The hlix coder

hlix is our own coder, Hlix Code, and the one a task runs on when it names no other. It is the same Hlix Code you run in your terminal. For a task, it runs inside the task’s own sandbox exactly like the coders you bring, on the task’s own branch.

It needs no coder credential of its own. Its model calls go through hlix on a short-lived key created for the task, to the model set for the worker role in your Workspace.

Prerequisites

• A project in your Workspace. Its Coding Workspace is prepared for you before the first task.
• A model for the worker role, or the default. See Models & provider keys.
• Nothing else. A task that names no coder already runs on Hlix Code.

What one task looks like

sandbox from the saved environment → setup → Hlix Code's turn → commit → verify
                                                     ↑                         │
                                                     └────── one repair ───────┘
                                                                               ↓
                                                                      push the task branch

hlix starts a sandbox for the task from the project’s saved environment, checks out the task’s branch, and provides the task’s brief, secrets and key as files — never on a command line. It runs the repository’s setup, then starts Hlix Code in the checkout with the brief. When a task returns from review, the reviewer’s comments are part of the brief, and Hlix Code continues from the work already on the branch.

After the turn

Step	What happens
Commit	hlix commits what the turn left, always excluding the environment file hlix writes and every protected file
Verify	Your verification command runs on that commit, with one repair turn if it fails
Push	The task branch is pushed, a failing check included, so review sees the evidence and the next round continues from it

While Hlix Code works, its progress is saved to the task branch about once a minute. A task that is interrupted continues from that branch on its next run instead of starting over.

Credentials stay off the command line

The task key and the repository credential reach the sandbox only as files. They are never passed as arguments or exported into a command’s environment. The task key is limited to one project, expires with the task, and is revoked when the task ends.

One time limit per run

A run has one time limit — 30 minutes unless the task sets its own. The coder’s turn, verification and the repair turn all share it. Your Workspace’s spending cap limits the cost separately: every model call is metered to the task.

What you can watch, and what you keep

• The coder’s progress streams live while the task runs.
• Every turn’s report is kept, including the repair turn’s.
• The branch is the record: what the coder changed is in its commits, and review reads that exact commit.

See The dashboard for where these appear.

Common questions

Do I have to choose it? No. hlix is the system default, so a task with no coder set anywhere runs on it.

Which model does it use? The one set for the worker role in Settings → AI models. It needs no coder API key of its own.

How is it different from an external coder? It is our own coder, and it is the default. It runs exactly like the others — in the task’s sandbox, with its models through hlix — so switching between it and an external coder changes who writes the code and nothing else.

If a task on the hlix coder fails

• The setup command failed. The repository’s setup failed before the coder started. Fix the command on the repository and run the task again.
• The task keeps returning from review. Read the review comments and the verification output on the task; each round continues on the same branch.
• A provider 401 in the task’s output. The Workspace has no usable key for its worker model’s provider. Check Settings → AI models.

Where to go next

If you want to…	Read
Run another coder instead	External coders
Change which coder a project uses	Connect your agents
Set the worker model	Models & provider keys
Understand the sandbox and what carries over between tasks	The Coding Workspace

Next steps

VerificationThe check every turn answers to, and what a failing result means.

External codersThe same process around a coder you already use.

Models & provider keysWhere the worker model comes from, and whose key pays for it.

The Coding WorkspaceA saved environment per project, a fresh sandbox for every job.