csansoon/hostel-install

Install the Hostel CLI and connect

The hostel binary is the same for people, agents, the server, and room machines. This skill installs it on a person's computer and connects that computer to a server. For a server machine, see hostel-server-setup. For a room machine, see hostel-rooms.

macOS and Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/csansoon/hostel/main/install.sh | sh

The script downloads the latest GitHub release, checks the file against SHA256SUMS of the release, and installs hostel into ~/.local/bin.

Options (put them after sh -s --):

Option	Effect
--dir DIR	Install the binary into DIR (default ~/.local/bin).
--version vX.Y.Z	Install this release (default: the latest).
--server DIR	Also install the room binaries into DIR/helpers and the platform scripts into DIR/platforms. Only for a server machine.

Examples:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/csansoon/hostel/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --dir /usr/local/bin
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/csansoon/hostel/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --version v0.1.0

If the script prints note: ... is not on your PATH, add the directory to PATH in the shell profile, for example:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Supported: macOS and Linux on amd64 or arm64. The environment variable HOSTEL_INSTALL_URL replaces the download URL (a mirror).

Windows

In PowerShell (no administrator rights necessary):

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/csansoon/hostel/main/install.ps1 | iex

The script installs hostel.exe into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\hostel, checks it against SHA256SUMS, and adds that directory to the user PATH. Open a new terminal after the first install. $env:HOSTEL_VERSION (for example v0.1.0) selects a release; $env:HOSTEL_INSTALL_URL sets a mirror.

Note: install.ps1 is new. If it fails, download hostel-windows-amd64.exe (or -arm64.exe) from the GitHub release, rename it to hostel.exe, and put it in a directory on PATH.

Check the install

hostel --version
hostel help

Connect the computer to a server

An admin of the server gives you an invite code (hostel1-...). It works once, for 24 hours. See hostel-users for how an admin makes one.

hostel connect hostel1-...
hostel connect hostel1-... --name "Alice Example"

• The default name comes from git config user.name. In a terminal, connect asks for it.
• The output shows the server, the pinned TLS key (for a server with its own certificate), your role, and the computer name.
• The connection goes to ~/.config/hostel/config.toml (mode 0600). On Windows it is in the same place below %USERPROFILE%.
• A computer has at most one connection. If one exists, connect asks before it replaces it. --yes replaces it without the question.
• Agents on this computer use the same connection. They do not need their own.

Check it:

hostel status

Disconnect (the server deletes this computer's token):

hostel disconnect

For tests and CI, the environment variables HOSTEL_SERVER, HOSTEL_TOKEN, and HOSTEL_SERVER_KEY override the file.

The Hostel app

Run hostel with no arguments in a terminal. It opens a full-screen app:

• Not connected: Check in (paste the invite code, then your name) or Leave.
• Lobby: the platforms, their free machines, the queue, and the wait.
• Rooms: the machines, their state, and who uses them.
• Front desk: the server and you; Invite a guest (admins), Add your other computer (members), Guest list, Add a room (admins), Check out (disconnect).

Keys: 1 2 3 go to Lobby, Rooms, Front desk; ? lists all keys; q quits. NO_COLOR=1 turns colors off. Without a terminal (an agent, a pipe), hostel prints the help instead. Agents use hostel status (plain text).

Update

Run the same install command again. It replaces the binary.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/csansoon/hostel/main/install.sh | sh
hostel --version

On Windows, run the irm ... | iex line again. The connection stays.

For the server machine, also restart the service after the update (hostel-server-setup, section "Update").

Next

• Use a room: hostel-use.
• Something fails: hostel-troubleshoot.