Permission Modes: workspace and full
Overview
Companion currently supports two operating modes: workspace and full.
For most users, this is not a technical toggle. It is the main local-boundary decision in the product. It determines whether Ghast AI uses local capabilities primarily inside connected workspaces or across a much wider part of the machine.
Recommended default
Unless you have a clear reason to do otherwise, workspace should remain the preferred mode.
workspace fits the way most users actually work: around a project directory, a repository, or a defined set of files. It does not assume that the whole machine needs to be the starting scope.
full is better treated as an expanded mode for cases where you already know why broader local reach is necessary.
What the two modes mean
| Mode | What it means in practice | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
workspace | Local capabilities stay centered on the workspaces you explicitly connect | Daily project work, code directories, document folders, and ordinary local collaboration |
full | Local capabilities are no longer mainly constrained by workspace scope | Cases that genuinely require broader machine access across directories or environments |
Why workspace is the better default
The value of workspace is not that it is more complicated. Its value is that it is more restrained.
For most users, it brings three direct benefits:
- It is easier to understand which directory Ghast AI is actually working in.
- It is less likely to cross into local areas that the task never needed to touch.
- It is better suited to remain enabled as the long-term daily mode.
If your goal is simply to work with a project, repository, or document directory, workspace is usually enough.
When full is worth considering
full should only become a serious option in situations like these:
- Your task genuinely spans multiple local directories.
- Your workflow cannot be organized around one or more connected workspaces.
- You have confirmed that the need cannot be met while staying in
workspacemode.
Even then, the better first question is often whether you only need to add another workspace instead of widening the whole local boundary.
What changes in full
The most important change in full is not that there are more capabilities. The important change is that the default boundary becomes wider.
In practical terms:
- Local capabilities are no longer mainly contained by the workspace boundary.
- You take on a broader machine-level operating scope.
- The protection you were getting from a workspace-first boundary becomes noticeably weaker.
That is why full should be treated as a deliberate expansion mode, not as the recommended default.
A simple way to choose
| Your situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| You only need to work inside a specific project directory | workspace |
| You are using the product normally and are still unsure about your boundary needs | workspace |
| You think you may need a broader range but have not confirmed it yet | Stay in workspace or add another workspace first |
| You clearly know that you need a wider machine scope | Consider full |
Recommended operating order
The safer order is straightforward:
- Start in
workspacemode. - Confirm your real operating scope while using it.
- If it is not enough, add or adjust workspaces first.
- Switch to
fullonly when those steps still do not cover the need.
This order preserves the tighter local boundary that Ghast AI provides by default.
In the standard installation path, Companion should be treated as a workspace-first local capability layer. workspace is the default operating mode, while full is an expanded mode that should only be enabled when the need is explicit.