# Dev Mode for sandbox apps

**URL:** <https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [May 4, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680 "2023-05-04T15:59:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GKlouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/discourse.openondemand.org/gklouse/32/1046_2.png) [@GKlouse](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/GKlouse)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/1 "2023-05-04T15:59:42Z")

</div>

I am trying to setup a sandbox app for my personal OOD instance. From the documentation, it seems that all I need to do is add a dev/ dir to my ondemand folder in my home dir.

Noted in the documentation that dev mode needs to be enabled past v1.6 (I am using v2.0.28)… but is that just for app sharing? or does dev mode need to be enabled before I can view my sandbox apps?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jeff.ohrstrom](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/discourse.openondemand.org/jeff.ohrstrom/32/136_2.png) [@jeff.ohrstrom](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/jeff.ohrstrom)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/2 "2023-05-04T16:20:42Z")

</div>

For dev mode to be enabled you need to create a symlink a /var/www location to your own home directory.

It’s this piece of the documentation if your username was `efranz`

```shell
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/ood/apps/dev/efranz
cd /var/www/ood/apps/dev/efranz
sudo ln -s /home/efranz/ondemand/dev gateway

```

App sharing and developer apps are different things. Only you can see development apps see whereas shared apps other users can see & interact with.

It’s close to dev apps, but the use case is different because other folks’ can see/boot those apps so they should be stable. Beyond that - it’s a symlink to a different location (or at least should be).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GKlouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/discourse.openondemand.org/gklouse/32/1046_2.png) [@GKlouse](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/GKlouse)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/3 "2023-05-04T16:37:14Z")

</div>

Thanks Jeff! I just wanted to be sure. Does dev mode open up access to make other edits, or is this mostly to open up my sandbox… I don’t want to fudge anything up that admin has configured =)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jeff.ohrstrom](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/discourse.openondemand.org/jeff.ohrstrom/32/136_2.png) [@jeff.ohrstrom](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/jeff.ohrstrom)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/4 "2023-05-04T16:47:58Z")

</div>

Dev mode allows you to edit your development applications, because ultimately the files are in your $HOME.

The word `sandbox` here is appropriate - you will not edit the system configurations, you’ll only edit _your own development apps_ that are in your $HOME. The system configs in `/etc/ood/config` need privilege escalation (root) to edit which you don’t have in a PUN (per user nginx).

Now if one of those sandbox applications is the dashboard (the main OnDemand application) you can find yourself in a little bit of a mental maze, but the edits you make in your $HOME only affect your sandbox application - they can’t impact the system configurations in `/etc/ood/config` for your own system installed dashboard or other users’ system installed dashboard.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GKlouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/discourse.openondemand.org/gklouse/32/1046_2.png) [@GKlouse](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/GKlouse)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/5 "2023-05-08T15:37:54Z")

</div>

Thanks for your help Jeff, and I love the new documentation that has been added for developing passenger and interactive apps. I just completed my first passenger app through the tutorial you have, and it has me excited to learn rails and how this whole OOD ecosystem works.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/osc/original/2X/f/fb59265ffb19c1fcc6453bb9dc83e18e1175ac91.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/osc/original/2X/b/bae70bd0ed39a3ae769c2108155f4cb3e9da8385.png) [@system](https://discourse.openondemand.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://discourse.openondemand.org/t/dev-mode-for-sandbox-apps/2680/6 "2023-11-04T15:38:18Z")

</div>

Closed on November 4, 2023, 3:38pm UTC

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.