FAQ
Answers to common questions before your first session.
Do I need more than one machine?
No. Start locally with the quickstart. Add SSH hosts when you need more capacity or want to move work.
Do I need the Mac app?
No. The CLI works on macOS and Linux. The app is an optional macOS 15+ client with Chat, Terminal, Explorer and approvals.
Does airship provide model access?
No. Install and authenticate Claude Code or Codex on every host that will use it. Your runtime and provider determine model access and usage costs.
Does the agent stop when I close the terminal?
Detaching from tmux leaves the session running. Use airship stop <unit> when you want to stop it. A host still needs to remain powered and available.
Can I keep using my existing SSH config?
Yes. Add a host using its SSH alias. airship uses noninteractive key authentication and leaves connection details in your SSH config.
Are moves just copying a repository?
No. A move checks the destination, carries the workspace and supported session state, verifies the result and resumes there. Dependencies, services and runtime login have separate requirements. See Concepts and Troubleshooting.
Must I use the default workflow?
No. Inspect it with airship framework describe. You can customize a framework or choose airship framework use none for core features without that workflow.
Does Asks first ask about every tool call?
No. It uses the runtime’s configured permission behavior. See Security and permissions before choosing a different host mode.
How do I use airship from another agent?
Start with airship guide and airship commands --json. Use queued delivery and respect human-only decisions. See Agents and scripts.
How do I remove the installation but keep my data?
airship uninstall --keep-dataThis removes recorded, unedited integrations. It refuses to remove running units unless explicitly requested. Inspect airship help uninstall first.