[BUG] Cowork fails on macOS - checks for bubblewrap (Linux-only) instead of using Seatbelt
Status Fixed / completed
Reported on v2.1.15
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 5 comments · opened Jan 22, 2026 · closed Jan 26, 2026
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
Cowork fails to start on macOS with error: "Sandbox dependencies are not available on this system. Required: ripgrep (rg), bubblewrap (bwrap), and socat."
This is incorrect - bubblewrap is a Linux-only containerization tool. macOS should use Seatbelt for sandboxing, as documented in Claude Code's own docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sandboxing
"macOS: Uses Seatbelt for sandbox enforcement"
What Should Happen?
Cowork should use Seatbelt on macOS, not check for Linux-specific dependencies.
Error Messages/Logs
CLI output was not valid JSON. This may indicate an error during startup.
Output: Error: Sandbox dependencies are not available on this system.
Required: ripgrep (rg), bubblewrap (bwrap), and socat.Steps to Reproduce
- Open Claude desktop app on macOS
- Go to Cowork tab
- Send any message
Claude Model
Not sure / Multiple models
Is this a regression?
No, this never worked
Last Working Version
_No response_
Claude Code Version
2.1.15
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
- ripgrep exists and works fine (bundled with claude-code)
- bubblewrap does not exist for macOS - it's Linux-only
- socat can be installed but doesn't help since bwrap check fails
- The check appears to happen before any config files are read, so
sandbox.enabled: falsehas no effect
5 Comments
Found 1 possible duplicate issue:
This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
@TheTravel3r Cowork operates inside a linux based virtual environment on your machine, so the bubblewrap check is correct. However it should be present in the base environment. Can you try resetting your environment by updating to the latest Claude app. It should be version
v1.1.799@TheTravel3r Can you submit feedback via the bug "Share Feedback" button in the bottom left of Claude Desktop. Ensure you include your logs we're actively chasing these network issues down for "Sending request" getting stuck.
Going to merge this into #20016
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