What makes rr different from simply using SSH and rsync manually?

rr automates the entire lifecycle of remote development by handling host selection, failover logic, distributed locking, and structured output formatting in a single, unified workflow.

Can I run tasks on multiple remote machines at once?

Absolutely. rr supports parallel task definitions that distribute work across available hosts using a work-stealing queue for optimal load balancing.

Does rr require passwordless SSH access?

Yes, rr requires key-based authentication (SSH keys) to connect to remote machines non-interactively and efficiently.

Is rr compatible with AI agents like Claude Code?

Yes, rr includes a dedicated --machine flag that provides structured JSON envelopes, making it easy for AI agents to parse results and troubleshoot remote errors.

How do I prevent large directories like node_modules from syncing?

You can define exclusion patterns in your project's .rr.yaml file to ensure only necessary source files are transferred, keeping sync times minimal.

Road Runner (rr) Remote CLI

Name: Road Runner (rr) Remote CLI
Author: rileyhilliard

byrileyhilliard

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103

Deployment & DevOps

Syncs local codebases to remote machines and executes commands with automatic failover and distributed locking.

About

Road Runner (rr) is a powerful development utility designed to bridge the gap between local coding and remote execution. It automates the process of syncing source code via rsync, running remote tests or builds, and monitoring host health through a built-in TUI dashboard. By leveraging a dual-config system for global host definitions and project-specific tasks, rr allows developers to offload compute-heavy workflows to remote servers or clusters seamlessly. Its sophisticated features, such as work-stealing task distribution and structured JSON output, make it an essential tool for high-performance engineering teams and AI-driven development workflows.

Key Features

Optimized file synchronization using rsync with intelligent exclude/preserve patterns.
103 GitHub stars
Automatic host failover and distributed locking to prevent command collisions across environments.
Real-time remote host monitoring with a TUI dashboard showing CPU, RAM, and GPU metrics.
Machine-readable JSON output mode for seamless integration with LLMs and CI/CD pipelines.
Parallel task execution with work-stealing load balancing across multiple remote hosts.

Use Cases

Offloading resource-heavy test suites and build processes from local machines to remote servers.
Synchronizing and executing code across multiple architectures or environments simultaneously.
Managing remote development environments and troubleshooting connectivity with built-in diagnostic tools.

About

Key Features

Optimized file synchronization using rsync with intelligent exclude/preserve patterns.
103 GitHub stars
Automatic host failover and distributed locking to prevent command collisions across environments.
Real-time remote host monitoring with a TUI dashboard showing CPU, RAM, and GPU metrics.
Machine-readable JSON output mode for seamless integration with LLMs and CI/CD pipelines.
Parallel task execution with work-stealing load balancing across multiple remote hosts.

Use Cases

Offloading resource-heavy test suites and build processes from local machines to remote servers.
Synchronizing and executing code across multiple architectures or environments simultaneously.
Managing remote development environments and troubleshooting connectivity with built-in diagnostic tools.