clone

Slot: workspace · Name: clone

Every session gets a full git clone. Heavier on disk than worktree, but simpler for any tooling that gets confused by the worktree layout.

macOSSupported

LinuxSupported

WindowsSupported

Use

workspace: clone
workspaceConfig:
  cloneDir: ~/.ao-clones       # default

How it works

• On spawn, AO runs git clone --reference <source> <cloneDir>/{sessionId}. The --reference flag means the new clone borrows objects from your existing checkout — much faster than a cold clone.
• The agent gets a fully independent working tree with its own .git.
• On cleanup, the directory is removed outright.

When to pick this over worktree

• Your build tool walks .git and breaks on worktrees (rare but happens).
• You want each session to have a completely fresh node_modules / target dir with no shared parent.
• You're experimenting with agents on different remotes.

Knobs

projects:
  web:
    workspace: clone
    postCreate:
      - pnpm install --frozen-lockfile

postCreate runs after the clone succeeds. Useful for installing deps before the agent wakes up — the first impression matters.