Perplexity has opened the code behind SPACE, the sandbox platform used by its Computer service. Developers can inspect and deploy isolated Linux environments where agents run commands through a web interface. The Apache 2.0 release includes tools for managing workspaces, retrieving output and recovering state, while the company’s production and security results remain attributed claims.
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SPACE opens the execution layer behind Computer
Perplexity, the company behind the Computer AI assistant, released SPACE’s source code on October 15 under Apache 2.0. SPACE supplies separate Linux workspaces where software agents can run the code and commands they generate. The release makes the implementation available for inspection and deployment on infrastructure operated by other developers.[1], [2]
Each workspace uses a Firecracker microVM, a small virtual machine that separates its Linux environment from the host. An HTTP application programming interface handles requests to create an environment, execute commands, retrieve output and manage its lifecycle. A template provides the starting environment; the writable filesystem holds the agent’s work.[1]
Long operations return a trackable identifier
A task need not finish before the calling application receives a response. Longer operations return an identifier that the caller can use to check progress and collect the result later. Access to output uses tokens scoped to the session. The published repository also documents runtime plugins, extending the execution choices available through the platform.[1]
Pausing and snapshots preserve workspace state
SPACE includes pausing and resuming environments and taking regular snapshots. Those operations retain workspace state across interruptions rather than requiring every session to begin with an empty environment. Documentation includes a Kubernetes-based local development route. The source release covers the platform already used in Computer, bringing that execution infrastructure into a publicly inspectable repository.[1]
Perplexity’s accounts of production scale and security tests remain company-reported results. The reported tests concern a specific campaign. They accompany the released code and operating controls, without establishing that virtual-machine isolation can withstand every future escape attempt.[1]
