Ethen Code & Repository Data

Current availability#

Ethen Code has not been released. There is no hosted Ethen Code service, and the Ethen desktop app is not yet distributed. Ethen does not currently access any code repository, run commands on any computer, or store any source code for Ethen Code users. When Ethen Code launches, this document will state the released surfaces, supported operating systems, permissions and data paths, and it will take effect then.

The parts of Ethen Code#

Ethen Code is designed as four parts that handle data differently:

Which parts handle your data depends on how you work. The rest of this document explains each path.

Local and cloud: where your code goes#

Local is not the same as offline. Even when you use a local model and work only on local files, the desktop app still connects to Ethen's cloud to sign you in, sync settings and check for updates. Choosing a cloud model sends code context to that model's provider.

Data stored on your computer

On macOS, the desktop app and local runtime keep their data in an Ethen folder in your user Library (Application Support). That data includes:

• task history;
• checkpoints of file states, so changes can be undone;
• terminal session records;
• local settings.

This data stays on your computer unless you choose to sync or share it. You can delete it by removing that folder or uninstalling the app.

The local runtime accepts connections only from your own computer. It cannot be reached from other machines on your network or from the internet.

Repository access#

Local repositories

When you open a project folder in the desktop app, Ethen Code can read and edit files in that folder, and run Git commands in it, using your existing Git setup. It does not need separate permission from your Git hosting provider for local work. It works with whatever access your computer already has.

Hosted repositories through GitHub

For cloud tasks, Ethen Code is designed to connect to GitHub through a GitHub App that you install on the repositories you choose. The installation determines which repositories Ethen can see, and what it can do with them. Ethen will request only the permissions its released features need. The exact permissions will be listed here and on GitHub's installation screen before release. You can change which repositories the app can access, or uninstall it, at any time from GitHub.

What Ethen Code may process

Depending on the task, Ethen Code may process:

• source code in files relevant to the task;
• repository metadata, such as repository and branch names, file structure and configuration files;
• Git history, such as commit messages, authors, timestamps and diffs, when a task needs it;
• branches, diffs and patches that Ethen proposes or that you ask it to review;
• issues and pull requests, such as titles, descriptions, comments and review status, when you ask Ethen to work with them;
• build, test and CI output, such as logs, test results and error messages;
• terminal commands and their output in sessions Ethen runs.

AI model processing#

When a coding task uses a cloud AI model, Ethen sends the model the Prompt and the code context the task needs: relevant files or excerpts, diffs, error messages, and command output. That content goes to the provider of the model you select, as described in the Privacy Policy. Ethen Code is designed to select the context a task needs rather than send an entire repository to a model.

When a task uses a local model, the Prompt and code context are processed on your computer and are not sent to a Model Provider.

Generated code can contain bugs, vulnerabilities or code resembling existing licensed code. Review it before you run, commit or deploy it, as the AI Use Policy explains.

Environment variables and secrets#

Source code often sits near secrets: API keys, tokens, passwords and private keys in configuration files, environment variables or command output. How Ethen Code detects and handles secrets will be documented here before release. Until then, assume that anything Ethen Code reads or a command prints may be included in a model request or a task record. To protect your secrets:

• keep secrets in environment variables or a secrets manager, not in source files;
• exclude secret files from projects you open in Ethen Code;
• be careful when asking Ethen to read configuration files or run commands that print environment variables;
• rotate any secret you believe was exposed in a Prompt, a log or a repository.

Ethen Code will not ask you to paste production credentials into a Prompt. Integrations that need credentials, such as the GitHub App, use the authorization flows of the service they connect to.

Cloud execution and sandboxes#

The cloud worker runs tasks inside isolated, temporary environments (sandboxes) created for each task. A sandbox receives the repository contents and tools the task needs, runs commands such as builds and tests, and is discarded when the task finishes. Records of what happened, such as commands, output, diffs and results, are kept as task history.

Sandboxes are designed to be isolated from other customers' tasks. Their isolation and network access will be documented at release.

Actions that change code#

Ethen Code distinguishes actions by how far they reach:

Writing to a hosted repository is switched off by default. Ethen Code will push, open pull requests or merge only after you approve that specific action, showing the repository, branch and changes involved. Your repository's own protections, such as branch protection rules and required reviews, continue to apply.

History, checkpoints and deletion#

Retention periods for cloud task records will be set out in the Data Retention Policy before release.

Organizations and enterprise repositories#

Organizations evaluating Ethen Code for company repositories should consider:

• which repositories the GitHub App may access;
• whether cloud execution is permitted under company policy, or whether teams should use local execution only;
• which Model Providers may receive code;
• how generated code is reviewed before merge.

Organization administrator controls for these choices will be described when Organization features are available. Until then, apply your organization's own source-code policies. Do not connect repositories you are not authorized to share with third-party AI services.

Changes before release#

Ethen Code's design may change before launch. This document will be updated to match the released product, and it takes effect only when Ethen Code is available to you.