Crabbox

Use Crabbox when a project needs remote proof, larger cloud capacity, a fresh PR checkout, a reusable warmed box, GitHub Actions-style setup, durable run logs/results, UI proof artifacts, or sync from a dirty local checkout.

Source Of Truth

• Run Crabbox from the repository root; sync mirrors the current checkout.
• Treat repo-local crabbox.yaml or .crabbox.yaml as executable project automation. Review it before remote runs, especially provider, actions, jobs, profiles, env.allow, artifacts, and cleanup policy.
• Verify the installed binary before relying on examples: command -v crabbox && crabbox --version && crabbox --help | sed -n '1,120p'.
• Use crabbox providers or crabbox providers --json for the current provider/capability matrix; provider docs can lag the compiled binary.
• Use crabbox doctor for live readiness checks and crabbox config show to inspect merged config without printing secrets.
• Prefer local targeted tests for tight edit loops. Move to Crabbox for broad suites, package-heavy checks, Docker/E2E/live-provider proof, cross-OS proof, UI proof, or commands that bog down the local machine.

Auth And Config

Brokered operation needs a coordinator URL and token. First login usually needs an explicit broker URL:

crabbox login --url <broker-url>
crabbox whoami
crabbox doctor

After broker.url is configured, crabbox login can reuse it. Trusted operator automation can store a shared token without putting it on argv:

printf '%s' "$CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN" |
  crabbox login --url <broker-url> --provider aws --token-stdin

Config precedence is flags > env > repo config > user config > defaults. Default user config is ~/Library/Application Support/crabbox/config.yaml on macOS, ~/.config/crabbox/config.yaml on Linux, or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/crabbox/config.yaml when set. crabbox config path prints the active user config path.

Keep provider and broker tokens out of repo config and command arguments. Use environment variables, a credential store, coordinator-managed secrets, or a short-lived token command.

Choose The Remote Surface

• crabbox run -- <command>: one command on a fresh or reused box.
• crabbox warmup: create a reusable lease and run commands later with --id.
• crabbox prewarm: warm a reusable lease and hydrate it from configured GitHub Actions.
• crabbox job run <name>: use a repo-local named flow that expands to warmup, optional hydration, run, and stop.
• crabbox run --pool <key>: borrow a hydrated broker ready-pool lease, run, then return/drain/release it according to --pool-return.
• crabbox run --fresh-pr ...: ignore local sync and check out a GitHub PR on the remote; add --apply-local-patch to test local uncommitted changes on top of that PR.
• crabbox run --provider ssh: use an existing macOS, Linux, or Windows host.
• crabbox warmup --desktop --browser: provision a visible desktop/browser for UI testing, WebVNC, screenshots, and artifacts.

If remote proof is blocked, name the missing capability precisely: auth, coordinator, capacity, provider support, target OS, hydration, secret access, artifact storage, desktop support, or a delegated-provider limitation.

Common Remote Proof

One-shot command:

crabbox run --preflight --timing-json -- pnpm test

Warm and reuse a lease:

crabbox warmup --class beast --idle-timeout 90m
crabbox status --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --wait
crabbox run --id <cbx_id-or-slug> -- pnpm test:changed
crabbox run --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --full-resync -- pnpm test:changed
crabbox stop <cbx_id-or-slug>

Use a repo-local job when configured:

crabbox job list
crabbox job run --dry-run <job-name>
crabbox job run <job-name>
crabbox job run --id <cbx_id-or-slug> <job-name>

Use a ready-pool lease when the coordinator has hydrated pool capacity:

crabbox pool ready
crabbox run --pool <pool-key> -- pnpm test
crabbox run --pool <pool-key> --pool-return drain -- pnpm test:flaky

Use GitHub Actions hydration when the repository already owns setup in CI:

crabbox warmup --idle-timeout 90m
crabbox actions hydrate --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
crabbox run --id <cbx_id-or-slug> -- pnpm test

Use --github-runner only when the workflow needs full GitHub Actions semantics such as repository secrets, OIDC, service containers, job containers, or unsupported uses: steps:

crabbox actions hydrate --github-runner --id <cbx_id-or-slug>

Sync And Fresh Checkouts

Normal sync transfers tracked files plus non-ignored untracked files, excludes ignored dependency/build/cache output, honors .crabboxignore and sync.exclude, seeds the remote checkout from origin when possible, and skips rsync when the sync fingerprint matches.

Use crabbox sync-plan before large runs. Unexpected counts usually mean local generated churn; update .crabboxignore or sync.exclude instead of forcing huge uploads.

crabbox sync-plan
crabbox run --debug --timing-json -- pnpm test
crabbox run --full-resync -- pnpm test

Use fresh PR checkout when local dependency churn or dirty sync would confuse the result:

crabbox run --fresh-pr example-org/my-app#123 --script ./scripts/e2e-smoke.sh
crabbox run --fresh-pr 123 --apply-local-patch -- pnpm test

--fresh-pr accepts owner/repo#number, GitHub PR URLs, or a numeric PR from the current GitHub origin. Non-GitHub hosts are rejected. Fresh PR checkout is an SSH-run sync feature; delegated providers reject it. Native Windows SSH targets are supported.

When a warm lease smells stale, prefer --full-resync (alias --fresh-sync) to reset the remote workdir, skip the sync fingerprint fast path, reseed Git when possible, and upload the checkout from scratch.

Scripts, Shells, And Windows Targets

Use plain argv after -- for one executable. Use --shell for multi-statement shell snippets, pipes, or shell expansion:

crabbox run --id <lease> -- go test ./...
crabbox run --id <lease> --shell 'corepack enable && pnpm install --frozen-lockfile && pnpm test'

Prefer uploaded scripts for multi-line commands. Scripts are included in failure bundles and avoid brittle quoted shell strings:

crabbox run --script ./scripts/e2e-smoke.sh --timing-json
printf '%s\n' 'echo CRABBOX_PHASE:test' 'pnpm test' | crabbox run --script-stdin

Native Windows targets use PowerShell and tar-based manifest sync. Prefer plain argv for one executable such as dotnet test; use --shell for multi-statement PowerShell and --script <file.ps1> for longer scripts.

Secrets And Environment Forwarding

Crabbox does not forward the whole local environment. Forwarding is name-based: only allowlisted names that are actually set locally or in an allowed profile cross the boundary. Avoid allowlisting secret-shaped names unless the run is an explicit live-secret smoke.

crabbox run --allow-env CI,NODE_OPTIONS -- pnpm test
crabbox run \
  --env-from-profile ~/.project-live.profile \
  --allow-env API_TOKEN \
  --preflight \
  --script ./scripts/live-smoke.sh

--env-from-profile parses simple export NAME=value and NAME=value lines without executing the profile. Crabbox prints redacted presence/length metadata, not values. POSIX SSH leases can persist a helper for later commands on a lease you control:

crabbox run \
  --id <lease> \
  --env-from-profile ~/.project-live.profile \
  --allow-env API_TOKEN \
  --env-helper live \
  -- true
crabbox run --id <lease> -- ./.crabbox/env/live ./scripts/live-smoke.sh

The generated helper and matching secret profile remain in the remote workdir until cleanup, lease reset, or --full-resync; do not persist helpers on shared or untrusted leases.

Profiles, Presets, Proof, And Results

Repo config can define profiles, presets, doctor requirements, artifact globs, required artifacts, and proof templates. Use them for stable validation lanes instead of encoding project knowledge in agent prompts.

crabbox run \
  --profile live-qa \
  --preset qa-live \
  --scenario login-regression \
  --emit-proof /tmp/proof.md \
  --stop-after success

Use --preflight for a target capability snapshot before the command, not as an installer. Use --preflight-tools to tune probes:

crabbox run --preflight --preflight-tools node,bun,docker -- bun test
crabbox run --preflight --preflight-tools default,uv -- node --test

Attach structured results and proof artifacts when the command emits them:

crabbox run --junit reports/junit.xml -- ./scripts/test-with-junit.sh
crabbox run --artifact-glob 'reports/**' --require-artifact reports/summary.json -- pnpm test:e2e
crabbox run --download reports/summary.json=.crabbox/logs/summary.json -- pnpm test:e2e

--require-artifact fails the run if the remote command exits 0 but the proof file is missing. Keep required artifacts bounded and scrubbed; do not collect raw datasets, secrets, credentials, signed URLs, or unredacted customer rows.

Run Handles And Observability

Coordinator-backed runs print a durable run_... handle before leasing starts. Keep that run ID in status updates and PR notes.

crabbox history --limit 20
crabbox history --lease <cbx_id-or-slug> --limit 20
crabbox attach <run_id>
crabbox attach <run_id> --after <seq>
crabbox events <run_id> --after <seq> --limit 100
crabbox events <run_id> --json
crabbox logs <run_id>
crabbox results <run_id>

Use --timing-json on run, warmup, and actions hydrate when a stable machine-readable timing record is needed. Commands can mark subphases by printing markers on stdout or stderr:

echo CRABBOX_PHASE:install
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
echo CRABBOX_PHASE:test
pnpm test

Output events are capped previews. Use logs for retained output tails and results for parsed test summaries.

Desktop, WebVNC, And UI Proof

Create desktop/browser leases for visual QA, headed browser automation, or UI proof:

crabbox warmup --desktop --browser
crabbox warmup --provider aws --os ubuntu:26.04 --desktop --browser --desktop-env wayland
crabbox warmup --provider aws --os ubuntu:26.04 --desktop --browser --desktop-env gnome

ubuntu:26.04 is the default portable Linux OS selector where the provider catalog supports it. Use --os ubuntu:24.04 only when a test must stay on the previous LTS. Explicit provider image flags still win over --os.

For human demos, prefer WebVNC over native VNC because crabbox webvnc --open preloads the lease password in the browser fragment:

crabbox webvnc --id <lease> --open --take-control
crabbox webvnc status --id <lease>
crabbox webvnc reset --id <lease> --open --take-control
crabbox vnc --id <lease> --open

For input automation, use first-class helpers instead of hand-written xdotool:

crabbox desktop doctor --id <lease>
crabbox desktop launch --id <lease> --browser --url https://example.com --webvnc --open --take-control
crabbox desktop click --id <lease> --x 640 --y 420
crabbox desktop paste --id <lease> --text "user@example.com"
printf 'user@example.com' | crabbox desktop paste --id <lease>
crabbox desktop type --id <lease> --text "user+qa@example.com"
crabbox desktop key --id <lease> ctrl+l
crabbox screenshot --id <lease> --output desktop.png

When desktop/WebVNC hangs, trust the inline rescue output first: problem: and rescue: lines usually name exact next commands such as webvnc status/reset, desktop doctor, or native vnc --open.

Use artifacts for UI QA proof instead of committing screenshots or videos to a product repo branch:

crabbox artifacts collect --id <lease> --all --output artifacts/<slug>
crabbox artifacts publish --dir artifacts/<slug> --pr <number>
crabbox artifacts list <artifact-manifest-url-or-dir>
crabbox artifacts pull <artifact-manifest-url-or-dir> --output /tmp/<slug>-proof

artifacts publish uses brokered storage when configured, or explicit S3/R2 / Cloudflare/local hosting flags. Use --dry-run before public PR comments when reviewing generated Markdown or storage commands.

Provider Boundaries

SSH-lease providers support the full sync/run surface when the target supports it: scripts, fresh PR checkouts, captures, downloads, Actions hydration, SSH, ports, WebVNC, code-server, desktop, browser, cache volumes, and cleanup.

Delegated-run providers own command transport. Expect them to reject SSH-run features such as --capture-stdout, --capture-stderr, --capture-on-fail, --script, --script-stdin, --fresh-pr, local captures, --download, --full-resync, and --env-helper unless crabbox providers --json and the provider docs advertise the matching capability. --keep-on-failure is still useful for one-shot delegated providers that Crabbox would otherwise stop after a failed command.

Module-runtime delegated providers, such as Cloudflare Dynamic Workers, run source modules rather than Linux shell commands. Use --script <file> or --script-stdin for module source; trailing -- <command>, SSH, rsync, ports, Actions hydration, desktop, browser, and code-server do not apply unless the provider explicitly documents them.

Use --market spot|on-demand on AWS warmup or one-shot run when account quota or capacity testing needs a temporary market override. An explicit --type means exact type; Crabbox reports quota/capacity/policy failures instead of silently falling back.

Local And Static Targets

Use local-container for fast local proof when the host has Docker or Podman. warmup creates a container but does not sync; for an interactive synced container, use run --keep --sync-only:

crabbox run --provider local-container --keep --slug local-smoke --sync-only
eval "$(crabbox ssh --provider local-container --id local-smoke)"

Pass --local-container-runtime docker or --local-container-runtime podman when the engine matters, and keep that flag on reused lease commands such as run --id, ssh, status, and stop. crabbox ssh prints an SSH command; use eval "$(crabbox ssh ...)" to connect. After login, cd into the workdir printed by run --sync-only.

Use static SSH for existing machines:

crabbox run --provider ssh --target macos --static-host mac.example.com -- xcodebuild test
crabbox run --provider ssh --target windows --windows-mode normal --static-host win.example.com -- dotnet test

Static hosts are host-managed: Crabbox does not provision or delete them.

Useful Commands

crabbox providers
crabbox providers --json
crabbox doctor
crabbox config path
crabbox config show
crabbox whoami
crabbox sync-plan
crabbox warmup --class beast
crabbox prewarm
crabbox status --id <lease> --wait
crabbox inspect --id <lease> --json
crabbox run --id <lease> --preflight --timing-json -- pnpm test
crabbox job list
crabbox job run --dry-run <job-name>
crabbox pool ready
crabbox history --lease <lease>
crabbox events <run_id> --json
crabbox attach <run_id>
crabbox logs <run_id>
crabbox results <run_id>
crabbox cache stats --id <lease>
crabbox cache volumes
crabbox ssh --id <lease>
crabbox connect <lease>
crabbox ports --id <lease> --publish 8080
crabbox cp --id <lease> ./coverage.xml SANDBOX:/tmp/coverage.xml
crabbox webvnc --id <lease> --open
crabbox code --id <lease> --open
crabbox egress start --id <lease> --profile discord --daemon
crabbox desktop doctor --id <lease>
crabbox desktop proof --id <lease> --output artifacts/<slug>-proof -- ./scripts/visual-smoke.sh
crabbox artifacts collect --id <lease> --all --output artifacts/<slug>
crabbox artifacts publish --dir artifacts/<slug> --pr <number> --dry-run
crabbox usage --scope org
crabbox pause <lease>
crabbox resume <lease>
crabbox stop <lease>

Failure Triage

• Provider missing or old CLI: verify crabbox --help and crabbox providers list the provider, then rebuild or install a current binary.
• Bad local config: compare crabbox config show, pass --provider ... explicitly, and run crabbox doctor.
• Sync surprise: run crabbox sync-plan, add excludes, then retry with --debug --timing-json or --full-resync.
• Raw box missing Node/pnpm/Docker: use --preflight; hydrate first if the repo has an Actions workflow, or include setup in the command/script.
• Command failed: keep the run_... handle, inspect results, then rerun the focused failing shard/file before a full suite.
• Desktop unhealthy: run desktop doctor, then follow problem: / rescue: output from webvnc status or webvnc reset.
• Cleanup uncertain: use crabbox list, crabbox inspect --json, and only stop leases or provider resources you created.
• Broker/auth confusion: use crabbox doctor, crabbox whoami, and crabbox config show before asking for cloud credentials.

Cleanup

Brokered leases have coordinator-owned idle expiry and local lease claims. Default idle timeout is 30 minutes unless config or flags set a different value. Still stop boxes you created when done:

crabbox stop <cbx_id-or-slug>

When crabbox list prints orphan=no-active-lease, treat it as an operator review hint: verify the provider machine is not referenced by an active coordinator lease before deleting anything, especially if keep=true is set.