Do folks miss having an "open a repository" option...
# proj-agent-canvase
elegant-branch-54423
05/29/2026, 6:11 PMDo folks miss having an "open a repository" option when working in Local? I know you can just clone a repo locally and open it that way, but I also think it would be nice to still have a "Open repository" option that used your connected Git providers and maybe cloned the repo into the
~/.openhands/agent-canvas/workspacesc
calm-artist-7206
05/29/2026, 6:53 PMNot sure about the main question, up to others and their workflows, just would like to note on a tiny detail: I would not love the agent (or an app) which clones random repos in random locations on my disk 😅
➕ 1
calm-artist-7206
05/29/2026, 6:55 PMI guess I’m under the illusion that I know where things are… except python environments. I never know where those are hiding.
e
elegant-branch-54423
05/29/2026, 7:04 PMVery good point - a good reason maybe not to offer this 🙂
w
wooden-umbrella-84098
06/01/2026, 1:22 PMI do miss it. When I want to start working with a new repo I have to tell the agent "clone X" then start a new conversation once it's cloned
I have a "project parent directory" set up, so hypothetically the agent knows where to clone stuff
e
elegant-branch-54423
06/01/2026, 1:54 PMWill create an issue to get some feedback.
@nutritious-balloon-65098 Please create an Enhancement issue in OpenHands/agent-canvas for adding an 'Open a Repository' feature when a user is working in a Local backend mode. This should be smart enough to know if the user has configured a GitHub, GitLab, AzureDevOps, or Bitbucket MCP server so it knows how to fetch repos.
n
nutritious-balloon-65098
06/01/2026, 1:54 PMI'm on it! Joe Pelletier can track my progress here.
nutritious-balloon-65098
06/01/2026, 1:56 PMSummary I created a GitHub Enhancement issue in the OpenHands/agent-canvas repository based on the community discussion you shared.
✅ What was done • Created issue #976 — "Enhancement: Add 'Open a Repository' option for Local backend mode"
📋 Issue covers • Background — captures the community feedback verbatim, including both the user pain point ("have to tell the agent to clone, then start a new conversation") and the valid counter-concern about not wanting repos cloned in random locations
• Detection logic — proposes inspecting configured MCP servers to surface only the providers the user has actually set up (GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket)
• Clone location — recommends
~/.openhands/agent-canvas/workspaces/<provider>/<owner>/<repo>/