# Command line > The muxen command: everything the app does, for your terminal, your scripts and agents without MCP. The `muxen` command does what the app does, from a terminal. It’s the same program: run with no arguments, it opens the window. Use it for quick looks, in scripts, and for AI agents that run shell commands but don’t speak [MCP](https://muxin.dev/docs/agents). ## Install the command - **macOS**: **Settings › General › Command line** installs it in `/usr/local/bin`. - **Windows**: the installer offers to add it to your PATH. - **Linux**: `muxen shell-command install` puts it in `~/.local/bin`. `muxen shell-command remove` takes it out again. `muxen --help`, and `--help` after any command, lists the options. ## JSON and exit codes - `--json`, on every command: print JSON only on stdout, the same shapes the MCP tools return. Errors print as `{"error": {...}}` with a `code` and often a `hint`. Progress goes to stderr. | Exit code | Means | |---|---| | `0` | Success. | | `1` | The operation failed. | | `2` | Bad input, or the thing wasn’t found. | `muxen ws exec` is the exception: it exits with the command’s own exit code (124 if it timed out), so it composes like running the command locally. Machines are named by their id, a slug of their name such as `mac-studio`; the name works too. The app, the CLI and MCP servers can all run at once and see each other’s changes. ## Machines ``` muxen status [--refresh] # overview and what needs attention muxen machines muxen machine beacon # everything about one machine muxen check # check every machine now and print a report muxen ssh-hosts # your ssh config, your tailnet, this network muxen add-machine --name Beacon --host you@beacon.local muxen rename-machine beacon "Beacon server" # the id stays the same muxen remove-machine beacon # nothing on the machine changes muxen disconnect beacon # stop connecting; its sessions go on there muxen connect beacon muxen connection beacon [--direct on|off] muxen wake beacon # Wake on LAN muxen power win-test off # a VM or a cloud machine ``` See [Machines](https://muxin.dev/docs/machines) and [Connections](https://muxin.dev/docs/connections). ## Agent sessions ``` muxen session ls muxen session start beacon claude --cwd ~/code/api --prompt "Fix the failing test" muxen session read beacon/claude-3f9a muxen session question beacon/claude-3f9a # what it's asking, and the options muxen session answer beacon/claude-3f9a 1 muxen session send beacon/claude-3f9a "Also update the README" muxen session attach beacon/claude-3f9a # use it in this terminal muxen session rename beacon/claude-3f9a "API tests" muxen session restart beacon/claude-3f9a muxen session stop beacon/claude-3f9a ``` Agents are `claude`, `codex`, `opencode`, `gemini`, `amp`, `pi`, or `shell` for a plain shell. See [Agent sessions](https://muxin.dev/docs/sessions). ## Workspaces ``` muxen ws create --platform linux --repo acme/api --ref main muxen ws create --docker --image node:22 --repo acme/web # in a fresh container muxen ws ls muxen ws exec ws-7f3a2c -- cargo test muxen ws exec ws-7f3a2c --background -- npm run dev muxen ws cat ws-7f3a2c .muxen/logs/1.log echo 'hello' | muxen ws write ws-7f3a2c notes.txt muxen ws files ws-7f3a2c src --depth 1 muxen ws changes ws-7f3a2c # git status and the diff muxen ws sync ws-7f3a2c ~/code/api --push # or --pull; --delete mirrors deletions muxen ws shell ws-7f3a2c # a shell there, for you muxen ws rm ws-7f3a2c [--keep-files] muxen ws allow nas --off # no workspaces on this machine ``` `ws` is short for `workspace`. Leave out the machine and Muxen picks the least-loaded one that matches `--platform`. ## Files and editors ``` muxen files beacon:~/build # what's in a folder (alias: ls) muxen cp beacon:~/build/app.tar.gz mac-studio:~/Downloads muxen edit beacon:~/code/api [--editor zed] [--print] ``` `edit` opens the folder over ssh in Zed, Cursor or VS Code; `--print` shows the command instead. See [Files](https://muxin.dev/docs/files). ## Running things ``` muxen run --on beacon,mac-studio -- df -h / # one command on several machines muxen run --all -- uptime # every machine that's online muxen ps beacon [-n 20] # busiest processes and GPUs muxen kill beacon 4242 [--force] muxen ports beacon # what's listening muxen forward beacon 3000 # its port 3000 at localhost:3000, until Ctrl-C ``` `run` exits 1 when any machine failed. See [Run on machines](https://muxin.dev/docs/run) and [Servers](https://muxin.dev/docs/servers). ## Logs and services ``` muxen logs beacon --list # what there is to read muxen logs beacon # the system log muxen logs beacon --unit nginx -n 500 --grep error muxen logs beacon --container postgres --follow muxen logs beacon --file /var/log/syslog muxen services beacon # services and containers, failed first muxen services beacon restart nginx muxen services beacon stop postgres --container ``` See [Logs and services](https://muxin.dev/docs/logs-services). ## Desktops ``` muxen desktop shot beacon [-o screen.jpg] muxen desktop input beacon '[{"type":"click","x":640,"y":400},{"type":"text","text":"hello"}]' muxen desktop displays beacon # its monitors, with their ids muxen desktop add beacon --size 2560x1440 --name Side muxen desktop set beacon --size 3840x2160 --scale 2 muxen desktop remove beacon ``` `shot` and `input` take `--display` for one monitor. Input coordinates are in the screenshot’s pixels. See [Desktops](https://muxin.dev/docs/desktops). ## VMs and schedules ``` muxen vm options muxen vm create win-test --system windows-11 --on beacon muxen vm create dev --system ubuntu-24.04 --install claude,codex muxen vm destroy win-test muxen schedule ls [--on beacon] muxen schedule add beacon --name Tests --every day --at 09:00 --command "make test" muxen schedule add beacon --name Triage --every weekdays --at 08:30 --agent claude --prompt "Triage new issues" --folder ~/code/api muxen schedule run beacon muxen schedule log beacon muxen schedule rm beacon ``` `--every` takes `15m`, `2h`, `day`, `weekdays` or days like `mon,thu`. See [VMs](https://muxin.dev/docs/vms) and [Schedules](https://muxin.dev/docs/schedules). ## Cloud machines ``` muxen cloud login --browser # or --token TOKEN, or --doctl muxen cloud options # regions, sizes, prices muxen cloud create build-box --region nyc3 --size s-2vcpu-4gb muxen cloud usage muxen cloud power build-box off # still billed while off muxen cloud destroy build-box muxen cloud logout ``` A cloud machine costs money every hour it exists. See [Cloud machines](https://muxin.dev/docs/cloud). ## GitHub, git and runners ``` muxen github inbox muxen github repos muxen github repo acme/api muxen github issue acme/api#632 muxen github accounts muxen github use work-login muxen checkouts --repo acme/api muxen git status beacon muxen git setup beacon --identity --credentials muxen watch acme # or acme/api; unwatch to stop muxen runners [--machine beacon] [--state offline] muxen jobs muxen install beacon --count 2 [--label gpu] [--mode auto|service|background|docker] muxen runner restart beacon/beacon-01 # start, stop, restart, logs, remove muxen cancel-run 123456789 ``` `github` is also `gh`. See [GitHub](https://muxin.dev/docs/github) and [Runners](https://muxin.dev/docs/runners). ## Usage, settings and files ``` muxen usage [--days 30] [--machine beacon] # tokens and cost at API prices muxen settings # show them muxen settings --poll 20 --check-interval 15 # GitHub every 20 s, machines every 15 min muxen paths # where Muxen keeps its files muxen init # write a starter config.toml muxen mcp # the MCP server, for agents ``` Muxen keeps its files in `~/.config/muxin` (`%APPDATA%\muxin` on Windows). Set `MUXIN_HOME`, or pass `--config-dir`, to use another folder; a separate one is handy for trying things without touching your real setup.