Skip to main content
The Devbox CLI creates, connects to, and manages Devboxes from your terminal. Use it when you want to drive Devboxes from your existing shell workflow, script them, or open one in a local IDE. This page takes you from an empty machine to a Devbox you can run commands in. If you prefer to start in the browser, follow the Dashboard flow in the Introduction.

​
Get Started with an Agent

The quickest way through the setup below 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.

​
Manual Getting Started

Follow these steps to run the setup yourself.
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 Connecting with SSH for using your own SSH config.

​
Run a command without a shell

devbox exec runs a single command in the Devbox and streams the output back to your terminal:
For commands that outlive your connection, see Executing Commands and Running long tasks.

​
Devbox CLI reference

Every command, flag, and option is documented in the reference, starting with installation and updates.

devbox create

Images, sizes, Blueprints, and specification files.

devbox ssh

Interactive sessions, remote commands, and agent forwarding.

devbox exec

Detached executions and retrieving their logs.

​
Next steps

SSH & Sessions

SSH access and SSH config for a Devbox.

Devbox Lifecycle

Listing, starting, stopping, idleness, and deleting.

IDEs

Open a Devbox in VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, or Zed.
Last modified on October 2, 2026