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smolvm sandbox env manages environment variables inside a sandbox. Variables are written to the guest so new login shells and later vm.run(...) calls can read them.

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Synopsis

Environment variable changes apply to new guest sessions. In an existing shell, run source /etc/profile.d/smolvm_env.sh to reload them.

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Shared options

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--ssh-key
string
Path to an SSH private key when the command uses SSH.
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--ssh-user
string
default:"root"
SSH user when the command uses SSH.
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--comm-channel
string
Host-to-guest control channel. Use ssh, vsock, or omit it for auto-selection.
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--json
flag
Print a JSON envelope instead of formatted text.

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set

Set one or more variables:
Force vsock for a recent Linux image:

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unset

Remove variables:

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list

List variable names with values masked:
Show values when you are in a safe terminal:

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Key rules

Environment variable names must be valid shell identifiers, such as OPENAI_API_KEY or APP_ENV. Use KEY=VALUE pairs for set; values may be empty strings.

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Security notes

Environment variables are stored in plaintext inside the sandbox. Avoid printing sensitive values in logs, and rotate credentials after sharing a sandbox with another workflow.
Last modified on June 24, 2026