---
title: "Code And Let Live"
description: "Code And Let Live argues that read-only, ephemeral sandboxes are the wrong abstraction for coding agents, which need durable computers rather than fresh containers for every task. It introduces Sprites, disposable cloud computers that provide root Linux shells, 100GB of initial capacity, HTTPS through an Anycast network, automatic idle shutdown and metering stops, and persistence until explicitly removed. Sprites can be checkpointed and restored in about a second, allowing interactive recovery after changes while retaining installed software and development state across days or months. The argument extends beyond developer workflows: durable agents can keep realistic application context, observe logs, and support personal software whose development and production environments are the same, although the post says Sprites are unsuitable for applications serving millions of users."
---

# Code And Let Live

[Fly.io](https://yomu.fyi/company/fly-io) · Jan 9, 2026

**Type:** Announcement

## Summary

Code And Let Live argues that read-only, ephemeral sandboxes are the wrong abstraction for coding agents, which need durable computers rather than fresh containers for every task. It introduces Sprites, disposable cloud computers that provide root Linux shells, 100GB of initial capacity, HTTPS through an Anycast network, automatic idle shutdown and metering stops, and persistence until explicitly removed. Sprites can be checkpointed and restored in about a second, allowing interactive recovery after changes while retaining installed software and development state across days or months. The argument extends beyond developer workflows: durable agents can keep realistic application context, observe logs, and support personal software whose development and production environments are the same, although the post says Sprites are unsuitable for applications serving millions of users.

## Context

Current agent sandboxes are described as read-only and ephemeral: they disappear after jobs, lack durable storage, impose time limits, and force agents or operators to rebuild environments, externalize state, or transport logs and data between runs.

## Approach / What changed

Sprites provide durable, disposable cloud computers with root Linux shells, 100GB of initial capacity, Anycast HTTPS access, automatic idle shutdown, and first-class checkpoint and restore. They can be created in about one to two seconds and remain available until explicitly removed.

## Takeaways

- A Sprite can preserve installed software and development state across inactivity lasting days or months, rather than requiring a fresh environment for each task.
- Checkpoint restore is intended for ordinary interactive use and takes about one second, making recovery from a broken system comparable in spirit to using git for the whole system.
- The post presents durable computers as enabling agents to observe application logs and support personal applications, while stating that Sprites are not intended for software serving millions of users.

**Tags:** [AI Agents](https://yomu.fyi/topic/ai-agents), [Architecture](https://yomu.fyi/topic/architecture)

- Source: [Fly.io](https://fly.io/blog/code-and-let-live)
- Source URL: https://fly.io/blog/code-and-let-live
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-09-02T12:01:03.051Z

[Read original post](https://fly.io/blog/code-and-let-live)