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# Sandboxing in the Gemini CLI
This document provides a guide to sandboxing in the Gemini CLI, including prerequisites, quickstart, and configuration.
## Prerequisites
Before using sandboxing, you need to install and set up the Gemini CLI:
```bash
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
```
To verify the installation
```bash
gemini --version
```
## Overview of sandboxing
Sandboxing isolates potentially dangerous operations (such as shell commands or file modifications) from your host system, providing a security barrier between AI operations and your environment.
The benefits of sandboxing include:
- **Security**: Prevent accidental system damage or data loss.
- **Isolation**: Limit file system access to project directory.
- **Consistency**: Ensure reproducible environments across different systems.
- **Safety**: Reduce risk when working with untrusted code or experimental commands.
## Sandboxing methods
Your ideal method of sandboxing may differ depending on your platform and your preferred container solution.
### 1. macOS Seatbelt (macOS only)
Lightweight, built-in sandboxing using `sandbox-exec`.
**Default profile**: `permissive-open` - restricts writes outside project directory but allows most other operations.
### 2. Container-based (Docker/Podman)
Cross-platform sandboxing with complete process isolation.
**Note**: Requires building the sandbox image locally or using a published image from your organization's registry.
## Quickstart
```bash
# Enable sandboxing with command flag
gemini -s -p "analyze the code structure"
# Use environment variable
export GEMINI_SANDBOX=true
gemini -p "run the test suite"
# Configure in settings.json
{
"sandbox": "docker"
}
```
## Configuration
### Enable sandboxing (in order of precedence)
1. **Command flag**: `-s` or `--sandbox`
2. **Environment variable**: `GEMINI_SANDBOX=true|docker|podman|sandbox-exec`
3. **Settings file**: `"sandbox": true` in `settings.json`
### macOS Seatbelt profiles
Built-in profiles (set via `SEATBELT_PROFILE` env var):
- `permissive-open` (default): Write restrictions, network allowed
- `permissive-closed`: Write restrictions, no network
- `permissive-proxied`: Write restrictions, network via proxy
- `restrictive-open`: Strict restrictions, network allowed
- `restrictive-closed`: Maximum restrictions
### Custom Sandbox Flags
For container-based sandboxing, you can inject custom flags into the `docker` or `podman` command using the `SANDBOX_FLAGS` environment variable. This is useful for advanced configurations, such as disabling security features for specific use cases.
**Example (Podman)**:
To disable SELinux labeling for volume mounts, you can set the following:
```bash
export SANDBOX_FLAGS="--security-opt label=disable"
```
Multiple flags can be provided as a space-separated string:
```bash
export SANDBOX_FLAGS="--flag1 --flag2=value"
```
## Linux UID/GID handling
The sandbox automatically handles user permissions on Linux. Override these permissions with:
```bash
export SANDBOX_SET_UID_GID=true # Force host UID/GID
export SANDBOX_SET_UID_GID=false # Disable UID/GID mapping
```
## Troubleshooting
### Common issues
**"Operation not permitted"**
- Operation requires access outside sandbox.
- Try more permissive profile or add mount points.
**Missing commands**
- Add to custom Dockerfile.
- Install via `sandbox.bashrc`.
**Network issues**
- Check sandbox profile allows network.
- Verify proxy configuration.
### Debug mode
```bash
DEBUG=1 gemini -s -p "debug command"
```
**Note:** If you have `DEBUG=true` in a project's `.env` file, it won't affect gemini-cli due to automatic exclusion. Use `.gemini/.env` files for gemini-cli specific debug settings.
### Inspect sandbox
```bash
# Check environment
gemini -s -p "run shell command: env | grep SANDBOX"
# List mounts
gemini -s -p "run shell command: mount | grep workspace"
```
## Security notes
- Sandboxing reduces but doesn't eliminate all risks.
- Use the most restrictive profile that allows your work.
- Container overhead is minimal after first build.
- GUI applications may not work in sandboxes.
## Related documentation
- [Configuration](./cli/configuration.md): Full configuration options.
- [Commands](./cli/commands.md): Available commands.
- [Troubleshooting](./troubleshooting.md): General troubleshooting.
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