DevPort Agent is a lightweight app installed on the machine that will receive remote connections. Running the Agent allows DevPort Client to connect to that machine.

Agent comes in two forms:

Prerequisites: Enable SSH

SSH must be enabled for the Agent to work.

macOS

1. System Settings > General > Sharing
2. Enable Remote Login

Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

# Verify
sudo systemctl status ssh

Windows

1. Settings > Apps > Optional Features
2. Install OpenSSH Server
3. Start the service:

Start-Service sshd
Set-Service -Name sshd -StartupType Automatic

Desktop Agent

Installation

Download from GitHub Releases:

Running

After installation, launch the app. It will appear in the system tray.

Connection Methods

LAN Auto Discovery (no setup needed)

Simply run the Agent. It will automatically appear in Nearby Devices on any Client on the same network, broadcasting device name, OS, and SSH port via mDNS (_devport._tcp).

Connection Code (WAN)

Share the 6-digit code shown on the Agent screen (e.g., A3K-M7P). The code auto-refreshes every 5 minutes; use the Refresh button for manual refresh.

Codes exclude confusable characters (0, O, 1, I). If direct SSH is impossible (NAT/firewall), the Signal Server automatically relays via WebSocket.

GitHub Account

1. Click GitHub Login
2. Complete GitHub authentication in the browser
3. The device is automatically registered to your account
4. On the Client, sign in with the same GitHub account to see it in My Devices

Registered devices send heartbeats every 30 seconds to maintain online status.

CLI Agent

A terminal-based agent with no GUI. Ideal for servers, cloud instances, and containers.

Installation

npm install -g @devport/agent-cli

Basic Commands

# Foreground (for log viewing)
devport-agent start

# Background daemon
devport-agent start --daemon

# Specify SSH port (default 22)
devport-agent start --port 2222 --daemon

# Check status
devport-agent status

# Stop
devport-agent stop

GitHub Login/Logout

# Login (opens browser)
devport-agent login

# Logout
devport-agent logout

systemd Service (Linux)

For automatic start on reboot:

# /etc/systemd/system/devport-agent.service
[Unit]
Description=DevPort Agent
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=ubuntu
ExecStart=/usr/bin/devport-agent start
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now devport-agent

Desktop Agent vs CLI Agent

Security

• Connection Code: 5-min TTL, auto-refresh, rate limited on Signal Server
• SSH Encryption: Standard SSH protocol (E2E encrypted data)
• Signal Server: Routing only, no user data storage (zero-knowledge)
• WebSocket Relay: Transparently relays SSH traffic, cannot inspect data
• Authentication: Password or Private Key required for SSH connection

Troubleshooting

Agent running but not visible on Client (LAN)

• Verify both devices are on the same network
• Check if firewall is blocking mDNS (port 5353)
• Try restarting the Agent

Connection code not working

• Check if the code has expired (5-min TTL)
• Click Refresh to generate a new code
• Check internet connection

CLI Agent won't start

# Check if already running
devport-agent status

# Kill existing process and restart
devport-agent stop
devport-agent start

For persistent issues, please report at GitHub Issues.

DevPort iOS app is a native SwiftUI app that lets you connect to remote machines via SSH on iPad and iPhone, with code editing, terminal, Git, debugging, and more.

Installation

• Search "DevPort" on the App Store
• Requires iOS 16+ / iPadOS 16+
• Supports both iPhone and iPad

Connecting

Launch the app to see the connection screen.

Direct SSH Connection

1. Tap the + button
2. Enter: Hostname, Port (default 22), Username, Auth (password or private key)
3. Tap Connect
4. On first connection, verify Host Key and tap Accept

Nearby Devices (LAN)

If a DevPort Agent is running on the same Wi-Fi, it will automatically appear. Tap to connect.

Connection Code (WAN)

Enter the Agent's 6-digit code for remote connection. If direct connection is not possible, WebSocket Relay handles it automatically.

My Devices (GitHub Account)

1. Tap Sign In in the My Devices section
2. Complete GitHub authentication
3. All devices registered under the same account are displayed
4. Tap to connect (no code needed)

Biometric Auth (Face ID / Touch ID)

Enable biometric auth in Settings > Security:

• Face ID / Touch ID required to launch the app
• Quickly use saved credentials with biometric auth for SSH connections
• Credentials are securely stored in iOS Keychain

Layout

iPad Layout

• Sidebar and bottom panel are resizable by dragging
• Cmd+, to toggle sidebar (with external keyboard)

iPhone Layout

Tab-based navigation with full-screen panels.

Code Editor

CodeMirror 6-based editor with automatic syntax highlighting based on file extension.

• Multiple file tabs
• Syntax highlighting, code folding
• Search/replace
• Minimap

File Explorer

Browse the remote file system from the sidebar.

• Tap folders to expand/collapse
• Tap files to open in editor
• Git status indicators (modified, staged, untracked)
• Cmd+P: Search by file name
• Shift+F: Search file contents
• Expand/collapse all button

Terminal

Use the Terminal tab in the bottom panel.

• Manage multiple terminals as tabs
• Rust native PTY for real terminal emulation
• Auto-resizing
• Full iPad external keyboard support

Git

Manage Git with touch from the Git tab.

Basic Workflow

1. Review changes in the Changes tab
2. Swipe or tap files to Stage
3. Enter commit message and tap Commit
4. Tap Push to sync to remote

LSP Autocomplete

Code editing features via Language Server Protocol:

• Real-time autocomplete suggestions
• Symbol hover info
• Error/warning diagnostics

The language server must be installed on the remote server (see Client Guide for installation commands).

Debugging

Debug remote apps from the Debug tab (DAP):

• Supported: JavaScript, Python, C/C++, etc.
• Launch / Attach modes
• Breakpoints, variable inspection, call stack, output streams

Port Forwarding

Managed from the Ports tab. Forward remote ports for access from iPad browser.

1. Tap Add Forward
2. Enter Remote Host/Port
3. Manage/terminate from the active list

Docker

Manage remote Docker containers from the Docker tab:

• Container list (status, image, ports, CPU/memory)
• Start/Stop/Restart
• View logs
• Docker Compose project detection

Collaboration

Real-time collaboration from the Collab tab:

• Up to 8 participants
• Terminal sharing (read-only mode available)
• Real-time document co-editing (cursor tracking)
• Chat messages and presence status

Settings

• Theme: Dark / Light / System
• Editor: Font (10 options), size (10-24px), tab size, word wrap
• Terminal: Font size, cursor style
• Profiles: Auto-save, Share Sheet import/export

iPad Keyboard Shortcuts

Differences from Desktop Client

Troubleshooting

Connection drops

• Ensure Wi-Fi is stable
• Set auto-lock to a longer duration (Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock)
• SSH may disconnect when the app goes to background

Keyboard covers editor

• Resize or hide the bottom panel
• External keyboard is recommended

File not saving

• Check SSH connection status
• Verify remote file write permissions: ls -la filename

For persistent issues, please report at GitHub Issues.