Getting started with rdev takes four steps. The install itself should take only a few minutes.
1. Subscribe
Create an account at rdev.cloud and choose a plan. Your license is created as soon as the first payment goes through. See Plans and pricing.
2. Rent a server
Create a fresh Linux server with your provider, running Ubuntu, Debian, Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux. The web panel shows the recommended size. See Requirements.
3. Run the install command
Run this on your new server as root, or with sudo:
curl -fsSL https://rdev.cloud/install | sudo sh
It asks for your license key, which is on your panel, and checks it right away. Then it asks for a Tailscale auth key: create one in your Tailscale admin console, under Settings > Keys. You can press Enter to skip it and connect later with sudo rdev host tailscale <tailscale-auth-key>.
Your panel also shows the same command with your license key filled in, for scripts and cloud-init where nobody can answer questions. That one contains your license key, so keep it private:
curl -fsSL https://rdev.cloud/install | sudo sh -s -- <license-key> --tailscale-key <tailscale-auth-key>
The installer sets up:
- Docker and the rdev container;
- PHP 8.4 with Composer, the Laravel installer and WP-CLI; every other PHP version from 7.4 to 8.5 installs with one command;
- MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Meilisearch, Typesense and RustFS, each in the version you choose and installed when you first need it, plus mail capture and a dump server;
- the AI agent profile for Claude Code and Codex;
- Tailscale, connected to your own tailnet with the key from your Tailscale account;
- automatic security updates for the server's own operating system, and a daily check of pending updates shown on your server's page (Server health).
SSH keys that can already log in to the server as root, or as the user who ran sudo, are copied for the dev user in the container. Add another key with --ssh-key "<public key>".
The installer only downloads rdev after checking your license. Nothing else needs to be installed by hand. To update the environment later, run sudo rdev host update; your projects and data are kept.
4. Connect your laptop
On your Mac or Linux laptop, install Tailscale, then run curl -fsSL https://rdev.cloud/install | sh -s -- laptop in a terminal as yourself, without sudo; it asks for your laptop password when it needs it. It installs Mutagen and the other tools it needs, connects to your tailnet, starts file sync, and makes https://<name>.dev.test open in your browser with a trusted certificate. See Connecting your laptop.
Removing rdev
On the server, as root:
sudo rdev host uninstall
It asks you to type yes, then removes the environment containers (team members' too), rdev's timers, the environment images and the rdev command. Your code, databases and settings stay in /opt/rdev; add --delete-data to delete them as well, and --yes to skip the question. Docker and automatic security updates stay installed, since other software may use them. Then remove the server from your tailnet in the Tailscale admin console and from the panel. On your laptop, run rdev laptop uninstall (Connecting your laptop). Both need rdev 0.2.0-beta.21 or later.