Cross-host rig commands

Use a registered host address and the entry's declared transport. SSH entries run a remote CLI through a single-hop shell; HTTP entries use the remote daemon. These paths have different prerequisites and command coverage. Check the exact command's help and the target installation before a consequential operation.

Choose and inspect the destination

rig host list shows registered hosts. rig host add --help describes registry writes; rig host doctor --help describes reachability checks. Inspect the configured OpenRig home rather than assuming the default ~/.openrig/hosts.yaml. Registry changes affect later routing, so make them within the requested scope.

hosts:
  - id: test-vm
    transport: ssh
    target: test-vm.local
    user: example-user
  - id: remote-dev
    transport: http
    url: http://remote-dev.example:7433
    bearer_env: REMOTE_RIG_TOKEN

The registry requires a hosts array, unique non-empty ids and a supported transport. SSH needs a non-empty target; user and notes are optional. HTTP needs a URL and accepts at most one of bearer_env or bearer_file. Omitting both is valid for a tokenless target. A configured but unavailable bearer is a permission failure, not anonymous fallback. Host ids also have reserved-name validation; use the actual validator's error rather than inventing an alias that collides.

Address the intended operation

rig send dev-worker@example-rig "check the assigned result" --host remote-dev --verify
rig capture dev-worker@example-rig --host remote-dev
rig ps --host remote-dev --nodes --json
rig whoami --host remote-dev

These coordination commands select SSH or HTTP from the registry entry. They do not silently try another transport when one fails. A host-qualified target can be convenient, but confirm its parsing and any persisted host selection with the particular command. Explicit --host is preferable for consequential cross-host work.

Queue destinations use explicit --host or a supported host-qualified destination; queue writes do not follow persisted host selection. The CLI separates the host from the canonical seat in the routing envelope. Different queue subcommands have different flags: check their help instead of copying a flag from send. A local success message alone does not establish remote persistence or pickup.

Read failures at the layer that failed

Signal	What to inspect
registry-load-failed / unknown-host	Registry path, entry and exact destination
ssh-unreachable	SSH connection, target and transport diagnostics
permission-gate	The configured SSH or HTTP credentials and target policy
remote-daemon-unreachable	Target listener and actual running daemon identity
remote-command-not-found	Remote CLI installation and executable lookup
remote-command-failed	The remote operation's own status and error

The exact result taxonomy depends on the path. HTTP failures expose the remote status/error; SSH distinguishes the shell transport from the remote command. Do not start or replace a remote daemon merely because a diagnostic suggests it; first establish the target's state and the authority for that lifecycle action. A timed-out write may have reached its destination. Reconcile its durable effect before retrying.

Verification and attribution

Transport success is not delivery verification or agent consumption. SSH forwards --verify and returns the remote CLI result. HTTP preserves the remote transport verdict and explicitly reports that the local pane-effect check did not run cross-host. Inspect that result and the destination effect required by the task; never replace it with “SSH exited zero” or “HTTP returned successfully.”

Cross-host output names the host/target; JSON envelopes carry cross_host metadata. The precise envelope differs by command and transport. Preserve the underlying remote result when passing evidence onward.

A target's host suffix selects a destination; a sender's origin identifies where a reply belongs. Use the rendered reply address and verify its host mapping. Current send derives the sender from the executing seat context, not a caller's --from assertion. It adds origin-host identity at cross-host forwarding; do not assume local sends have the same suffix. Unknown identity remains unknown.

This guide describes the implemented command paths, not proof of a live remote journey on your installation. Forks, handovers and other lifecycle compositions need their own supported command and scoped authority; reading remote state does not authorize them.

See also

• openrig-user — exact command reference
• seat-continuity-and-handover — stable seat and occupant outcomes