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The pairing command is the Give me a 1-liner path in the Add Node wizard. You copy one line from Techstack, paste it into the terminal of your server, and the server connects itself. You do not need to enter SSH details in Techstack.

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What the command does

The command downloads the Techstack installer from your Techstack and runs it with a personal, short-lived pairing token. On the server, the installer:
  1. detects the platform and installs the Techstack Guard, a small agent that reports the server’s health;
  2. installs the pinned StackKits runtime the rollout needs;
  3. redeems the pairing token, which links this server to your homelab;
  4. installs Docker with apt-get when no working container runtime is present;
  5. installs and starts the techstack-agent system service, so the Guard keeps running after a restart.
The Guard talks to Techstack only through an outbound HTTPS connection. It sends a heartbeat and a measured inventory about every 30 seconds. You do not open an inbound port on the server for it. The token works once. Techstack stores only a hash of the credential the server receives, and the command is not kept in job reports.

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Before you run it

  • A Linux server with systemd. Ubuntu is the standard system; see Add a Node.
  • Administrator rights. Run the command as root or as a user that can use sudo. The installer writes system files and installs a service.
  • curl on the server. The command uses it to download the installer.
  • The server can reach Techstack. The progress page shows the field Techstack URL reachable from the server. The address in that field must open from the server, not only from your computer. With the Windows Beta, the server reaches the Windows computer on TCP port 5264 in your local network, so keep the Windows client running while you pair.
  • A fresh command. A pairing token expires 15 minutes after Techstack creates it.

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Run the command

  1. Finish the Add Node wizard. Techstack opens the progress page for the new Node, which shows Not connected yet.
  2. Check the Techstack URL reachable from the server field and correct it if the server uses a different address to reach Techstack.
  3. Select Copy pairing command.
  4. Open a terminal on the server, directly or over SSH, paste the command, and press Enter. Do not change the command. It contains your personal token.
  5. Wait for the installer to finish. It prints each step.
If the page says This pairing token has expired, select Generate new command and run the new command instead. The old one no longer works.
Treat the command like a one-time password. Anyone who runs it before it expires can connect a server to your homelab.

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When the Node is connected

When the Guard sends its first heartbeat, Techstack changes the Node from Not connected yet to connected. The progress page then continues with the StackKit rollout for this Node. You can close the terminal. To check the Guard on the server later:
  • sudo systemctl status techstack-agent shows whether the service runs.
  • sudo journalctl -u techstack-agent -f follows its log.
For what happens during enrollment, how to recover an interrupted pairing and how to end it again, see Pair a server with Guard and Revoke, detach and uninstall Guard. The Node now appears in your homelab with its health. Where its services are reachable does not depend on where the server stands: local hardware and rented servers can both use your own domain or a *.kombify.me address. See kombify.me.