binpash/try
Try
Try is a tool for managing ephemeral shell environments and running commands within an isolated sandbox. It utilizes OverlayFS and Linux namespaces to prevent processes from altering the live system, acting as both a command sandbox and a filesystem change auditor.
The project allows users to capture file modifications in a temporary layer and inspect those changes before deciding to apply or dispose of them. It supports a workflow of auditing additions and modifications, then merging verified changes back into the host filesystem.
The tool provides capabilities for interactive sandbox shells, custom sandbox directory management, and the ability to merge multiple overlay directories into a single layered environment. It also includes shell completion scripts for command and flag autocompletion.
Features
- Overlay Filesystems - Utilizes OverlayFS to redirect filesystem writes to a temporary directory while keeping system files read-only.
- Overlay-Based Execution - Provides a sandbox that uses Linux namespaces and OverlayFS to execute commands without altering the host system.
- Workspace Change Summaries - Provides a summary of files modified or created within the sandbox relative to the base filesystem.
- Overlay-to-Host Synchronizations - Allows users to commit verified sandbox modifications back to the live host filesystem.
- Sandboxed Shell Executions - Opens an interactive shell session within a temporary overlay environment for manual testing.
- Environment-Aware Command Executions - Runs risky terminal commands within an isolated environment to prevent accidental host damage.
- Sandbox Change Commitments - Prompts the user to apply or dispose of filesystem changes modified during an isolated execution.
- Overlay Filesystems - Uses overlay filesystems to capture and review modifications without altering permanent storage.
- Change Commitment - Allows users to verify filesystem modifications in a sandbox before merging them back into the live system.
- Ephemeral Shell Environments - Creates temporary shell sessions that capture all file modifications without affecting the host.
- Interactive Sandbox Shells - Provides an interactive shell for manually testing scripts and software in isolation.
- Namespace-Based Isolation - Uses Linux kernel namespaces to isolate processes from the host system's global state.
- OverlayFS Command Sandboxes - Runs commands in an isolated environment using OverlayFS to preview and audit filesystem changes.
- Copy-on-Write Root Layering - Implements a writable layer over read-only system images to ensure modifications are private and ephemeral.
- Change Auditing - Generates a detailed summary of all files added or modified within a sandbox directory relative to the host.
- Sandbox Change Reviews - Enables a workflow for reviewing all modified files before merging them back to the host.
- Filesystem Change Auditors - Summarizes and inspects files added or modified during an isolated command execution.
- Layered Overlay Merges - Supports stacking multiple sandbox directories into a single layered environment.
- System Configuration Sandboxing - Allows for the verification of system setting changes before applying them to the live system.
- Isolated Layer Inspections - Provides a way to browse overlay directories to identify files modified or created during execution.
- Layer Merging - Enables combining several sandbox directories into a single layered environment to aggregate changes across different sessions.
- Overlay Directory Management - Allows the creation and specification of custom overlay directories to persist isolated environments.
