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The Docker sandbox runs the agent server inside a Docker container. This is the default and recommended option for most users.
In some self-hosted deployments, the sandbox provider is controlled via the legacy RUNTIME environment variable. Docker is the default.

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Why Docker?

  • Isolation: reduces risk when the agent runs commands.
  • Reproducibility: consistent environment across machines.

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Mounting your code into the sandbox

If you want OpenHands to work directly on a local repository, mount it into the sandbox.

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Recommended: CLI launcher

If you start OpenHands via: 
openhands serve --mount-cwd
your current directory will be mounted into the sandbox workspace.

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Using SANDBOX_VOLUMES

You can also configure mounts via the SANDBOX_VOLUMES environment variable (format: host_path:container_path[:mode]): 
export SANDBOX_VOLUMES=$PWD:/workspace:rw
Anything mounted read-write into /workspace can be modified by the agent.

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Custom sandbox images

To customize the container image (extra tools, system deps, etc.), see Custom Sandbox Guide.