devmachine

Getting started

Getting started

devmachine sets up a VPS for you to code on. Each project or client gets its own account on the server, called a workspace, with its own tools and logins.

You need a Debian or Ubuntu VPS you can reach as root over SSH, and a Mac or Linux computer.

Three commands:

brew install mydevmachine/tap/devmachine
devmachine setup
devmachine workspaces new alice && devmachine sync

On Linux without Homebrew, get the binary from the releases page.

devmachine skills add teaches your coding agent how to use devmachine. You can run it before setup, too.

Then work in your new workspace:

devmachine ssh alice

What each command does

setup asks for your server’s address. It shows a code called the fingerprint: check it matches the one in your provider’s dashboard, so you know you are talking to your own server. Then it sets up a key and turns off password logins, so only you can get in.

workspaces new alice creates a workspace called alice. sync builds it on the server.

A new workspace comes with git, the GitHub CLI, Node LTS (through mise), bun and zsh. The server itself gets nothing else until you add packages to it.

Something failed? Troubleshooting says what each error really means.

Set it up to develop

  • A coding agent: devmachine packages add claude-code --workspace alice, then devmachine sync.
  • GitHub, signed in once for every workspace: devmachine login gh, then devmachine sync. See credentials.
  • Docker: devmachine packages add docker, then let the workspace use it with devmachine workspaces edit alice --set workspace.groups=[docker], then devmachine sync.
  • Anything else: devmachine packages list shows what is available. Packages says how to add one or write your own.
  • Teach your coding agent this CLI: devmachine skills add. See agent skills.

Extras

  • Show an app at a URL — anything listening on a port, a dev server or a Docker container. Add a reverse proxy once with devmachine packages add caddy, then devmachine expose add alice 3000 --host app.example.com and devmachine sync. To reach it only from your own computer, with no public URL, use devmachine tunnel alice 3000 instead. See publishing.
  • Keep your configuration in git: devmachine setup git. See versioning your configuration.

Real setups, step by step: examples.

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