Quick start
$ agentpc create ubuntu # first run downloads ~1.2 GB; then ~1 s per VM
$ agentpc ssh ubuntu-1 uname -a
$ agentpc screenshot ubuntu-1 shot.png
$ agentpc info ubuntu-1 # viewer URL to watch the desktop
$ agentpc reset ubuntu-1 # back to a clean install
Windows images can't be redistributed, so each Mac builds its own once, from Microsoft's official Windows 11 ARM64 ISO (7.3 GB, checksum-verified):
$ agentpc image build windows # once: download + ~12 min install; or --iso <path>
$ agentpc create windows # ~4 s per VM
Commands that act on VMs take several names (agentpc stop a b),
check them all before doing anything, and carry on past a failure (exit status 1 if any
failed). Every command has --help.
VMs
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
agentpc create <image> [name] |
Create a VM from ubuntu, windows or a
version such as ubuntu-22.04; fetches Ubuntu images if missing.
--memory 2–64 GB (default 8 Windows, 4 Ubuntu) and
--cpus 1–16 (default 4); a non-default size boots cold instead of
resuming. --offline: no internet and no access to this Mac (SSH,
the viewer and forwarded ports still work). The default name is
<os>-<n>.
|
agentpc list [--json] |
VMs and images. --json gives the same data as the MCP list_vms tool. Alias: ls. |
agentpc info <name> |
Viewer URL (with the VNC password), SSH and VNC details, and checkpoints. |
agentpc start <name>… | --all |
Boot stopped VMs. |
agentpc stop <name>… | --all |
Shut VMs down cleanly; disks are kept. |
agentpc reset <name>… |
Discard all changes: back to a fresh copy of the image. |
agentpc rm <name>… |
Delete VMs with their disks and checkpoints. Alias: delete. |
Checkpoints
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
agentpc checkpoint <name> <label> |
Save a VM's disk and memory under a label (letters, digits, . - _). A running VM pauses for a few seconds. -d / --delete deletes the checkpoint instead. |
agentpc restore <name> <label> |
Put a VM back exactly as it was at a checkpoint; it resumes in seconds. |
$ agentpc checkpoint windows-1 before-installer
$ agentpc cp setup.msi windows-1:Downloads/
$ agentpc ssh windows-1 # run the installer, poke around
$ agentpc restore windows-1 before-installer # undo it all in seconds
A checkpoint of a running VM takes disk space about equal to the memory in use (3–4 GB for Windows). The disk itself is an APFS copy-on-write clone, so it costs nothing until the VM writes more.
Shell, files and ports
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
agentpc ssh <name> [command] |
Run a command (PowerShell on Windows, bash on Ubuntu), or open an interactive shell with no command. |
agentpc screenshot <name> [file] |
Save a PNG screenshot from the hypervisor. Without a file, it goes to screen.png in the VM's directory. |
agentpc cp <src> <dst> |
Copy files or folders. The VM side is <name>:<path>, e.g. agentpc cp app.msi windows-1:Downloads/. |
agentpc forward <name> <guest-port> [host-port] |
Forward 127.0.0.1:<host-port> to a port in a running VM over SSH. --list shows a VM's forwards; --rm <host-port> stops one. |
Images
An image is a read-only disk with the OS, desktop and agent tools installed. Images are
named <os>-<version> and can be installed side by side.
See the guide for the versions available.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
agentpc image pull <image> |
Download a published image, e.g. ubuntu or ubuntu-22.04. Ubuntu only; Windows can't be redistributed. |
agentpc image build <image> [--iso <path>] |
Build an image locally: Ubuntu ~3 min, Windows ~12 min plus the ISO download. |
agentpc image ls |
List local images with their OS versions. Alias: list. |
agentpc image info <image> |
Everything recorded about an image: OS version, edition, build, source and tool versions. |
agentpc image rm <image>… |
Delete local images. Refuses while VMs of that image exist. Alias: delete. |
agentpc image snapshot <image> |
Recapture the snapshot VMs resume from (build and pull do this). |
Setup
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
agentpc mcp |
Run the MCP server on stdio (what agents launch). |
agentpc mcp-install [clients…] |
Register the MCP server with agents. mcp-uninstall removes it. |
agentpc update [--check] |
Update to the latest release, checksum-verified; images and VMs are kept. Alias: upgrade. |
agentpc doctor |
Check prerequisites. |
agentpc clean [-n] |
Free disk space: downloaded ISOs and cloud images, and leftovers of interrupted builds or checkpoints. Never touches images or VMs. |
agentpc uninstall [--keep-data] [-y] |
Stop all VMs, unregister the MCP server, and delete ~/.agentpc and the binary. |
Completions
Tab completion for bash, zsh, fish, elvish or PowerShell:
$ agentpc completions zsh > ~/.zfunc/_agentpc