Files in and out
Giving the agent a file, and getting files back, without sharing any folder with the tank.
The tank shares no folder with your computer. Files cross the glass only when you carry them across: you attach a file to a message, or you click Save on a file the agent produced. This is a security choice, not a limitation to work around; it means a malicious web page the agent visits cannot reach your disk. The exchange itself is designed to feel effortless.
Two folders#
Inside the tank, two folders in the agent's home are the crossing points:
| Folder | Direction | Who fills it |
|---|---|---|
/home/bot/Uploads | Your computer → the tank | The paperclip in the composer |
/home/bot/Downloads | The tank → your computer | Firefox, and the agent itself |
The agent knows this arrangement. It looks in Uploads for files you gave it, and it puts anything meant for you in Downloads.
Giving the agent a file#
- Click the paperclip in the composer. A normal file picker opens; you can choose several files.
- The files are copied into the tank's Uploads folder. They appear above the text box as small tags; click × on a tag to remove one before sending.
- Write your task and press Run. The paths of the attached files are added to your message, so the agent knows exactly where they are.
Example: attach cv.pdf and write "Upload my CV on the job page at example.com/apply". The agent will use the site's upload button and pick /home/bot/Uploads/cv.pdf in the file dialog.
Attachments need the tank to be on; Deskfish turns it on if necessary. Each file can be up to 100 MB. File names are kept but sanitized (no path separators or control characters).
Getting a file from the agent#
You do not have to ask. Whenever a new file appears in the tank's Downloads folder, a card shows up in the chat with the file's name and size and a button that says Save to your computer. Click it, choose where to put the file (the dialog opens in your own Downloads folder by default, and remembers the last place you chose), and the card changes to Saved to … with a Show in folder button.
This works for anything that lands there:
- Files the agent downloads in Firefox. Firefox in the tank is configured to save every download straight into Downloads, with no dialog and no "open with" question, so the agent never has to deal with a download prompt.
- Files the agent creates itself, for example a report written from the terminal. The agent is told to save such files in Downloads.
A file is announced only once it is complete: Deskfish waits until its size has stopped changing and Firefox's temporary .part file is gone, so a large download does not show up half-finished. Hidden files and temporary files are ignored.
Files from earlier#
If you dismissed a card, or want a file that was downloaded in a previous session, run Deskfish: Save a File from the Desktop… from the command palette. It lists everything currently in the tank's Downloads folder and saves the one you pick.
Details and limits#
- Transfers go through the tank's control API, not through a shared folder, so the same mechanism works unchanged for a tank running on another machine.
- The size limit in both directions is 100 MB per file.
- You cannot drag a file from your desktop onto the Desktop tab; use the paperclip.
- Files in Uploads and Downloads persist with the rest of the agent's home folder across restarts. Clean them up from a terminal in the tank if they pile up, or reset the tank as described in The tank.
- An optional shared folder for large files is on the roadmap. It will be off by default.