Add Dockerfile.positron for SSH-based Positron workflows

[Copilot]

This adds a Positron-oriented container path without changing the existing RStudio-based image. The new variant keeps the current Bioconductor workshop build behavior, but swaps the runtime entrypoint to sshd so a local Positron client can attach over Remote SSH.

• New alternative image

  • Adds Dockerfile.positron alongside the existing Dockerfile
  • Reuses bioconductor/bioconductor_docker:devel
  • Installs openssh-server
  • Exposes port 22 and starts sshd in the foreground
  • Uses the existing rstudio user and PASSWORD env var for login

• Build/install behavior

  • Keeps the repo copy/install flow under /home/rstudio
  • Installs the workshop package during image build
  • Vendors BiocGenerics/Biobase into the active site library to avoid relying on the runtime RStudio entrypoint or an extra BiocManager bootstrap step

• Docs and packaging

  • Documents the Positron path in README.md
  • Adds a brief note to vignettes/HOWTO_BUILD_WORKSHOP.Rmd
  • Excludes Dockerfile.positron from the R package build via .Rbuildignore

docker build -f Dockerfile.positron -t buildabiocworkshop-positron .
export PASSWORD='choose-a-password'
docker run --rm --env PASSWORD -p 2222:22 buildabiocworkshop-positron
# Then connect from Positron to ssh://rstudio@localhost:2222

[seandavi]

Is there not a way to run positron in the browser directly? Positron server or something like that?

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Adds an alternative container build path intended for Positron workflows by introducing a new SSH-based Dockerfile variant, while keeping the existing RStudio-based image and the repository’s workshop-build flow intact.

Changes:

• Added Dockerfile.positron that starts sshd (port 22) for Remote SSH-based Positron connections.
• Documented the Positron/SSH workflow in README.md and vignettes/HOWTO_BUILD_WORKSHOP.Rmd.
• Excluded Dockerfile.positron from the R package build via .Rbuildignore.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

File	Description
vignettes/HOWTO_BUILD_WORKSHOP.Rmd	Documents the new Positron/SSH container option alongside the existing GitHub Actions workflow guidance.
README.md	Adds usage instructions for building/running the Positron/SSH image variant.
Dockerfile.positron	Introduces a new SSH-based container entrypoint intended for Positron Remote SSH workflows.
.Rbuildignore	Ensures Dockerfile.positron is excluded from the R package build artifacts.

---

💡 Add Copilot custom instructions for smarter, more guided reviews. Learn how to get started.