Getting Started

Follow these steps to install the Synodes CLI, authenticate, and create your first sandbox — all in under two minutes.

1. Create Your Account

Sign up at app.synodes.io to get started. Once registered, generate an API key from the Dashboard → API Keys page. Save it somewhere secure — you'll need it to authenticate the CLI and SDKs.

No credit card required. Every account includes 5 free container-hours per month — enough to get started and build real projects.

2. Install the CLI

Install via the install script or Homebrew:

# Via install script (macOS & Linux)
curl -fsSL https://get.synodes.io | sh

# Via Homebrew
brew install synodesio/cli/synodes

Verify the installation:

synodes version

3. Authenticate

Log in with your API key or browser-based authentication:

# Browser-based login
synodes auth login

# Or use an API key
export SYNODES_API_KEY="syn_..."
synodes auth login --api-key

The CLI stores credentials in ~/.synodes/config.yaml. Run synodes auth logout to clear them.

4. Create Your First Sandbox

A sandbox is an isolated Linux container with file system, process, and network isolation. Create one with a single command:

synodes create --language python

This provisions a fresh sandbox with the Python base image. You'll see output like:

Sandbox "kind-bassi" created successfully
ID: sand-abc123
Status: running

Add environment variables (like a Turso database) at creation time:

synodes create --language python \
  --env TURSO_DATABASE_URL=libsql://my-db-org.turso.io \
  --env TURSO_AUTH_TOKEN=your-token

5. Run Code in Your Sandbox

Execute commands inside the sandbox without SSH:

synodes exec sand-abc123 "echo Hello from Synodes!"
synodes exec sand-abc123 "python -c 'print(2 + 2)'"

Open a shell directly:

synodes ssh sand-abc123

6. Connect Your IDE

Synodes integrates with VS Code and any editor that supports remote SSH. Use the sandbox ID to connect:

# VS Code remote
code --remote ssh-remote+sand-abc123

# Or start the web terminal
synodes ssh sand-abc123

7. Stop and Clean Up

Sandboxes auto-stop after 15 minutes of inactivity (configurable). Manually stop or delete:

synodes stop sand-abc123      # Stop (preserves state)
synodes start sand-abc123     # Resume
synodes delete sand-abc123    # Permanently destroy
Pro tip: Use --auto-stop 0 to keep sandboxes running indefinitely, or --auto-delete 0 for ephemeral sandboxes that auto-destroy on stop.

Next Steps