exe-dev

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Guides working with exe.dev VMs. Use when the user mentions exe.dev, exe VMs, *.exe.xyz, or tasks involving exe.dev infrastructure.

3installs

Sourcekylelundstedt/dotfiles

Added on2026-03-08

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exe.dev

exe.dev provides Linux VMs with persistent disks, instant HTTPS, and built-in auth.

Documentation

Docs index: https://exe.dev/docs.md
All docs in one page (big!): https://exe.dev/docs/all.md
HTTPS API: https://blog.exe.dev/apis-for-the-restless

Two interfaces: HTTPS API and SSH

HTTPS API (preferred for lobby commands)

The HTTPS API at

POST https://exe.dev/exec

is the reliable way to manage VMs. SSH to the exe.dev lobby is intermittently unreliable (connection timeouts).

Mint a bearer token from your registered SSH key:

bash

PERMS='{"cmds":["ls","new","rm","whoami"]}'
PAYLOAD=$(printf '%s' "$PERMS" | base64 | tr -d '\n=' | tr '+/' '-_')
SIG=$(printf '%s' "$PERMS" | ssh-keygen -Y sign -f ~/.ssh/exe_dev.pub -n v0@exe.dev 2>/dev/null | sed '1d;$d' | tr -d '\n' | tr '+/' '-_' | tr -d '=')
TOKEN="exe0.$PAYLOAD.$SIG"

The

ssh-keygen -Y sign

works with 1Password's SSH agent — pass the public key file and the agent handles signing.

Use the token:

bash

# List VMs
curl -s -X POST https://exe.dev/exec -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "ls"

# Create VM
curl -s -X POST https://exe.dev/exec -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "new --name myvm --image ubuntu:24.04"

# Delete VM
curl -s -X POST https://exe.dev/exec -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" -d "rm myvm"

Token permissions control which commands are allowed. The

cmds

array in the permissions JSON must include every command the token needs. Response is always JSON.

SSH (for VM access)

Direct VM access uses standard SSH:

bash

ssh <vm>.exe.xyz              # shell
scp file.txt <vm>.exe.xyz:~/  # transfer file

Every VM gets

https://<vm>.exe.xyz/

with automatic TLS.

VM defaults

Default user is root with no sudo installed. If you need a non-root user, install sudo first:

bash

ssh <vm>.exe.xyz "apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y -qq sudo && useradd -m -s /bin/bash myuser && echo 'myuser ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' > /etc/sudoers.d/myuser"

Image:
```
ubuntu:24.04
```
is the standard choice. exe.dev also offers
```
boldsoftware/exeuntu
```
.

VM naming rules

Names cannot end with
```
-<digits>
```
(e.g.
```
test-123
```
is rejected,
```
test-abc
```
works)
Hyphens are allowed elsewhere in the name
The name becomes the subdomain:
```
<name>.exe.xyz
```

SSH config

The exe.dev SSH key must be pinned to avoid 1Password's agent offering wrong keys:

Host exe.dev *.exe.xyz
  IdentitiesOnly yes
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/exe_dev.pub

The private key lives in 1Password ("SSH Key - exe.dev" in Employee vault). Only the public key is on disk at

~/.ssh/exe_dev.pub

.

Working in scripts and agents

Prefer HTTPS API for lobby commands (
```
ls
```
,
```
new
```
,
```
rm
```
). SSH to
```
exe.dev
```
is unreliable in automated contexts.

Use SSH multiplexing for repeated VM access to avoid connection overhead:

bash

ssh -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPath=/tmp/ssh-%r@%h-%p -o ControlPersist=300 <vm>.exe.xyz

Accept new host keys non-interactively:
```
-o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new
```
Connection timeout: Use
```
-o ConnectTimeout=30
```
for VM SSH — new VMs take a few seconds to become reachable.

exe-dev

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

exe.dev

Documentation

Two interfaces: HTTPS API and SSH

HTTPS API (preferred for lobby commands)

SSH (for VM access)

VM defaults

VM naming rules

SSH config

Working in scripts and agents