| name | using-exe-dev |
| description | Guides working with exe.dev VMs. Use when the user mentions exe.dev, exe VMs, *.exe.xyz, or tasks involving exe.dev infrastructure. |
About
exe.dev provides Linux VMs with persistent disks, instant HTTPS, and built-in auth. All management is via SSH.
Documentation
The index is organized for progressive discovery: start there and follow links as needed.
Quick reference
ssh exe.dev help # show commands
ssh exe.dev help <command> # show command details
ssh exe.dev new --json # create VM
ssh exe.dev ls --json # list VMs
ssh exe.dev rm <vm> # delete VM
ssh <vm>.exe.xyz # connect to VM
scp file.txt <vm>.exe.xyz:~/ # transfer file
Every VM gets https://<vm>.exe.xyz/ with automatic TLS.
A tale of two SSH destinations
ssh exe.dev <command> — the exe.dev lobby. A REPL for VM lifecycle, sharing, and configuration. Does not support scp, sftp, or arbitrary shell commands.ssh <vm>.exe.xyz — a direct connection to a VM. Full SSH: shell, scp, sftp, port forwarding, everything.
Working in non-interactive and sandboxed environments
Coding agents often run SSH in non-interactive shells or sandboxes. Common issues and workarounds:
scp/sftp failures: Ensure you're targeting <vm>.exe.xyz rather than exe.dev. Use ssh-based workarounds.
Hung connections: Non-interactive SSH can block on host key prompts with no visible output. Use -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new on first connection to a new VM.
SSH config: Check whether both destinations are configured to use the right key:
Host exe.dev *.exe.xyz
IdentitiesOnly yes
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
