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OpenShell/docs/about/installation.mdx

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---
# 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 28.04 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 2.31 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
```
## 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).