What is the Workbench?
The Kenaz Workbench is the easiest way to run Kenaz. It's a desktop application that spins up a private, isolated workspace on your machine and runs the Kenaz Harness — and other tools — inside it. You get the full Kenaz experience without wiring anything up yourself: the Harness is already there, your work happens in a contained environment, and nothing leaks onto your host machine unless you let it.
It's open source — github.com/kameas-ai/kenaz-workbench.
:::note Preview The Workbench is still being finished. The flow described in this guide is the intended experience; some steps are validated on the team's machines but the Workbench hasn't reached a general-availability release yet. Where something isn't ready for everyday use, we say so. Today you run it by building from source; a downloadable build will land on the download page when it's ready. :::
Why use it
- Everything's included. The Harness runs inside the Workbench, so you don't install or configure it separately. Open the Workbench and start working.
- Your AI work is sandboxed. The Harness, its tools, and anything an agent does run in an isolated Linux environment — separate from your host's files, network, and processes. If you want an agent to touch a project, you share it in deliberately; it doesn't get the run of your laptop.
- It's a real workspace, not just a chat box. Alongside the Harness you can open a code editor and other tools, all inside the same sandbox.
How you use it
- Open the Workbench. Run the app; a small control page opens in your browser. Click to start your workspace.
- The sandbox boots. The Workbench provisions an isolated environment — a lightweight VM on macOS, a WSL2 distribution on Windows — in a few seconds.
- Work inside it. The Harness is your main surface; open a code editor or notebook alongside it as needed. When you're done, close the workspace.
See Getting started for the step-by-step, and Using the Workbench for what day-to-day work looks like.
What runs inside
When your workspace is open, the Workbench can serve several tools as in-app surfaces:
| Tool | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Kenaz Harness | Your AI agent — the default surface. Chat, run tools, manage sessions. |
| Code editor | A VS Code surface for editing files in the sandbox. |
| Notebooks | A Jupyter surface for interactive analysis. |
| Headless browser | A sandboxed Chromium an agent can drive. |
The Harness is always there; the others are optional surfaces you open when you need them.
How it fits with the Harness and Fleet
- Kenaz Harness is what you actually use inside the Workbench. You can run the Harness on its own, natively, without the Workbench — the Workbench just wraps it in a sandbox and bundles it with the other tools. Same Harness, contained environment.
- Kenaz Fleet is optional. If your team uses Fleet, signing in works the same inside the Workbench as it does in a standalone Harness. Nothing about the Workbench requires Fleet.
Supported platforms
| Host | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 13 Ventura, Apple Silicon | Intel Macs aren't supported yet. |
| Windows | Windows 11 | WSL2 must be enabled. |
| Linux | — | Not supported yet (Linux is the guest, not the host). |
Curious how it works under the hood?
This page is the user's-eye view. If you want the architecture — the host launcher, the sandbox substrate, and the guest environment — see Host launcher and Guest environment.