Connect to your box
Do this once. Every editor on the next four pages reuses the same connection.
Your box only accepts connections from machines it recognizes. Recognition works through an SSH key: two matched files your laptop creates, one of which stays private and one of which you send us. Once your key is on file, every tool below connects without a password.
Step 1: Create your SSH key
The public key is safe to share. Your computer creates a matched pair: a private key that stays on your machine, and a public key you send to us. The public half can only be used to recognize your laptop. It cannot log in on its own, unlock anything, or be used to work out your private key. Email it, read it over the phone, post it publicly. It stays harmless.
Windows
Open PowerShell: press the Windows key, type PowerShell, press Enter. First, check whether you already have a key.
Get-Content ~\.ssh\id_*.pub
If that prints a line starting with ssh-, you already have a key. Skip to
Step 2. If it comes back empty or errors, create one:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
Press Enter at all three prompts to accept the default location and leave the passphrase blank. A small block of ASCII art appears when it finishes. That is success.
macOS and Linux
Open Terminal and run the same two commands.
cat ~/.ssh/id_*.pub ssh-keygen -t ed25519
PowerShell says ssh-keygen is not recognized? You are on an older Windows build that needs the OpenSSH client turned on. Open Settings → Apps → Optional features, click Add a feature, search for OpenSSH Client, and install it. Or call us and we will do it on a screen share.
Step 2: Send us the public half
Print the public key again and copy the entire output. It starts with ssh-ed25519 and usually ends with your username and computer name.
Get-Content ~\.ssh\id_*.pub
Email that text to your RapidDashboard coach, or call 608-783-8324 and we will take it over the phone. We install it on your box and confirm when you are cleared to connect. This usually happens the same business day.
Send the .pub file only. If a file has no .pub on the end, it is the private half. Keep that one on your machine and share it with nobody, including us.
Step 3: Save a shortcut for your box
Rather than typing the full address every time, save it once in your SSH config. Every guide that follows
assumes you did this and refers to your box simply as rapidbox.
Open the config file for editing. The file may not exist yet. These commands create it if needed.
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ~\.ssh | Out-Null notepad ~\.ssh\config
mkdir -p ~/.ssh && nano ~/.ssh/config
Paste this in, replacing <your-client-code> with the code your coach gave you, then save and close.
Host rapidbox
HostName dev.<your-client-code>.aibmm.ai
User dev
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
ServerAliveInterval 60
ServerAliveCountMax 6
What each line does:
| Line | Purpose |
|---|---|
Host rapidbox | The nickname. Type ssh rapidbox instead of the full address. |
HostName | Your real box address. Ends in .aibmm.ai. |
User dev | The account your build tools run as on the box. |
IdentityFile | Which private key to present. Change to id_rsa if that is what you generated. |
ServerAlive* | Keeps a long build session alive through a quiet stretch or a corporate firewall timeout. |
Step 4: Test the connection
ssh rapidbox
The first time, SSH asks whether you trust the host and shows a fingerprint. Type yes and press
Enter. You land at a prompt on the box. Confirm you are in the right place:
hostname ls /opt/stacks
You should see your workspace folder listed, named <your-client-code>-app. Type
exit to disconnect. That is the whole connection setup. Now pick an editor.
What is on the box
You rarely need to browse the filesystem, and this map explains what you see when you do.
| Path | What lives there |
|---|---|
/opt/stacks/<client>-app |
Your main workspace. Dashboards, apps, and configuration. This is the folder your editor opens. |
/opt/stacks/ |
The parent folder. Each additional instance created in the Builder appears here as its own folder. |
.env (inside your workspace) |
Credentials and connection settings. Stays on the box, out of version control, and out of prompts. |
Confirm with your coach The exact folder layout on your box, whether your data connection settings live in the workspace .env or a separate secrets store, and which URL serves the dashboards you build. These are set per deployment.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Permission denied (publickey) |
The box does not recognize your key yet, or SSH is offering a different one. | Confirm your coach installed your key. Check that IdentityFile in your config points at a key that exists. |
Could not resolve hostname |
The address is mistyped, or your network cannot see it. | Re-check HostName against the address your coach sent. On a corporate network, ask IT whether outbound SSH on port 22 is allowed. |
Connection timed out |
The address resolves and nothing answers. | Usually a firewall. Call us and we will confirm the box is up before you escalate to IT. |
Host key verification failed |
The box was rebuilt and now presents a different fingerprint. | Call us first to confirm the rebuild was ours, then run ssh-keygen -R dev.<your-client-code>.aibmm.ai and reconnect. |
| Connection drops mid-build | An idle timeout on the network path. | Confirm the ServerAlive lines are in your config. Work already saved on the box survives the drop. |
Connection problems are the one step worth calling about immediately. Almost every cause sits on the network between your laptop and the box, and we can see both ends. 608-783-8324.
Talk to a human instead.
Every RapidDashboard client gets direct access to the team that built the box. Most questions take under ten minutes on a call.