Use case / developer access

Reach private development work without opening a whole server.

Keep an internal dashboard or API on its host, then grant the right teammate a private route to that one service.

For developers and operators working across laptops, servers, and test devices.

Quick answers

Can a developer use Terminal and Files?

Approved desktop peers can enable a user-level PTY terminal and a read-only Files view for a session. This is a separate, more powerful permission than an Endpoint grant. See the security limits.

What if a direct peer connection fails?

Airmsh tries a direct encrypted connection first and can fall back to a relay. The host and client still need to be online and authorized. See getting started.

A practical workflow

Install Airmsh on your computer and the Linux host. Sign in, bring the host online, and create an Endpoint for the service’s local address and port. Grant the intended user, group, or device. The developer connects Endpoint access and uses the private address shown in the app.

For hands-on troubleshooting between two approved desktop peers, the host can separately enable a user-level PTY terminal and a read-only Files view for that session. These are not implied by Endpoint access.

Direct when possible, relay when needed

Airmsh attempts a direct encrypted peer connection and can fall back to a relay when the network does not permit it. The relay forwards encrypted tunnel traffic; both peers still need a valid identity and access grant.

Illustrative workflow

What this looks like

A staging API listens on 127.0.0.1:3000 on a Linux server. The owner adds an Endpoint for that port and grants one developer. After connecting, the developer tests its private URL from a laptop. If a shell is needed, the host must explicitly start peer access and allow that peer for the current session; it is a separate, more powerful permission.

Limits to know

The Files view is read-only and only exposes the selected shared root. A PTY shell can reach anything the host OS user can reach; enable it only for a trusted peer.
Mobile devices can control a desktop peer, but do not host a general-purpose OS shell.
The host must be online, and private DNS depends on the client using its system resolver.

Next step

Try the workflow on your own devices.

Set up a private service