> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dedaluslabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are Dedalus Machines?

> DCS Linux VMs for agents and software workloads.

Dedalus Machines is an offering of Dedalus Cloud Services (DCS).

A Dedalus Machine is a Linux VM that wakes in under 50ms and keeps its filesystem across sleep.

Each machine has its own Linux kernel and filesystem. It runs systemd, supports SSH, and runs commands through the API.

Dedalus Machines are in public beta.

## Model

Every machine has a `machine_id`. Use it to retrieve state, run commands, open SSH, watch lifecycle, sleep, wake, or delete.

Set vCPU, memory, storage, and autosleep at create or update. Plan limits apply.

| Surface    | Use                                                               | Status             |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| Lifecycle  | Create, inspect, update, sleep, wake, watch, and delete machines. | Public beta        |
| Executions | Run commands without opening SSH.                                 | Public beta        |
| SSH        | Open an interactive OpenSSH session.                              | Public beta        |
| Terminals  | Open an interactive terminal over WebSocket.                      | Public beta        |
| Artifacts  | Fetch files captured by executions.                               | Public beta        |
| Ports      | Route traffic to a port inside the VM.                            | Not in public beta |
| Usage      | View billing usage.                                               | Public beta        |

## Lifecycle

Machines stay awake as long as the workload needs. There is no fixed platform timeout.

Autosleep is enabled by default with a 5-minute idle window. Set `autosleep` to `never` to disable automatic sleep.

Sleep deallocates RAM and discards memory state. Compute billing stops. The filesystem persists. Wake starts from the persisted filesystem.

Dedalus moves machines between hosts during failures or maintenance.

## Filesystem

The filesystem is the durable state of a machine. Files written under paths like `/home`, `/root`, `/etc`, `/usr/local`, and `/var` survive sleep and wake.

Runtime filesystems such as `/proc`, `/sys`, `/dev`, `/run`, and `/dev/shm` are recreated on each wake. Treat `/tmp` as temporary scratch space. Use `/var/tmp`, `/home`, `/root`, or another root-filesystem path for files you need later.

Storage expansion depends on your plan.

## Isolation

Dedalus Machines use VM-level isolation. Each machine gets its own Linux kernel.

Agents run untrusted code, install dependencies, compile projects, and execute shell commands. VM isolation gives each workload a hardware-backed boundary.

## Tools for agents

Use the CLI, Python SDK, TypeScript SDK, Go SDK, or HTTP API from agents and backends.

For tool calls, use executions. Send a command and `machine_id`. The API returns an `execution_id`. Use it to retrieve status, events, stdout, stderr, and output.

## Common use cases

Use a machine when an agent needs a real Linux environment for one tool call.

Common workloads: builds, tests, CI runners, bursty backend jobs, long-running services, SSH debugging, Docker, and nested virtualization through `/dev/kvm`.

## Current limits

Linux is the only supported operating system today. The base image is intentionally small.

Outside public beta: custom images, machine forking, memory snapshots, general file upload and download APIs, port URLs, GPU machines, premium storage tiers, and self-service retention policies.

Public beta limits vary by account and plan. See [Pricing](/dcs/dm/pricing) for current plan limits.

## Delete

Delete removes a machine from normal use immediately. Storage may be retained for up to 30 days. Recovery requires support.

Contact support immediately after mistaken deletion.

## Read next

Start with the [Quickstart](/dcs/dm/quickstart). Use [Lifecycle](/dcs/dm/lifecycle) for state, [Executions](/dcs/dm/executions) for commands, [SSH](/dcs/dm/ssh) for interactive access, and the [API reference](/api-reference/dcs) for the API contract.