9Remote Docs

Background Services & Daemon

Keep 9Remote running 24/7 as an unattended background service on Linux, macOS, and cloud servers.

Overview

When using 9Remote for remote development or server management, you typically want the host running permanently in the background, starting automatically on boot and recovering from crashes without keeping a terminal open.

1. Linux: systemd (Recommended for Servers & VPS)

For Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Fedora, Arch, and most modern Linux distributions, systemd is the cleanest and most robust approach.

Step 1: Create the systemd Service File

Create a new service file at /etc/systemd/system/9remote.service:

[Unit]
Description=9Remote Host Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
Environment=PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/home/YOUR_USERNAME/.nvm/versions/node/$(node -v)/bin
WorkingDirectory=/home/YOUR_USERNAME
ExecStart=/usr/bin/env 9remote start
Restart=always
RestartSec=5

# Optional: ensure file descriptors and processes for PTY
LimitNOFILE=65536
LimitNPROC=4096

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Tip: Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual Linux username. Run which 9remote to ensure the path matches your Node.js global binaries.

Step 2: Enable & Start the Service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable 9remote
sudo systemctl start 9remote

Step 3: Check Status & Retrieve Your Key

sudo systemctl status 9remote

# View logs to get your QR code or access key:
journalctl -u 9remote -f -n 50

# Or query directly using the headless CLI:
9remote key

2. macOS: launchd (LaunchAgent)

On macOS, running 9Remote as a user LaunchAgent allows it to start automatically when you log into your Mac and maintain access to screen recording and terminal permissions.

Step 1: Create the Plist File

Create ~/Library/LaunchAgents/cc.9remote.agent.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>cc.9remote.agent</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/bin/sh</string>
        <string>-c</string>
        <string>source ~/.zshrc; 9remote start</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StandardOutPath</key>
    <string>/tmp/9remote.log</string>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <string>/tmp/9remote.err</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Step 2: Load the Service

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/cc.9remote.agent.plist

To stop or unload:

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/cc.9remote.agent.plist

3. Cross-Platform: PM2 Process Manager

If you already use pm2 for Node.js microservices:

# Start 9Remote in headless start mode
pm2 start "9remote start" --name "9remote"

# Save configuration for automatic system boot
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Monitor logs with:

pm2 logs 9remote

4. Headless Server Maintenance

Once 9Remote is running as a service, manage it from your terminal using headless commands:

# View current access key and URL
9remote key

# View approved and pending devices
9remote devices

# Automatically approve all incoming devices using your key
9remote auto-approve on

# Create a temporary one-time connection key
9remote otk

Next Steps