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ELOWEN · Documentation

Last updated: October 27, 2026

Browse documentation · Sign in and pair a computer
Terminal app

Sign in and pair a computer

Pair a computer from a terminal when you cannot use the install button, and choose which instance the terminal app talks to.

Pair a computer by hand

Use this when you unpacked the client from a downloaded archive, or when the install command is not an option.

  1. On the computer, run elowen login.
  2. Open the printed link in a browser where you are signed in to Chetty. The terminal prints Open <link> to approve this device.
  3. Check the device name and code, then choose Approve.
  4. Run elowen connect to start the background connection.

The computer is now paired and appears in Account → Computers.

Sign in a server installation

On the full server installation, with neither ELOWEN_URL nor ELOWEN_DAEMON_URL set, elowen login prints Open <link> to approve this sign-in. and the approval gives that terminal a personal API token instead of pairing a computer.

Use it to reach your account from a server. Revoke it in Account → API tokens.

Note: Setting either address variable, even to a local address, makes elowen login pair a computer again.

Use another instance

A client installed with an install command always uses the instance it was installed from. To reach another instance, set ELOWEN_URL to its public address:

export ELOWEN_URL=https://elowen.example

The CLI adds the web API path to a public address, and keeps a path that already names it.

If the deployment serves the live connection on a separate daemon address, set that one too:

export ELOWEN_DAEMON_URL=https://daemon.example
Variables set What the terminal app uses
ELOWEN_URL only The public web address for chat and requests.
Both Chat and requests over the public address, the live connection over the daemon.
ELOWEN_DAEMON_URL only The daemon directly, without the web app.
Neither The local daemon of a full server installation.

Logins and paired computers are stored per address, including scheme, host and port, so every instance keeps its own login. With both variables set, the saved login belongs to the public address.

If it does not work

  • The page says the code has expired: run elowen login again on the device.
  • The page says the sign-in has already been decided: open the newest link from the terminal, or start again with elowen login.
  • A server terminal got a token instead of a computer: that is the account sign-in. Set ELOWEN_URL or ELOWEN_DAEMON_URL if you wanted to pair the computer.
  • Chat asks you to approve the client: the device has no saved login for this address. Run elowen login.
  • The terminal says Chetty no longer accepts its sign-in: the saved login expired or was revoked. Run elowen login again. If you set ELOWEN_TOKEN, replace it with a valid token instead, because it takes precedence over the saved login.