| name | exedev-ctl |
| description | Manage exe.dev virtual machines with the exedev-ctl CLI installed from GitHub Releases. Use when Codex needs to help third-party users install exedev-ctl, inspect, create, delete, restart, rename, tag, resize, SSH into, share, or troubleshoot VMs on exe.dev; generate or check EXE_DEV_API_KEY permissions; or run raw exe.dev commands. |
exedev-ctl
Core Workflow
Use the installed exedev-ctl binary for exe.dev VM lifecycle and account-level operations:
exedev-ctl --help
exedev-ctl ls
For installation or platform-specific archive names, read references/exedev-ctl.md. Do not recommend cargo run to third-party users unless the user is explicitly maintaining the source repository.
Install First
If exedev-ctl is not installed, direct users to the latest GitHub Release:
https://github.com/lollipopkit/exedev-cli/releases/latest
Release archives are named exedev-clis-<tag>-<platform>.tar.gz and include both the exedev-ctl and exedev-k8s binaries; archive member names carry a ./ prefix (extract with ./exedev-ctl).
Before Acting
Check the current environment and scope before proposing changes:
- Verify
EXE_DEV_API_KEY is present for HTTPS /exec operations.
- Use
exedev-ctl --json ls to inspect current VMs.
- Treat destructive VM actions as high risk. Require explicit confirmation before
rm, bulk deletion, or operations that could lose disk state unless the user already asked for that exact action.
- When a token returns
403, inspect token permissions before assuming a VM or CLI bug.
- When
/exec returns 422, surface the exe.dev command failure body.
Command Selection
Use typed wrappers for supported commands: help, doc, ls, new, rm, restart, rename, tag, comment, stat, cp, resize, share, domain, team, invite, whoami, ssh-key, set-region, integrations, billing, shelley, browser, ssh, and grant-support-root.
Use exec -- <command> only for raw exe.dev commands that do not yet have a typed wrapper.
Use --json when output must be parsed, compared, or included in automation.
SSH and API Boundary
exedev-ctl uses local SSH by default. It can use POST https://exe.dev/exec when the user passes --transport http; that mode requires EXE_DEV_API_KEY.
The HTTPS endpoint has no stdin or pty, so these commands always use local SSH even with --transport http:
exedev-ctl ssh ...exedev-ctl new --prompt /dev/stdinexedev-ctl new --setup-script /dev/stdin
For streamed scripts or interactive VM work, prefer direct VM SSH such as ssh <vm>.exe.xyz ... when the repo evidence shows it is the reliable path.
More Detail
Read references/exedev-ctl.md when you need concrete command examples, token-generation guidance, error triage, or repo-specific checks.
