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docs: document Docker volume sizing for sandboxes #25946

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docs: document sandbox Docker volume sizing
dvdksn Aug 27, 2026
dc724d8
docs: use environment variable for Docker volume size
dvdksn Aug 27, 2026
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11 changes: 7 additions & 4 deletions content/manuals/ai/sandboxes/customize/templates.md
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Expand Up @@ -61,16 +61,19 @@ default.
The agent containers created from the `-docker` templates run in privileged
mode inside the microVM (not on your host), with a dedicated block volume at
`/var/lib/docker`, and `dockerd` starts automatically inside the sandbox. The
block volume defaults to 50 GB and uses a sparse file, so it only consumes
block volume defaults to 10 GB and uses a sparse file, so it only consumes
disk space as Docker writes to it.

To override the volume size, set the `DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE`
environment variable to a size string before starting the sandbox:
To change the volume size for a sandbox, set
`DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE` when you create it:

```console
$ DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE=10g sbx run claude
$ DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE=20g sbx run claude
```

The volume size must be at least 512 MiB. The environment variable doesn't
resize existing volumes.

Use the non-Docker variant if you don't need to build or run containers
inside the sandbox and want a lighter, non-privileged environment. Specify
it explicitly with `--template`:
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17 changes: 13 additions & 4 deletions content/manuals/ai/sandboxes/troubleshooting.md
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Expand Up @@ -204,15 +204,24 @@ the egress path in the **PROXY** column:

## Sandbox runs out of disk space

The sandbox root (`/`) filesystem defaults to 20 GB. To increase it, set `DOCKER_SANDBOXES_ROOT_SIZE`
before creating the sandbox:
The sandbox root (`/`) filesystem defaults to 20 GB. To increase it, set
`DOCKER_SANDBOXES_ROOT_SIZE` before creating the sandbox:

```console
$ DOCKER_SANDBOXES_ROOT_SIZE=40g sbx run claude
```

`DOCKER_SANDBOXES_ROOT_SIZE` controls the root filesystem size. `DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE`
controls the Docker data disk (`/var/lib/docker`) size. The two are independent — set both if needed.
`DOCKER_SANDBOXES_ROOT_SIZE` controls the root filesystem size. The Docker data
disk at `/var/lib/docker` is independent and defaults to 10 GB. To change the
Docker data disk size for a sandbox, set `DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE` when you
create it:

```console
$ DOCKER_SANDBOXES_DOCKER_SIZE=20g sbx run claude
```

The Docker data disk must be at least 512 MiB. The environment variable doesn't
resize existing volumes.

For a [clone-mode sandbox](usage.md#clone-mode), set
`DOCKER_SANDBOXES_CLONED_WORKSPACE_SIZE` before creating the sandbox to
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