Keep-alive and 24/7 operation

Desktops stay on by default#

Unlike sandboxes that shut down after a session, Le Bureau desktops run 24/7. Once started, a desktop stays running until you stop or destroy it.

Why this matters#

AI agents often need to run long tasks (hours of scraping, data processing, or code generation), respond to API calls or messages at any time, and keep servers, browser sessions, or files in memory. A desktop that shuts down on inactivity would interrupt all of that.

While a desktop is running#

• The VM stays powered on with its full CPU, RAM, and disk allocation.
• Background processes (web servers, cron jobs, your AI agent) keep running.
• The desktop is reachable via VNC, terminal, and chat at any time.
• Metrics are collected and shown in the dashboard.

When you stop a desktop#

Clicking Stop:

• Triggers a graceful VM shutdown.
• Terminates all running processes.
• Preserves files and installed software on disk.
• Frees CPU and RAM, but the desktop still counts toward your plan limit.

To resume, click Start. The desktop boots again: initialization runs, services start, and the agent initializes. Processes that were running before the stop will not resume automatically unless they are configured as persistent services.

Resource usage#

All desktops on all tiers run 24/7 -- there is no uptime difference between plans. The difference between tiers is the amount of resources (CPU, RAM, disk) and the number of concurrent desktops you can run. See Plans & Pricing for a full comparison.

Running desktops 24/7 uses resources continuously. Some guidance:

Tips#

• If you do not need the desktop overnight, stop it to free up shared infrastructure.
• Stopped desktops boot back in 30-60 seconds.
• Destroying a desktop is permanent. If you just need a break, stop it instead.
• Manage long-running processes with tmux so they survive terminal disconnections.