Devices

A device is a computer paired with the instance that can run remote executors. The Metnos client never acts on its own initiative: it receives an authorised invocation, runs it within the admitted contract, records the outcome, and replies to the server.

Pairing and identity

The administrator chooses a name and owner and generates a temporary link for the target computer. Installation registers an Ed25519 device identity; initial tokens expire and do not replace that persistent identity. The fingerprint makes the public key recognisable without exposing it in full.

A heartbeat reports when the client last communicated and contributes to the reachable state. It does not prove that every executor or resource is available. Placement, declared capability, and health must be read together.

What “remote executor” means

An executor's properties are independent:

Axis	Alternatives	Question it answers
Placement	Local or remote	On which computer does execution take place?
Concurrency	Serial or parallelisable within a limit	How many independent invocations may proceed together?
Processing	Deterministic or assisted by an LLM/VLM	Does the function use code and data only, or does it also use a model?
Effect	Pure, idempotent, reconcilable, or manual	When may an interrupted attempt be repeated?

“Remote” therefore does not mean “intelligent”, and “local” does not mean “serial”. A remote executor may perform a deterministic read; a local executor may use a vision model. The central scheduler still applies authority, availability, and concurrency limits.

Install, inspect, and revoke

Open Settings → System → Devices on the server.
Choose “another PC”, then assign a recognisable name and the correct owner.
Open the link on the target computer and wait for the flow to reach “client active”.
Check operating system, client version, fingerprint, last heartbeat, and state.
Use Revoke if the computer is no longer trusted or must stop receiving invocations.

Revocation causes future tokens from that device to be rejected; it does not delete the owning user's data. A manual path is available for environments without a browser. It is intended for experienced operators and uses a short-lived token.

Network boundary. The device channel is intended for a local network or private overlay. Do not expose the client port directly to the public Internet.

The Devices screen

The real, anonymised Metnos remote-devices screen in an Italian-language instance. — The screen detects that it is open on the server and explicitly offers the flow for installing the client on another computer.

Devices section. Brings together pairing and remote-client status.
Recommended flow. Guides installation without requiring terminal commands.
Identity and owner. Name, ID, and user make device ownership explicit.
Presence evidence. Version, fingerprint, heartbeat, and reachability help verify the client.
Revocation. Deliberately ends trust in the device.

The name, owner, ID, fingerprint, and timestamp are anonymous examples; the layout is the real HTTP UI.