rmte

RMTE — Remote Terminal Relay & Cloud IDE (v0.8.0)

"I love sshx, but my endless curiosity to build it from scratch got the best of me 🥲"

RMTE is a secure, real-time, multi-user remote terminal sharing system and lightweight Cloud IDE. It is built entirely in Go with a centralized WebSocket relay architecture, securing all traffic with AES-GCM 256-bit End-to-End Encryption (E2EE).

It allows hosts to share terminal sessions, navigate directories using a clean absolute-path File Explorer, edit files in real-time via a multi-tab Web UI, and inspect local web servers via an embedded Mini Browser—all packed into a single binary.

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Screenshots & Showcase

📱/💻 Workspaces & Mobile UI	🛡️ Relay Admin Dashboard	🔑 Secure Login
Overview: Multi-Tab, Split IDE & Mobile	Live Traffic, Bandwidth & Session Monitor	Zero-Knowledge Auth Interface

💡 Click any image to view in full resolution.

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• AI Agent Gateway & Model Context Protocol (MCP) (🤖):
  • Direct zero-dependency Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration over stdio (rmte mcp) enabling local AI coding agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, Antigravity) to work directly inside remote locked-down hosts/containers.
  • 7 powerful AI tools built-in: rmte_exec (synchronous execution in persistent isolated [AI] tab or dedicated background tabs), rmte_read_file, rmte_write_file, rmte_upload_file, rmte_download_file, rmte_list_files, rmte_get_info.
  • Headless CLI Execution (rmte exec): Execute remote commands from local shell scripts and receive exact exit codes and clean stdout/stderr over E2EE.
  • Read-Only Human Spectator Protection: Live visual feedback of AI commands in the Web IDE without allowing human spectators to disrupt the AI's PTY.
• Embedded Web Browser Preview (🌐):
  • Built-in mini-browser directly inside the Web IDE tab bar, allowing developers to test local web apps (Vite, Next.js, React, Bun, Python, Dufs, Go, etc.) without leaving RMTE.
  • Relay-Assisted Reverse Proxy: Proxies any local port via path /p/<session>/<port>/ over the single relay port with zero external DNS dependency (runs on plain raw IP).
  • Anti-Lag Transport: Uses an isolated secondary WebSocket ({$ws-path}-proxy) multiplexed with smux v2 so high-bandwidth downloads never lag the PTY terminal.
  • Full HMR & WebSocket Hijacking: Automatically hijacks WebSocket upgrade requests for live Hot Module Reloading.
  • Interactive Toolbar & Responsive 390px Mobile View: Smart address bar, navigation controls ([◀] [▶] [⟳]), and mobile device inspection frame.
• Windows Native ConPTY:
  • Full pseudo-terminal support on Windows 10/11 using ConPTY: command history recall with arrow keys (↑ / ↓), horizontal cursor navigation (← / →), tab completion, and native ANSI color rendering.
• E2EE Terminal, Files, Commands & Chat (AES-GCM 256-bit): Terminal I/O, file contents, control messages (file operations, ai_exec, chat) are encrypted and authenticated locally; the relay only routes ciphertext and never receives your password. Web Preview traffic and the relay-served browser UI are the remaining places where the relay must be trusted. See the security model limits below and SECURITY.md.
• Single-Command Setup: Run rmte serve to start a relay and host session in one process. A random password and a shareable link are printed automatically.
• HTTP Compatible: Works on plain HTTP (no HTTPS required). A built-in crypto polyfill (asmcrypto.js) handles AES-GCM when crypto.subtle is unavailable.
• Shareable Links & Auto-fill UI: Running a host session generates a web URL with pre-filled ?server= and ?session= parameters. The Web UI parses these and auto-focuses the password input for seamless onboarding.
• Modern Web Redesign: A sleek, split-viewport interface using OKLCH atmospheric themes, Space Grotesk/Inter/JetBrains Mono typography, and portable CSS design tokens (tokens.css).
• Split-Workspace Cloud IDE: Toggle the folder icon 📁 in the browser tab bar to open a split-view workspace:
  • Left Panel: Advanced File Explorer with resizable drag handle (persisted across reloads).
  • Right Panel: Tabbed text editor powered by CodeMirror (syntax highlighting, line numbers, unsaved indicators ●, direct Ctrl + S saving).
  • Bottom Panel: Interactive, multi-tab terminal shells (+ Terminal).
• Modern File Explorer & Manager:
  • Absolute PWD & Segment Breadcrumbs: Displays the full host working directory with clickable path segments and a quick edit button (✏️ or double-click) to type any path directly.
  • Drag & Drop Upload & One-Click Download: Drag files from your computer into the Explorer to upload; click the ⬇ icon to download host files locally.
  • Parent Navigation (..): An always-visible .. folder item allows walking backward up the host's directory structure.
  • Inline Operations (Zero Browser Modals): Creating new files (+📄) or folders (+📁), renaming (✏️), and deleting (🗑) are performed via inline text inputs and non-intrusive confirmation strips ([Yes] [No]).
  • Toast Notification HUD: Directory and workspace errors are reported through transient, auto-dismissing inline Toasts.
• Host Audit Event Log (rmte-<session_id>.log):
  • Every session lifecycle event (host startup, client connects/disconnects, terminal tabs, and file reads/writes/creations/deletions) is securely logged to rmte-<session_id>.log on the host machine.
  • Real-time streaming to the UI with a live unread badge and instant 📥 Export to download the log.
• Unified Sidebar & Real-Time Chat Bridge:
  • Dedicated multi-tab sidebar for 👥 Users presence, 💬 Chat (live encrypted bridge between Web and CLI clients), and 📜 Activity Log.
• Share Session Dialog (🔗): Convenient modal to copy browser links or CLI join commands with one click.
• Dynamic Max Buffer & Relay Adaptive Clamping:
  • Set customizable memory limits via CLI (e.g. --buffer=5 for 5MB limits) to configure both the terminal ring buffer and the maximum allowed file sizes.
  • Relay Adaptive Clamping (--max-buffer): Self-hosted and public relays can set a maximum buffer threshold. If a connecting host requests more memory than allowed, the relay adaptively clamps the session without rejecting the host, and enforces transport-level WebSocket frame ceilings (SetReadLimit) to prevent DoS.
• Relay Resource & DoS Protection:
  • Session Capacity (--max-sessions): Limits total concurrent active sessions (default: 100, 0 = unlimited).
  • Viewer Concurrency Ceiling (--max-viewers): Limits total active WebSocket connections per session across all viewer IDs and tabs (default: 50, 0 = unlimited).
  • Lean Smux Multiplexing: Slices proxy stream buffers to 512 KB and session receive pools to 4 MB (~87.5% memory reduction).
• Zero-copy Binary Data Channel (Tab ID 255): Avoids heavy Base64 parsing overhead. Files are sent as pure, encrypted binary frames over a reserved channel.
• Background / Quiet Mode (-q / --quiet & rmte stop):
  • Run rmte serve or rmte share as a detached background daemon. Prints the connection banner, shareable link, and PID to stdout, then immediately returns control to your shell.
  • Stop background sessions cleanly anytime using rmte stop <session_id | pid>.
• State Persistence & Auto-Reconnect: Connection credentials live safely in sessionStorage for immediate recovery upon page refresh.
• Relay Admin Dashboard (--admin-pass & --admin-path):
  • Built-in administrative web dashboard for self-hosted relays (standalone, hybrid, relay).
  • Live monitoring of active sessions, session capacity limits, connected viewers, and cumulative TX / RX network bandwidth.
  • Force-terminate sessions with one click and ban abusive IP addresses in real time.
  • Configurable dashboard route (default: /admin) protected against URI collision.

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┌───────────────┐                  ┌──────────────┐                  ┌───────────────┐
│               │ E2EE control     │              │ E2EE control     │               │
│               │ (sealed JSON)    │              │ (sealed JSON)    │               │
│               ├─────────────────►│              │◄─────────────────┤               │
│   Host Go     │                  │  Relay Go    │                  │  Viewer JS    │
│  Workspace    │ E2EE terminal +  │  (WebSockets)│ E2EE terminal +  │   Browser     │
│               │ file (Tab 255)   │              │ file (Tab 255)   │               │
│               │◄─────────────────┤              ├─────────────────►│               │
└───────────────┘  (Raw Binary)    └──────────────┘  (Raw Binary)    └───────────────┘

1. E2EE Key Derivation: Keys are derived locally with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 (600,000 iterations) from the password, salted with the session id, then split with HKDF into separate encryption, relay-auth and preview subkeys. The relay only sees the auth subkey, so guessing a password costs a full PBKDF2 run per guess. Nothing is stored on disk or on the relay: the same session id and password always give the same keys, so a host resumes its session after a restart or reboot.
2. AES-GCM Binary Frames: Terminal I/O and file contents (Tab 255) are encrypted with AES-GCM and a random 12-byte IV per frame. The frame header (direction, tab id, transfer id) is authenticated as additional data, so the relay cannot redirect, reflect or re-wrap frames.
3. Sealed Control Envelope: Every viewer↔host control message (file operations, ai_exec and its output, tab management, presence, chat) is sealed with AES-GCM, bound to the session id and direction, and carries a per-sender sequence number plus the host's per-process epoch. The relay sees only a routing id; it cannot read, forge, reorder or replay these messages, including across host restarts.

Current limits: the relay is still trusted for the following.

• Web Preview is not E2EE. The browser talks HTTP to the relay, which can see preview requests, responses and cookies.
• The browser UI is served by the relay. A malicious relay (or anyone on the network when using plain HTTP) can serve JavaScript that captures the password before encryption, and then act as a legitimate viewer. CLI clients (rmte join, exec, mcp) are not affected by this.
• Replay of a captured terminal frame on the same tab is still possible (binary frames have no sequence number yet).
• Metadata: the relay sees routing ids, message sizes and timing, and can drop messages or spoof its own status notices (host connected/disconnected, viewer left).

With --allow-exec, anyone holding the session password can run commands; prefer a relay you run yourself when browsers join.

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📦 Installation

1-Line Quick Install & Launch

Run RMTE instantly without manual setup. The installer detects your OS and architecture automatically:

Linux & macOS:

# 1. Download to current directory (default)
curl -sSf https://rmte.biz.id/install.sh | sh

# 2. Run immediately without saving to current dir (uses /tmp)
curl -sSf https://rmte.biz.id/install.sh | sh -s run

# 3. Install system-wide (~/.local/bin or /usr/local/bin)
curl -sSf https://rmte.biz.id/install.sh | sh -s install

# 4. Download and run in one shot
curl -sSf https://rmte.biz.id/install.sh | sh -s download run

# 5. Run immediately in background daemon (quiet)
curl -sSf https://rmte.biz.id/install.sh | sh -s run -q

Windows (PowerShell):

# 1. Download to current directory (default)
irm https://rmte.biz.id/install.ps1 | iex

# 2. Run immediately from temp folder
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://rmte.biz.id/install.ps1))) run

# 3. Install to ~/.local/bin and add to User PATH
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://rmte.biz.id/install.ps1))) install

# 4. Download and run in one shot
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://rmte.biz.id/install.ps1))) download run

# 5. Run immediately in background daemon (quiet)
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://rmte.biz.id/install.ps1))) run -q

Pre-built Binaries

Get the latest pre-built releases for your operating system directly from the GitHub releases page: 👉 RMTE GitHub Releases

Build from Source

Got Go installed (v1.21+)? Let's build the binary:

git clone https://github.com/milio48/rmte.git
cd rmte/rmte
go build -ldflags "-s -w" -o rmte

RMTE is designed with zero frontend dependencies. All web assets in rmte/ui/ (tokens.css, app.css, app.js, index.html) are embedded directly into the Go binary at compile time via //go:embed ui/* without requiring Node.js, npm, or bundlers.

1. Run locally without building:

   cd rmte/rmte
   go run . serve --dir="../"
   

2. Run Unit Tests:

   cd rmte/rmte
   go test -v ./...
   

3. Build Binary with Custom Version (-ldflags):

   cd rmte/rmte
   go build -ldflags "-s -w -X main.appVersion=0.7.6" -o rmte
   

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🧭 Terminology

Term	Meaning	How
Relay	The machine that opens a port (HTTP Web UI + WebSocket routing)	rmte serve
Host	The controlled machine (shell + files)	rmte serve (standalone/hybrid) or rmte share
Client	Whoever controls the host: Web browser or CLI/TUI	Shareable link or rmte join

⚖️ Commands & Modes

Feature / Role	serve --mode=standalone (default)	serve --mode=hybrid	serve --mode=relay	rmte share / rmte	rmte join	rmte exec	rmte mcp
Role Summary	Relay + Local Host	Relay + Local Host	Dedicated Relay Only	Outbound Host	Client (TUI)	Client (Headless Exec)	Client (AI MCP Server)
Opens Listening Port	✅ Yes (8048)	✅ Yes (8048)	✅ Yes (8048)	❌ No (Outbound)	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Local PTY & Files (Host)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Accepts External Hosts	❌ No (Rejected)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	—	—	—	—
Prints Session ID & Links	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	—	—	—
Key Flags (full list in Flag Reference)	--pass, --id, --dir, --allow-exec	--public, --pass, --id, --allow-exec	--public, --admin-pass, --max-buffer	--server-relay, --pass, --id, --allow-exec	--server-relay, --id, --pass	--server-relay, --id, --pass, --timeout	--server-relay, --id, --pass

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🚀 Quick Start Guide

0. Instant E2EE Share (Zero-Configuration)

Run rmte directly without subcommands to instantly connect to the public relay my.rmte.biz.id with Web Preview enabled:

./rmte

Or run detached in the background:

./rmte -q

Or with custom credentials:

./rmte --id="mysession" --pass="supersecret" -q

1. Quick local session (Self-hosted standalone)

./rmte serve

Output:

RMTE v0.8.0 — Mode: standalone
────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bind:             127.0.0.1:8048
Rmte Port:        8048
Open to Relay:    ❌ No
Directory:        /workspace
Custom Password:  ❌ No  (generated: YJNhJkzGHEhc)
Session ID:       16fd7ce2
Buffer limit:     1 MB
Web Path:         /
WS Path:          /ws-rmte

Shareable link (Web Version):
  http://localhost:8048/?server=ws%3A%2F%2Flocalhost%3A8048%2Fws-rmte&session=16fd7ce2

Join CLI / TUI Version:
  rmte join --server-relay="ws://localhost:8048/ws-rmte" --id="16fd7ce2" --pass="YJNhJkzGHEhc"

Case 1: Single VPS (self-contained)

One machine is both the relay and the host. External hosts are rejected.

./rmte serve --public --public-url="https://rmte.example.com" --pass="supersecret123"

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VPS_1: RELAY + HOST (rmte serve --public)              │
│ ✓ HTTP port 8048 (Web UI)                              │
│ ✓ WebSocket /ws-rmte (routing)                         │
│ ✓ Local shell & files                                  │
│ ✗ External hosts rejected (standalone)                 │
└───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
              ┌─────────────┼──────────────┐
           ┌──▼──┐       ┌──▼──┐       ┌───▼────┐
           │ CLI │       │ WEB │       │ WEB    │
           └─────┘       └─────┘       └────────┘
            join         browser        browser

Case 2: Multi-VPS (central relay + separate hosts)

Only the relay opens a port. Hosts connect outbound, so they need no open ports.

# VPS_1 (relay only)
./rmte serve --mode=relay --public --public-url="https://relay.example.com"

# VPS_2, VPS_3, VPS_4 (each becomes a host with its own Session ID)
./rmte share --server-relay="ws://relay.example.com:8048/ws-rmte" --pass="supersecret123" --buffer=5

┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐
│ VPS_2: HOST   │   │ VPS_3: HOST   │   │ VPS_4: HOST   │
│ (rmte share)  │   │ (rmte share)  │   │ (rmte share)  │
│ ✗ no open port│   │ ✗ no open port│   │ ✗ no open port│
└───────┬───────┘   └───────┬───────┘   └───────┬───────┘
        │ outbound WS       │                   │
        └───────────────────┼───────────────────┘
                            ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VPS_1: RELAY (rmte serve --mode=relay --public)        │
│ ✓ HTTP port 8048 (Web UI)                              │
│ ✓ WebSocket /ws-rmte (routing)                         │
└───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
              ┌─────────────┼──────────────┐
           ┌──▼──┐       ┌──▼──┐       ┌───▼────┐
           │ CLI │       │ WEB │       │ WEB    │
           └─────┘       └─────┘       └────────┘
            join         browser        browser

Want the relay machine to also be a host? Use --mode=hybrid instead of --mode=relay.

Join via CLI Client (TUI)

./rmte join --server-relay="ws://relay.example.com:8048/ws-rmte" --id="a1b2c3d4" --pass="supersecret123"

You'll enter an interactive TUI menu:

• [j] Join Tab: Dive into the active terminal shell (Press Ctrl + ] to escape).
• [n] New Tab: Spawn a concurrent shell on the host.
• [s] Switch Tab: Hop between active terminal tabs.
• [c] Chat: Enter the real-time chat room.
• [q] Quit: Disconnect gracefully.

Join via Web Client

Open the shareable link printed by serve/share (or browse to the relay's web path — the server URL is auto-filled).

1. Enter the E2EE Password and click Establish Connection.
2. Toggle the folder icon 📁 in the tab bar to access the workspace editor.
3. Double-click the breadcrumb to input any absolute path directly.

🤖 AI Agent Integration (MCP & Headless CLI Exec)

You can connect local AI coding agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, Antigravity) to execute commands, read/write files, and transfer data inside remote host environments over secure E2EE with zero open inbound ports! Fully supported on Linux, macOS, and Windows hosts.

1. Enable on Remote Host:

Start the host session with --allow-exec:

./rmte share --allow-exec
# or for self-hosted standalone:
./rmte serve --allow-exec

Platform Execution Details:

• Linux & macOS Hosts: Commands execute inside an isolated interactive PTY shell in tab [AI].
• Windows Hosts: Commands execute via headless process pipes (pwsh.exe $\rightarrow$ powershell.exe $\rightarrow$ cmd.exe) with full UTF-8 output encoding support and automatic process-tree cleanup on timeout. Live command outputs stream in real-time to the web viewer's [AI] spectator canvas without console prompt noise.
• Non-Interactive Stdin: Executed commands run non-interactively (stdin is non-interactive; commands requiring input should accept CLI flags or environment variables).

2. Headless CLI Execution (rmte exec):

Run remote commands from local shell scripts and propagate exit codes:

# Execute command and return remote exit code:
./rmte exec --id="session_id" --pass="secret" -- "uname -a"

# Windows host example:
./rmte exec --id="session_id" --pass="secret" -- "dir"

# Launch long-running commands in a dedicated background tab:
./rmte exec --id="session_id" --pass="secret" --bg --tab-name="DevServer" -- "npm run dev"

3. Model Context Protocol (MCP) Setup:

Configure your local AI coding assistant to communicate with RMTE via stdio:

Claude Desktop Configuration (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rmte": {
      "command": "rmte",
      "args": [
        "mcp",
        "--server-relay=wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte",
        "--id=<session_id>",
        "--pass=<password>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor MCP Configuration: Add a new stdio MCP server:

• Name: rmte
• Command: rmte mcp --server-relay=wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte --id=<session_id> --pass=<password>

Available MCP Tools:

• rmte_exec: Run shell commands in the persistent [AI] tab or in dedicated background tabs.
• rmte_read_file: Read UTF-8 text from remote host files.
• rmte_write_file: Write or overwrite text files on the remote host.
• rmte_upload_file: Upload local files from your machine to the remote host.
• rmte_download_file: Download remote files to your local machine.
• rmte_list_files: List directory contents on the remote host.
• rmte_get_info: Inspect remote host environment metadata (OS, architecture, hostname, working directory, PID, active tabs).

📖 Complete Documentation & Config Generator: For a deep dive into security sandboxing, persistent vs background AI tabs, and interactive configuration generation for Claude Desktop and Cursor, see the RMTE AI & MCP Guide (or docs/mcp.html).

🛡️ Relay Admin Dashboard

Self-hosting your own relay server (standalone, hybrid, or relay)? You can enable the real-time web administration dashboard by specifying --admin-pass:

# Start a relay server with Admin Dashboard enabled
./rmte serve --mode=relay --public --admin-pass="supersecret123" --admin-path="/admin" -q

Then navigate to http://your-relay:8048/admin in your browser and enter the password:

• Live Overview: Real-time statistics including active sessions, connected viewers, and cumulative TX / RX bandwidth.
• Session Management: Inspect active host session IDs and view connected viewer counts.
• Instant Termination: Force-close suspicious or hung sessions immediately with one click (/admin/api/terminate).
• IP Banning: Permanently ban malicious remote IP addresses in real time (/admin/api/ban).
• Custom Route: Customize the path via --admin-path (e.g. --admin-path="/control"). It cannot collide with /p (Web Preview), /favicon.ico, or the Web UI.

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📖 Flag Reference

This reference is kept identical to the one on rmte.biz.id.

rmte & rmte share

Connects outbound from your local terminal workspace to an RMTE relay. Running rmte without a subcommand is the same as rmte share with all defaults. Defaults to the public relay wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte.

Flag & Aliases	Default Value	Description
--server-relay, --server	wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte	Relay WebSocket URL. Supports secure WebSocket (wss://) and local/custom relays (ws://).
--pass, --password	Auto-generated (12 chars)	Session password. Keys are derived from it with PBKDF2 (see SECURITY.md). Printed on startup if generated.
--pass-file	Disabled (empty)	Read the password from a local file instead, keeping it out of ps aux listings. Permissions 0600 are checked on Unix.
--id	Auto-generated (8 chars)	Custom Session ID (a-z, 0-9, max 10 chars). Restarting with the same --id and password resumes the session.
--dir	Current working directory	Initial directory for the Web File Explorer and terminal.
--sandbox, --dir-only	false	Confine the File Explorer and file tools to --dir (blocks path traversal and symlink escapes). Files only: the shell is not jailed.
--buffer	1 (MB)	Terminal scrollback buffer and maximum file transfer size.
--max-chat	50	Chat messages kept in host memory for viewers who join later (0 disables retention).
--web-preview, --preview	true	Embedded Web Browser Preview reverse proxy for local dev servers (e.g. ports 3000, 5173).
--preview-ports	Ports opened by viewers	Fixed preview allowlist, e.g. 3000,5173,8000-8010. Without it, the host only forwards ports a viewer opens explicitly (logged).
--allow-exec, --enable-ai	false	Allow remote command execution via rmte exec and MCP. Commands run in a visible [AI] tab.
-q, --quiet	false	Run in the background: print connection info and PID, then return to the shell.
--insecure, --skip-tls-verify	false	Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed relays). Process-wide, also affects update downloads.

rmte serve

Runs an RMTE relay with the Web UI and an optional admin dashboard. Modes: standalone (relay + local host only), hybrid (relay + local host + external hosts) or relay (router only, no local shell).

Flag & Aliases	Default Value	Description
--mode	standalone	standalone, hybrid or relay.
--port	8048	TCP port for the Web UI and WebSocket traffic.
--public	false (127.0.0.1)	Bind 0.0.0.0 instead of loopback, making the relay reachable from the network.
--public-url, --url	Disabled (empty)	Public base URL or domain used in printed links (e.g. https://my.rmte.biz.id or http://host:8041). Picks TLS/WSS schemes and keeps custom ports.
--web-path	/	HTTP path of the Web UI (e.g. /web).
--ws-path	/ws-rmte	WebSocket endpoint for hosts and clients.
--no-web	false	Don't serve the Web UI (WebSocket and admin API only).
--no-cli	false	Reject CLI / TUI clients (soft restriction: clients self-declare).
--pass	Auto-generated (12 chars)	Password of the local host session. (Not used in relay mode.)
--pass-file	Disabled (empty)	Read the password from a local file (0600 on Unix). (Not used in relay mode.)
--id	Auto-generated (8 chars)	Session ID of the local host session. (Not used in relay mode.)
--dir	Current working directory	Root directory for the File Explorer and terminal. (Not used in relay mode.)
--sandbox, --dir-only	false	Confine the File Explorer and file tools to --dir (files only; the shell is not jailed). (Not used in relay mode.)
--buffer	1 (MB)	Terminal scrollback buffer and maximum file transfer size. (Not used in relay mode.)
--max-chat	50	Chat messages kept in host memory (0 disables retention). (Not used in relay mode.)
--web-preview, --preview	false	Enable the Embedded Web Browser Preview reverse proxy.
--preview-ports	Ports opened by viewers	Fixed preview allowlist, e.g. 3000,5173,8000-8010. Without it, only ports a viewer opens explicitly are forwarded. (Not used in relay mode.)
--allow-exec, --enable-ai	false	Allow remote command execution via rmte exec and MCP on the local host. (Not used in relay mode.)
-q, --quiet	false	Run in the background and print the process PID.
--admin-pass, --password-admin	Disabled (empty)	Enables the Relay Admin Dashboard (live sessions, traffic, termination, IP bans). Failed logins are rate-limited.
--admin-path, --path-admin	/admin	HTTP path of the Relay Admin Dashboard. Cannot collide with /p (Web Preview), /favicon.ico or the Web UI.
--max-buffer	0 (= 256 MB)	Largest host buffer accepted per session, also bounding WebSocket frame size. Larger host requests are clamped. Lower it for multi-tenant relays.
--max-sessions	100 (0 = unlimited)	Maximum concurrent sessions. New sessions over the limit are rejected; host reconnects are always allowed.
--max-viewers	50 (0 = unlimited)	Maximum viewer connections per session, across all viewers and tabs.
--trusted-proxies	loopback	Proxies whose CF-Connecting-IP / X-Forwarded-For / X-Real-IP headers are trusted for client IPs (bans, login throttling): CIDRs/IPs, loopback, private or none.
--ws-origins	Own origin only	Extra browser origins allowed to open WebSockets, e.g. https://ui.example.com.
--insecure, --skip-tls-verify	false	Skip TLS certificate verification (process-wide).

rmte join

Connects from another terminal into a shared session as an interactive CLI / TUI client.

Flag & Aliases	Default Value	Description
--server-relay, --server	wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte	Relay WebSocket URL (override for self-hosted relays).
--id	Required	Session ID to join.
--pass, --password	Required	Session password (or --pass-file / RMTE_PASS).
--pass-file	Disabled (empty)	Read the password from a local file.
--name	Interactive prompt	Display name shown in presence and chat.
--insecure, --skip-tls-verify	false	Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed relays).

rmte exec

Runs one shell command on a host started with --allow-exec, prints its output and exits with the command's exit code. Ideal for scripts and CI/CD.

Flag & Aliases	Default Value	Description
--server-relay, --server	wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte	Relay WebSocket URL.
--id	Required	Session ID of the target host.
--pass, --password	Required	Session password (or --pass-file / RMTE_PASS).
--pass-file	Disabled (empty)	Read the password from a local file.
--timeout	60 (seconds)	Execution timeout; the process is terminated when it is exceeded.
--bg, --background	false	Run in a dedicated background tab instead of the shared [AI] tab and return immediately.
--tab-name, --name-tab	Empty	Title of the background tab (e.g. --tab-name=DevServer).
--name	rmte-exec	Client name shown in the Web IDE presence badge.
--insecure, --skip-tls-verify	false	Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed relays).
-- <command>	Required	Everything after -- is the command to run.

rmte mcp

Starts a stdio JSON-RPC 2.0 Model Context Protocol server so AI agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, Antigravity) can work on a host started with --allow-exec.

Flag & Aliases	Default Value	Description
--server-relay, --server	wss://my.rmte.biz.id/ws-rmte	Relay WebSocket URL.
--id	Required	Session ID of the target host.
--pass, --password	Required	Session password (or --pass-file / RMTE_PASS).
--pass-file	Disabled (empty)	Read the password from a local file.
--name	Claude-MCP	Bot name shown in the Web IDE presence badge (e.g. [AI] Claude-MCP).
--insecure, --skip-tls-verify	false	Skip TLS certificate verification (self-signed relays).

rmte stop & rmte update

Stops background sessions started with -q, and updates the binary in place from official GitHub releases (rmte upgrade is an alias).

Command / Flag	Usage / Target	Description
rmte stop <session_id>	Session ID (e.g. a1b2c3d4)	Stops the background session with that ID.
rmte stop <pid>	Process ID	Sends a graceful termination signal to that background process.
rmte update --check, -c	Version check	Checks GitHub releases for a newer version without downloading.
rmte update	In-place upgrade	Downloads the binary for your OS/arch, verifies it against checksums.txt (fail-closed) and replaces the executable.
rmte update --force	Re-install	Downloads and replaces the binary even when already up to date.
rmte update --restart, -r	Seamless restart	Updates, then restarts the running background session. Browsers reconnect automatically without re-entering credentials.
rmte update --skip-checksum-verify, --no-checksum	Bypass integrity check	Skips SHA-256 verification against checksums.txt. Use with caution.

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🔐 Security & Environment Variables

Credential Precedence

RMTE resolves credentials according to strict precedence across all subcommands (share, serve, join, exec, mcp):

1. CLI Flag (--pass): Overrides all other sources. (Exposed in ps aux)
2. Password File (--pass-file <path>): Reads from disk. (Checks for 0600 permissions on Unix; recommended for automated services)
3. Environment Variable (RMTE_PASS): Ingested from process environment. (Host prints anti-footgun warning banner if active to prevent unintentional re-use)
4. Default: Host generates a cryptographically secure 12-character random password.

Supported Environment Variables

Credentials and defaults can come from environment variables (CI/CD runners, systemd units, scripts) instead of command-line flags visible in ps aux.

Variable	Applies To	Description
RMTE_PASS	share, serve, join, exec, mcp	Session password. The host prints a warning banner when it is used, to prevent accidental long-term reuse.
RMTE_SERVER	share, join, exec, mcp	Default relay WebSocket URL (same as --server-relay).
RMTE_ID	share, serve, join, exec, mcp	Session ID (same as --id).
RMTE_ADMIN_PASS	serve	Relay Admin Dashboard password (same as --admin-pass).
RMTE_DNS_FALLBACK	All commands	Set to off to never redirect DNS to public resolvers. By default only Go's built-in 127.0.0.1:53 / [::1]:53 fallback is redirected, and only when no resolver is configured.

📖 Security Model & Reporting: For details on our end-to-end encryption model, filesystem sandbox boundaries (--sandbox files $\neq$ shell container), and responsible vulnerability disclosure, please read our SECURITY.md.

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v0.3.x	v0.4.0
rmte serve --port=8080 (relay)	rmte serve --mode=relay --public
rmte serve --pass="x"	rmte serve --pass="x" --public (standalone)
--server="ws://host:8080/ws"	--server-relay="ws://host:8048/ws-rmte"
Binds all interfaces	Binds 127.0.0.1 unless --public
Protocol 0.3	Protocol 0.4 — run the same version on relay, hosts and clients