gibil

Gibil

Full servers. Forged in seconds. Gone when done.

Ephemeral machines for developers and AI agents.
Docker, root, SSH, your repo — ready in one command.

The Problem

You're deep in a feature on main. Slack: "can you check why tests fail on feat/payments?" You stash, checkout, install deps, run tests, debug, switch back. 15 minutes gone. Flow destroyed.

Or: three people need to test three different branches on one laptop. One Docker daemon. Port conflicts. Everyone waits for CI instead.

gibil gives every branch its own machine. Your local stays on main. The branch runs on a real Linux server for $0.007/hr.

30-Second Demo

npm install -g gibil
gibil init                              # enter your Hetzner API token
gibil branch feat/payments --run "pnpm test"   # spins up a server, checks out the branch, runs tests
gibil ssh feat-payments                 # SSH in to debug
gibil destroy feat-payments             # gone, no trace

Install

npm install -g gibil

Forge. Run. Burn.

# Forge a server with your repo cloned and ready
gibil create --name my-app --repo github.com/you/project --ttl 30

# Let your agent work on it
gibil run my-app "pnpm install && pnpm test"

# Or give Claude Code direct access via MCP
gibil mcp my-app

# Burn it when done
gibil destroy my-app

Why Gibil?

• Don't switch branches — gibil branch feat/X gives the branch its own Linux machine. Your local stays on main.
• Run your agent remotely — --agent claude installs Claude Code on the server. Also supports aider and codex. Direct filesystem access, no MCP latency.
• SSH when it breaks — gibil ssh <name> drops you into a real terminal. Debug live, not from CI logs.
• Preview a branch — --port 3000 tunnels the app to localhost. Open your browser, see the branch running live.
• Parallel branches — gibil branch feat/A feat/B feat/C boots three servers in parallel. Zero interference.
• MCP built in — gibil mcp gives Claude Code direct access to a remote server via MCP tools.
• Ephemeral by design — set a TTL, servers auto-destroy. No forgotten VMs, no surprise bills.
• $0.007/hr — real Linux VMs on Hetzner. 24x cheaper than E2B. BYOC — your code stays on your account.

Commands

Command	Description
gibil init	Set up gibil — Hetzner token, MCP config, agent skill
gibil create	Forge an ephemeral server
gibil branch <branch>	Spin up a branch on a clean server (auto-detects repo)
gibil checkout <branch>	Alias for gibil branch
gibil ssh <name>	SSH into a running server
gibil run <name> <cmd>	Execute a command remotely (--background for async)
gibil job <cmd>	Manage background jobs (status, list, cancel, logs)
gibil exec <name>	Upload and run a local script
gibil mcp [name]	Start MCP server for AI agents (--print-config for setup)
gibil list	List all active servers
gibil extend <name>	Extend a server's TTL
gibil destroy [name]	Burn down a server
gibil auth	Manage authentication
gibil usage	View usage and plan limits

Two Ways to Use Agents

Option A: Agent on your laptop (MCP)

Your agent runs locally and reaches into the server via MCP tools. Good for quick tasks where you want to watch the agent work.

gibil create --name my-app --repo github.com/you/project
gibil mcp     # Claude Code gets vm_bash, vm_read, vm_write tools

Pros	Cons
See everything the agent does	Every file/command is a network round-trip
Agent uses your local config	Your laptop stays busy (fans, battery)
Works with any MCP-compatible agent	Long commands block with no streaming

Option B: Agent on the server (--agent)

The agent runs directly on the server. Your laptop is just a terminal. Good for heavy work, long sessions, or when you want your laptop free.

gibil branch feat/payments --agent claude
gibil ssh feat-payments

# Set your API key in the session (stays in memory, never written to disk)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
claude    # direct filesystem access, full Docker, zero latency

# Also supports aider and codex:
gibil branch feat/payments --agent aider     # then: export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=...
gibil branch feat/payments --agent codex     # then: export OPENAI_API_KEY=...

Pros	Cons
Direct filesystem — no MCP latency	Need to SSH in to interact
Full Docker, real Linux tools	Set API key manually after SSH
Your laptop is free	Need tmux to persist sessions
Works with claude, aider, codex

Security note: Don't pass API keys via --env — they end up on disk in /etc/environment. Instead, SSH in and export the key. It stays in memory and vanishes when the server is destroyed.

Rule of thumb: Quick checks → MCP (Option A). Heavy work or "let it run" → remote agent (Option B).

Preview a Branch

Run a dev server on a gibil server and open it in your browser:

gibil branch feat/payments --run "pnpm dev" --port 3000
# → Server created, branch checked out, dev server started
# → Local:  http://localhost:3000    ← open in your browser
# → Tunnel running in background

Or with an interactive SSH session and port forwarding:

gibil ssh feat-payments --port 3000 --port 8080
# → Forwarding localhost:3000 → feat-payments:3000
# → Forwarding localhost:8080 → feat-payments:8080
# → Tunnel active while SSH session is open

Both approaches tunnel traffic through SSH — encrypted, no public ports exposed, works behind any firewall.

Agent Workflow (JSON)

Every command supports --json for programmatic use:

gibil create --name task --repo https://github.com/user/repo --json --ttl 30
gibil run task "cd /root/project && pnpm install && pnpm test" --json
gibil destroy task --json

Agent Skill

Teach your AI agent how to use gibil. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, and 40+ other agents.

npx skills add https://github.com/AlexikM/gibil-skills --skill gibil

Links

• Documentation
• Quick Start
• Recipes
• Blog

License

Proprietary. See LICENSE for details.

_{Named after the Sumerian god of fire. The oldest flame, forging the newest servers.}