OpenShell/docs/about/get-started.md

title, description, keywords, topics, tags, content

title	description	keywords	topics	tags	content
page nav Quickstart Quickstart	Install the OpenShell CLI and create your first sandboxed AI agent in two commands.	nemoclaw install quickstart sandbox create getting started	generative_ai cybersecurity	ai_agents sandboxing installation quickstart	type difficulty audience get_started technical_beginner engineer data_scientist

Quickstart

This page gets you from zero to a running, policy-enforced sandbox in two commands.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Python 3.12 or later
• uv installed
• Docker Desktop running on your machine

Install the OpenShell CLI

Activate your virtual environment:

uv venv && source .venv/bin/activate

Install the CLI:

uv pip install nemoclaw

Connect to a Remote Gateway (Optional)

If you're running locally, skip this step — the CLI creates a gateway automatically when you create your first sandbox.

:::::{tab-set}

::::{tab-item} Brev

:::{note} Deploy an OpenShell gateway on Brev by hitting Deploy on the OpenShell Launchable. :::

Once the instance is running, find the gateway URL in the Brev console under Using Secure Links. Copy the shareable URL for port 8080 — this is the gateway endpoint.

$ nemoclaw gateway add https://<your-port-8080-url>.brevlab.com
$ nemoclaw status

::::

::::{tab-item} DGX Spark

:::{note} Set up your Spark with NVIDIA Sync first, or make sure SSH access is configured (e.g., SSH keys added to the host). :::

Deploy to a DGX Spark machine over SSH:

$ nemoclaw gateway start --remote <username>@<spark-ssid>.local
$ nemoclaw status

Once nemoclaw status shows the gateway as healthy, all subsequent commands route through the SSH tunnel.

::::

:::::

Create Your First OpenShell Sandbox

Choose the tab that matches your agent:

::::{tab-set}

:::{tab-item} Claude Code

$ nemoclaw sandbox create -- claude

The CLI prompts you to create a provider from local credentials — type yes to continue. If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set in your environment, it is picked up automatically. If not, you can configure it from inside the sandbox after it launches. :::

:::{tab-item} OpenCode

$ nemoclaw sandbox create -- opencode

The CLI prompts you to create a provider from local credentials — type yes to continue. If OPENAI_API_KEY or OPENROUTER_API_KEY is set in your environment, it is picked up automatically. If not, you can configure it from inside the sandbox after it launches. :::

:::{tab-item} Codex

$ nemoclaw sandbox create -- codex

The CLI prompts you to create a provider from local credentials — type yes to continue. If OPENAI_API_KEY is set in your environment, it is picked up automatically. If not, you can configure it from inside the sandbox after it launches. :::

:::{tab-item} Community Sandbox

$ nemoclaw sandbox create --from openclaw

The --from flag pulls a pre-built sandbox definition from the NemoClaw Community catalog. Each definition bundles a container image, a tailored policy, and optional skills into a single package. :::

::::

Next Steps

You now have a working sandbox! From here, you can:

• Follow a guided tutorial — set up scoped GitHub repo access in {doc}/tutorials/github-sandbox.
• Learn how sandboxes work — see {doc}/sandboxes/create-and-manage for the full lifecycle.
• Write your own policies — see {doc}/sandboxes/policies for custom access rules.