https://github.com/openhands/agent-canvas
OpenHands Agent Canvas is a self-hostable AI coding platform. Start locally, connect your tools, and automate workflows.
https://github.com/openhands/agent-canvas
Last synced: 15 days ago
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OpenHands Agent Canvas is a self-hostable AI coding platform. Start locally, connect your tools, and automate workflows.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/openhands/agent-canvas
- Owner: OpenHands
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-04-24T01:31:56.000Z (2 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-20T20:37:15.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-20T21:38:37.404Z (about 1 month ago)
- Language: TypeScript
- Homepage: https://agent-server-gui.vercel.app
- Size: 58.4 MB
- Stars: 10
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 11
- Open Issues: 106
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# agent-canvas
> [!WARNING]
> This project is in the **Beta** phase. It may be vibecoded, untested, or out of date. OpenHands takes no responsibility for the code or its support. [Learn more](https://github.com/OpenHands/incubator-program).
[](https://github.com/OpenHands/incubator-program)
OpenHands is a platform for orchestrating coding agents across different environments. You can:
- ⌨️ prompt agents manually
- 🕐 run agents on a schedule
- ⚡ trigger agents automatically — e.g. from Slack, GitHub, or Datadog.
Agents can run anywhere:
- 🧑💻 on your laptop
- 🖥️ on a remote virtual machine
- ☁️ in our hosted cloud
- 🏢 or inside your company’s infrastructure
The same Agent Canvas frontend can swap between each of these environments, so you can see everything in one place.
OpenHands works with any agent harness (e.g. Claude Code, Codex)
or connect directly to an LLM (e.g. Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, Minimax, Kimi).
If you have questions or feedback, please open a GitHub issue or join the [#proj-agent-canvas channel in Slack](https://openhands.dev/joinslack).
## Project ownership and support
- **Current status**: Beta.
- **Support channel**: [#proj-agent-canvas](https://openhands.dev/joinslack).
- **Support level**: Best effort while the project remains in Beta.
## Quickstart
You can install OpenHands to run agents on any machine: on your laptop, on a dedicated computer like a Mac Mini,
or on a server in the cloud.
The most powerful way to run OpenHands is on a server in the cloud. This allows your agents to continue running
even when your laptop is shut, and makes it easier to trigger your agents through third-party services
like Slack, GitHub, and Datadog. See [SELF_HOSTING.md](docs/SELF_HOSTING.md) for details, especially with respect to security hardening.
Notably, you can run the backend in _multiple different environments_, and switch between
them from the same Agent Canvas frontend. E.g. you can share an Agent Server with your team for agents doing
code review and dependency updates, then have your personal agents running on your laptop.
### Option 1: Without a Sandbox
> [!WARNING]
> This runs the agent-server directly on the machine you're installing on — the agent will have full access to your filesystem!
**Prerequisites**: Node.js 22.12.x or later, `uv`
```sh
npm install -g @openhands/agent-canvas
agent-canvas
```
The `agent-canvas` command starts the full local stack by default. You can also split it when you want to run pieces separately:
```sh
agent-canvas --frontend-only # static frontend + ingress only
agent-canvas --backend-only # agent server + automation backend + ingress only
```
### Option 2: With a Docker Sandbox
**Prerequisites**:
- Docker: Docker Desktop on macOS/Windows, or Docker Engine/Docker Desktop on Linux.
- A host directory for `PROJECTS_PATH` containing the project folders you want the agent to access. Create it before starting the container.
**macOS / Linux:**
```sh
export PROJECTS_PATH="$HOME/projects" # directory containing your project folders
mkdir -p "$PROJECTS_PATH" "$HOME/.openhands"
docker run -it --rm \
-p 8000:8000 \
-v "$HOME/.openhands:/home/openhands/.openhands" \
-v "${PROJECTS_PATH}:/projects" \
ghcr.io/openhands/agent-canvas:1.0.0-rc.6
```
**Windows (PowerShell / Windows Terminal):** See [README.windows.md](./README.windows.md) for the equivalent commands.
The agent will be able to access any project under `PROJECTS_PATH`.
### Option 3: From Source
> [!WARNING]
> This runs the agent-server directly on the machine you're installing on — the agent will have full access to your filesystem!
**Prerequisites**: Node.js 22.12.x or later, `npm`, `uv` (for running the agent server via `uvx`)
```sh
git clone https://github.com/OpenHands/agent-canvas.git
cd agent-canvas
npm install
npm run dev
```
---
Access the UI at [http://localhost:8000](http://localhost:8000). You can add additional backends directly from the UI.
# Architecture
Agent Canvas is powered by the [OpenHands Agent Server](https://github.com/OpenHands/software-agent-sdk/tree/main/openhands-agent-server/openhands/agent_server), a REST API for running multiple agents on a single machine. Each Agent Server runs on a single host/port; the Agent Canvas can connect to multiple Agent Servers and easily flip between them.
You can run an Agent Server anywhere:
- Directly on your laptop (be careful!)
- On a dedicated machine like a Mac Mini
- On a virtual machine in the cloud
- Inside OpenHands Cloud (our commercial offering)
The Agent Server is often paired with an [Automation Server](https://github.com/OpenHands/automation), which lets you set up agents that run on a schedule or in response to events.
## More documentation
- [Documentation index](./docs/README.md)
- [Architecture overview](./docs/architecture.md)
- [Development guide](./docs/DEVELOPMENT.md)
- [Self-hosting guide](./docs/SELF_HOSTING.md)