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A remote sandbox runs the agent server in a remote execution environment instead of on your local machine. This is typically used by managed deployments (e.g., OpenHands Cloud) and advanced self-hosted setups.

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Selecting remote mode

In some self-hosted deployments, remote sandboxes are selected via the legacy RUNTIME environment variable: 
export RUNTIME=remote
Remote sandboxes require additional configuration (API URL + API key). The exact variable names depend on your deployment, but you may see legacy names like:
  • SANDBOX_REMOTE_RUNTIME_API_URL
  • SANDBOX_API_KEY

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Notes

  • Remote sandboxes may expose additional service URLs (e.g., VS Code, app ports) depending on the provider.
  • Configuration and credentials vary by deployment.
If you are using OpenHands Cloud, see the Cloud UI guide.