Terminal backends
Terminal backends decide where shell tools run. They are the main execution boundary for command-line work.
Available backends
| Backend | Use when |
|---|---|
| Local | You want commands to run on the current machine. |
| Docker | You want process and filesystem isolation with a container image. |
| SSH | You want Arcen to work on a remote host or VPS. |
| Modal | You want serverless compute that can wake on demand. |
| Daytona | You want persistent cloud development environments. |
| Singularity | You run in HPC or container environments where Singularity is standard. |
Configuration posture
Use terminal.cwd in ~/.arcen/config.yaml to set the working directory for gateway and messaging sessions.
terminal:
cwd: /srv/arcen/workspaceSecurity notes
The terminal backend is the primary boundary for tool execution. Production deployments should prefer isolated environments and explicit network egress rules when the agent can run commands.