Orca: coordinate coding agents without losing track of their work
Secure Orca worktrees, remote listeners and pairing records
Keep repository separation distinct from process permissions and review remote access before connecting devices.
What you will learn
- Worktrees share a machine boundary
- Protect runtime access
- Preserve work during incidents
Before you start
- Basic command-line and configuration reading
- Ability to work in a disposable authorized environment
Create a learning tool that records host, worktree and acceptance evidence without automating merges or deleting unfinished work.
Key takeaways
- A worktree is not process isolation.
- An advertised endpoint is not a firewall.
- Recovery should preserve uncommitted work.
Worktrees share a machine boundary
An agent process may access more than its checked-out folder according to the host’s permissions. Do not store production credentials in a synthetic trial or assume a worktree blocks access to sibling directories.
Inspect repository scripts before running tests or dependency installation. Those commands execute code independently of whether the agent’s edit was small. Grant the agent only the tools and accounts needed for the approved task.
Protect runtime access
The headless guide’s advertised address does not change binding. Restrict the listener with a real network policy and run as a dedicated non-root account. Keep installation and rollback artifacts outside the service account’s write authority.
Pairing URLs and records should be treated as access-related information. Do not post them in screenshots or shared diagnostics. A failed pairing reason should lead to targeted inspection, not disabling protections indiscriminately.
Preserve work during incidents
If a task behaves unexpectedly, stop its activity and inspect Git state before cleanup. Save uncommitted work and sanitized logs. Avoid deleting worktrees as a first diagnostic action because the unreviewed output may still matter.
Review telemetry and mobile settings in the selected release before using sensitive repositories. This series has not audited the complete privacy or encryption implementation, so it does not certify confidential-code safety.
Decision guide
| Criterion | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | You need predictable behavior and easy auditing | You need adaptive optimization and have reliable telemetry |
| Main risk | May leave performance on the table | Can become difficult to explain or debug |
Implementation steps
- 1
Limit agent tools and account access.
- 2
Restrict actual listeners and protect pairing material.
- 3
Preserve Git changes before stopping or cleaning tasks.
Copy-ready example
{
"policyExample": true,
"syntheticRepository": true,
"serviceUser": "non-root",
"publicPairingLogs": false,
"automaticWorktreeDeletion": false
}Frequently asked questions
Can I publish a pairing screenshot?
Remove access-related pairing material and private repository details first.
Should I disable the sandbox to fix startup?
Investigate documented dependencies and account setup; do not remove protection as a default fix.
Sources
- Orca / README.mdSource checked 2026-09-18
- Orca / docs/reference/headless-linux-server.mdSource checked 2026-09-18
- Orca / .github/CONTRIBUTING.mdSource checked 2026-09-18