Proxima VPS Setup

Use this skill to stand up or repair a Proxima-on-VPS deployment end to end.

Core rules

• Run Proxima as a dedicated non-root Linux user, normally proxima.
• Bind GUI, VNC, noVNC, REST, and internal IPC to loopback unless the user explicitly asks for a different exposure model.
• Prefer SSH tunnels and SSH stdio transport over public TCP listeners.
• Do not treat curl http://localhost:3210/... on the user's laptop as valid unless an SSH tunnel exists.
• Do not open VNC, noVNC, REST, or MCP directly to the public internet by default.
• Verify every layer after changing it: service status, listening ports, local curl, then remote tunnel behavior.
• Warn clearly that Proxima carries meaningful operational risk and should not be recommended on a primary personal machine.

Workflow

1. Confirm the host assumptions and whether Proxima is already installed.
2. Read references/security-and-architecture.md before making user-facing safety claims.
3. Read references/server-setup-runbook.md and apply the server-side setup or repair steps.
4. Read references/local-access-and-mcp.md when configuring SSH tunnels or local IDE MCP clients.
5. Read references/troubleshooting.md if REST, GUI, VNC, or MCP does not work as expected.
6. Validate the final state with real checks, not assumptions.

Output expectations

When reporting status, keep it compact and include:

• whether proxima-app.service is active
• whether 127.0.0.1:3210, 127.0.0.1:5902, 127.0.0.1:6081, and 127.0.0.1:19222 are listening when expected
• whether local VPS curl http://127.0.0.1:3210/v1/models works
• whether ssh -T <alias> proxima-mcp works from the user side
• what still blocks completion, if anything

References

• Read references/security-and-architecture.md first for risk framing, binding model, and model-routing caveats.
• Read references/server-setup-runbook.md for package install, systemd services, config files, wrapper creation, and validation.
• Read references/local-access-and-mcp.md for SSH config, tunnels, and IDE MCP config snippets.
• Read references/troubleshooting.md for the common failure modes and exact fixes.