Fly.io Sprites

Use this skill as the default operator guide for Fly.io Sprites. Assume the CLI is installed and authenticated.

Mental Model

Treat a Sprite like a small persistent Linux machine:

• Disk persists: files, packages, repos, and on-disk state survive sleep.
• RAM does not persist: running processes and in-memory state do not survive idle.
• HTTP can wake the Sprite.
• URLs stay private by default unless the user explicitly wants public access.

Top Commands

Select a Sprite

sprite list
sprite ls
sprite use my-sprite
sprite -o my-org -s my-sprite exec pwd

Prefer local .sprite context when present. Use explicit -o and -s when the target is ambiguous.

Create or destroy

sprite create my-sprite
sprite destroy my-sprite

Only destroy when the user explicitly wants permanent deletion.

Run commands

Use sprite exec for one-off commands and automation:

sprite exec echo "hello"
sprite exec bash -c "cd /home/sprite && ls -la"
sprite x python3 --version

Use sprite console for interactive work:

sprite console
sprite c

Work with files and tools

Good default paths:

• /home/sprite for user files and repos
• /home/sprite/.local for user-installed tools
• /var for app state and databases

sprite exec bash -c "echo 'hello from sprite' > /home/sprite/greeting.txt"
sprite exec cat /home/sprite/greeting.txt
sprite exec pip install requests
sprite exec npm install -g typescript
sprite exec cargo install ripgrep
sprite exec df -h

Use the URL

sprite url
sprite url update --auth public
sprite url update --auth sprite

Keep URLs private unless the user explicitly wants public access.

Proxy ports

sprite proxy 5432
sprite proxy 3001:3000
sprite proxy 3000 8080 5432

Use this for databases, dev servers, and other private ports.

Checkpoint and restore

sprite checkpoint create
sprite checkpoint create --comment "before upgrade"
sprite checkpoint list
sprite checkpoint info <id>
sprite restore <id>

Create a checkpoint before risky upgrades, migrations, or destructive experiments.

Common Tasks

Run a command in the machine

sprite exec bash -c "cd /home/sprite/app && git status"

Open an interactive shell

sprite console

Serve a quick app

sprite url
sprite exec python -m http.server 8080

Use this for quick demos, not for apps that must reliably come back after sleep.

Inspect machine state

sprite exec ps aux
sprite exec df -h
sprite exec free -h

Check selection issues

sprite list
sprite use my-sprite

Rules and Gotchas

• Filesystem changes persist; process state does not.
• Prefer sprite exec for scripted work and sprite console for exploration.
• Suggest a checkpoint before risky changes.
• Do not make a URL public unless the user asks.
• Verify exact flags with live help when unsure.

Verify with Live Help

Start here:

sprite --help

Then inspect the exact command you are about to use:

sprite exec --help
sprite url --help
sprite checkpoint --help

Advanced References

Read only when needed:

• Wake-safe services / long-lived HTTP processes: references/services-and-wakeup.md
• Advanced access, SSHFS mounting, env vars: references/networking-and-access.md

Version-Sensitive Notes

This skill is based on the docs plus a live sprite --help run. If docs mention a command that local help does not show, verify before relying on it.

In particular:

• The docs mention detachable TTY sessions, but the local help used here did not list a sessions command.
• The docs mention sprite-env services ... for wake-safe services. Verify that sprite-env exists before depending on it.

Output Expectations

When using this skill:

• State which Sprite and org you are targeting.
• Show concrete commands.
• Call out persistence, security, or restore implications when relevant.
• Mention when behavior is documented but should still be verified against local CLI help.