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The web terminal gives you a full interactive shell inside your pod — no SSH keys, no local tools, just click and type.

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Accessing the Terminal

  1. Go to your pod’s detail page at /dashboard/pods/{name}
  2. Click the Terminal tab
  3. A terminal session opens immediately (pod must be running)
The terminal connects via WebSocket and runs a bash login shell as the instapod user, starting in your pod’s app directory (/home/instapod/app).

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Features

  • Full bash shell — Run any command: install packages, edit files, manage services, run scripts
  • Auto-resize — Terminal adapts when you resize the browser window
  • Clickable links — URLs in terminal output are clickable
  • Reconnect — If the connection drops, click the Reconnect button to start a new session
  • No setup required — No SSH keys or external tools needed

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Terminal Theme

The terminal uses a dark theme matching the InstaPods brand:
  • Background: dark (#0a0a0a)
  • Text: light gray
  • Cursor: green (#22C55E)
  • Font: JetBrains Mono / Fira Code / system monospace

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Terminal vs SSH

Web TerminalSSH
SetupNone — click and goRequires SSH key setup
Userinstapodinstapod
Start directoryApp root (/home/instapod/app)App root (~/app)
PersistenceSession ends when tab closesPersistent with tmux/screen
MultiplexingOne session per tabMultiple sessions via tmux
AccessBrowser onlyAny SSH client
AvailabilityRequires dashboard accessWorks even if dashboard is down
Use the web terminal for quick tasks — checking logs, restarting services, running one-off commands. For longer sessions or persistent work, use SSH with tmux or screen.

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Requirements

  • Pod must be in running status
  • Browser must support WebSockets (all modern browsers do)

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Common Tasks

# Check what's running
systemctl status app

# View recent logs
journalctl -u app --no-pager -n 50

# Install a system package
sudo apt-get install -y htop

# Check disk usage
df -h

# Monitor processes
htop
The terminal runs as the instapod user (non-root). Use sudo for system-level commands like installing packages.