---
summary: "Run KaijiBot Gateway on exe.dev (VM + HTTPS proxy) for remote access"
read_when:
  - You want a cheap always-on Linux host for the Gateway
  - You want remote Control UI access without running your own VPS
title: "exe.dev"
---

# exe.dev

Goal: KaijiBot Gateway running on an exe.dev VM, reachable from your laptop via: `https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz`

This page assumes exe.dev's default **exeuntu** image. If you picked a different distro, map packages accordingly.

## Beginner quick path

1. [https://exe.new/kaijibot](https://exe.new/kaijibot)
2. Fill in your auth key/token as needed
3. Click on "Agent" next to your VM and wait for Shelley to finish provisioning
4. Open `https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz/` and authenticate with the configured shared secret (this guide uses token auth by default, but password auth works too if you switch `gateway.auth.mode`)
5. Approve any pending device pairing requests with `kaijibot devices approve <requestId>`

## What you need

- exe.dev account
- `ssh exe.dev` access to [exe.dev](https://exe.dev) virtual machines (optional)

## Automated Install with Shelley

Shelley, [exe.dev](https://exe.dev)'s agent, can install KaijiBot instantly with our
prompt. The prompt used is as below:

```
Set up KaijiBot on this VM by cloning and building from source: `git clone https://gitee.com/kaiji1126/kaijibot && cd kaijibot && pnpm install && pnpm build`. Then run `kaijibot onboard --no-prompt --accept-risk`. Add the supplied auth or token as needed. Configure nginx to forward from the default port 18789 to the root location on the default enabled site config, making sure to enable Websocket support. Pairing is done by "kaijibot devices list" and "kaijibot devices approve <request id>". Make sure the dashboard shows that KaijiBot's health is OK. exe.dev handles forwarding from port 8000 to port 80/443 and HTTPS for us, so the final "reachable" should be <vm-name>.exe.xyz, without port specification.
```

## Manual installation

## 1) Create the VM

From your device:

```bash
ssh exe.dev new
```

Then connect:

```bash
ssh <vm-name>.exe.xyz
```

Tip: keep this VM **stateful**. KaijiBot stores `kaijibot.json`, per-agent
`auth-profiles.json`, sessions, and channel/provider state under
`~/.kaijibot/`, plus the workspace under `~/.kaijibot/workspace/`.

## 2) Install prerequisites (on the VM)

```bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git curl jq ca-certificates openssl
```

## 3) Install KaijiBot

Build and install KaijiBot from source:

```bash
git clone https://gitee.com/kaiji1126/kaijibot
cd kaijibot
pnpm install
pnpm build
```

## 4) Setup nginx to proxy KaijiBot to port 8000

Edit `/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default` with

```
server {
    listen 80 default_server;
    listen [::]:80 default_server;
    listen 8000;
    listen [::]:8000;

    server_name _;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:18789;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;

        # WebSocket support
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

        # Standard proxy headers
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # Timeout settings for long-lived connections
        proxy_read_timeout 86400s;
        proxy_send_timeout 86400s;
    }
}
```

Overwrite forwarding headers instead of preserving client-supplied chains.
KaijiBot trusts forwarded IP metadata only from explicitly configured proxies,
and append-style `X-Forwarded-For` chains are treated as a hardening risk.

## 5) Access KaijiBot and grant privileges

Access `https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz/` (see the Control UI output from onboarding). If it prompts for auth, paste the
configured shared secret from the VM. This guide uses token auth, so retrieve `gateway.auth.token`
with `kaijibot config get gateway.auth.token` (or generate one with `kaijibot doctor --generate-gateway-token`).
If you changed the gateway to password auth, use `gateway.auth.password` / `KAIJIBOT_GATEWAY_PASSWORD` instead.
Approve devices with `kaijibot devices list` and `kaijibot devices approve <requestId>`. When in doubt, use Shelley from your browser!

## Remote Access

Remote access is handled by [exe.dev](https://exe.dev)'s authentication. By
default, HTTP traffic from port 8000 is forwarded to `https://<vm-name>.exe.xyz`
with email auth.

## Updating

```bash
cd kaijibot
git pull
pnpm install
pnpm build
kaijibot doctor
kaijibot gateway restart
kaijibot health
```

Guide: [Updating](/install/updating)
