A Host's page and checks
What each section of a Host's page does, how the Preflight checklist reads, and how to pick a herdr session or run the checks again.
A Host’s page shows how Waycar reaches that Host and checks that everything it needs is working. Open it by tapping the Host’s card in the Hosts sheet. Waycar runs the checks when the page opens and again whenever you turn the Host back on.
What’s on the page?
From top to bottom:
- Enabled switch. “Waycar never connects to a disabled Host. Its settings stay saved.” A disabled Host’s page shows only the switch and the rows below it.
- Address, Session and Auth. How Waycar reaches the Host. Session shows the herdr session name, or “default”. Tap Edit at the top to change any of them.
- Reconnect. Connects the Host again. It reads Connecting… while it works, and the connection error shows in red underneath.
- Preflight. The checklist, described below.
- Status Hooks. On a tmux Host, whether each agent’s status hooks are Installed or Not installed, with Install Status Hooks when some are missing. See Waycar hooks for tmux.
- Backends. On a Host that runs both herdr and tmux: Show tmux sessions and New agents start in. Hiding tmux sessions also stops their notifications from this Host.
- Mosh. Current Connection with its MOSH or SSH badge, Retest and Upgrade Sessions, and Test Mosh Support. See mosh.
- AI Usage. Per-Host settings for AI Usage with CodexBar.
- Available Sessions. herdr sessions you can switch to (below).
- Run Checks Again.
- Trust New Host Key. Only when the Host presented a changed key. See Host keys and fingerprints.
Read the Preflight checklist
Checks run in this order:
| herdr Host | tmux Host |
|---|---|
| SSH connection | SSH connection |
| remote environment | remote environment |
| herdr installed | tmux installed |
| herdr server running | Status hooks |
| protocol compatible |
A Host that runs both herdr and tmux runs the herdr list.
A run stops at the first failure:
- A green check means the row passed.
- A red X marks the row that failed, with a line underneath saying what to fix.
- A grey minus means the row wasn’t reached because an earlier one failed.
Status hooks never fails a run. When hooks are missing it shows a yellow warning triangle instead.
Fix a failed check
- Read the line under the red X.
- Fix the problem on the Host or in Edit.
- Tap Run Checks Again.
Each message is explained in Can’t connect to a Host and What connection messages mean. If the SSH connection row says “The host key was not confirmed. Run the checks again and confirm the fingerprint.”, tap Run Checks Again and tap Trust in the prompt.
The version line under Preflight
Under the checklist, a line shows what the Host runs: herdr <version> · protocol <n> on a herdr Host, tmux <version> on a tmux Host, and both lines on a Host with both.
If herdr is newer than your Waycar app, the line adds “newer than this app was built against, so features added after protocol N may be unavailable.” This is a notice, not an error. The checks still pass and the Host works. Update the Waycar app to get the newer herdr features.
Pick a herdr session
On a herdr Host, Available Sessions lists the Host’s herdr sessions. Each row reads Running or Stopped, and the current one has a checkmark.
- Tap a session to switch the Host to it. Waycar saves it and runs the checks against it.
- A stopped named session can’t be picked. Start it on the Host first.
- If the page says “Could not discover herdr sessions. You can still enter a session name manually.”, tap Edit and type the name under herdr Session.
- If saving fails, you see Could Not Select Session. Try again.
The Host’s card then shows · session <name> after its address.
Still stuck?
Waycar Support covers common problems and how to reach us by email.