MorphBox

Docker-based AI sandbox for development with Claude integration

MorphBox provides a secure, isolated development environment with Claude AI integration, perfect for testing code, exploring APIs, and building applications in a sandboxed Docker container.

Quick Start

# Install MorphBox globally
npm install -g morphbox

# Start MorphBox (will auto-install on first run)
morphbox

Features

• 🐳 Docker-based isolation: Run code in secure containers
• 🤖 Claude AI integration: Built-in Claude Code terminal
• 💾 Persistent workspace: Files and sessions persist
• 🌐 Web-based IDE: Full-featured code editor
• 🖥️ Terminal access: Direct container terminal
• 📁 File management: Built-in file explorer
• 🔐 Secure access modes: Local, VPN, or authenticated external

Requirements

• Node.js 14+
• Docker Desktop or Docker Engine
• Git
• macOS, Linux, or Windows (WSL2)

Installation

Method 1: Global Install (Recommended)

npm install -g morphbox
morphbox  # Ready to use!

Note: If you get "command not found", your npm global bin directory may not be in PATH. See Troubleshooting below.

Method 2: npx (No Install)

npx morphbox

Usage

Basic Commands

# Start web interface (http://localhost:8008)
morphbox

# Terminal mode - Claude only, no web UI
morphbox --terminal

# Show all options
morphbox --help

Access Modes

# Local only (default, safest)
morphbox

# VPN access (Tailscale, WireGuard, etc.)
morphbox --vpn

# External with auth (⚠️ DANGEROUS)
morphbox --external

What's Included

• Claude Code: AI coding assistant
• Monaco Editor: VS Code editor in browser
• Terminal: Full Linux terminal
• File Explorer: Browse and edit files
• Git Panel: Visual git operations
• Task Runner: Background tasks
• Custom Panels: Create your own tools

Known Limitations

The npm package version is currently in beta and has significant limitations:

1. Server Startup Issues: The web server component does not properly start in the packaged version. The server process exits immediately after initialization, preventing the web interface from being accessible.

2. Terminal Mode Works: Despite the web interface issues, terminal mode (morphbox --terminal) works correctly and provides full Claude AI functionality.

3. Development Version Recommended: For the full experience including the web interface, we strongly recommend running from source:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/morphbox.git
   cd morphbox
   ./morphbox-start

Troubleshooting Installation

"command not found" Error

If you get "command not found" after installing, your npm global bin directory isn't in PATH:

# Find your npm prefix
npm config get prefix
# Add the bin directory to PATH
export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"

"ENOTEMPTY" Error During Installation

If you see "directory not empty" errors:

# Clean up with sudo
sudo rm -rf ~/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/morphbox* ~/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/.morphbox-*

# Reinstall
npm install -g morphbox

Workaround

Until the packaging issues are resolved, you can use MorphBox in terminal mode:

morphbox --terminal

This will launch Claude directly in your terminal without the web interface.

Security

MorphBox runs in Docker containers isolated from your host system. By default, only local access is allowed. External access requires explicit flags and authentication.

⚠️ WARNING: The --external flag exposes your environment to the network. Use with extreme caution!

Documentation

• GitHub
• User Manual
• API Reference

License

Apache-2.0