Connect Your First Computer (Setup Guide)
This page explains how to bring a computer online as a host that can be controlled remotely through the Manager. A host connects to the Manager using an API token (manager_api_token) — this is different from "connecting to an already-online device by its device code".
Step 1: Download and install the host agent
On the computer you want to control remotely, download and install the host agent. Releases are available on GitHub:
Step 2: Create an API token
The host agent needs an API token to connect to this service.
- Sign in to the Manager console.
- Open the user menu (top-right avatar) → API Tokens (or go to
/console/settings/tokens). - Create a token and copy it — the full token is shown only once at creation, so store it safely.
The home page's "Connect your first computer" onboarding offers a direct "Create an API token" link when your account has none yet.
Step 3: Paste the token into the host and save
Open the host agent settings, paste the API token from the previous step into the Manager token / manager_api_token field, and save. The host uses that token to connect to the Manager.
Once saved, the device comes online automatically and appears in the console home device grid and the My Devices list.
Step 4: Connect by access code
Once online, the device shows a 6-character device code. Enter it in the connect box on the console home to start a connection, or simply click the device in the home grid. This one box takes both a device code and a short-lived support code; the server detects which.
Connecting to a device you own or are granted by an organization gives full control; to temporarily assist an unknown computer, use the short-lived support code they read to you. It may be redeemed again within its TTL for reconnects, and every redemption is audited; the session is bounded by that device's capability ceiling. See Temporary Support.
If a display resolution is not supported by the encoder
The remote desktop now reports this as a visible blocked video state instead of leaving an empty player. Open the connection settings and choose an enabled compatible encoder, or change the host display resolution and select Retry video. Explicit encoder choices are never silently replaced, and the host does not use CPU frame scaling.
Remote-desktop settings and system audio
Device settings from the connection dialog are stored in this browser under the current signed-in account plus target device; personal and organization views reuse them for that same device. They are not written to the host or Manager database and do not sync to another browser. Clearing site data removes them. Short-lived support-code sessions never persist these settings.
On a capable host, Capture system audio is requested by default, but the host still decides through its independent Allow/Prompt/Deny permission. A denial disables only host-system audio, not video or control. Settings changed during a connection take effect without a page reload; the UI reports whether they were applied live, rebuilt a media pipeline, or triggered an automatic in-page reconnect.
Next steps
- Learn how the three views divide up the console: Personal view, Organization view, and the platform-admin view (visible only to platform admins).
- Share a device with organization members: Device access grants.