The computer daemon
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idapt-computer is the daemon that connects one of your
machines to idapt. It is a separate binary from the @idapt/cli API client: this one runs the machine side, the
background service, tunnels, and local inference 🖥️
The desktop app installs and supervises the daemon for you, and cloud computers come with it running. To set it up by hand, pair the machine from the in-app "Connect a computer" flow. It installs in user scope by default and is supervised per platform:
Linux: a systemd user unit, systemctl --user status idapt-computer
macOS: a LaunchAgent
Windows: a scheduled task
Two commands work the same everywhere:
idapt-computer service status
idapt-computer service doctorservice status reports whether the daemon is running and
connected, and service doctor checks the setup and
suggests fixes. See Troubleshooting a computer when it will not connect.
The daemon reads $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/idapt/config.json(the
legacy path /etc/idapt/config.json still works on older
cloud images):
{
"appUrl": "https://idapt.app"
}appUrl points the daemon at your idapt environment, and
defaultBackendPort sets the local port it serves on.
Cloud computers write this file during provisioning, so you rarely
edit it by hand.
A machine you own starts locked down: local inference, computer use, and tunnel terminals are denied until you allow them on that machine. Enable one, then restart the service:
idapt-computer service policy enable local-inference
idapt-computer service status # confirm it restartedThis local policy is the real boundary. Enabling exposure in a workspace does nothing until the capability is allowed on the machine itself.
The daemon updates itself. idapt directs updates over the heartbeat and keeps a last-known-good build to roll back to if one fails, so there is no manual update command to run.
The daemon dials out to idapt and opens no inbound ports of its own. When you forward a local port, it serves that service at an authenticated public URL. See Ports and port forwarding.
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