--- # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025-2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved. # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 title: "Installation" sidebar-title: "Installation" description: "Install OpenShell, choose a compute driver, and connect to a gateway." keywords: "Generative AI, Cybersecurity, AI Agents, Sandboxing, Installation, Setup, Gateway, Docker, Podman, MicroVM, Kubernetes" position: 3 --- ## Install OpenShell Install OpenShell with a single command: ```shell curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/main/install.sh | sh ``` The script detects your operating system and installs the OpenShell CLI and gateway with your native package manager. It then starts the local gateway server so you can begin creating sandboxes. You can also download release artifacts directly from the [OpenShell GitHub Releases](https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/releases) page. Use `openshell status` to confirm the CLI can reach the gateway. ## Supported Compute Drivers OpenShell supports several local compute drivers. Package-managed gateways leave the driver unset by default so the gateway can auto-detect an available driver. Set `compute_drivers` in the gateway TOML when you need to pin a specific driver. | Compute Driver | How It Is Configured | System Requirements | |---|---|---| | Podman | The gateway is configured to create rootless Podman containers through the Podman API socket. | Linux with Podman 5.x, cgroups v2, rootless networking, and an active Podman user socket. | | Docker | The gateway is configured to create containers through Docker Desktop or Docker Engine. | Docker Desktop or Docker Engine 28.0 or later on the gateway host. | | MicroVM | The gateway is configured to create VM-backed sandboxes. | Host virtualization support. MicroVM uses Hypervisor.framework on macOS, KVM on Linux, and QEMU for GPU-backed sandboxes on Linux. | For detailed driver behavior, refer to [Sandbox Compute Drivers](/reference/sandbox-compute-drivers). For gateway and sandbox operations, refer to [Gateways](/sandboxes/manage-gateways) and [Sandboxes](/sandboxes/manage-sandboxes). ## macOS On macOS, the install script uses Homebrew. The Homebrew package installs the `openshell` CLI, the gateway binary, and a Homebrew-managed gateway service. The Homebrew service listens on `https://127.0.0.1:17670` and generates a local mTLS bundle on install. The gateway starts from built-in defaults and reads `~/.config/openshell/gateway.toml` when that file exists. If that file is absent, the Homebrew service also falls back to a Homebrew prefix config when present, such as `/opt/homebrew/var/openshell/gateway.toml`. The CLI reads the client bundle from `~/.config/openshell/gateways/openshell/mtls/`. The installer starts the service for you. Use Homebrew service commands when you need to inspect, restart, or stop the gateway service: ```shell brew services list brew services restart openshell ``` ## Linux On Fedora and RHEL, the install script uses RPM packages. The RPM installs the `openshell` CLI, the `openshell-gateway` daemon, and a systemd user service. On Debian and Ubuntu, the install script uses a Debian package. The Debian package installs the `openshell` CLI, the `openshell-gateway` daemon, VM sandbox support, and a systemd user service. Linux packages require glibc 2.28 or newer. The installer checks libc before downloading packages and exits with an error on older glibc versions, Alpine, musl-based distributions, or unknown libc environments. The Linux user service listens on `https://127.0.0.1:17670`, starts from built-in defaults, and generates a local mTLS bundle before the gateway starts. Create `~/.config/openshell/gateway.toml` only when you need to override those defaults. The CLI reads the client bundle from `~/.config/openshell/gateways/openshell/mtls/`. The installer starts the service for you. Use systemd user commands when you need to inspect, restart, or stop the gateway service: ```shell systemctl --user status openshell-gateway systemctl --user restart openshell-gateway journalctl --user -u openshell-gateway -f ``` To keep the user service running after logout, enable linger: ```shell sudo loginctl enable-linger $USER ``` ## Snap Install the OpenShell snap from the Snap Store: ```shell sudo snap install openshell ``` The snap defines two apps: the `openshell` CLI and the `openshell.gateway` systemd service. The gateway listens on `https://127.0.0.1:17670` and stores its database at `$SNAP_COMMON/gateway.db` (typically `/var/snap/openshell/common/gateway.db`). Create `$SNAP_COMMON/gateway.toml` when you need to override gateway settings. The snap CLI stores per-user config, data, and state under `$SNAP_USER_COMMON`, typically `~/snap/openshell/common`. Gateway registrations live under `$SNAP_USER_COMMON/.config/openshell/gateways/` instead of `~/.config/openshell/gateways/`. ### Snap store installs When installing from the Snap Store, snapd automatically connects the `home`, `network`, and `network-bind` plugs. The `docker` plug still requires manual connection: ```shell sudo snap connect openshell:docker docker:docker-daemon ``` The snap declares `default-provider: docker` on the Docker plug so snapd will offer to install the Docker snap, but the connection itself must be made manually. ### Locally built snap packages When installing a locally built `.snap` file, no plugs are connected by default: ```shell sudo snap install ./openshell_*.snap --dangerous sudo snap connect openshell:home sudo snap connect openshell:network sudo snap connect openshell:network-bind sudo snap connect openshell:docker docker:docker-daemon sudo snap connect openshell:log-observe sudo snap connect openshell:system-observe ``` The `log-observe` and `system-observe` plugs are needed for the gateway service to read logs and inspect system processes. The `docker` plug requires the `docker:docker-daemon` slot from the Docker snap and does not work with system-installed Docker. ### Gateway service The gateway runs as a snap daemon with `refresh-mode: endure`, meaning snapd will not restart it during snap refreshes. This prevents the gateway from killing active sandbox sessions mid-refresh. Restart the service manually after a snap refresh when you need the updated binary: ```shell sudo systemctl restart snap.openshell.gateway ``` ## Kubernetes Kubernetes deployments use the OpenShell Helm chart. For step-by-step installation, refer to [Kubernetes Setup](/kubernetes/setup). For chart values and packaging details, refer to the [Helm chart README](https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/blob/main/deploy/helm/openshell/README.md). ## Next Steps - To create your first sandbox, refer to the [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart). - To run the gateway as a container without the installer, refer to [Running the Gateway as a Container](/about/container-gateway). - To register, select, and inspect gateways, refer to [Gateways](/sandboxes/manage-gateways). - To supply API keys or tokens, refer to [Manage Providers](/sandboxes/manage-providers). - To control what the agent can access, refer to [Policies](/sandboxes/policies).