Enabling Root Access

By default, Agento agents run in a sandboxed container with limited permissions. Enabling root access gives your agent the ability to install system packages, modify configuration files, and perform administrative tasks inside its container.

When You Need Root Access

Root access is useful when your agent needs to:

• Install system packages with apt install (e.g. build tools, libraries, databases)
• Modify system configuration files in /etc/
• Run services inside the container (e.g. a local database for testing)
• Compile native code that requires build dependencies

For most conversational agents, root access is not needed. Only enable it if your use case requires system-level operations.

Enable Root Access

1. Open the Agento dashboard and click on your agent
2. Go to the Settings tab
3. Open the Advanced section
4. Toggle Sudo Access to on
5. Click Save

Your agent will need to be restarted for the change to take effect. Click Restart on the agent card.

What Root Access Allows

When sudo access is enabled, your agent can use sudo inside its container to:

• Run sudo apt update && sudo apt install <package>
• Write to system directories
• Change file permissions
• Manage services with systemctl

The container is still isolated — root access only applies inside the agent's own container. It cannot affect other agents or the host system.

Security Considerations

Enabling root access increases what the agent can do inside its environment. Keep these points in mind:

• Container isolation — even with root, the agent is sandboxed. It cannot escape the container or access the host.
• Persistence — packages installed with apt persist for the lifetime of the container but may be reset on certain restarts.
• System prompt guidance — if you enable root access, consider adding instructions in your system prompt about when and how to use it.

Verify Root Access

After restarting your agent with sudo enabled, open the web chat and ask your agent to run a command:

"Install the jq package and verify it works"

The agent should be able to run sudo apt install -y jq and then use jq successfully.

Disabling Root Access

To disable root access:

1. Go to Settings > Advanced
2. Toggle Sudo Access to off
3. Click Save and restart the agent

The agent will return to the default sandboxed permissions.

Troubleshooting

Agent says "permission denied" after enabling: Make sure you restarted the agent after saving the setting.

Package installation fails: The agent's container has internet access by default. If apt fails, it may be a temporary mirror issue — ask the agent to try again.

Agent misuses root access: Refine your system prompt to include guidelines about when to use sudo. For example: "Only use sudo when explicitly asked to install a package."