User Interface

Terminal Access

The dxflow terminal provides a command-line interface to interact with the dxflow engine, allowing you to execute commands, manage workflows, and access system functionalities directly from your terminal.

The Terminal Access section of the dxflow interface provides a powerful web-based terminal that connects you directly to containerized environments. This feature enables command-line interaction with your workflows, applications, and the underlying system infrastructure.

Overview

The Terminal interface offers comprehensive command-line access:

Web Terminal

Browser-Based Access

Full-featured terminal in your browser
No additional software required
Cross-platform compatibility
Secure WebSocket connections

Container Access

Direct Container Shell

Connect to running containers
Debug applications in real-time
Access container filesystems
Execute container commands

Multi-Session

Session Management

Multiple concurrent terminals
Persistent sessions
Auto-reconnection support
Session sharing capabilities

Security

Secure Access

Encrypted connections
Role-based permissions
Audit logging
Resource limitations

Key Features

Web Terminal Interface

The web-based terminal provides a native command-line experience:

Native Terminal Experience

Full VT100/xterm Compatibility: Support for all standard terminal features
Unicode Support: Full UTF-8 character set support
Resize Handling: Automatic terminal resizing based on browser window
Copy/Paste: Standard keyboard shortcuts and context menu support
WebSocket Communication: Real-time bidirectional terminal communication

Shell Management

Shell Session Creation

Web Interface Options:

New Shell

Quick Start

Click "New Terminal" button
Auto-configured environment
Default shell selection
Instant connection

Custom Shell

Advanced Configuration

Choose shell type (bash, zsh, sh)
Set working directory
Configure environment variables
Custom resource limits

Container Shell

Container Access

Select running container
Auto-detect shell type
Container-specific environment
Isolated filesystem access

Session Management

Each shell session includes:

Unique Identity: Auto-generated or custom session identifier
WebSocket Connection: Real-time bidirectional communication
Session State: Tracks running processes and command history
Resource Monitoring: CPU and memory usage tracking

Terminal Operations

Interactive Shell Usage

Run Commands

# Basic commands
pwd                    # Show current directory
ls -la                 # List files and directories
cd /path/to/dir       # Change directory
cat filename          # View file contents

# Process management
ps aux                # View running processes
top                   # Real-time process monitor
kill -9 PID          # Terminate process

# File operations
touch newfile        # Create new file
mkdir newdir         # Create directory
cp source dest       # Copy files
mv old new          # Move/rename files
rm filename         # Delete files

Container Shell Access

Containerized Environment Access

Running Containers

Active Containers

Access application containers
Debug running services
View container logs
Inspect processes

Service Containers

Infrastructure Access

Database shells (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
Cache services (Redis, Memcached)
Message queues (RabbitMQ, Kafka)
Custom services

Development Environments

Dev Tools

Language-specific shells
Package managers
Build tools
Debugging utilities

Session Management

Multi-Session Support

Manage Sessions

Multiple Terminals: Open unlimited concurrent sessions
Session Persistence: Sessions survive browser refreshes
Auto-reconnection: Automatic reconnection on network issues
Session Sharing: Collaborate with team members

API Integration

WebSocket Connection

The terminal uses WebSocket connections for real-time communication:

Connection Endpoints

# WebSocket connection to specific shell session
GET /api/shell/:identity/

Session Management API

# Shell operations
GET    /api/shell/           # List all active shell sessions
POST   /api/shell/           # Create new shell session
PUT    /api/shell/resize/    # Resize terminal dimensions
PUT    /api/shell/execute/   # Execute commands programmatically
PUT    /api/shell/kill/      # Kill processes in shell
DELETE /api/shell/           # Remove shell session

Getting Started

Step 1: Access Terminal

After logging in, navigate to the "Terminal Access" section from the main menu.

Step 2: Create Your First Shell

Click "New Terminal" to create a new shell session
Choose environment:
- System shell (direct access to host system)
- Container shell (access to running container)
- Custom environment (specific working directory or user)
Configure session (optional):
- Set working directory
- Configure environment variables
- Choose shell type (bash, zsh, sh)

Step 3: Basic Terminal Usage

Once connected to a shell session:

Essential Commands

pwd                  # Show current directory
ls -la              # List files and directories
cd /path            # Change directory
cat filename        # View file contents
nano filename       # Edit files
ps aux              # View running processes
top                 # Real-time process monitor

File Management

touch filename      # Create new file
mkdir dirname       # Create directory
cp source dest      # Copy files
mv old new         # Move/rename files
rm filename        # Delete files

Advanced Usage

Screen and Tmux

For persistent sessions beyond browser connections:

# Screen commands
screen -S session_name    # Create named session
screen -ls               # List sessions
screen -r session_name   # Reattach to session
Ctrl+A, D               # Detach from session

# Tmux commands
tmux new -s session_name  # Create named session
tmux ls                   # List sessions
tmux attach -t session    # Reattach to session
Ctrl+B, D                # Detach from session

Best Practices

Security Guidelines

Use appropriate user permissions for different tasks
Avoid running unnecessary services as root user
Regular cleanup of temporary files and processes
Monitor resource usage to prevent system overload
Enable audit logging for compliance requirements

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues?

Check if the dxflow engine is running: dxflow ping
Verify WebSocket connectivity in browser console
Ensure firewall allows WebSocket connections
Try refreshing the browser or creating a new session

Common Issues

Session Timeout: Sessions may timeout after extended inactivity. Refresh the page to reconnect.
Copy/Paste Issues: Use Ctrl+Shift+C/V or right-click context menu for clipboard operations.
Display Problems: Resize the terminal window or use reset command to fix display issues.
Permission Denied: Ensure proper user permissions for the requested operations.

The Terminal Access interface provides direct shell access to your dxflow environment, enabling powerful command-line operations, debugging capabilities, and system administration tasks through an intuitive web-based terminal.

Files & Data

The dxflow files and data management features allow you to efficiently handle input and output data within your workflows. This guide will help you understand how to manage files and data in dxflow.

CLI Reference

Complete command-line interface reference for the dxflow engine with detailed usage examples and options