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Getting Started

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I’m new to OpenHands. Where should I start?

  1. Quick start: Use OpenHands Cloud to get started quickly with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Slack integrations.
  2. Run on your own: If you prefer to run it on your own hardware, follow our Getting Started guide.
  3. First steps: Read over the first projects guidelines and prompting best practices to learn the basics.

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Can I use OpenHands for production workloads?

OpenHands is meant to be run by a single user on their local workstation. It is not appropriate for multi-tenant deployments where multiple users share the same instance. There is no built-in authentication, isolation, or scalability. If you’re interested in running OpenHands in a multi-tenant environment, please contact us about our enterprise deployment options.
Using OpenHands for work? We’d love to chat! Fill out this short form to join our Design Partner program, where you’ll get early access to commercial features and the opportunity to provide input on our product roadmap.

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Safety and Security

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It’s doing stuff without asking, is that safe?

Safety depends on the backend and workspace you select. A local process backend runs Agent Server and tools directly on its host. Docker, Kubernetes, Sandbox Server, Cloud, and Enterprise deployments can provide stronger isolation according to their container, sandbox, mount, and network configuration. Potential risks to consider:
  • The agent can modify any files exposed to its workspace.
  • The agent can use credentials and network access available to its execution environment.
  • A local process backend can access the host with the permissions of the user running Agent Server.
  • Container isolation can be weakened by broad mounts, privileged mode, host networking, or access to the Docker socket.
For current component and trust boundaries, see Agent Canvas Architecture, Security Configuration, and Hardened Docker Installation.

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File Storage and Access

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Where are my files stored?

Your files are stored in different locations depending on how you’ve configured OpenHands: Default behavior (no file mounting):
  • Files created by the agent are stored inside the runtime Docker container.
  • These files are temporary and will be lost when the container is removed.
  • The agent works in the /workspace directory inside the runtime container.
When you mount your local filesystem (following this):
  • Your local files are mounted into the container’s /workspace directory.
  • Changes made by the agent are reflected in your local filesystem.
  • Files persist after the container is stopped.
Be careful when mounting your filesystem - the agent can modify or delete any files in the mounted directory.

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Development Tools and Environment

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How do I get the dev tools I need?

OpenHands comes with a basic runtime environment that includes Python and Node.js. It also has the ability to install any tools it needs, so usually it’s sufficient to ask it to set up its environment. If you would like to set things up more systematically, you can:
  • Use setup.sh: Add a setup.sh file file to your repository, which will be run every time the agent starts.
  • Use a custom sandbox: Use a custom docker image to initialize the sandbox.

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Something’s not working. Where can I get help?

  1. Search existing issues: Check our GitHub issues to see if others have encountered the same problem.
  2. Join our community: Get help from other users and developers:
  3. Check our troubleshooting guide: Common issues and solutions are documented in Troubleshooting.
  4. Report bugs: If you’ve found a bug, please create an issue and fill in as much detail as possible.