• RUNTIME
  • SHELL
  • LOGS
  • HUMAN

How to run remote diagnostics with your AI

Connect your AI to Fly.io to inspect running machines and run shell commands without leaving your chat client.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

Can my AI run shell commands on Fly.io?

Yes. Your AI uses the Fly.io Connector to fetch machine details and execute shell commands on active instances. You get real-time runtime data and terminal output directly in your conversation.

Diagnostic outcomes.

Where your troubleshooting lands.

The AI translates your requests into direct machine actions.

RUNTIME

Live machine state

The AI pulls current status and configuration data from your Fly.io instances. You see exactly what is running right now.

SHELL

Direct command execution

Your agent runs specific shell commands to check logs or inspect files. You get the terminal output as text.

LOGS

Error identification

The AI inspects runtime states to find why a process crashed or hung. It surfaces the specific error messages you need.

HUMAN

Manual intervention

The AI identifies critical failures that require you to manually scale or restart machines via the Fly CLI. You decide when to take destructive action.

The workflow

What your AI does when a diagnostic request arrives.

The AI moves from inspecting the environment to executing specific troubleshooting steps.

  1. Identify the target

    The AI looks up the specific machine you want to investigate to ensure it has the right context.

    get_machine

  2. Inspect runtime state

    It pulls the current configuration and status of the machine to see if it's healthy.

    get_machine

  3. Execute shell commands

    The agent runs the specific command you asked for, like checking a directory or reading a log file.

    exec_machine

  4. Report findings

    The AI parses the command output and explains the machine state in plain English.

    exec_machine

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin troubleshooting.

Starting points

Replace the machine IDs and commands with your actual Fly.io identifiers.

Fly.io Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_auAQnLXTRcIdjtuSWpWKn2jSCsP8BhIQLnmdG02e/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Fly.io capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "flyio-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_auAQnLXTRcIdjtuSWpWKn2jSCsP8BhIQLnmdG02e/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Get the status of machine my-app-id-123.

  • Run 'ls -la' on machine my-app-id-123 to see the current directory contents.

  • Check the runtime state of my-app-id-123 and tell me if it's running.

  • Execute 'cat /var/log/app.log' on machine my-app-id-123 to see recent logs.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Fly.io once, then ask.

Link your Fly.io account in one click. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start debugging machines through your AI client.

Connect Fly.io to your AI

FAQ

How the diagnostics work

  • 01

    Can the AI delete my Fly.io machines?

    No. The current tools only allow for inspecting machines and executing commands. The AI cannot delete or destroy resources.

  • 02

    Does the AI have access to my Fly.io API key?

    Your credentials are encrypted and managed by Vinkius. The AI uses them to perform actions, but it never sees or stores your raw keys.

  • 03

    Can the AI change my machine configuration?

    No. The tools are limited to get_machine and exec_machine. It cannot modify machine settings or scale services.

  • 04

    Can I run any command I want?

    Yes, as long as you provide the command. The AI uses exec_machine to run the shell commands you specify on the target machine.

  • 05

    How does the AI know which machine to check?

    You must specify the machine ID in your prompt. The AI then uses get_machine to pull the details for that specific instance.

  • More questions about Fly.io? See everything the Fly.io Connector can do

Connect Fly.io to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more