OpenHands 1.34 adds per-conversation Docker runtime choices

Choose an execution environment for each agent task

OpenHands released 1.34.0 on October 27, 2026, adding per-conversation Docker runtime selection and a Settings → Runtime page in Canvas. Users can choose an environment for a new task rather than rely solely on a server-wide setting. This October 28 report follows the release and its official implementation record.

Teams trying coding agents across multiple repositories may gain a more explicit way to separate work. A Docker option does not guarantee complete isolation or safety: repository privileges, mounted directories, secrets and network access still require deliberate control.

Local, Worktree and Docker have different boundaries

Local uses the local environment provided by the server. Worktree creates a separate Git working tree, useful for keeping a task’s changes apart from an existing checkout. A worktree is not an operating-system security boundary; the agent retains the privileges granted by its runtime.

Docker supplies a container environment when the agent-server actually offers that runtime. The implementation describes Local, Worktree and Docker choices for appropriate folder-backed launches, not a promise that every launch always offers all three. An interface cannot enable Docker on an incapable server.

Runtime settings include defaults and applicable container CPU, memory and browser options. Interpret limits against the server’s resources and capabilities. Entering a value is not proof that the resulting environment enforces it.

Check component compatibility and the limits of the preview

The release raises the minimum agent-server version to 1.57.0. OpenHands, agent-server and Canvas have separate version numbers; they need not all display 1.34.0. Record each component and the deployment method.

The pictured interface is the official PR 18436 demo submitted on October 26 for the feature included in the October 27 release. It displays Agent Canvas 1.28.1 and developer scenario data, with mocked API responses. It is a genuine vendor feature-preview interface, not evidence that Friday Works ran containers, benchmarked performance or completed security testing.

Server-wide image, idle-time and storage-budget configuration does not all move into the new page. The implementation also notes that some planner or managed-agent paths still follow the server-wide runtime. Evaluate the exact workflow instead of assuming every task becomes separately isolated after an upgrade.

Defaults should not hide an unintended environment

An explicit launcher choice takes precedence over the Settings default and then the browser’s previous choice. A previously saved Docker preference can become unavailable on another server; the implementation handles that after receiving server capabilities. Check the selected runtime when changing servers or teams.

Friday Works recommends a separate test repository without customer data or production keys. Run equivalent small tasks in the intended environments, recording file locations, Git branches, allocated resources and cleanup behavior. This is a proposed validation plan, not a measured security or productivity result.

For container browser use, confirm that the server image includes the required components and that network scope is appropriate. Avoid mounting an entire personal directory or forwarding every environment variable simply for convenience. Grant only what the selected task needs.

A bounded pilot is more useful than a broad promise

The release also moves a session API key from command-line arguments to an environment variable and improves organization-sharing labels. These changes do not establish a CVE or active exploitation on their own.

A practical pilot is a small bug fix with existing tests and a named human reviewer. Compare environment reproducibility, required privileges and operational cost with the current process. Expand only when output can be checked, environments are correctly reclaimed and the team understands each runtime’s boundaries.