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An environment is the set of settings that a new sandbox gets when it starts. It holds five things: Every account starts with one environment named base. You can add more, for example staging and prod. Each one is a full environment. Name the environment when you create, resume or fork a sandbox. Read Manage environments. Manage environments in Dashboard > Environment or with the boat env commands.
Not sure if you need an environment, a setup script or a named snapshot? Read Environment, setup script or named snapshot?.

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Safe for third parties

One switch sets the security of an environment.
boat onboard sets this switch when you answer that other people use your sandboxes. Then no variable and no secret file reaches a sandbox. Run boat env info base to see the switch.
For all the details, read Access and credentials.

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What happens when you save a change

  • Boat makes a new version of the environment.
  • New sandboxes get the new version.
  • Running sandboxes stay on their version until you upgrade them.
Read Versions and upgrades.

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Learn more

Environment, setup script or named snapshot?

Pick the right tool for what a new sandbox needs.

Access and credentials

The safe for third parties switch, the four section toggles, and how to protect an existing sandbox.

Secrets, env vars and .env files

Environment variables, secret files, and values for one sandbox only.

Private registries

Log in to private npm, pip and Docker registries in every sandbox.

Repositories

Clone GitHub repositories into each sandbox, and find where they land.

Versions and upgrades

Which version a sandbox uses, and how to move it to the latest one.

Manage environments

Have more than one environment: create, rename, delete, pick one for a sandbox, share with your organization.