Running locally requires glibc-based Linux with KVM, macOS with Apple Silicon (M-series chip), or Windows 11 with Windows Hypervisor Platform enabled. All local backends use hardware virtualization. microsandbox cloud has no hardware requirements.
1
Install microsandbox
Install the SDK for the language you are using, and install the microsandbox uses hardware virtualization: Linux needs KVM, macOS needs Apple Silicon, and Windows needs Windows Hypervisor Platform. Check your local setup with:For platform-specific setup notes, see Linux troubleshooting, macOS troubleshooting, or Windows troubleshooting.
msb CLI for terminal workflows such as managing images, volumes, and sandboxes. Both run microsandbox locally by default; there is no separate server or daemon to set up. The same install also drives microsandbox cloud when an API key is set.2
Run code in a sandbox
Create a sandbox, execute code inside it, and get the result back.
What just happened?
Here’s what happened behind thatSandbox.builder(...).create() call:
- Pulled the image from Docker Hub, unless it was already cached.
- Assembled a copy-on-write filesystem so changes inside the sandbox do not modify the base image.
- Booted a microVM as a child process with the resource limits you configured.
- Started the guest agent so the SDK can run commands and move data in and out.
exec call uses the host-guest command channel, not SSH and not the sandbox network.
Next steps
- Run on microsandbox cloud: the same code on hosted infrastructure
- Tune sandbox settings: resize headroom, labels, secrets, and storage
- Troubleshoot Linux setup: KVM,
/dev/kvm, and permissions - Troubleshoot macOS setup: Apple Silicon and local runtime checks
- Troubleshoot Windows setup: WHP,
msb doctor, and Windows 11 notes - Run commands and stream output:
exec,shell,attach, and streaming - Control network access: policies, DNS interception, and secret protection
- Manage sandboxes with the CLI: create, inspect, and manage sandboxes from the terminal