How workspaces run

Each workspace is its own virtual machine in the cloud, with a saved disk. CoDev starts it when someone needs it and stops it when nobody does, so you only pay for the time it runs.

#The machine

• Operating system: ARM64 Linux.
• Storage: a 16 GiB saved disk that holds your repository, worktrees, installed dependencies, and anything else you create.
• One machine per workspace: your files, terminals, agents, and running app share the same machine, so an agent sees exactly what you see.

Your editor, the agent, the terminals, and Git all work on the same files. There's no syncing between them: a file an agent writes is the file you open.

#Starting

There's no start button. Opening a workspace doesn't start it: chats, pages and history open without the machine. It starts as soon as you use something that runs on it:

• typing to the workspace's agent, or sending it a message (the message goes out once it's ready),
• clicking in the files, changes, review, history or browser panel,
• opening the terminal, the board, quick open or search,
• undoing or restoring from history, or signing in to an agent from the workspace's settings,
• your own Claude Code, Codex or ChatGPT using a CoDev tool that runs on it, such as reading files or running a command (see Claude Code and Codex).

Each panel shows what it's opening while the machine starts, which can take a minute. A new workspace's first start also clones its repository, so it shows its progress:

1. Waiting to start
2. Preparing the machine
3. Starting the machine
4. Connecting

Starting needs at least $0.05 of credits in the owner's wallet.

#Sleeping when idle

A workspace stops after 10 minutes with no activity from members or agents. Typing and clicking in the workspace count as activity, and so does an agent that's working. A tab that's merely open doesn't.

Terminals, dev servers and other commands keep running after everyone closes the workspace, until it stops. They don't count as activity on their own, so a long build or a dev server left running won't keep the workspace awake. The workspace is billed for every minute it runs, whether anyone is using it or not.

When a stop would end something, everyone in the workspace sees Still working here? five minutes before it, with a countdown and what the stop would end, such as "2 open terminals and the dev server on port 3000". Anyone can choose Keep it running, and it keeps running for everyone. With nothing running, it stops quietly and starts again the next time someone uses it.

The owner can also stop it right away: open the workspace's settings and choose Stop workspace. Terminals, dev servers and running agents stop for every member, and the files are kept.

#What persists

When a workspace stops, everything inside the workspace folder (/workspace) is kept:

• your repository, branches, worktrees, and uncommitted changes,
• project dependencies and build output inside the project, such as node_modules or a Python virtual environment.

Chats and workspace history are kept too.

These don't survive a stop:

• running processes, such as dev servers, watchers, and terminal sessions;
• software installed outside the workspace folder, such as system packages or global tools.

Start processes again when you come back, or ask an agent to. Agents are told the same rules, so they keep their work inside the workspace folder.

#Workspace status

Workspace cards on your home show Running, Starting, Stopping, Stopped, Failed, or Deleting. If a start fails, the card says Couldn't start; use the workspace again, such as sending its agent a message, to try again.

If a workspace can't connect, it tells you why, for example:

• Out of credits: add credits to start it again.
• Active workspace limit reached: you're already running as many workspaces as your plan allows. The owner can choose Switch to this workspace.
• Billing needs attention: update your payment method in Settings → Billing.
• Can't connect to this workspace or Can't reach this workspace: choose Try again.

#What it costs

Workspace time is charged to the owner's credit wallet at $0.01 per minute ($0.60 per hour), including startup. Collaborators never pay for someone else's workspace. If the owner runs out of credits, running workspaces pause and keep their files. See Credits and plans.