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Frequently Asked Questions for Project Environments#

Do I need to know how to use containers to use Workbench?#

No. Absolutely zero container knowledge required. However, it will help you understand how things work.

Can I get root access in a running project container?#

No. The assigned user is workbench, and they do not have root access. Anything you need to do with sudo should be setup during the build through the post-build script.

Can I get root access while building the container?#

Yes. During build the user has password-less sudo access, so you can install packages with apt and pip as the root user.

Why don’t you just use python virtual environments?#

They don’t fully address the needs of AI development environments.

Can I use the CLI to configure GPUs for the project container?#

Yes. The CLI has commands to configure GPUs for project containers. You can see our AI Workbench CLI command reference for more information, see AI Workbench Command Line Interface (CLI) Reference.

What happens if I request more GPUs than are available?#

If there aren’t enough GPUs available, AI Workbench will not run the container and will notify you of the discrepancy. Then you have the following options:

  • Reduce your number of requested GPUs

  • Stop another project to free up GPUs

  • Start the container with No GPUs

When should I use a host mount?#

The following are hypothetical examples.

  • You have local files that you want to use in the container but you don’t want versioned. If you want those files protected from changes, you can set the mount to be read-only

  • You are working in two locations, each of which has a common set of static files that you don’t want to store on a Git remote

  • You want to share data between different projects

When should I use a volume mount?#

The following are hypothetical examples.

  • You are creating data products that need to persist when the container is stopped or restarted but don’t want versioned

  • You want to share data between different containers in a project, i.e. in a multi-container project

When should I use a temp mount?#

The following are hypothetical examples.

  • Something in your development environment (command or application) creates a large number of files that you only need for a given session.

Can I use the CLI to create and configure mounts?#

Yes. The CLI has the same functionality as the Desktop App for creating and configuring mounts.

  • Open the terminal and activate the desired context (location)

  • Run the following command to open the project you want to add the mount to:

    nvwb open <PROJECT-NAME>

  • Run the following command to create the mount:

    nvwb create mount

    • Select the mount type

    • Enter the target directory

    • Enter an optional description

    • Enter mount options, if any

    • Hit enter

This will automatically create volume and temp mounts. However, creating a host mount requires you to add a source directory as follows:

  • Run the following command to configure the mount:

    nvwb configure mounts

    • Select the target directory to configure

    • Enter the absolute path to the source directory

    • Hit enter

Deleting a Mount

  • Open the terminal and activate the desired context (location)

  • Run the following command to open the project from which you want to delete the mount:

    nvwb open <PROJECT-NAME>

  • Run the following command to delete the mount:

    nvwb delete mount

  • Select the mount to delete. You are not prompted for confirmation

Can I manage a Compose-based Application with the AI Workbench CLI?#

Yes. The CLI offers the same functionality as the Desktop App for this.

See the following sections of this guide: