Merge pull request #1030 from qwibitai/docker-sandboxes-announcement

Docker sandboxes announcement
2026-03-13 13:58:53 +02:00
parent 7e9a698aa1 df9ba0e5f9
commit fedfaf3f50
2 changed files with 381 additions and 4 deletions
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,9 +12,27 @@
  <a href="https://discord.gg/VDdww8qS42"><img src="https://img.shields.io/discord/1470188214710046894?label=Discord&logo=discord&v=2" alt="Discord" valign="middle"></a>&nbsp; • &nbsp;
  <a href="repo-tokens"><img src="repo-tokens/badge.svg" alt="34.9k tokens, 17% of context window" valign="middle"></a>
 </p>
-Using Claude Code, NanoClaw can dynamically rewrite its code to customize its feature set for your needs.

-**New:** First AI assistant to support [Agent Swarms](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/agent-teams). Spin up teams of agents that collaborate in your chat.
+---
+
+<h2 align="center">🐳 Now Running in Docker Sandboxes</h2>
+<p align="center">Every agent gets its own isolated container inside a micro VM.<br>Hypervisor-level isolation. Millisecond startup. No complex setup.</p>
+
+**macOS (Apple Silicon)**
+```bash
+curl -fsSL https://nanoclaw.dev/install-docker-sandboxes.sh | bash
+```
+
+**Windows (WSL)**
+```bash
+curl -fsSL https://nanoclaw.dev/install-docker-sandboxes-windows.sh | bash
+```
+
+> Currently supported on macOS (Apple Silicon) and Windows (x86). Linux support coming soon.
+
+<p align="center"><a href="https://nanoclaw.dev/blog/nanoclaw-docker-sandboxes">Read the announcement →</a>&nbsp; · &nbsp;<a href="docs/docker-sandboxes.md">Manual setup guide →</a></p>
+
+---

 ## Why I Built NanoClaw

@@ -70,8 +88,8 @@ Then run `/setup`. Claude Code handles everything: dependencies, authentication,
 - **Main channel** - Your private channel (self-chat) for admin control; every group is completely isolated
 - **Scheduled tasks** - Recurring jobs that run Claude and can message you back
 - **Web access** - Search and fetch content from the Web
- **Container isolation** - Agents are sandboxed in Apple Container (macOS) or Docker (macOS/Linux)
- **Agent Swarms** - Spin up teams of specialized agents that collaborate on complex tasks. NanoClaw is the first personal AI assistant to support agent swarms.
+- **Container isolation** - Agents are sandboxed in [Docker Sandboxes](https://nanoclaw.dev/blog/nanoclaw-docker-sandboxes) (micro VM isolation), Apple Container (macOS), or Docker (macOS/Linux)
+- **Agent Swarms** - Spin up teams of specialized agents that collaborate on complex tasks
 - **Optional integrations** - Add Gmail (`/add-gmail`) and more via skills

 ## Usage
--- a/docs/docker-sandboxes.md
+++ b/docs/docker-sandboxes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,359 @@
+# Running NanoClaw in Docker Sandboxes (Manual Setup)
+
+This guide walks through setting up NanoClaw inside a [Docker Sandbox](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/) from scratch — no install script, no pre-built fork. You'll clone the upstream repo, apply the necessary patches, and have agents running in full hypervisor-level isolation.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+Host (macOS / Windows WSL)
+└── Docker Sandbox (micro VM with isolated kernel)
+    ├── NanoClaw process (Node.js)
+    │   ├── Channel adapters (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
+    │   └── Container spawner → nested Docker daemon
+    └── Docker-in-Docker
+        └── nanoclaw-agent containers
+            └── Claude Agent SDK
+```
+
+Each agent runs in its own container, inside a micro VM that is fully isolated from your host. Two layers of isolation: per-agent containers + the VM boundary.
+
+The sandbox provides a MITM proxy at `host.docker.internal:3128` that handles network access and injects your Anthropic API key automatically.
+
+> **Note:** This guide is based on a validated setup running on macOS (Apple Silicon) with WhatsApp. Other channels (Telegram, Slack, etc.) and environments (Windows WSL) may require additional proxy patches for their specific HTTP/WebSocket clients. The core patches (container runner, credential proxy, Dockerfile) apply universally — channel-specific proxy configuration varies.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- **Docker Desktop v4.40+** with Sandbox support
+- **Anthropic API key** (the sandbox proxy manages injection)
+- For **Telegram**: a bot token from [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) and your chat ID
+- For **WhatsApp**: a phone with WhatsApp installed
+
+Verify sandbox support:
+```bash
+docker sandbox version
+```
+
+## Step 1: Create the Sandbox
+
+On your host machine:
+
+```bash
+# Create a workspace directory
+mkdir -p ~/nanoclaw-workspace
+
+# Create a shell sandbox with the workspace mounted
+docker sandbox create shell ~/nanoclaw-workspace
+```
+
+If you're using WhatsApp, configure proxy bypass so WhatsApp's Noise protocol isn't MITM-inspected:
+
+```bash
+docker sandbox network proxy shell-nanoclaw-workspace \
+  --bypass-host web.whatsapp.com \
+  --bypass-host "*.whatsapp.com" \
+  --bypass-host "*.whatsapp.net"
+```
+
+Telegram does not need proxy bypass.
+
+Enter the sandbox:
+```bash
+docker sandbox run shell-nanoclaw-workspace
+```
+
+## Step 2: Install Prerequisites
+
+Inside the sandbox:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3
+npm config set strict-ssl false
+```
+
+## Step 3: Clone and Install NanoClaw
+
+NanoClaw must live inside the workspace directory — Docker-in-Docker can only bind-mount from the shared workspace path.
+
+```bash
+# Clone to home first (virtiofs can corrupt git pack files during clone)
+cd ~
+git clone https://github.com/qwibitai/nanoclaw.git
+
+# Replace with YOUR workspace path (the host path you passed to `docker sandbox create`)
+WORKSPACE=/Users/you/nanoclaw-workspace
+
+# Move into workspace so DinD mounts work
+mv nanoclaw "$WORKSPACE/nanoclaw"
+cd "$WORKSPACE/nanoclaw"
+
+# Install dependencies
+npm install
+npm install https-proxy-agent
+```
+
+## Step 4: Apply Proxy and Sandbox Patches
+
+NanoClaw needs several patches to work inside a Docker Sandbox. These handle proxy routing, CA certificates, and Docker-in-Docker mount restrictions.
+
+### 4a. Dockerfile — proxy args for container image build
+
+`npm install` inside `docker build` fails with `SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN` because the sandbox's MITM proxy presents its own certificate. Add proxy build args to `container/Dockerfile`:
+
+Add these lines after the `FROM` line:
+
+```dockerfile
+# Accept proxy build args
+ARG http_proxy
+ARG https_proxy
+ARG no_proxy
+ARG NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS
+ARG npm_config_strict_ssl=true
+RUN npm config set strict-ssl ${npm_config_strict_ssl}
+```
+
+And after the `RUN npm install` line:
+
+```dockerfile
+RUN npm config set strict-ssl true
+```
+
+### 4b. Build script — forward proxy args
+
+Patch `container/build.sh` to pass proxy env vars to `docker build`:
+
+Add these `--build-arg` flags to the `docker build` command:
+
+```bash
+--build-arg http_proxy="${http_proxy:-$HTTP_PROXY}" \
+--build-arg https_proxy="${https_proxy:-$HTTPS_PROXY}" \
+--build-arg no_proxy="${no_proxy:-$NO_PROXY}" \
+--build-arg npm_config_strict_ssl=false \
+```
+
+### 4c. Container runner — proxy forwarding, CA cert mount, /dev/null fix
+
+Three changes to `src/container-runner.ts`:
+
+**Replace `/dev/null` shadow mount.** The sandbox rejects `/dev/null` bind mounts. Find where `.env` is shadow-mounted to `/dev/null` and replace it with an empty file:
+
+```typescript
+// Create an empty file to shadow .env (Docker Sandbox rejects /dev/null mounts)
+const emptyEnvPath = path.join(DATA_DIR, 'empty-env');
+if (!fs.existsSync(emptyEnvPath)) fs.writeFileSync(emptyEnvPath, '');
+// Use emptyEnvPath instead of '/dev/null' in the mount
+```
+
+**Forward proxy env vars** to spawned agent containers. Add `-e` flags for `HTTP_PROXY`, `HTTPS_PROXY`, `NO_PROXY` and their lowercase variants.
+
+**Mount CA certificate.** If `NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS` or `SSL_CERT_FILE` is set, copy the cert into the project directory and mount it into agent containers:
+
+```typescript
+const caCertSrc = process.env.NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS || process.env.SSL_CERT_FILE;
+if (caCertSrc) {
+  const certDir = path.join(DATA_DIR, 'ca-cert');
+  fs.mkdirSync(certDir, { recursive: true });
+  fs.copyFileSync(caCertSrc, path.join(certDir, 'proxy-ca.crt'));
+  // Mount: certDir -> /workspace/ca-cert (read-only)
+  // Set NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=/workspace/ca-cert/proxy-ca.crt in the container
+}
+```
+
+### 4d. Container runtime — prevent self-termination
+
+In `src/container-runtime.ts`, the `cleanupOrphans()` function matches containers by the `nanoclaw-` prefix. Inside a sandbox, the sandbox container itself may match (e.g., `nanoclaw-docker-sandbox`). Filter out the current hostname:
+
+```typescript
+// In cleanupOrphans(), filter out os.hostname() from the list of containers to stop
+```
+
+### 4e. Credential proxy — route through MITM proxy
+
+In `src/credential-proxy.ts`, upstream API requests need to go through the sandbox proxy. Add `HttpsProxyAgent` to outbound requests:
+
+```typescript
+import { HttpsProxyAgent } from 'https-proxy-agent';
+
+const proxyUrl = process.env.HTTPS_PROXY || process.env.https_proxy;
+const upstreamAgent = proxyUrl ? new HttpsProxyAgent(proxyUrl) : undefined;
+// Pass upstreamAgent to https.request() options
+```
+
+### 4f. Setup script — proxy build args
+
+Patch `setup/container.ts` to pass the same proxy `--build-arg` flags as `build.sh` (Step 4b).
+
+## Step 5: Build
+
+```bash
+npm run build
+bash container/build.sh
+```
+
+## Step 6: Add a Channel
+
+### Telegram
+
+```bash
+# Apply the Telegram skill
+npx tsx scripts/apply-skill.ts .claude/skills/add-telegram
+
+# Rebuild after applying the skill
+npm run build
+
+# Configure .env
+cat > .env << EOF
+TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=<your-token-from-botfather>
+ASSISTANT_NAME=nanoclaw
+ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=proxy-managed
+EOF
+mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env
+
+# Register your chat
+npx tsx setup/index.ts --step register \
+  --jid "tg:<your-chat-id>" \
+  --name "My Chat" \
+  --trigger "@nanoclaw" \
+  --folder "telegram_main" \
+  --channel telegram \
+  --assistant-name "nanoclaw" \
+  --is-main \
+  --no-trigger-required
+```
+
+**To find your chat ID:** Send any message to your bot, then:
+```bash
+curl -s --proxy $HTTPS_PROXY "https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/getUpdates" | python3 -m json.tool
+```
+
+**Telegram in groups:** Disable Group Privacy in @BotFather (`/mybots` > Bot Settings > Group Privacy > Turn off), then remove and re-add the bot.
+
+**Important:** If the Telegram skill creates `src/channels/telegram.ts`, you'll need to patch it for proxy support. Add an `HttpsProxyAgent` and pass it to grammy's `Bot` constructor via `baseFetchConfig.agent`. Then rebuild.
+
+### WhatsApp
+
+Make sure you configured proxy bypass in [Step 1](#step-1-create-the-sandbox) first.
+
+```bash
+# Apply the WhatsApp skill
+npx tsx scripts/apply-skill.ts .claude/skills/add-whatsapp
+
+# Rebuild
+npm run build
+
+# Configure .env
+cat > .env << EOF
+ASSISTANT_NAME=nanoclaw
+ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=proxy-managed
+EOF
+mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env
+
+# Authenticate (choose one):
+
+# QR code — scan with WhatsApp camera:
+npx tsx src/whatsapp-auth.ts
+
+# OR pairing code — enter code in WhatsApp > Linked Devices > Link with phone number:
+npx tsx src/whatsapp-auth.ts --pairing-code --phone <phone-number-no-plus>
+
+# Register your chat (JID = your phone number + @s.whatsapp.net)
+npx tsx setup/index.ts --step register \
+  --jid "<phone>@s.whatsapp.net" \
+  --name "My Chat" \
+  --trigger "@nanoclaw" \
+  --folder "whatsapp_main" \
+  --channel whatsapp \
+  --assistant-name "nanoclaw" \
+  --is-main \
+  --no-trigger-required
+```
+
+**Important:** The WhatsApp skill files (`src/channels/whatsapp.ts` and `src/whatsapp-auth.ts`) also need proxy patches — add `HttpsProxyAgent` for WebSocket connections and a proxy-aware version fetch. Then rebuild.
+
+### Both Channels
+
+Apply both skills, patch both for proxy support, combine the `.env` variables, and register each chat separately.
+
+## Step 7: Run
+
+```bash
+npm start
+```
+
+You don't need to set `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` manually. The sandbox proxy intercepts requests and replaces `proxy-managed` with your real key automatically.
+
+## Networking Details
+
+### How the proxy works
+
+All traffic from the sandbox routes through the host proxy at `host.docker.internal:3128`:
+
+```
+Agent container → DinD bridge → Sandbox VM → host.docker.internal:3128 → Host proxy → api.anthropic.com
+```
+
+**"Bypass" does not mean traffic skips the proxy.** It means the proxy passes traffic through without MITM inspection. Node.js doesn't automatically use `HTTP_PROXY` env vars — you need explicit `HttpsProxyAgent` configuration in every HTTP/WebSocket client.
+
+### Shared paths for DinD mounts
+
+Only the workspace directory is available for Docker-in-Docker bind mounts. Paths outside the workspace fail with "path not shared":
+- `/dev/null` → replace with an empty file in the project dir
+- `/usr/local/share/ca-certificates/` → copy cert to project dir
+- `/home/agent/` → clone to workspace instead
+
+### Git clone and virtiofs
+
+The workspace is mounted via virtiofs. Git's pack file handling can corrupt over virtiofs during clone. Workaround: clone to `/home/agent` first, then `mv` into the workspace.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### npm install fails with SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN
+```bash
+npm config set strict-ssl false
+```
+
+### Container build fails with proxy errors
+```bash
+docker build \
+  --build-arg http_proxy=$http_proxy \
+  --build-arg https_proxy=$https_proxy \
+  -t nanoclaw-agent:latest container/
+```
+
+### Agent containers fail with "path not shared"
+All bind-mounted paths must be under the workspace directory. Check:
+- Is NanoClaw cloned into the workspace? (not `/home/agent/`)
+- Is the CA cert copied to the project root?
+- Has the empty `.env` shadow file been created?
+
+### Agent containers can't reach Anthropic API
+Verify proxy env vars are forwarded to agent containers. Check container logs for `HTTP_PROXY=http://host.docker.internal:3128`.
+
+### WhatsApp error 405
+The version fetch is returning a stale version. Make sure the proxy-aware `fetchWaVersionViaProxy` patch is applied — it fetches `sw.js` through `HttpsProxyAgent` and parses `client_revision`.
+
+### WhatsApp "Connection failed" immediately
+Proxy bypass not configured. From the **host**, run:
+```bash
+docker sandbox network proxy <sandbox-name> \
+  --bypass-host web.whatsapp.com \
+  --bypass-host "*.whatsapp.com" \
+  --bypass-host "*.whatsapp.net"
+```
+
+### Telegram bot doesn't receive messages
+1. Check the grammy proxy patch is applied (look for `HttpsProxyAgent` in `src/channels/telegram.ts`)
+2. Check Group Privacy is disabled in @BotFather if using in groups
+
+### Git clone fails with "inflate: data stream error"
+Clone to a non-workspace path first, then move:
+```bash
+cd ~ && git clone https://github.com/qwibitai/nanoclaw.git && mv nanoclaw /path/to/workspace/nanoclaw
+```
+
+### WhatsApp QR code doesn't display
+Run the auth command interactively inside the sandbox (not piped through `docker sandbox exec`):
+```bash
+docker sandbox run shell-nanoclaw-workspace
+# Then inside:
+npx tsx src/whatsapp-auth.ts
+```