parallel-agents · diff
git:20260613.bd14b2a to git:20260613.95ab83b
11 added, 24 removed. Audit B to B.
---
name: parallel-agents
- description: Build an "agent factory" — configure one cloud VM once, then disk-level fork it into a fleet of identical, isolated machines so many agents run in parallel, each with its own filesystem, IPv4, and SSH. Flat per-second pricing makes a fleet ~10x cheaper than E2B/Modal (50 VMs ≈ $432/mo vs ~$4k). Use when you need to fan work out across many real machines instead of threads.
+ description: Build an "agent factory" — configure one cloud VM once, then disk-level fork it into a fleet of identical isolated machines so many agents run in parallel, each with its own filesystem, IPv4, and SSH. Flat per-second pricing makes a fleet ~10x cheaper than E2B/Modal (50 VMs ≈ $432/mo vs ~$4k). Use to fan work across many real machines instead of threads.
---
# Parallel agents / agent factory (Box)
- Use this when a job should be **fanned out across many isolated environments**: running N agents on N tasks, sweeping a matrix of configs, or sharding a large workload — and each worker needs a *real* machine (its own disk, processes, network), not just a coroutine.
-
- The Box move: configure **one** box (clone the repo, install deps, set secrets), then **fork** it. Each fork is an independent VM that starts from the configured snapshot, so you skip re-provisioning every machine.
+ Use this when work should be **fanned out across many isolated environments**: N agents on N tasks, a config sweep, or sharding a workload — and each worker needs a *real* machine, not a coroutine. Box move: configure **one** box (clone, install, secrets), then **fork** it; each fork is an independent VM from that snapshot, so you skip re-provisioning every machine.
- ## Why Box for this
+ ## Why Box
- - **Fork = a configured template.** One setup, N identical machines — disk-level fork, no re-cloning/re-installing per VM.
- - **True isolation per agent.** Separate filesystem, dedicated IPv4, SSH — agents can't step on each other; they can even talk over the network.
- - **Fleet economics.** Flat per-VM per-second pricing: 50 VMs × 240 h/mo ≈ **$432 on Box** vs ~$4,124 (E2B) / ~$7,160 (Modal) / ~$8,179 (Vercel Sandbox).
+ - **Fork = a configured template** — one setup, N identical machines (disk-level, no re-clone per VM).
+ - **True isolation per agent** — separate filesystem, dedicated IPv4, SSH; agents can even talk over the network.
+ - **Fleet economics** — 50 VMs × 240 h/mo ≈ **$432 (Box)** vs ~$4,124 (E2B) / ~$7,160 (Modal).
## Honest scoping
- Box forks at the **disk** level, not memory — a forked VM does **not** keep the parent's running processes; re-run your start command after fork. If you need *running-process* fork or routinely need **1000+ concurrent** VMs with <500 ms boots, E2B or Modal are built for that scale. Box's sweet spot is **tens of persistent, cheap, fully-isolated machines**. Box is EU-only; 100 active VMs soft cap today (raising).
+ Box forks at the **disk** level, not memory — a fork does **not** keep the parent's running processes; re-run your start command after fork. For *running-process* fork or routinely **1000+ concurrent** VMs with <500 ms boot, E2B/Modal are built for that. Box's sweet spot: tens of persistent, cheap, fully-isolated machines. EU-only; 100 active VMs soft cap (raising).
- ## Prerequisites
+ ## Prereqs
- ```bash
- curl -fsSL https://box.ascii.dev/install | sh
- export BOX_API_KEY="bxk_..." # from https://box.ascii.dev/box/dashboard
- box login "$BOX_API_KEY" --json
- ```
+ `curl -fsSL https://box.ascii.dev/install | sh`, then `box login "$BOX_API_KEY" --json`.
## Recipe
```bash
- # 1. Configure a base box once
base="$(box new --json | jq -r 'select(.event == "ready") | .id')"
- box ssh "$base" -- bash -s < ./setup.sh # clone repo, install deps, etc.
-
- # 2. Fork it into a fleet
+ box ssh "$base" -- bash -s < ./setup.sh # configure once
for i in $(seq 1 10); do
fork="$(box fork "$base" --json | jq -r 'select(.event == "ready") | .id')"
- # forks don't inherit running processes — (re)start work explicitly
box ssh "$fork" -- "cd /project && ./run-task.sh $i" &
done
wait
-
- # 3. Tear the fleet down when done
- box list --json | jq -r '.boxes[].id' | xargs -I{} box delete {} --json
```
- Keep `setup.sh` and your start command **idempotent** so every fork bootstraps reliably.
+ Keep `setup.sh` and the start command idempotent so every fork bootstraps reliably.