One login. Then just commands.

Terminalruntime run -- python3 -c 'print(6 * 7)'runtime run --keep --vcpu 2 -- nproc   # keeps it, and prints how to run more

run creates a sandbox, runs the command, prints its output, stops the sandbox and exits with the command's exit code. It takes the same options as sandbox create. --keep leaves the sandbox running for more commands.

Any command connects this machine the first time it needs to, so there is no separate step. To connect ahead of time:

Terminalruntime login                 # opens your browser; approve Connect agentruntime login --no-browser    # prints a link and a code for another device, and exitsruntime login --wait          # waits for an approval already asked forruntime login --with-key      # or paste a key from withruntime.com/account/keysruntime whoami

The CLI receives and saves its own credential automatically. You do not copy an API key. At a terminal, login waits for the approval. Run by an agent (no terminal), it waits up to 50 seconds, then prints the link and code and exits with connection_pending; --no-browser exits at once. The request is saved, so once it is approved, the same command again, or any other, finishes the connection with no new link. A request expires after 15 minutes.

--with-key reads the key from standard input (piped, or typed without echo), never from the command line. RUNTIME_API_KEY overrides the saved connection when it is set, which is how CI and scripts run; in CI (the CI variable set) or with RUNTIME_NO_LOGIN=1, a missing key is an error instead of a browser approval.

Terminalid=$(runtime sandbox create --name demo --label team=search)runtime sandbox exec "${id}" -- python3 -c 'print(6 * 7)'runtime sandbox exec "${id}" --cwd /workspace --env API_TOKEN="${API_TOKEN}" -- envruntime sandbox lsruntime sandbox get "${id}"runtime sandbox stop "${id}"

create prints only the id, so it composes with $(...), and waits until the sandbox is running (--no-wait returns at once). Its options: --vcpu, --memory and --disk in MiB, --timeout <seconds>, --on-timeout pause|stop, --trial or --paid, --name, --label k=v (repeatable), and network rules: --no-internet, --allow <host>, --deny <host> and --connect <host:port>.

exec streams output as it happens and exits with the command's own exit code (124 when it timed out), so set -e scripts behave. Pass secrets with --env from a variable, never written into the command.

Background work, logs and a terminal:

Terminalid=$(runtime sandbox create)pid=$(runtime sandbox spawn "${id}" -- python3 -m http.server 8000)runtime sandbox ps "${id}"runtime sandbox logs "${id}" "${pid}"runtime sandbox kill "${id}" "${pid}"runtime sandbox stop "${id}"

Terminalruntime sandbox shell "${id}"               # an interactive terminal, like sshruntime sandbox logs "${id}" "${pid}" -f      # follow until the process exits

Files. Name a sandbox path as <id>:/path; directories copy whole:

Terminalid=$(runtime sandbox create)mkdir -p project && echo "print('hi')" > project/main.pyruntime sandbox cp ./project "${id}:/workspace/project"runtime sandbox files "${id}" /workspace --depth 2runtime sandbox cat "${id}" /workspace/project/main.pyruntime sandbox cp "${id}:/workspace/project" ./project-copyruntime sandbox stop "${id}"

Lifecycle: pause, wake, restart, extend <id> <seconds>, stop.

Terminalruntime sandbox run-code "${id}" analysis.py --out-dir charts   # a notebook cell; charts saved as PNGruntime sandbox preview "${id}" 3000 --public                  # an HTTPS address for a portruntime sandbox previews "${id}"runtime sandbox unshare "${id}" 3000runtime sandbox network "${id}"                                # show its rulesruntime sandbox network "${id}" --allow pypi.org --allow '*.pythonhosted.org'runtime sandbox network "${id}" --no-internetruntime sandbox desktop "${id}" start                          # prints a link to watch itruntime sandbox desktop "${id}" open https://example.comruntime sandbox desktop "${id}" screenshot screen.png

A preview's address is under runtimehost.com, the domain for everything sandboxes serve, kept apart from Runtime's own site.

Forks and snapshots are paused while we fix an issue: for now fork, snapshot and a create naming snapshot answer 503 fork_unavailable. Your sandboxes are unaffected.

Terminalimg=$(runtime image build --pip pandas --apt jq --name data)   # or --dockerfile ./Dockerfile, or --from python:3.12-slimvol=$(runtime volume create --size-mib 10240 --name cache)id=$(runtime sandbox create --image "${img}" --volume "${vol}:/data")base=$(runtime sandbox create --image "${img}")runtime sandbox fork "${base}" --count 3              # three running copies of itsnap=$(runtime sandbox snapshot "${base}" --name ready)runtime sandbox create --snapshot "${snap}"           # a copy, any time laterruntime image ls; runtime volume ls; runtime snapshot ls

A Dockerfile build sends the files its COPY and ADD lines name, from the Dockerfile's folder: at most 256 files and 1 MiB. A volume lives on one server and is not backed up off it. A fork or snapshot pauses a running sandbox for the moment it takes, then wakes it; a sandbox with volumes cannot be snapshotted.

Every command takes --json and prints one JSON value. Errors become {"error": {"code", "message", "hint", "requestId"}} on standard error with a non-zero exit.

Terminalid=$(runtime sandbox create --trial)runtime sandbox get "${id}" --jsonruntime sandbox exec "${id}" --json -- uname -aruntime sandbox stop "${id}" --json

runtime sandbox get --json answers the sandbox as the API does:

JSON{  "id": "0b8f3c52-6d8e-4b1f-9c67-2f4e6c1d9a10",  "kind": "sandbox",  "name": null,  "labels": {},  "state": "running",  "region": "us-east-vin",  "funding": "trial",  "vcpu": 2,  "memoryMiB": 4096,  "diskMiB": 4096,  "cpu": "shared",  "cpuFloorMillis": 50,  "timeoutSeconds": 1800,  "onLeaseEnd": "pause"}

Terminalruntime whoamiruntime usageruntime ls

runtime limits says whether this machine's key is read-only and what its daily spending limit is, with what was used in the last 24 hours and what is left; it arrived in 0.3.1. Only an account owner sets or changes the limit, at API keys; see security.

runtime ls lists everything the account runs, every product. runtime docs <page> prints any page of these docs. runtime mcp serves Runtime's MCP tools on stdio for agents that want a local command; see MCP.

When something is broken, missing or confusing, say so; it goes straight to the people building Runtime:

Terminalruntime feedback "exec output lost its colours" --kind bug

Terminalruntime support "my sandbox will not wake"

See feedback and support.

Terminalruntime logout

logout revokes this machine's connection. It does not stop running sandboxes.