Workspace Isolation
Workspace isolation is Decapod's primary defense against the "dirty tree" problem and multi-agent environment corruption (see Workspace Sandboxing).
Git Worktrees: The First Line of Defense
By default, decapod workspace ensure (see CLI Reference) creates a Git Worktree. Unlike a standard clone, a worktree allows you to have multiple branches checked out simultaneously in different directories while sharing a single .git database.
- Speed: Creating a worktree is nearly instantaneous.
- Integrity: Each workspace is a clean slate. There are no residual build artifacts from other branches.
Container Isolation: The Gold Standard
When working with multiple agents or complex dependency chains, filesystem isolation is often not enough. Decapod can wrap each worktree in a Docker container (see Multi-Agent Workflow).
Benefits of Containerization:
- Dependency Sandboxing: One agent can run
npm installfor Node 18 while another uses Node 20 in a separate workspace. - Process Protection: A rogue agent process (e.g., an infinite loop or a memory leak) cannot crash the host machine or affect other agents.
- Restricted Access: You can define network and volume policies to limit what an agent can see outside its workspace.
Managing the Workspace Pool
Use decapod workspace status to view the health and ownership of all active workspaces. Decapod handles the complex plumbing of mapping these directories to specific agents and tasks, so you don't have to.