Is this page helpful?

Add an Existing Remote Location#

Overview#

You can add any remote machine running Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, or Jetson OS as a location.

It must have AI Workbench already installed before you can add it as a location.

Adding a remote location requires SSH key-based authentication.

You need a private-public SSH key pair with the private key on your local system and the public key on the remote. Password authentication is not supported.

The remote system must have a non-root user with sudo privileges.

AI Workbench runs as this user and needs sudo access for container operations. The user must be able to run Docker or Podman commands.

Once added, you can activate the location to start the AI Workbench service remotely.

Activation establishes the SSH connection and starts the AI Workbench service on the remote machine. You can then create and manage projects on that location.

Key Concepts#

Remote Location

External machine managed by AI Workbench through SSH. Appears as a location card in the Locations Manager alongside your local system.

SSH Key Pair

Public and private key files used for passwordless authentication. Private key stays on your local system; public key is added to the remote system’s authorized_keys.

AI Workbench Binary Path

Location where AI Workbench is installed on the remote system. Defaults to $HOME/.nvwb/bin but can be customized during installation.

Activate/Deactivate

Connecting or disconnecting from a remote location. Activation starts the AI Workbench service on the remote; deactivation stops it.

SSH Agent

Service that manages password-protected SSH keys. Required if your SSH private key has a passphrase.

Add an Existing Machine#

Step One: Prepare the remote system.

  1. Install AI Workbench on the remote Ubuntu or Jetson system

  2. Create or use an existing non-root user with sudo privileges

  3. Ensure the user can run Docker or Podman commands

  4. Add your SSH public key to the remote user’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file

  5. Verify you can SSH into the remote system using your private key

Step Two: Open Locations Manager and start adding a location.

  1. Select Locations Manager > Add Remote Location (Top Right)

  2. Select Use Existing Machine

  3. Select Next

Step Three: Enter the location details.

  1. Enter Name (alphanumeric and hyphens only, no spaces)

  2. Enter Description (free text description of the location)

Step Four: Enter the SSH connection details.

  1. Enter SSH User (username on the remote system)

  2. Enter Host (IP address or hostname of the remote system)

  3. Enter Port (leave as 22 unless you’ve configured SSH on a different port)

  4. Enter Private Key Path (absolute path to your SSH private key on your local system)

  5. Enter AI Workbench Binary Path on remote (use $HOME/.nvwb/bin if you used default installation)

Step Five: Complete the addition.

  1. Select Add Location

  2. Wait for AI Workbench to verify the connection

Success: A new location card appears in the Locations Manager.

Using password-protected SSH keys

If your SSH private key is protected with a passphrase, you must configure an SSH agent before adding the location.

Step One: Start the SSH agent and add your key.

  1. Start the SSH agent: eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

  2. Add your private key: ssh-add /path/to/private/key

  3. Enter your passphrase when prompted

Step Two: When adding the location, provide the path to your PUBLIC key.

Enter the path to your .pub file (e.g., ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub) instead of the private key path.

Note: SSH agent configuration for password-protected keys can be complex. For detailed guidance, see the remote locations documentation.