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Devboxes are managed Linux and macOS development environments for people and AI coding agents. Each Devbox is a remote machine with persistent storage, reachable over SSH or from your local IDE. Linux Devboxes run from a container image you choose and include Docker. macOS Devboxes run on Apple Silicon, with a choice of macOS and Xcode versions. Because the environment comes from a shared definition, your team and your agents work on the same setup.

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Get Started with an Agent

The quickest way to get started is to let a coding agent do it. It installs the CLI, logs you in, and creates your first Devbox. Give your agent this prompt:
Agent Prompt
The agent installs the Namespace devboxes skill and follows it from there. You will need to complete the login in your browser when it reaches that step.

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Get Started with the Dashboard

The Dashboard needs no local installation. Follow these steps to create your first Devbox in the browser and open a shell in it.
1

Connect a code provider

Open Devboxes in the Namespace Dashboard and connect a code provider so Namespace can clone your repositories. Devboxes can check out from GitHub and Cursor Origin.If you have not connected a provider yet, choose one from the Devboxes page:
  • For GitHub, press Connect with GitHub and follow the instructions to install the Namespace GitHub app.
  • For Cursor Origin, press Other providers, then select Cursor Origin on the Code Providers page.
After you connect a provider, use Code Providers to connect another one.
Connecting a provider lets Namespace clone your repositories into a Devbox, which is how you work on your own code. To look around first, select create a Devbox from scratch and connect a provider later.
2

Create a Devbox

Press + Create on the Devboxes page.Give your Devbox a name or keep the generated one. Then press Repository and select the repository to check out.
The list shows the repositories Namespace can reach through the GitHub app. If the one you want is missing, or you skipped the previous step, use the Connect an organization entry at the end of the list.
Press Create Devbox. After a few seconds, your Devbox will be ready to use.
3

Connect and develop

The Devbox page shows its state and its initialization log while it starts.Once the log reaches Ready, open the Terminal tab (for a shell in the Devbox without installing anything locally) and run ls to see the cloned files:
4

Open VS Code

Use the Open VSCode dropdown to open the Devbox in VS Code, Cursor, or VS Code for the Web. See IDEs for the full list of supported editors, including JetBrains and Zed.

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Get Started with the CLI

Follow these steps to install the CLI and create a Devbox from your terminal.
1

Install the Devbox CLI

Confirm the installation:
2

Authenticate with Namespace

The command prints a login URL and opens it in your browser. Complete the flow there, and the CLI stores a user credential in your operating system’s user configuration directory.Check the stored credential at any time:
3

Create a Devbox

devbox create provisions a Devbox and activates it, so it is ready to connect to when the command returns. Supply its configuration interactively or as flags.
The CLI prompts for a name, an image, and a machine size:
--checkout clones a repository into the Devbox and requires a connected GitHub organization. Omitting it applies the workspace default repository, and --no_checkout skips the checkout entirely.See devbox create for the full set of options, including Blueprints, ephemeral Devboxes, and specification files.
4

Connect to your Devbox

devbox ssh opens an interactive shell inside the Devbox. The connection is tunneled through the Namespace API, so no public IP address or open port is involved.
Connecting to a stopped Devbox starts it first, and your files persist across stop and start cycles.
Omit the name and the CLI lists your Devboxes so you can pick one:
And run ls to see the cloned files:
5

Open an IDE

Open the Devbox in a local editor:
See IDEs for JetBrains, and Remote Development for using your own SSH config.

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Next Steps

Creating Devboxes

Machine sizes, images, repositories, and workspace defaults.

Devbox Lifecycle

Listing, starting, stopping, idleness, and deleting.

Remote Development

SSH access and SSH config for a Devbox.

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Enterprise Support

Need dedicated capacity, custom machine shapes, or specialized support for your development team? Contact our support team for consultation on complex development environment requirements.
Last modified on September 17, 2026