. Select your project and branch.
Once connected, your editor is linked to a dedicated RBS server for your branch. All builds, tests, and deployments run on that server.

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3. Set up your workspace

Every RBS project needs two files: WORKSPACE.rbs at the project root and at least one BUILD.rbs.

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WORKSPACE.rbs

# WORKSPACE.rbs — Project configuration
config_setting(key = "project_name", value = "my-project")
config_setting(key = "version", value = "1.0.0")

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BUILD.rbs

# BUILD.rbs — Build targets

native.task(
    name = "hello",
    command = ["echo", "Hello from RBS!"],
    description = "A simple hello world task",
)

native.task(
    name = "build_report",
    command = ["sh", "-c", "echo 'Build completed' > " + output_path.out + "/report.txt"],
    outputs = [output_path.out + "/report.txt"],
    description = "Generate a build report",
)

native.task(
    name = "full_build",
    command = ["echo", "All tasks completed!"],
    deps = [":hello", ":build_report"],
    description = "Run the full build pipeline",
)

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4. Build and run

Use the integrated terminal in your editor or the RBS command palette: 
# Build a single target
rbs build hello

# Run it
rbs run hello

# Build the entire dependency chain
rbs build full_build

# See all available targets
rbs workspace
Every command runs on your dedicated RBS server — not on your local machine. Builds are fast, hermetic, and reproducible regardless of your laptop’s specs.

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5. Try a language SDK

RBS supports popular languages out of the box. Here’s a Python example:

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WORKSPACE.rbs

config_setting(key = "project_name", value = "python-demo")

load("@rbs//python/toolchain.rbs", "python_toolchain")

# RBS manages the Python toolchain on the server
python_toolchain(name = "python", version = "3.11.0")

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BUILD.rbs

load("@rbs//python/rules.rbs", "py_binary", "py_test")

py_binary(
    name = "app",
    srcs = ["main.py"],
    main = "main.py",
)

py_test(
    name = "app_test",
    srcs = ["test_main.py"],
    deps = [":app"],
)

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main.py

def greet(name: str) -> str:
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print(greet("World"))

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Build and run

rbs build app        # Builds with managed Python toolchain
rbs run app          # Runs the application
rbs test app_test    # Runs tests
You don’t need Python installed locally — the RBS server manages all toolchains automatically.

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6. Collaborate on a branch

RBS provisions one server per active branch. When a teammate opens the same branch, they connect to the same server and see the same build state. 
main branch       → RBS Server A  (CI workers auto-deployed)
feature/auth      → RBS Server B  (you + 2 teammates working)
feature/payments  → RBS Server C  (your branch, fresh server)
All CI workers, schedulers, and build workers are deployed automatically when the server starts. No pipeline configuration needed.

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What’s next

Core concepts

Understand workspaces, packages, targets, and how branch-based servers work.

Language SDKs

Set up Python, Java, Node.js, TypeScript, Kotlin, Go, or C/C++.

Code editor integration

Deep dive into editor features, custom keybindings, and building your own integration.

Agent builder

Build AI agents that interact with your codebase and build system.