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Sandbox CLI ​

Manage Docker-based sandbox containers for isolated agent execution.

Overview ​

Edwin can run agents in isolated Docker containers for security. The sandbox commands help you manage these containers, especially after updates or configuration changes.

Commands ​

edwin sandbox explain ​

Inspect the effective sandbox mode/scope/workspace access, sandbox tool policy, and elevated gates (with fix-it config key paths).

bash
edwin sandbox explain
edwin sandbox explain --session agent:main:main
edwin sandbox explain --agent work
edwin sandbox explain --json

edwin sandbox list ​

List all sandbox containers with their status and configuration.

bash
edwin sandbox list
edwin sandbox list --browser  # List only browser containers
edwin sandbox list --json     # JSON output

Output includes:

  • Container name and status (running/stopped)
  • Docker image and whether it matches config
  • Age (time since creation)
  • Idle time (time since last use)
  • Associated session/agent

edwin sandbox recreate ​

Remove sandbox containers to force recreation with updated images/config.

bash
edwin sandbox recreate --all                # Recreate all containers
edwin sandbox recreate --session main       # Specific session
edwin sandbox recreate --agent mybot        # Specific agent
edwin sandbox recreate --browser            # Only browser containers
edwin sandbox recreate --all --force        # Skip confirmation

Options:

  • --all: Recreate all sandbox containers
  • --session <key>: Recreate container for specific session
  • --agent <id>: Recreate containers for specific agent
  • --browser: Only recreate browser containers
  • --force: Skip confirmation prompt

Important: Containers are automatically recreated when the agent is next used.

Use Cases ​

After updating Docker images ​

bash
# Pull new image
docker pull edwin-sandbox:latest
docker tag edwin-sandbox:latest edwin-sandbox:bookworm-slim

# Update config to use new image
# Edit config: agents.defaults.sandbox.docker.image (or agents.list[].sandbox.docker.image)

# Recreate containers
edwin sandbox recreate --all

After changing sandbox configuration ​

bash
# Edit config: agents.defaults.sandbox.* (or agents.list[].sandbox.*)

# Recreate to apply new config
edwin sandbox recreate --all

After changing setupCommand ​

bash
edwin sandbox recreate --all
# or just one agent:
edwin sandbox recreate --agent family

For a specific agent only ​

bash
# Update only one agent's containers
edwin sandbox recreate --agent alfred

Why is this needed? ​

Problem: When you update sandbox Docker images or configuration:

  • Existing containers continue running with old settings
  • Containers are only pruned after 24h of inactivity
  • Regularly-used agents keep old containers running indefinitely

Solution: Use edwin sandbox recreate to force removal of old containers. They'll be recreated automatically with current settings when next needed.

Tip: prefer edwin sandbox recreate over manual docker rm. It uses the Gateway’s container naming and avoids mismatches when scope/session keys change.

Configuration ​

Sandbox settings live in ~/.edwin/edwin.json under agents.defaults.sandbox (per-agent overrides go in agents.list[].sandbox):

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "sandbox": {
        "mode": "all", // off, non-main, all
        "scope": "agent", // session, agent, shared
        "docker": {
          "image": "edwin-sandbox:bookworm-slim",
          "containerPrefix": "edwin-sbx-",
          // ... more Docker options
        },
        "prune": {
          "idleHours": 24, // Auto-prune after 24h idle
          "maxAgeDays": 7, // Auto-prune after 7 days
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

See Also ​

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