SSH & Terminal

The built-in terminal provides direct command-line access to your EdgeFlow host right from the browser. Execute system commands, check service status, and manage your device without needing a separate SSH client.

Terminal Overview

The terminal emulator runs directly in the EdgeFlow web interface, connecting to the host shell over a WebSocket at /ws/terminal. It behaves like a standard terminal with support for command history, tab completion, and colored output.

Accessing the Terminal

There are three ways to open the terminal in EdgeFlow:

Terminal Features

Command History

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to cycle through previously executed commands. History is maintained for the duration of the session and resets when the WebSocket connection is closed.

Tab Completion

Press Tab to auto-complete commands and file paths. On Linux, the server uses bash compgen for intelligent completion suggestions. Matching completions are shown as inline suggestions that you can accept with the right arrow key.

Built-in Commands

Working Directory

The terminal tracks your current working directory across commands. Use cd to navigate the file system. The prompt automatically updates to show the current path so you always know where you are.

Output Types

WebSocket Protocol

The terminal communicates with the EdgeFlow server over a WebSocket connection at /ws/terminal. The React TerminalPanel component manages the connection and renders the output. Below is the message protocol used by the terminal.

Client Messages

Messages sent from the browser to the server:

// Execute a command
{ "type": "command", "command": "ls -la" }

// Request tab completion
{ "type": "complete", "command": "sys", "partial": "sys" }

Server Messages

Messages sent from the server back to the browser:

// Command output (may be multiple messages)
{ "type": "output", "output": "total 48\ndrwxr-xr-x 12 ..." }

// Command error
{ "type": "error", "output": "permission denied" }

// Command completed
{ "type": "done", "cwd": "/home/edgeflow", "exitCode": 0 }

// Tab completion results
{ "type": "completion", "suggestions": ["systemctl", "systemd"], "partial": "sys" }

Quick Commands

Common commands you can run directly in the EdgeFlow terminal to inspect and manage your device:

Terminal Settings

Customize the terminal appearance and behavior from Settings > Terminal:

Troubleshooting