Muxin

Open source alternative to Royal TSX

383 stars
Apache-2.0
Active this week
Last commit 3 days ago

Last verified Nov 2, 2026

Manage all your machines from one native desktop app with AI agent sessions, live desktops, file transfer, logs, and an 80-tool MCP server.

Visit website GitHub383 Deploy on Hostinger

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Muxin is for#

Developers running AI coding agents across multiple machines

If you run Claude Code or Codex on several machines simultaneously, Muxin gives you a single window to see each agent's activity, review its git diff, approve a pull request, or send it a follow-up prompt. The Activity timeline shows every command every agent ran across your fleet, with exit codes and output.

Skip if:

If you run agents on a single machine and are comfortable with your existing terminal workflow, Muxin adds overhead without meaningful benefit.

Teams managing self-hosted GitHub Actions runners

Muxin installs and monitors self-hosted GitHub Actions runners with minimal friction. The app shows which runners are busy, idle, or offline, which queued jobs cannot be picked up, and lets you start or stop runners from the UI. Install runners on any SSH-accessible machine in one step without touching the machine directly.

Skip if:

If you use GitHub-hosted runners exclusively or manage runners with a dedicated CI platform, Muxin's runner management adds no value.

Solo developers with a personal machine fleet

Muxin is designed for people who own several machines and want them all visible at once. Its overview shows CPU, memory, disk, running agents, open ports, and Docker containers for each machine at a glance. File transfer, live desktops, and the shared clipboard remove the friction of moving data between boxes.

Skip if:

If you manage a large fleet of identical servers or need enterprise features like role-based access control or audit logs, Muxin's current version is not built for that scale.

Developers building or testing AI agent integrations

Muxin ships an MCP server with 80+ tools covering machines, sessions, files, logs, GitHub, runners, Docker, and schedules. The --demo flag lets agents practice on simulated machines without touching anything real. The CLI exposes every capability with --json output for scripting and integration testing.

Skip if:

If your agents only need a single machine and you already have an MCP setup for it, adding Muxin for its MCP server alone may be unnecessary.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Developers working with multiple machines face the same fragmentation problem every day: separate SSH terminals for each box, a different tool to check logs, another to manage Docker containers, and no unified view of which AI agents are running and what they have changed. The overhead compounds quickly once the machine count grows past two or three.

The situation worsens when AI coding agents enter the picture. Agents like Claude Code or Codex run on specific machines, write to specific branches, and produce output you need to review before shipping. Tracking which agent is waiting for input, what it changed, and where the pull request stands requires checking multiple windows and tools. When agents are running on remote or headless machines, coordinating their work becomes a real operational overhead.

how Muxin solves it

How it solves it#

Agent Sessions on Any Machine

Run Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Amp, Pi, or a plain shell on any machine in your fleet from a real terminal inside the app. Sessions keep running on the machine after you close the window, so you can pick up where an agent left off without re-launching. The sidebar shows each session with a spinner while the agent works and a colored dot when it needs your input.

Live Desktops with Mouse and Keyboard

See any Linux or Mac machine's screen live alongside its terminal, at resolutions from 720p to 4K. You can take the mouse and keyboard when you need to, add a virtual monitor to a headless machine, or open a single application from a machine in its own window as if it ran on your computer.

MCP Server with 80+ Tools for AI Agents

Muxin ships a built-in Model Context Protocol server that exposes your entire machine fleet to AI agents. With a one-time muxin mcp setup, Claude Code, Codex, and any other MCP client can read logs, check services, start sessions, copy files, and run commands across your machines. Muxin tells agents to request your approval before making changes.

GitHub Runner and Issue Management

Watch your self-hosted GitHub Actions runners from inside the app: which are busy, idle, or offline, and which queued jobs have no runner to take them. Install runners on any machine in one step. Your GitHub issues and pull requests appear in the app, and one click hands an issue to a running agent on the machine you choose.

File Transfer and Shared Clipboard

Copy files and folders between any two machines in your fleet, including ones that cannot directly reach each other, through a two-pane dialog. The shared clipboard lets you copy text on your computer and paste it on any machine's screen, and copy back the other way.

Docker, Compose, and Service Management

See every machine's running services, Docker containers, and Compose projects with live CPU and memory readings. Start, stop, restart, or open a shell inside individual containers. Open a Compose project to see its services as a diagram. Works with systemd, Homebrew, Windows services, and Docker.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Agent-First Design with MCP IntegrationUnlike Royal TSX and most remote management tools, Muxin was designed from the start for AI coding agent workflows. Its 80-tool MCP server and scriptable CLI let agents check machine health, start sessions, read logs, and ship pull requests without leaving their context. Every command an agent runs appears in the app's Activity view.
Native Performance with No Machine Setup RequiredMuxin is built in Rust using GPUI, the GPU-accelerated framework behind the Zed editor. It requires no manual configuration on managed machines: if you can SSH in with a key, Muxin installs its own lightweight agent over SSH and keeps it updated automatically. This gives native app speed without Electron overhead.
Apache-2.0 License with No Paid TierMuxin is free and Apache-2.0 licensed. You can use it commercially, modify it, and redistribute it without restriction. There is no paid tier, per-seat pricing, or managed-cloud dependency. The source is on GitHub at LumaryLabsLLC/muxin.
Uses Infrastructure You Already HaveMuxin reads your existing ~/.ssh/config aliases and SSH keys, uses your Tailscale network for machines away from home, and reuses your gh auth login for GitHub access. No new accounts, no agents to pre-install on your machines, and no network reconfiguration.

Trade-offs

-Very New Project with Limited Community ResourcesMuxin launched in October 2026 and had 383 GitHub stars at review time. As a young project with 3 open issues, the API surface will change, some workflows may be rough at the edges, and community resources like third-party guides and integrations are limited. The Windows installer is not yet signed, which triggers a security warning on Windows 11 requiring an extra click to proceed.
-Full Desktop App Required on the Controlling MachineMuxin requires installing the full desktop app on your primary machine. There is no web dashboard or browser-only interface for full fleet management. The session-sharing feature gives view or input access to individual sessions in a browser, but it is not a substitute for the full app.
-Cloud Machine Provisioning Limited to DigitalOceanCreating cloud machines from within Muxin currently works only with DigitalOcean. If you primarily use AWS, GCP, Azure, or Hetzner, you add those machines via SSH like any other host but cannot provision new ones from inside the app.

versus alternatives

Muxin vs alternatives#

Muxin vs Royal TSX

Royal TSX is a paid remote connection management tool aimed at sysadmins and developers who manage infrastructure over SSH, RDP, VNC, FTP, and other protocols. Muxin and Royal TSX overlap on SSH-based machine access, but they target different workflows and user profiles.

Feature	Muxin	Royal TSX
License	Apache-2.0 (free)	Proprietary (paid)
AI agent MCP server	Yes (80+ tools)	No
GitHub runner management	Yes	No
Docker and service management	Built in	No
Multi-protocol support (RDP, VNC)	No	Yes
Linux as host platform	Yes	No

Muxin is the better choice for developers running AI coding agents across multiple machines. Its MCP server, agent session tracking, Git diff view, and GitHub runner management are purpose-built for development workflows that Royal TSX does not address. Muxin is also free under the Apache-2.0 license, with no per-seat fees.

Royal TSX is the better fit when you need broad remote protocol support across mixed infrastructure: RDP for Windows servers, VNC for legacy systems, and a credential vault with session sharing across a team. If multi-protocol remote desktop management is your primary need, Royal TSX provides capabilities that Muxin's current version does not.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install Muxin on macOS or Linux using the Homebrew cask.

```bash
brew install --cask lumarylabsllc/tap/muxin
```

Download the signed macOS .dmg, Linux packages (.deb, .rpm, AppImage), or Windows installer from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/LumaryLabsLLC/muxin/releases/latest

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptObjective-CRust

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Muxin free to use?

Yes. Muxin is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0. There is no paid tier, no usage-based pricing, and no managed cloud service. The code is on GitHub. You can use it commercially without restriction.

Which AI agents work with Muxin?

For terminal sessions, Muxin supports Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Amp, Pi, and any plain shell. For agent-to-Muxin integration via MCP, the muxin mcp server works with any MCP client, including Claude Code, Codex, and Claude Desktop. The CLI with --json output is available for agents that do not support MCP.

Do I need to install anything on the machines I manage?

No manual setup is needed on managed machines. If you can SSH into a machine with a key, Muxin installs its own small agent over SSH and keeps it updated automatically. On Windows machines you manage, you need to enable OpenSSH Server first.

Which platforms does Muxin run on?

The desktop app runs on macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon and Intel), Linux (x86_64 and arm64 with glibc 2.35 or newer, available as .deb, .rpm, AppImage, AUR, or a rootless tar.gz installer), and Windows 11. It can manage any Mac, Linux, or Windows machine reachable over SSH.

How does Muxin differ from Royal TSX?

Royal TSX is a paid remote connection manager with broad protocol support (RDP, VNC, SSH, FTP, and more), suited for teams managing heterogeneous server environments. Muxin is designed for developer and AI agent workflows: its MCP server, Git integration, GitHub runner management, and agent session tracking are not features Royal TSX offers. Royal TSX is the better fit when you need multi-protocol remote desktop management; Muxin is the better fit for developers running AI coding agents across their machines.

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Keep it running 24/7, even when your laptop is off. A Hostinger VPS gives it a server of its own.

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Muxin vs Royal TSX

Feature	Muxin	Royal TSX
License	Apache-2.0 (free)	Proprietary (paid)
AI agent MCP server	Yes (80+ tools)	No
GitHub runner management	Yes	No
Docker and service management	Built in	No
Multi-protocol support (RDP, VNC)	No	Yes
Linux as host platform	Yes	No

Who Muxin is for#

Developers running AI coding agents across multiple machines

Skip if:

Teams managing self-hosted GitHub Actions runners

Skip if:

Solo developers with a personal machine fleet

Skip if:

Developers building or testing AI agent integrations

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Agent Sessions on Any Machine

Live Desktops with Mouse and Keyboard

MCP Server with 80+ Tools for AI Agents

GitHub Runner and Issue Management

File Transfer and Shared Clipboard

Docker, Compose, and Service Management

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

Muxin vs alternatives#

Muxin vs Royal TSX

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

DevOps & CI/CD

IT Management

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who Muxin is for#

Developers running AI coding agents across multiple machines

Skip if:

Teams managing self-hosted GitHub Actions runners

Skip if:

Solo developers with a personal machine fleet

Skip if:

Developers building or testing AI agent integrations

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Agent Sessions on Any Machine

Live Desktops with Mouse and Keyboard

MCP Server with 80+ Tools for AI Agents

GitHub Runner and Issue Management

File Transfer and Shared Clipboard

Docker, Compose, and Service Management

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

Muxin vs alternatives#

Muxin vs Royal TSX

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

DevOps & CI/CD

IT Management

Find open source alternatives to paid software