The “Last Mile” Problem for Open Source Projects
You’ve probably stumbled upon hidden gems on GitHub: a README full of promises and features that look amazing. You want to try it out, but then you see the installation steps—"Requires Python 3.9+, PostgreSQL 14, Redis, and more..."—and your enthusiasm instantly halves.
If you’re an open-source author, you’ve probably felt the same frustration. You pour your heart into building a fantastic tool, but complex environment setups keep 99% of potential users and contributors from ever trying it.
Between a GitHub repo and a user-ready demo lies a chasm called “environment setup.” This is the so-called “last mile” problem for countless great open-source projects.
Today, we’ll show you how AgentSphere helps you effortlessly bridge that gap.
A New Paradigm: From “Install Instructions” to “Live Links”
We believe the best way to showcase an open-source project isn’t with a long installation guide—it’s with a one-click, live, interactive demo.
Imagine adding a prominent “Live Demo” badge in your GitHub README. Users click it and instantly enter a real, working environment to try out your project themselves. How much more compelling would that be?
AgentSphere makes this incredibly simple. With just a few lines of code, you can package any public GitHub repository into a temporary, secure, publicly accessible cloud sandbox.
Hands-On: Creating an Online Demo for a Popular Open-Source Project
Let’s try this with a real project. Uptime Kuma is a popular, visually appealing self-hosted monitoring tool. Its installation isn’t overly complex, but users still need to prepare a Node.js environment and a server.
Now, let’s create a “no-installation” online demo for it.
1. Prepare a Simple Startup Script
All you need is a simple Node.js script to tell AgentSphere what to do:
import { Sandbox } from 'agentsphere-js';
import 'dotenv/config';
// Extract client ID from sandboxId to ensure URL uniqueness in multi-client environments
async function getClientId(sandbox) {
// Method 1: Check environment variable (optional, user manual setting)
const envClientId = process.env.AGENTSPHERE_CLIENT_ID;
if (envClientId) {
console.log('🔍 Using client ID from environment variable:', envClientId);
return envClientId;
}
// Method 2: Auto-extract client ID from sandboxId
try {
const info = await sandbox.getInfo();
console.log('📋 Sandbox info:', JSON.stringify(info, null, 2));
// sandboxId format: "random_part-client_id"
const sandboxId = info.sandboxId;
if (sandboxId && sandboxId.includes('-')) {
const parts = sandboxId.split('-');
if (parts.length >= 2) {
const clientId = parts[parts.length - 1]; // Take the last part as client ID
console.log('🔍 Extracted client ID from sandboxId:', clientId);
return clientId;
}
}
} catch (error) {
console.log('⚠️ Could not retrieve sandbox info:', error.message);
}
// Method 3: If client ID cannot be obtained, return null and use basic URL
console.log('⚠️ Client ID not found. Using basic URL format.');
return null;
}
// Generate URL with automatic client ID handling
async function generateSecureUrl(host, port, sandboxId, sandbox) {
const clientId = await getClientId(sandbox);
// If no client ID, use basic URL
if (!clientId) {
console.log('📍 Using basic URL format (single-client mode)');
return `https://${host}`;
}
// Check host format and build URL with client ID
if (host.includes('-') && host.split('.')[0].split('-').length >= 2) {
const [portPart, ...rest] = host.split('.');
const domain = rest.join('.');
const newHost = `${port}-${sandboxId}-${clientId}.${domain}`;
console.log(`🔒 Enhanced URL with client ID for multi-client security`);
console.log(`🔍 Client ID: ${clientId}`);
return `https://${newHost}`;
}
// Fallback to original URL
return `https://${host}`;
}
async function createUptimeKumaDemo() {
console.log('Starting to create a live demo for Uptime Kuma...');
const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({
template: 'agentsphere-code-interpreter-v1',
apiKey: process.env.AGENTSPHERE_API_KEY,
timeoutMs: 10 * 60 * 1000,
});
console.log(`Sandbox created: ${sandbox.sandboxId}`);
try {
console.log('Cloning Uptime Kuma from GitHub...');
await sandbox.commands.run('git clone https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma.git');
console.log('Repository cloned.');
console.log('Running official setup... (This may take a few minutes)');
// Use the officially recommended setup command
const setupResult = await sandbox.commands.run('cd uptime-kuma && npm run setup', {
onStdout: (data) => console.log('Setup:', data),
onStderr: (data) => console.log('Setup Error:', data)
});
console.log('Setup completed.');
console.log('Starting the Uptime Kuma server...');
// Start server in background
const proc = await sandbox.commands.run(
'cd uptime-kuma && node server/server.js',
{
background: true,
onStdout: async (data) => {
console.log('Server output:', data);
// Dynamically detect port number
const portMatch = data.match(/(?:Listening on port|HTTP Server on port)\s*(\d+)/i) ||
data.match(/port\s*(\d+)/i);
if (portMatch) {
const port = parseInt(portMatch[1]);
const host = sandbox.getHost(port);
console.log(`🔍 Debug - getHost(${port}) returned: ${host}`);
// Build secure URL with client identifier
const url = await generateSecureUrl(host, port, sandbox.sandboxId, sandbox);
console.log('\n✅ Your Uptime Kuma Live Demo is Ready!');
console.log(`🔗 Access it here: ${url}`);
console.log(`🔢 Detected port: ${port}`);
console.log('⏰ (This sandbox will self-destruct in 10 minutes)');
} else if (data.includes('Server is ready') ||
data.includes('Server Type: HTTP') ||
data.includes('Creating express and socket.io instance')) {
// If no specific port detected, try default port 3001
const host = sandbox.getHost(3001);
console.log(`🔍 Debug - getHost(3001) returned: ${host}`);
const url = await generateSecureUrl(host, 3001, sandbox.sandboxId, sandbox);
console.log('\n✅ Your Uptime Kuma Live Demo is Ready!');
console.log(`🔗 Access it here: ${url}`);
console.log('🔢 Using default port: 3001');
console.log('⏰ (This sandbox will self-destruct in 10 minutes)');
}
},
onStderr: (data) => {
console.log('Server error:', data);
}
}
);
console.log('Server started in background. Waiting for full timeout...');
// Keep running for the full 10 minutes
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 10 * 60 * 1000));
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error occurred:', error.message);
console.error('Full error:', error);
// Don't destroy sandbox immediately on error - give it time
console.log('Keeping sandbox alive for 5 more minutes to debug...');
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5 * 60 * 1000));
} finally {
try {
await sandbox.kill();
console.log('Demo sandbox has been destroyed.');
} catch (killError) {
console.log('Error destroying sandbox:', killError.message);
}
}
}
createUptimeKumaDemo().catch(console.error);
2. Run the Script
# First, install the AgentSphere SDK
npm install agentsphere-js dotenv
# Then, run the script with your API key
AGENTSPHERE_API_KEY=your_api_key node uptime-kuma-demo.mjs
3. Witness the Magic
In a few minutes (mainly depending on npm install speed), your terminal will print a public URL.
Anyone can use this link to access a fully functional Uptime Kuma instance running in a cloud sandbox!
A screenshot of Uptime Kuma deployed in AgentSphere Sandbox
What This Means for the Open Source World
This “one-click demo” capability brings huge value to the open-source ecosystem:
For project owners:
Boost project appeal: A live demo speaks louder than a thousand words in a README.
Collect feedback faster: Users can “try before they install” and give feedback sooner.
Simplify contributor onboarding: Provide instant, standardized development environments for potential contributors.
For project users:
Zero-cost trial: Safely evaluate a tool without touching your local environment or paying for servers.
Avoid security risks: Run unknown open-source code in an isolated sandbox, protecting your computer and data.
Conclusion: Become Your Favorite Project’s Advocate
AgentSphere is more than a development tool—it’s a connector and amplifier.
Next time you discover an amazing open-source project but struggle to showcase it to colleagues or friends, try creating an online demo with AgentSphere.
You’ll help the project gain visibility while enjoying a smooth, safe, and interactive software experience yourself.
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