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I wanted to deploy applications to a server I controlled without handing its management over to a platform. That led me to build an agentless deployment CLI in Go: the developer machine connects to the server over SSH, rather than relying on a general-purpose resident management agent. “Agentless” describes where deployment control runs; it does not mean the server needs no software or services.
What agentless deployment means
In this design, the CLI runs from a developer machine or CI environment and uses SSH to reach the target server. That changes the control path, not necessarily the application packaging or everything running on the server. A server may still need a container runtime, a web server, or other services for the application to work.
The distinction matters because “agentless” is not a complete deployment specification. It does not tell you where builds happen, how traffic is switched, whether health checks run, or how a failed release is reversed. Those behaviors must be designed and documented separately.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteChoose the deployment artifact separately from the connection
SSH is a way to connect and issue deployment actions; it does not dictate what gets deployed. For example, Gofasta documents two patterns: build and transfer a Docker image, or cross-compile a Go binary and manage it with systemd. These choices affect the target server’s requirements and the shape of the release process.
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Container image
A container-oriented workflow fits applications already packaged for Docker. The server needs the relevant container runtime, and a Compose-based project also needs Docker Compose or compatible tooling. Keeping an existing Compose project as the unit of deployment can avoid forcing an application into a different configuration model; Graft’s documentation, for instance, describes an SSH-based workflow built around existing Docker Compose projects.
Compiled binary
A native-binary workflow can avoid a container runtime for the application, but it still needs a process supervisor or another reliable way to start, stop, and restart the program. Gofasta’s documented systemd mode illustrates that “deploy over SSH” can mean transferring and managing a binary rather than operating containers.
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What the server still needs
Before calling a deployment system agentless, describe its server footprint precisely. A small CI webhook, reverse proxy, container runtime, or system service is still a server-side component, even if it is not a general-purpose management agent. Graft, for example, documents setup of Docker and supporting infrastructure, as well as a small webhook for CI/CD. The label alone does not establish that nothing is installed or running on the target.
This is also a useful design checklist for a custom CLI: identify which components are prerequisites, which the tool installs, and which remain after deployment. State what runs continuously, what can be removed, and how updates to those components are handled.
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Deployment conveniences are separate design decisions
SSH connectivity does not automatically provide safer releases or production-ready operations. Health checks, TLS, traffic switching, and rollback require explicit mechanisms and failure rules. Teploy’s project documentation describes a single Go binary that deploys Docker applications over SSH and includes health checks, traffic switching, automatic rollback, Caddy-based HTTPS, and optional services such as Postgres and Redis. Those are Teploy’s documented features, not evidence that another CLI implements them.
- Health checks: Define what counts as a healthy release and how long the system waits before deciding.
- Traffic switching: Explain how requests move from the current version to the new one, and what happens if the new version fails.
- Rollback: Specify what state is restored. Reverting application code may not reverse database migrations or external side effects.
- TLS: Identify whether certificates are provisioned and renewed by the deployment tool, a proxy, or a separate service.
- Secrets and logs: Make clear where credentials are stored and where deployment and application logs can be accessed.
Alternatives use different deployment models
A purpose-built SSH CLI is not the only way to keep deployment on a server you control. Piku documents a lightweight git-push deployment approach built around standard tools. That is a different interface and operating model from invoking explicit deployment commands over SSH.
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When comparing tools, focus on the workflow and responsibilities rather than the “agentless” label:
- What software must be present on the server, and what does the tool install?
- Does it expect Docker or Compose, support native binaries, or offer both?
- Does the build happen locally, on the server, or in CI?
- How are TLS, health checks, traffic switching, and rollback implemented?
- Who controls secrets, logs, backups, updates, and ongoing server maintenance?
The cited project pages describe their own approaches; they do not establish a controlled comparison of cost, reliability, or performance against PaaS products. The reason for this CLI remains my own architectural preference: I wanted to keep control of the server and deployment path. That motivation is not proof that every PaaS requires ownership of a customer’s server.
Quick Recap
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