# ice
Minimal CLI for deploying and managing workloads on `vast.ai`, `gcp`, `aws`, and `local`.
## Install
```bash
cargo install ice-tool
```
Installed command: `ice`
## Quick start
```bash
ice login --cloud vast.ai
ice deploy test-crate
ice list --cloud vast.ai
ice logs --cloud vast.ai <instance> --follow
ice delete --cloud vast.ai <instance>
```
## Clouds
Supported cloud identifiers:
- `vast.ai`
- `gcp`
- `aws`
- `local`
## Commands
- `ice login [--cloud CLOUD] [--force]`
- `ice config list`
- `ice config get <KEY>`
- `ice config set <KEY=VALUE>`
- `ice config unset <KEY>`
- `ice list [--cloud CLOUD]`
- `ice logs [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE> [--tail N] [--follow]`
- `ice shell [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE>`
- `ice pull [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE> <REMOTE_PATH> [LOCAL_PATH]`
- `ice push [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE> <LOCAL_PATH> [REMOTE_PATH]`
- `ice stop [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE>`
- `ice start [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE>`
- `ice delete [--cloud CLOUD] <INSTANCE>`
- `ice deploy [--cloud CLOUD] [--hours HOURS] [--machine MACHINE] [--custom] [--dry-run] [--ssh | --container IMAGE_REF | --unpack SOURCE | --arca [ARTIFACT] | TARGET]`
`<INSTANCE>` accepts an instance id or label.
## Config
Config file: `~/.ice/config.toml`
Use:
- `ice config list` to view supported keys and current values
- `ice config get <KEY>` to read one key
- `ice config set <KEY=VALUE>` to write one key
- `ice config unset <KEY>` to clear one key
Auth values are redacted in config output.
### Config keys
- `default.cloud`: `vast.ai|gcp|aws|local`
- `default.runtime_hours`
- `default.vast_ai.min_cpus|min_ram_gb|allowed_gpus|max_price_per_hr`
- `default.gcp.min_cpus|min_ram_gb|allowed_gpus|max_price_per_hr`
- `default.aws.min_cpus|min_ram_gb|allowed_gpus|max_price_per_hr`
- `default.gcp.region|zone|image_family|image_project|boot_disk_gb`
- `default.aws.region|ami|key_name|ssh_key_path|ssh_user|security_group_id|subnet_id|root_disk_gb`
- `auth.vast_ai.api_key`
- `auth.gcp.project|service_account_json`
- `auth.aws.access_key_id|secret_access_key`
## `ice deploy`
`ice deploy` now takes exactly one deployment target mode explicitly, or defaults to local `arca`
unpack deployment when none is given.
Target modes:
- `--ssh`
- `--container IMAGE_REF`
- `--unpack SOURCE`
- `--arca [ARTIFACT]`
- bare `TARGET`
Behavior:
- `ice deploy test-crate` means `ice deploy --arca test-crate`.
- Bare `ice deploy` means `ice deploy --arca`, which selects the newest local `arca` artifact.
- `--arca NAME` is shorthand for `--unpack arca:NAME`.
- `--container` accepts a remote container image ref such as
`us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/my-project/arca/my-image:tag`.
- `--container arca:...` is rejected because local `arca` artifacts are an unpack-only flow.
- `--unpack` accepts:
- `arca:selector`
- a local image name such as `arca-local:my-crate-deadbeef`
- a saved `image.tar` path
- a full remote container ref
- `--hours` overrides runtime duration for the deploy. If omitted, `ice` uses
`default.runtime_hours` and otherwise falls back to `1.0`.
- `--custom` prompts for search filters on marketplace-backed clouds.
- `--machine` pins a specific marketplace machine type.
- `--dry-run` reports the chosen machine and exits before provisioning.
Examples:
```bash
ice deploy test-crate
ice deploy --arca test-crate --hours 0.25
ice deploy --unpack arca:test-crate --cloud vast.ai
ice deploy --container us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/my-project/arca/my-image:tag --cloud vast.ai
ice deploy --ssh --cloud gcp --machine g2-standard-4
```
## Workload behavior
- `container` runs a real container image on the target machine.
- `unpack` extracts the layer that introduced the image entrypoint plus all higher layers, uploads
only that staged filesystem diff, and starts the image entrypoint detached with persisted logs.
- `local` supports `container` and `unpack`. It does not support `--ssh`.
- `vast.ai` container workloads use entrypoint mode, not SSH mode.
- `vast.ai`, `gcp`, and `aws` unpack workloads boot a shell-capable machine, upload the unpack
bundle over SSH, and run the workload detached from the SSH session.
- Deploy flows print explicit stages for machine creation, SSH readiness, unpack upload, workload
start, and log following.
- If Vast offer acceptance fails, `ice deploy` can immediately retry the search interactively.
## Logs and shell
- `ice logs` shows stdout and stderr for managed workloads.
- For `unpack`, logs come from the persisted detached `stdio.log` and `--follow` exits
automatically after the workload finishes and the final output is drained.
- For `container` on `vast.ai`, logs use Vast's provider API.
- `ice shell` opens the workload shell when possible and otherwise falls back to the host shell.
## Notes
- `--cloud` can be omitted when `default.cloud` is configured.
- `ice list --cloud local` reports both managed local containers and managed local unpack workloads.
- Private GCP registry pulls use your configured GCP credentials or active `gcloud`
authentication.
- External commands used by some flows: `ssh`, `rsync`, `gcloud`, `aws`, `docker`, `podman`.