feat: add Docker Sandbox deployment support

Add example and documentation for deploying sandbox-agent inside Docker
Sandbox microVMs for enhanced isolation on macOS/Windows.

- Add examples/docker-sandbox/ with TypeScript example
- Add docs/deploy/docker-sandbox.mdx with setup guide using custom templates
- Update docs navigation to include Docker Sandbox
This commit is contained in:
Nathan Flurry 2026-02-03 15:10:23 -08:00 committed by Nathan Flurry
parent cc5a9e0d73
commit 1b2e65ec7f
14 changed files with 952 additions and 2 deletions

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---
title: "Docker Sandbox"
description: "Run agents inside Docker Sandbox microVMs for enhanced isolation."
---
<Warning>
As of February 2026, Docker Sandbox microVMs are only available on macOS and Windows with Docker Desktop 4.58+. Linux users should use [regular Docker containers](/deploy/docker) or other sandbox providers. See [Docker Sandboxes Architecture](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/architecture/) for details.
</Warning>
## Overview
[Docker Sandboxes](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/) provide hypervisor-level isolation using lightweight microVMs. Each sandbox gets its own kernel, private Docker daemon, and isolated network for much stronger isolation than standard containers.
| | Docker Container | Docker Sandbox |
|--|------------------|----------------|
| **Security** | Shared kernel (namespaces) | Separate kernel (microVM) |
| **Untrusted code** | Not safe | Safe |
| **Port exposure** | Supported (`-p 3000:3000`) | Not supported |
| **Network access** | Direct HTTP | Via `docker sandbox exec` only |
| **Volumes** | Direct mount | Bidirectional file sync |
| **Platform** | Linux, macOS, Windows | macOS, Windows only |
### Why sandbox-agent inside Docker Sandbox?
Running sandbox-agent inside a Docker Sandbox provides:
- **Multiple sessions**: Manage multiple concurrent agent sessions within a single sandbox
- **Any coding agent**: Run any supported agent (Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Amp) through a unified API
- **Session persistence**: Sessions persist across interactions without recreating the sandbox
## Prerequisites
- Docker Desktop 4.58 or later
- macOS or Windows (experimental on Windows)
- `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` or `OPENAI_API_KEY` for the coding agents
## Setup
<Steps>
<Step title="Create Dockerfile">
Create a custom template with sandbox-agent as the main process:
```dockerfile
# Base template includes Ubuntu, Git, Docker CLI, Node.js, Python, Go
FROM docker/sandbox-templates:claude-code
USER root
# Install sandbox-agent
RUN curl -fsSL https://releases.rivet.dev/sandbox-agent/latest/install.sh | sh
# Pre-install agents
RUN sandbox-agent install-agent claude
RUN sandbox-agent install-agent codex
# Create wrapper: Docker Sandbox runs `claude` but we redirect to sandbox-agent
RUN mv /home/agent/.local/bin/claude /home/agent/.local/bin/claude-real \
&& printf '#!/bin/bash\nexec sandbox-agent server --no-token --host 0.0.0.0\n' \
> /home/agent/.local/bin/claude \
&& chmod +x /home/agent/.local/bin/claude
USER agent
```
<Note>
Docker Sandbox requires an agent argument (`claude`, `codex`, etc.) and runs that agent as the main process. The wrapper script intercepts the `claude` command and runs sandbox-agent server instead.
</Note>
</Step>
<Step title="Build the template">
```bash
docker build -t sandbox-agent-template:latest .
```
</Step>
<Step title="Run sandbox">
```bash
docker sandbox run \
--load-local-template \
-t sandbox-agent-template:latest \
--name my-sandbox \
claude ~/my-project
```
The sandbox-agent server starts automatically as the main process.
</Step>
<Step title="Interact with the server">
In another terminal, use `docker sandbox exec` to interact:
```bash
# Create a session
docker sandbox exec my-sandbox \
sandbox-agent api sessions create my-session --agent claude
# Send a message (pass API key via -e)
docker sandbox exec -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" my-sandbox \
sandbox-agent api sessions send-message my-session \
--message "Summarize this repository"
# Stream events
docker sandbox exec my-sandbox \
sandbox-agent api sessions events my-session
```
</Step>
<Step title="Clean up">
```bash
docker sandbox stop my-sandbox
docker sandbox rm my-sandbox
```
</Step>
</Steps>
## TypeScript Example
```typescript
import { execSync, spawn, spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
const SANDBOX_NAME = "my-agent-sandbox";
const TEMPLATE = "sandbox-agent-template:latest";
function exec(cmd: string): string {
return execSync(cmd, { encoding: "utf-8" }).trim();
}
function sandboxExec(cmd: string, env?: Record<string, string>): string {
const envFlags = env
? Object.entries(env).flatMap(([k, v]) => ["-e", `${k}=${v}`])
: [];
const args = ["sandbox", "exec", ...envFlags, SANDBOX_NAME, "sh", "-c", cmd];
const result = spawnSync("docker", args, { encoding: "utf-8" });
return result.stdout?.trim() ?? "";
}
// Run sandbox with custom template (sandbox-agent starts as main process)
spawn("docker", [
"sandbox", "run",
"--load-local-template", "-t", TEMPLATE,
"--name", SANDBOX_NAME,
"claude", process.cwd()
], { detached: true, stdio: "ignore" }).unref();
// Wait for server to start
await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 5000));
// Create a session
sandboxExec("sandbox-agent api sessions create my-session --agent claude");
// Send a message (pass API key via exec -e flag)
sandboxExec(
"sandbox-agent api sessions send-message my-session --message 'Hello'",
{ ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY! }
);
// Get events
const output = sandboxExec("sandbox-agent api sessions events my-session");
console.log(output);
// Cleanup
exec(`docker sandbox stop ${SANDBOX_NAME}`);
exec(`docker sandbox rm ${SANDBOX_NAME}`);
```
## Sandbox Commands Reference
```bash
# List all sandboxes
docker sandbox ls
# Create a sandbox with custom template
docker sandbox create --load-local-template -t <image> --name <name> AGENT WORKSPACE
# Run agent interactively (creates sandbox if needed)
docker sandbox run claude ~/my-project
# Execute command in sandbox
docker sandbox exec <name> <command>
# Execute with environment variables
docker sandbox exec -e VAR=value <name> <command>
# Run command in background
docker sandbox exec -d <name> <command>
# Interactive shell
docker sandbox exec -it <name> bash
# Save sandbox as template
docker sandbox save <name> my-template:v1
# Stop sandbox (without removing)
docker sandbox stop <name>
# Remove sandbox
docker sandbox rm <name>
```
### Create Options
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--name` | Custom name for the sandbox |
| `-t, --template <image>` | Use custom Docker image as base |
| `--load-local-template` | Use image from local Docker daemon |
| `-q, --quiet` | Suppress verbose output |
### Exec Options
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `-e VAR=value` | Set environment variable for this command |
| `-d, --detach` | Run command in background |
| `-i, --interactive` | Keep STDIN open |
| `-t, --tty` | Allocate a pseudo-TTY |
## Further Reading
- [Docker Sandboxes Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/)
- [Docker Sandboxes Templates](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/templates/)
- [Docker Sandboxes Architecture](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/architecture/)
- [Regular Docker Deployment](/deploy/docker) (for HTTP server access)

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@ -24,4 +24,7 @@ icon: "server"
<Card title="Docker" icon="docker" href="/deploy/docker">
Build and run in a container (development only).
</Card>
<Card title="Docker Sandbox" icon="shield" href="/deploy/docker-sandbox">
Run in Docker Sandbox microVMs for enhanced isolation (macOS/Windows).
</Card>
</CardGroup>

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@ -52,7 +52,8 @@
"deploy/daytona",
"deploy/vercel",
"deploy/cloudflare",
"deploy/docker"
"deploy/docker",
"deploy/docker-sandbox"
]
},
{

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FROM --platform=linux/amd64 node:22-slim
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y curl git && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
# Install sandbox-agent
RUN curl -fsSL https://releases.rivet.dev/sandbox-agent/latest/install.sh | sh
# Pre-install claude agent and add to PATH
RUN sandbox-agent install-agent claude
ENV PATH="/root/.local/share/sandbox-agent/bin:$PATH"

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# Docker Sandbox Example
Runs sandbox-agent inside a Docker Sandbox microVM for enhanced isolation.
## Requirements
- Docker Desktop 4.58+ (macOS or Windows)
- `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` environment variable
## Usage
```bash
pnpm start
```
First run builds the image and creates the VM (slow). Subsequent runs reuse the VM (fast).
To clean up resources:
```bash
pnpm cleanup
```
## What it does
1. Checks if VM exists, creates one if not (via sandboxd daemon API)
2. Builds and loads the template image into the VM (one-time)
3. Starts a container with sandbox-agent server (with proxy config for network access)
4. Creates a Claude session and sends a test message
5. Streams and displays Claude's response
## Notes
- Docker Sandbox VMs have network isolation - outbound HTTPS goes through a proxy at `host.docker.internal:3128`
- The container is configured with `HTTP_PROXY`, `HTTPS_PROXY`, and `NO_PROXY` environment variables
- `NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0` is set to bypass proxy SSL verification (for testing)
- `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` is baked into the container at creation time - run `pnpm cleanup` and restart if you change the key
- Resources are kept hot between runs for faster iteration - use `pnpm cleanup` to remove

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{
"name": "@sandbox-agent/example-docker-sandbox",
"private": true,
"type": "module",
"scripts": {
"start": "tsx src/docker-sandbox.ts",
"cleanup": "tsx src/cleanup.ts",
"typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
},
"dependencies": {},
"devDependencies": {
"@types/node": "latest",
"tsx": "latest",
"typescript": "latest",
"vitest": "^3.0.0"
}
}

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import { cleanup } from "./utils.js";
console.log("Cleaning up Docker Sandbox resources...");
cleanup();
console.log("Done.");

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import * as os from "node:os";
import { exec, vmExec, sleep, runPrompt, SANDBOXD_SOCK, VM_NAME } from "./utils.js";
// Global error handlers
process.on("uncaughtException", (err) => {
console.error("Error:", err.message);
if (err.message.includes("docker.sock")) {
console.error("Try: pnpm cleanup && pnpm start");
}
process.exit(1);
});
// Check prerequisites
try {
exec("docker sandbox --help", { silent: true });
} catch {
console.error(
"Docker Sandbox not available. Requires Docker Desktop 4.58+ on macOS/Windows.",
);
process.exit(1);
}
if (!process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY) {
console.error("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is required");
process.exit(1);
}
// Check if VM already exists
const vms = JSON.parse(
exec(`curl -s --unix-socket "${SANDBOXD_SOCK}" http://localhost/vm`, { silent: true }),
);
const existingVm = vms.find((v: { vm_name: string }) => v.vm_name === VM_NAME);
let vmSock: string;
if (existingVm) {
console.log(`Using existing VM: ${existingVm.vm_id}`);
vmSock = `${os.homedir()}/.docker/sandboxes/vm/${VM_NAME}/docker.sock`;
} else {
// Create VM
console.log("Creating VM (one-time setup)...");
const payload = JSON.stringify({
agent_name: "sandbox-agent",
workspace_dir: process.cwd(),
});
const vm = JSON.parse(
exec(
`curl -s -X POST --unix-socket "${SANDBOXD_SOCK}" http://localhost/vm -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '${payload}'`,
{ silent: true },
),
);
if (!vm.vm_id) throw new Error(`Failed to create VM: ${JSON.stringify(vm)}`);
vmSock =
vm.vm_config?.socketPath ??
`${os.homedir()}/.docker/sandboxes/vm/${VM_NAME}/docker.sock`;
console.log(`VM created: ${vm.vm_id}`);
// Build and load image (only needed once per VM)
console.log("Building image (one-time setup)...");
exec(`docker build -t sandbox-agent-template:latest .`);
console.log("Loading image into VM (one-time setup)...");
exec(`docker save sandbox-agent-template:latest | docker --host "unix://${vmSock}" load`);
}
// Check if container already exists
const containerExists = exec(
`docker --host "unix://${vmSock}" ps -a --filter name=^sandbox$ --format "{{.Status}}"`,
{ silent: true },
);
if (containerExists.includes("Up")) {
console.log("Container already running");
} else if (containerExists) {
console.log("Starting existing container...");
exec(`docker --host "unix://${vmSock}" start sandbox`, { silent: true });
} else {
console.log("Creating container...");
// Note: Docker Sandbox requires proxy for outbound HTTPS
exec(
`docker --host "unix://${vmSock}" run -d --name sandbox ` +
`-e HTTP_PROXY=http://host.docker.internal:3128 ` +
`-e HTTPS_PROXY=http://host.docker.internal:3128 ` +
`-e NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1 ` +
`-e NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 ` +
`-e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="${process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}" ` +
`-v "${process.cwd()}:${process.cwd()}" -w "${process.cwd()}" ` +
`sandbox-agent-template:latest sandbox-agent server --no-token --host 0.0.0.0`,
{ silent: true },
);
}
// Wait for server
console.log("Waiting for healthy...");
const start = Date.now();
while (Date.now() - start < 30000) {
try {
if (vmExec(vmSock, "sandbox-agent api sessions list").includes("sessions")) break;
} catch {}
await sleep(500);
}
// Interactive prompt loop
await runPrompt(vmSock);

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import { execSync, spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
import * as os from "node:os";
export const SANDBOXD_SOCK = `${os.homedir()}/.docker/sandboxes/sandboxd.sock`;
export const VM_NAME = "sandbox-agent-vm";
export const exec = (cmd: string, opts?: { silent?: boolean }) =>
execSync(cmd, { encoding: "utf-8", stdio: opts?.silent ? "pipe" : "inherit" })?.trim() ?? "";
export const vmExec = (vmSock: string, cmd: string, env?: Record<string, string>) => {
const envFlags = env ? Object.entries(env).flatMap(([k, v]) => ["-e", `${k}=${v}`]) : [];
const r = spawnSync("docker", ["--host", `unix://${vmSock}`, "exec", ...envFlags, "sandbox", "sh", "-c", cmd], { encoding: "utf-8", stdio: "pipe" });
if (r.error) throw r.error;
return r.stdout?.trim() ?? "";
};
export const cleanup = () => {
try { exec(`curl -s -X DELETE --unix-socket "${SANDBOXD_SOCK}" http://localhost/vm/${VM_NAME}`); } catch {}
};
export const sleep = (ms: number) => new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, ms));
export const runPrompt = async (vmSock: string): Promise<void> => {
const { createInterface } = await import("node:readline/promises");
const { spawn } = await import("node:child_process");
const rl = createInterface({ input: process.stdin, output: process.stdout });
const sessionId = `session-${Date.now()}`;
vmExec(vmSock, `sandbox-agent api sessions create ${sessionId} --agent claude`);
console.log(`Session: ${sessionId}\nPress Ctrl+C to quit.\n`);
const sendMessage = (input: string) => new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
const proc = spawn("docker", [
"--host", `unix://${vmSock}`, "exec", "sandbox", "sh", "-c",
`sandbox-agent api sessions send-message-stream ${sessionId} --message "${input.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`,
]);
proc.stdout.on("data", (chunk: Buffer) => {
for (const line of chunk.toString().split("\n")) {
if (!line.startsWith("data: ")) continue;
const evt = JSON.parse(line.slice(6));
if (evt.type === "item.delta" && evt.data?.delta) {
const isUserEcho = evt.data.item_id?.includes("user") || evt.data.native_item_id?.includes("user");
if (!isUserEcho) process.stdout.write(evt.data.delta);
}
}
});
proc.on("close", () => { console.log(); resolve(); });
});
for await (const input of rl) {
if (input.trim()) await sendMessage(input);
process.stdout.write("> ");
}
};

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import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
const shouldRun = process.env.RUN_DOCKER_SANDBOX_EXAMPLES === "1";
const timeoutMs = Number.parseInt(process.env.SANDBOX_TEST_TIMEOUT_MS || "", 10) || 300_000;
const testFn = shouldRun ? it : it.skip;
function execCapture(cmd: string): string {
return execSync(cmd, { encoding: "utf-8", stdio: "pipe" }).toString().trim();
}
function isDockerSandboxAvailable(): boolean {
try {
execCapture("docker sandbox --help");
return true;
} catch {
return false;
}
}
describe("docker-sandbox example", () => {
testFn(
"docker sandbox CLI is available",
async () => {
expect(isDockerSandboxAvailable()).toBe(true);
},
timeoutMs
);
testFn(
"can create and remove a sandbox",
async () => {
if (!isDockerSandboxAvailable()) {
console.log("Skipping: Docker Sandbox not available");
return;
}
const sandboxName = `test-sandbox-${Date.now()}`;
const workspaceDir = process.cwd();
try {
// Create sandbox
execCapture(`docker sandbox create --name ${sandboxName} ${workspaceDir}`);
// Verify it exists
const list = execCapture(`docker sandbox ls --format "{{.Name}}"`);
expect(list.split("\n")).toContain(sandboxName);
// Execute a command inside
const result = execCapture(`docker sandbox exec ${sandboxName} echo "hello"`);
expect(result).toBe("hello");
} finally {
// Cleanup
try {
execCapture(`docker sandbox rm -f ${sandboxName}`);
} catch {
// Ignore cleanup errors
}
}
},
timeoutMs
);
});

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{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "ES2022",
"lib": ["ES2022", "DOM"],
"module": "ESNext",
"moduleResolution": "Bundler",
"allowImportingTsExtensions": true,
"noEmit": true,
"esModuleInterop": true,
"strict": true,
"skipLibCheck": true,
"resolveJsonModule": true
},
"include": ["src/**/*"],
"exclude": ["node_modules", "**/*.test.ts"]
}

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@ -12,5 +12,16 @@
"devDependencies": {
"turbo": "^2.4.0",
"vitest": "^3.0.0"
}
},
"workspaces": [
"frontend/packages/*",
"sdks/*",
"sdks/cli",
"sdks/cli/platforms/*",
"resources/agent-schemas",
"resources/vercel-ai-sdk-schemas",
"scripts/release",
"scripts/sandbox-testing",
"examples/*"
]
}

22
pnpm-lock.yaml generated
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@ -102,6 +102,28 @@ importers:
specifier: ^3.0.0
version: 3.2.4(@types/debug@4.1.12)(@types/node@25.2.0)(jiti@1.21.7)(tsx@4.21.0)(yaml@2.8.2)
examples/docker-sandbox:
dependencies:
'@sandbox-agent/example-shared':
specifier: workspace:*
version: link:../shared
sandbox-agent:
specifier: workspace:*
version: link:../../sdks/typescript
devDependencies:
'@types/node':
specifier: latest
version: 25.2.0
tsx:
specifier: latest
version: 4.21.0
typescript:
specifier: latest
version: 5.9.3
vitest:
specifier: ^3.0.0
version: 3.2.4(@types/debug@4.1.12)(@types/node@25.2.0)(jiti@1.21.7)(tsx@4.21.0)(yaml@2.8.2)
examples/e2b:
dependencies:
'@e2b/code-interpreter':

383
research/docker-sandbox.md Normal file
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# Docker Sandbox Research
Research on Docker Desktop's Sandbox feature and its internal APIs.
## Overview
Docker Sandboxes (Docker Desktop 4.58+) provide hypervisor-level isolation using lightweight microVMs. Each sandbox gets its own kernel, private Docker daemon, and isolated network.
- **Platforms:** macOS (virtualization.framework), Windows (Hyper-V, experimental). Linux uses legacy container-based sandboxes.
- **Isolation:** MicroVM with separate kernel, not shared like containers
- **Networking:** Each VM has private network namespace, no cross-sandbox or host localhost access
- **File access:** Bidirectional file sync for specified workspace directories
## Official CLI
### Core Commands
```bash
# List sandboxes
docker sandbox ls
# Create and run
docker sandbox run claude ~/my-project
# Create without running
docker sandbox create --name my-sandbox claude ~/my-project
# Execute command in sandbox
docker sandbox exec my-sandbox <command>
# Execute with environment variables
docker sandbox exec -e API_KEY="xxx" my-sandbox <command>
# Stop sandbox (preserves state)
docker sandbox stop my-sandbox
# Remove sandbox
docker sandbox rm my-sandbox
# Inspect sandbox details
docker sandbox inspect my-sandbox
# Reset all sandboxes
docker sandbox reset
# Show version
docker sandbox version
```
### Run Options
```bash
docker sandbox run AGENT WORKSPACE [-- AGENT_ARGS...]
# Options:
# --name Custom sandbox name (default: <agent>-<workdir>)
# -t, --template Custom container image for sandbox
# --load-local-template Load locally built template image
# -- Pass additional arguments to agent
```
### Template Management
```bash
# Save current sandbox state as template
docker sandbox save my-sandbox my-template:v1
# Run with custom template
docker sandbox run --template my-template:v1 claude ~/project
# Run with local template (not pushed to registry)
docker sandbox run --load-local-template -t my-local-template:v1 claude ~/project
```
**Agent validation:** The CLI validates `agent_name` against a whitelist (claude, codex, gemini, etc.). This can be bypassed via the raw sandboxd API.
## Internal sandboxd API (Undocumented)
The `docker sandbox` CLI communicates with a daemon via Unix socket. This API is **undocumented and subject to change**.
### Socket Location
```
~/.docker/sandboxes/sandboxd.sock
```
### Endpoints
#### List VMs
```bash
curl -s --unix-socket ~/.docker/sandboxes/sandboxd.sock http://localhost/vm
```
Response:
```json
[
{
"vm_id": "uuid",
"vm_name": "agent-vm",
"agent_name": "claude",
"workspace_dir": "/path/to/workspace"
}
]
```
#### Create VM
```bash
curl -s -X POST --unix-socket ~/.docker/sandboxes/sandboxd.sock \
http://localhost/vm \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"agent_name": "sandbox-agent", "workspace_dir": "/path/to/workspace"}'
```
**Required fields:**
- `agent_name` - Name of the agent (no whitelist validation at API level)
- `workspace_dir` - Host directory to sync into VM
Response:
```json
{
"vm_id": "uuid",
"vm_name": "sandbox-agent-vm",
"vm_config": {
"socketPath": "/Users/x/.docker/sandboxes/vm/sandbox-agent-vm/docker.sock",
"fileSharingDirectories": ["/path/to/workspace"],
"stateDir": "/Users/x/.docker/sandboxes/vm/sandbox-agent-vm",
"assetDir": "/Users/x/.container-platform"
},
"ca_cert_path": "/Users/x/.docker/sandboxes/vm/sandbox-agent-vm/proxy_cacerts/proxy-ca.crt",
"ca_cert_data": "base64..."
}
```
#### Delete VM
```bash
curl -s -X DELETE --unix-socket ~/.docker/sandboxes/sandboxd.sock \
http://localhost/vm/{vm_name}
```
### VM Docker Socket
Each VM exposes its own Docker daemon at `vm_config.socketPath`. Use this to interact with containers inside the VM:
```bash
SOCK="/Users/x/.docker/sandboxes/vm/sandbox-agent-vm/docker.sock"
# List containers in VM
docker --host "unix://$SOCK" ps
# Load image into VM
docker save my-image:latest | docker --host "unix://$SOCK" load
# Run container in VM
docker --host "unix://$SOCK" run -d --name my-container my-image:latest
# Execute command in container
docker --host "unix://$SOCK" exec my-container <command>
```
### Why Use the Raw API?
The `docker sandbox` CLI validates agent names against a whitelist. The raw sandboxd API bypasses this validation, allowing custom agent names like `sandbox-agent`.
## Directory Structure
```
~/.docker/sandboxes/
├── sandboxd.sock # Main daemon socket
├── vm/
│ └── <sandbox-name>/
│ ├── docker.sock # Per-VM Docker daemon socket
│ ├── proxy-config.json # Network proxy configuration
│ └── proxy_cacerts/
│ └── proxy-ca.crt # MITM proxy CA certificate
└── ...
~/.sandboxd/
└── proxy-config.json # Default proxy config for new sandboxes
```
## File Sharing
The `workspace_dir` parameter sets up bidirectional file sync between host and VM:
1. Specify `workspace_dir` when creating VM
2. sandboxd syncs that directory into the VM at the same absolute path
3. Mount it into containers with `-v /path:/path`
Files modified in the VM are synced back to the host.
**Important:** This is file synchronization, not volume mounting. Files are copied between host and VM.
## Network Policies
### Proxy Architecture
Each sandbox includes an HTTP/HTTPS filtering proxy:
- Runs on host, accessible at `host.docker.internal:3128` from inside sandbox
- Enforces allow/deny policies on outbound HTTP/HTTPS traffic
- Raw TCP/UDP connections are blocked
### Policy Configuration
```bash
# View current policy
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox
# Set allow policy (default) - allows all except blocked
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --policy allow
# Set deny policy - blocks all except allowed
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --policy deny
# Allow specific hosts
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --allow-host api.example.com
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --allow-host "*.github.com"
# Block specific hosts
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --block-host malicious.com
# Block CIDR ranges (these are blocked by default)
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox \
--block-cidr 10.0.0.0/8 \
--block-cidr 172.16.0.0/12 \
--block-cidr 192.168.0.0/16 \
--block-cidr 127.0.0.0/8
# Bypass HTTPS inspection for specific hosts
docker sandbox network proxy my-sandbox --bypass-host pinned-cert.example.com
# View blocked/allowed requests
docker sandbox network log my-sandbox
```
### Domain Matching Rules
- Exact match: `example.com` (does NOT match subdomains)
- Port-specific: `example.com:443`
- Wildcard: `*.example.com` (subdomains only)
- Catch-all: `*` or `*:443`
### Default Blocked CIDRs
- `10.0.0.0/8`, `172.16.0.0/12`, `192.168.0.0/16` (RFC 1918)
- `127.0.0.0/8`, `169.254.0.0/16` (localhost, link-local)
- IPv6: `::1/128`, `fc00::/7`, `fe80::/10`
### HTTPS Interception
By default, the proxy performs MITM on HTTPS:
- Terminates TLS and re-encrypts with its own CA
- Allows policy enforcement and credential injection
- Sandbox container trusts proxy CA automatically
Use `--bypass-host` or `--bypass-cidr` for apps with certificate pinning.
### Configuration Files
Per-sandbox: `~/.docker/sandboxes/vm/<sandbox-name>/proxy-config.json`
```json
{
"policy": "allow",
"network": {
"allowedDomains": ["api.example.com"],
"blockedDomains": ["blocked.com"],
"blockCIDR": ["10.0.0.0/8"]
}
}
```
Default for new sandboxes: `~/.sandboxd/proxy-config.json`
## Sandbox Templates
### Base Images
Official templates: `docker/sandbox-templates:<agent>`
- `docker/sandbox-templates:claude-code`
- Includes: Ubuntu base, Git, Docker CLI, Node.js, Python, Go
### Creating Custom Templates
```dockerfile
FROM docker/sandbox-templates:claude-code
USER root
# Install additional packages
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y postgresql-client redis-tools
# Install language-specific tools
RUN pip install pandas numpy
USER agent
```
Build and use:
```bash
docker build -t my-template:v1 .
docker sandbox run --load-local-template -t my-template:v1 claude ~/project
```
### Template Best Practices
- Always switch to `root` for system installs, back to `agent` at end
- Pin specific tool versions for reproducibility
- Don't use standard images like `python:3.11` as base (missing agent binaries)
- Use `docker sandbox save` to capture working sandbox state
## Inspect Output
```bash
docker sandbox inspect my-sandbox
```
Returns JSON with:
```json
[{
"id": "abc123...",
"name": "my-sandbox",
"created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
"status": "running",
"template": "docker/sandbox-templates:claude-code",
"labels": {
"com.docker.sandbox.agent": "claude",
"com.docker.sandbox.workingDirectory": "/Users/x/project",
"com.docker.sandboxes.flavor": "microvm"
}
}]
```
## Limitations
- **No port exposure:** Sandbox VMs don't support `-p` port mapping to host
- **No host localhost access:** Cannot reach services on host machine
- **No cross-sandbox networking:** VMs are completely isolated from each other
- **macOS/Windows only:** Linux requires legacy container-based sandboxes
- **HTTP/HTTPS only:** Raw TCP/UDP connections to external services are blocked
- **Agent whitelist:** CLI validates agent names; use raw API to bypass
## Known Issues & Feature Requests
From [docker/cli GitHub issues](https://github.com/docker/cli/issues):
- **#6766** - Support for opencode in `docker sandbox create`
- **#6734** - Add GitHub Copilot CLI support to `docker sandbox run`
- **#6731** - Support platform selection (`--platform linux/amd64`)
The agent whitelist is hardcoded in the CLI. Workarounds:
1. Use the raw sandboxd API (bypasses validation)
2. Use `--template` with a custom image (still requires valid agent name)
## Source Code
The `docker sandbox` plugin is **closed source** and distributed with Docker Desktop. The open-source [docker/cli](https://github.com/docker/cli) repo does not contain sandbox implementation.
Key observations from docker/cli:
- Sandbox is a plugin, not part of core CLI
- Uses `SandboxID` and `SandboxKey` in network settings (container isolation concept)
- No sandbox subcommand code in public repo
## References
### Official Documentation
- [Docker Sandboxes Overview](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/)
- [Docker Sandboxes Architecture](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/architecture/)
- [Docker Sandboxes Templates](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/templates/)
- [Network Policies](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/network-policies/)
- [CLI Reference](https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/sandbox/)
### Blog Posts & Tutorials
- [Docker Blog: A New Approach for Coding Agent Safety](https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-sandboxes-a-new-approach-for-coding-agent-safety/)
- [Docker Blog: Run Claude Code Safely](https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-sandboxes-run-claude-code-and-other-coding-agents-unsupervised-but-safely/)
- [Everything You Need to Know About Docker AI Sandboxes](https://blog.codeminer42.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-docker-ai-sandboxes/)
- [Docker Sandboxes Tutorial and Cheatsheet](https://www.ajeetraina.com/docker-sandboxes-tutorial-and-cheatsheet/)
### Related Projects
- [microsandbox](https://github.com/microsandbox/microsandbox) - Self-hosted microVM sandboxes
- [arrakis](https://github.com/abshkbh/arrakis) - MicroVM sandbox with backtracking support
- [docker-sandbox-run-copilot](https://github.com/henrybravo/docker-sandbox-run-copilot) - Community Copilot template