Windsurf: Devin Cloud Comes to the Terminal With Full SSH Access
WindsurfWindsurf's Devin CLI now lets developers create, steer, resume, and watch Devin Cloud sessions entirely from the terminal using devin --cloud and /cloud, with /handoff moving work between local and cloud execution in both directions. A new devin ssh command gives full SSH access to Devin's dedicated cloud VM, including remote-SSH editing, port forwarding, and scp file transfers. Sessions now persist independently of the terminal, so developers can pick up the same session in a browser or in Devin Desktop. Cognition is offering free SWE-2-powered cloud sessions through October 8 to promote the update.
Key Takeaways
devin --cloudand/cloudnow let developers create, steer, and resume Devin Cloud sessions without ever leaving the terminal./handoffinstantly moves a task from local CLI execution to a dedicated cloud VM, and running it again inside a cloud session brings the finished branch back to a local machine.devin sshgives direct, authenticated SSH access to Devin's cloud VM, letting developers edit with remote-SSH extensions, forward ports, and copy files with scp.- Sessions now persist independently of the terminal window, so a closed laptop no longer interrupts a running task, and the same session can be reopened in the web app or Devin Desktop with
/open. - TipRanks framed the update as a strategic move to deepen Devin's stickiness inside developers' existing terminal workflows rather than pulling them into a separate interface.
- Cognition is offering free SWE-2-powered cloud sessions through October 8 to encourage developers to try the new terminal-cloud workflow.
Sources & Mentions
1 external resource covering this update
Devin's Computer, Now Reachable From Any Terminal
Windsurf's Devin CLI can now create, steer, resume, and watch Devin Cloud sessions directly from the terminal, closing the gap between local and cloud work that previously required switching to a browser or the Devin Desktop app. Developers start a cloud session with devin --cloud, or promote an already-running local session by typing /cloud, and the terminal then streams the cloud session's progress exactly as if Devin were working locally.
Handoff in Both Directions
The update leans on /handoff, a command that instantly transfers a task from local CLI execution onto Devin's own cloud VM so a developer can close their laptop and let the work continue in the background. The same command now works in reverse: running /handoff inside a cloud session fetches the resulting pull-request branch and initializes it for local development, so a task can start locally, escalate to the cloud for heavier compute, and come back to a developer's machine for final review.
Because cloud sessions no longer depend on the terminal window that created them, developers can switch views mid-task. /open web or /open desktop reopens the current session in the browser or in Devin Desktop, and devin --cloud --resume [url] reopens a session by its ID or link straight back into the terminal.
Full SSH Access to Devin's VM
For the first time, developers can SSH directly into Devin's dedicated cloud VM with devin ssh, which wraps the standard SSH client and authorizes the connection using the developer's logged-in Devin credentials. Once connected, developers can edit source code with remote-SSH editor extensions, launch dev servers and forward ports to localhost for testing, and copy files in and out with scp. This effectively turns Devin's cloud machine into an extension of a developer's own environment rather than a black box that only reports back finished pull requests.
Why It Matters
TipRanks described the release as part of a broader strategy from Cognition to deepen Devin's presence inside developers' existing terminal workflows, strengthening product stickiness and opening further usage-based monetization as more of a session's lifecycle happens on Devin's own infrastructure. To encourage adoption, Cognition is offering free cloud sessions powered by its SWE-2 model through October 8 for anyone who installs the Devin CLI.