Codegen agents operate within secure, isolated sandbox environments where they can safely execute code, install dependencies, and run commands without affecting your local machine or production systems.

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Capabilities

Each sandbox provides a controlled environment with:

  • File System Access: Read, write, and modify files within the sandbox’s temporary file system.
  • Terminal Access: Execute shell commands (bash, sh, etc.) to run scripts, linters, formatters, build tools, and other necessary commands.
  • Process Execution: Run code in various languages (Python, Node.js, etc., depending on the sandbox image).
  • Networking: Controlled network access for tasks like installing packages or fetching data (can be restricted).

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How Agents Use Sandboxes

Agents utilize sandboxes for a variety of tasks:

  • Testing Code: Running unit tests, integration tests, or linters against the code they’ve written or modified.
  • Verifying Changes: Executing the code to ensure it runs correctly before committing.
  • Installing Dependencies: Using package managers (pip, npm, yarn) to install necessary libraries.
  • Running Tools: Executing build scripts, code formatters, or other development utilities.

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Configuration

Sandboxes are typically configured per-agent run or defined within your Codegen settings. You often don’t need to manage them directly, but advanced configurations might allow specifying Docker images or environment variables.

Sandboxes maintain file system persistence between agent interactions within the same context. For example, when continuing a conversation across different Slack messages or Linear comments, the sandbox state is preserved, allowing agents to seamlessly continue their work without losing context or having to reinstall dependencies.