Hysen LabsOpenHands/OpenHands: README-based editorial guide
A guide grounded in the README, repository metadata, and license for installing and checking OpenHands/OpenHands.
Project scope
OpenHands/OpenHands describes itself in the README as "🙌 OpenHands: AI-Driven Development". This article keeps to facts that can be checked in the repository. Stars, forks, and promotional badges are signals of attention, not proof of quality. Under "README", the README says: Run OpenHands, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, or any ACP-compatible agent across local, remote, and cloud backends.. That establishes the project's stated boundary, not a production test.
Suitable use cases
The README's "Option 2: With a Docker Sandbox" section gives a useful starting point for deciding whether the project fits: A host directory for PROJECTSPATH containing the project folders you want the agent to access. Create it before starting the container.. If that problem is not yours, popularity is a poor reason to adopt it. Project names, commands, and component names are kept as written so a reader can return to the primary source without guessing at terminology. Another checkable README item is: Docker: Docker Desktop on macOS/Windows, or Docker Engine/Docker Desktop on Linux.. It can shape a first test, but it does not replace testing in the intended environment.
How it works
The operating model is spread across sections such as "README". The source evidence includes: It runs locally on your machine by default, but can connect to multiple "agent backends", e.g. running agents in Docker containers, on VMs, or within your company infrastructure.. This article does not turn missing architecture, performance, or security details into claims. A real deployment still needs a look at the repository layout, configuration files, and release history.
Installation and first run
Start installation from the README's documented entry point. A command that can be checked in the source is: npm install -g @openhands/agent-canvas agent-canvas When the README contains no runnable command, this article does not invent one. Open its "Option 1: Without a Sandbox" section and confirm system dependencies, default ports, and first-run initialization before using a public server.