Remote Machines

Aster can use another machine, such as a Linux server or OrbStack VM, as a working machine. Terminals, tabs, and splits live in its background session service; quitting Aster, network loss, or reconnecting from another Mac leaves processes/layouts there.

• Add via File → Add Machine… or + in the lower-left machine switcher. Select a saved host or enter a target: ~/.ssh/config alias, user@host, ssh://user@host:port, or OrbStack root@ubuntu@orb, then a named session (default default). The bundled SSH engine uses your ssh-agent, keys, and known_hosts. Passwords prompt when required; remembering in Keychain avoids repeated prompts.
• Service: the remote needs aster-session. If absent, adding offers installation from bundled app artifacts into ~/.local/share/aster. For old versions, the machine context menu or File → Update Remote Service… lists terminals that will stop before replacement and preserves the old version for rollback. Platform, architecture, and digest are checked before uploading.
• Switch using the lower-left capsule or File → Switch Machine. Its dot is green online, yellow connecting, orange needing attention, or gray offline. Switching detaches the view while tasks run; return restores it.
• Remote Agents: connection detects remote Agent CLIs (claude, codex, grok, gemini, etc.) beside the machine row. After adding, Aster offers remote Agent integration so running/wait/completion appears in Sidebar/Dock as locally. The machine's New Agent submenu or File → New Remote Agent… opens that CLI in a remote tab, returning to a remote Shell on exit.
• Workspaces: a machine can hold multiple named workspaces, such as one per project. Choose it in File → New Workspace… and switch via the workspace list. Switching detaches views without stopping tasks. Closing a remote workspace terminates all its processes after showing terminal count and confirming.
• Process exit: an end card offers restart Shell (a new terminal on the server, using --resume for a Pane that ran an Agent) or close tab.
• Files/monitoring: remote Files/Info browse directories, upload/download, and show monitoring without new authentication. Directory reports still require remote Shell integration (see Server Files and Server Monitor over SSH).
• Limits: remote tabs cannot open local File Panes or treat local paths as remote. Image paste uploads as described under Copy and Paste. Remote editing, Git panels, and directory mounting are outside this feature; use remote git/editor commands. Port forwarding supports only static rules in host configuration, established on connection.