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Glovebox - Sandboxed development environment illustration

AI assistants run code.
So does npm install.

Glovebox gives you a terminal-based dev sandbox that actually feels like home. Your shell, your editor, your workflow—running safely inside a container with your project mounted. 

$ brew install joelhelbling/glovebox/glovebox
Get Started

Why Glovebox

AI coding assistants are powerful—but they run code. So do npm packages, pip installs, and that shell script you found on Stack Overflow. Running untrusted code on your development machine is a calculated risk.

You could spin up a VM. You could fight with container configs every time. But that kills your flow.

Glovebox is a sandboxed development environment that actually feels like yours. Configure it once with the shell, editor, and tools you want. Run it in any project. Your environment travels with you, safely isolated from your host machine.

Think of it as glamping on Jurassic Island: even in mortal danger, you still get your Nespresso.

Features

Composable Mods

Mix and match shells, editors, languages, and AI tools. Build exactly the environment you want from reusable pieces.

Layered Images

Build your base environment once. Extend it per-project with additional tools. No redundant rebuilds.

Persistent Containers

Your changes survive between sessions. Install something ad-hoc, it's still there tomorrow.

Commit Workflow

Made changes you want to keep? Glovebox detects them and offers to commit them back to the image.

Quick Start

One-time setup:

$ glovebox init --base    # Select your OS, shell, editor, tools
$ glovebox build --base   # Build the base image

Then, in any project:

$ cd ~/projects/my-app
$ glovebox run

You're inside a sandboxed container. Your project is mounted at /workspace. Your shell, your editor, your tools—all there. When you exit, your container persists. When you return, it's waiting.

Clean up when needed:

$ glovebox clean --all

Is This For Me?

Glovebox is for you if:

  • You run AI coding assistants and want to limit the blast radius
  • You connect MCP servers or other tools that reach into your filesystem
  • You evaluate npm packages, pip installs, or random scripts before trusting them
  • You prefer vim, emacs, or neovim over VS Code
  • You think in tmux panes or zellij tabs
  • You want consistent environments across projects without VM overhead
  • You're a hacker (in the good, MIT sense) who experiments with hazardous things

Glovebox is not:

  • Infrastructure for production environments
  • A security solution for deployed code
  • A replacement for proper sandboxing in CI/CD
  • A GUI-first experience

Glovebox is a personal workbench tool. It doesn't go in your code and doesn't run on your server. It's the sealed chamber on your workbench where you safely handle the unknown.