Settings keys, environment variables, and paths

Every key that sbx settings list printed on 2026-10-08, every environment variable both tools read, and every path they use on macOS, each with its source.

sbx settings list printed 31 keys on the capture machine, every one with SOURCE default (our source record). A value comes, in order, from the environment variable of the key, then a user override written with sbx settings set, then the built-in default {{docs-sbx Settings}}. RESTART yes means that daemon-side consumers that already exist need sbx daemon restart, while new sandboxes and supported CLI clients use the new value at once {{help-sbx sbx settings list}}. The CLI table cuts long descriptions. The Meaning column completes them from the docs settings page where the page has an entry. Where the page has none, the column says so and gives the full text of sbx settings list --json (the capture).

The settings keys

Value types are bool, int, float, string, and json, and an override that conflicts with an administrator constraint is rejected {{help-sbx sbx settings set}}. Most changes apply within about five seconds {{help-sbx sbx settings}}.

Keys the docs name that the CLI did not print

The docs settings page, three guides, and one release note name keys that sbx settings list did not return (conflict C19). The manual prints them here and nowhere else.

Environment variables that sbx reads

These variables configure the host side. They never set a variable inside a sandbox, and the daemon reads them only when it starts {{docs-sbx Settings}}.

Host lifecycle commands of an environment file receive SBX_LIFECYCLE_PHASE, SBX_ENV_FILE, SBX_ENV_FILES, SBX_ENV_DIR, SBX_SANDBOX_NAME, SBX_AGENT, and SBX_WORKSPACE {{docs-sbx Environment files}}. After a cloud creation they also receive SBX_SANDBOX_ID {{help-sbx sbx env}}.

Environment variables that docker-agent reads

The rename of v1.30.0 changed the prefix from CAGENT_ to DOCKER_AGENT_, and the old names stay accepted (conflict C53) {{rel-agent v1.30.0}}.

Provider credential variables such as ANTHROPIC_API_KEY are listed in R.6.

Paths on macOS

The capture machine runs macOS, so the table gives macOS paths first and the Linux and Windows forms where the docs state them. Replace rohitghumare with your user name.

The directories of docker-agent keep the name cagent after the rename (conflict C54). Nothing migrates state from the plugin-era directories ~/.docker/sandboxes/ and ~/.sandboxd/ to the sbx state directory (conflict C17).

Sources: research/sources/probes/sbx-settings-list.txt, sbx-daemon-status.txt, sbx-diagnose.txt; capture/out/02-settings.json (the full descriptions of the four ssh.* keys, and the environment variables of the ssh.*, model.providers, and platform.allowExperimentalFeatures keys); research/sources/help-sbx.md (sbx settings, sbx settings list, sbx settings set, sbx env, sbx env create, sbx mcp add, sbx kit builder history ls); research/sources/docs-sandboxes.md (pages configuration/settings, configuration/environment-files, troubleshooting, governance/audit, workflows/agent-skills, the credentials and local model and GPU and network policy guides); research/sources/sbx-releases.md (v0.34.0); research/sources/help-docker-agent.md (root, board, setup, share push); research/sources/docs-docker-agent.md (pages features/cli, configuration/user-settings, configuration/hooks, configuration/tools, configuration/sandbox, features/sessions, guides/secrets, tools/memory, tools/shell); research/sources/docker-agent-CHANGELOG.md (v1.30.0, v1.74.0, v1.100.0, v1.102.0, v1.139.0, v1.147.0); research/conflicts-register.md rows C17, C18, C19, C20, C53, C54, C67