---
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025-2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
title: "NVIDIA OpenShell Developer Guide"
description: "OpenShell is the safe, private runtime for autonomous AI agents. Run agents in sandboxed environments that protect your data, credentials, and infrastructure."
keywords: "Generative AI, Cybersecurity, AI Agents, Sandboxing, Security, Privacy, Provider Credentials"
position: 1
---

import { BadgeLinks } from "./_components/BadgeLinks";
import { CommandTerminal } from "./_components/CommandTerminal";

<BadgeLinks
  badges={[
    {
      href: "https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell",
      src: "https://img.shields.io/badge/github-repo-green?logo=github",
      alt: "GitHub",
    },
    {
      href: "https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/blob/main/LICENSE",
      src: "https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache_2.0-blue",
      alt: "License",
    },
    {
      href: "https://pypi.org/project/openshell/",
      src: "https://img.shields.io/badge/PyPI-openshell-orange?logo=pypi",
      alt: "PyPI",
    },
  ]}
/>

NVIDIA OpenShell is the safe, private runtime for autonomous AI agents. It provides sandboxed execution environments
that protect your data, credentials, and infrastructure. Agents run with exactly the permissions they need and
nothing more, governed by declarative policies that prevent unauthorized file access, data exfiltration, and
uncontrolled network activity.

## Get Started

Install OpenShell and create your first sandbox in two commands.

<llms-ignore>

<CommandTerminal command="curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/main/install.sh | sh" />

</llms-ignore>

<llms-only>

```shell
curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/main/install.sh | sh
openshell sandbox create -- claude
```

</llms-only>

Refer to the [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart) for more details.

---

## Explore

<div className="explore-cards">
<Cards>

<Card title="About OpenShell" href="/about/overview">

Learn about OpenShell and its capabilities.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Concept</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Quickstart" href="/get-started/quickstart">

Install OpenShell and create your first sandbox in two commands.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Tutorial</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Tutorials" href="/get-started/tutorials">

Hands-on walkthroughs from first sandbox to custom policies.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Concept</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Gateways and Sandboxes" href="/sandboxes/manage-gateways">

Deploy gateways, create sandboxes, configure policies, providers, and community images for your AI agents.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Concept</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Provider-backed Inference" href="/sandboxes/inference-routing">

Attach model providers to selected sandboxes and call their native endpoints without exposing credentials.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Concept</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Observability" href="/observability">

Understand sandbox logs, access them with the CLI and TUI, and export OCSF JSON records.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>How-To</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Reference" href="/reference/default-policy">

Policy schema, environment variables, and default policy details.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Reference</Badge>
</Card>

<Card title="Security Best Practices" href="/security/best-practices">

Every configurable security control, its default, and the risk of changing it.

<Badge intent="tip" minimal outlined>Concept</Badge>
</Card>

</Cards>
</div>

---

<Warning title="Notice and Disclaimer">
  This software automatically retrieves, accesses or interacts with external
  materials. Those retrieved materials are not distributed with this software
  and are governed solely by separate terms, conditions and licenses. You are
  solely responsible for finding, reviewing and complying with all applicable
  terms, conditions, and licenses, and for verifying the security, integrity and
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  software is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind. The author makes
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  assumes no liability for any losses, damages, liabilities or legal
  consequences from your use or inability to use this software or any retrieved
  materials. Use this software and the retrieved materials at your own risk.
</Warning>