SSH from VS Code or a terminal

SSH in the browser needs no setup, and it is enough for running commands. For editing the workspace in VS Code, copying files with scp or forwarding a port, set up a normal SSH client on your own laptop. The SSH connection still goes through Cloudflare, so the client hands it to Cloudflare’s cloudflared program through a ProxyCommand.

Set up

1. Install cloudflared. Cloudflare’s downloads page has Windows, macOS and Linux builds; on macOS, brew install cloudflared also works. Open a new terminal afterwards so it is on your PATH.

2. Add the devices to your SSH config. The file is ~/.ssh/config on macOS and Linux and C:\Users\<you>\.ssh\config on Windows; create it if it does not exist. Replace <device username> with the username from your team lead:

   Host rb1
       HostName ssh-rb1.sfuracerbot.ca
       User <device username>
       ProxyCommand cloudflared access ssh --hostname %h
   
   Host rb2
       HostName ssh-rb2.sfuracerbot.ca
       User <device username>
       ProxyCommand cloudflared access ssh --hostname %h
   
   Host pitpc
       HostName ssh-pitpc.sfuracerbot.ca
       User <device username>
       ProxyCommand cloudflared access ssh --hostname %h

   Each Host entry is the shortcut you type after ssh:

   Device	Hostname	Host entry	SSH URL
   Car 1	racerbotcar-1	rb1	ssh-rb1.sfuracerbot.ca
   Car 2	racerbotcar-2	rb2	ssh-rb2.sfuracerbot.ca
   Pit PC	racerbotpitpc	pitpc	ssh-pitpc.sfuracerbot.ca

3. Connect:

   ssh rb1

   The first connection opens a browser tab for the Cloudflare Access sign-in. Sign in with your approved address, then enter the device password in the terminal.

Working when: the terminal shows a prompt on the device. Later connections skip the sign-in until the 24-hour session runs out.

VS Code

The Remote - SSH extension reads the same config file. Run Remote-SSH: Connect to Host from the command palette and pick rb1, rb2 or pitpc. VS Code then opens folders on that device, such as ~/racerbot-ws on a car, and its terminal runs there.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
websocket: bad handshake	Your email address is not approved yet, or the browser signed in with a different account	Sign in with the approved address; ask @it-services if it is new
cloudflared: command not found	cloudflared is not installed, or the terminal was opened before it was	Install it and open a new terminal
VS Code hangs at “Setting up SSH host”	The sign-in tab opened behind another window and is waiting	Find the browser tab, sign in, then retry

Limitations

• Each laptop needs its own cloudflared and its own sign-in.
• The ProxyCommand runs on every connection, so a laptop without cloudflared cannot use this config, even on the lab network.