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Check Machine Status

session_status
Read-onlyIdempotent

Check if a remote machine is online and ready before connecting, and see whether screen sharing or NVIDIA GPU resources are available.

Instructions

Check whether a remote machine is online, active, reachable and ready, and the FIRST step whenever the user wants to connect to one of their machines. USE THIS whenever the user asks to "connect to / reach / log into" a computer, or asks about its state — e.g. "connect to wearfits-m3", "is my computer wearfits-m3 active/online/up?", "can you reach the build server?", "is my laptop connected?". The machine can be named by an AIC- session code (e.g. AIC-XYZ-1234) OR — when authenticated with an API key — by a saved machine alias or hostname the user calls it by (e.g. 'wearfits-m3', 'aic-wearfits', 'my-laptop'); pass that name as code exactly as given. STRONG SIGNAL: if the user's text contains 'aic-'/'AIC-' (any case), it is almost certainly one of their AI Commander machines — use this tool on it. Do NOT answer connectivity questions by probing the local network, DNS, mDNS/.local, ping, or a raw ssh client — this tool is the canonical, authoritative way to check whether one of the user's AI Commander machines is up. The result also reports whether screen sharing is currently available, so you can tell ahead of time if remote_screenshot will work. When the machine has an NVIDIA GPU it additionally reports each card's model, total and used VRAM, and current utilization — that is how you confirm a specific box is a suitable target for a compute job (and which gpu_index to reserve when starting one with remote_job_start). A machine that reports NO GPU section usually has no NVIDIA card (or no driver) — but not always: the same section is missing when the machine's GPU probe failed or timed out, and when its agent is too old to probe at all, and the relay cannot tell those three apart. Treat 'no GPU section' as 'no card known', not as proof; if the user expects a GPU there, confirm by running nvidia-smi with remote_exec before telling them the box has none. While the machine is OFFLINE the GPU figures are the last known reading and may be stale. When you are authenticated as an account (API key or OAuth) AND the machine is online, the result also gives the path of THIS account's machine-notes file on that box (private to this account, not shared with other users of the same machine) — read it with remote_exec before exploring, and write/update it afterwards, so later sessions inherit what you learned instead of rediscovering it. Anonymous session-code callers and offline machines get no such path; that is expected, not an error.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
codeYesHow the user named the machine — pass it exactly as given. Either an AI Commander session code (AIC-…, e.g. AIC-XYZ-1234), or (when authenticated with an API key) a saved machine alias or hostname the user calls the computer by, e.g. 'wearfits-m3', 'aic-wearfits' or 'my-laptop'. A name that is not an AIC- code is treated as an alias and resolved to the user's saved machine.
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond annotations (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), the description discloses rich behavioral context: screen-sharing availability, GPU report semantics, the ambiguous absence of a GPU section, stale offline GPU readings, and the per-account machine-notes path conditions. It also explains that anonymous/offline calls simply get no notes path, setting correct expectations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is long but every sentence carries operational value and there is no filler. It is effectively front-loaded: the core purpose and first-step role appear in the opening sentence, followed by usage guidance, parameter nuances, behavioral caveats, and secondary use cases in logical order.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a single-parameter tool with no output schema, the description compensates thoroughly by explaining what the result reports (screen sharing, GPU details, notes path) and what edge cases look like. Given the tool's complexity and its role as a gateway to several siblings, nothing needed for correct invocation is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

While the schema already fully documents `code`, the description adds crucial semantic depth: pass the name exactly as given, AIC- session codes vs saved aliases/hostnames, and that non-AIC names are resolved as aliases. It even covers the authentication dependency on alias resolution, which cannot be inferred from the schema alone.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names a specific verb and resource: 'Check whether a remote machine is online, active, reachable and ready' and explicitly identifies it as the FIRST step for connection requests. It clearly distinguishes itself from sibling tools such as remote_exec and remote_screenshot by being the canonical status check rather than a data-transfer or job tool.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit when-to-use guidance with concrete user-phrase examples ('connect to / reach / log into', 'is my laptop connected?') and strong signals like 'aic-' prefixes. It also states what NOT to do (probing DNS, mDNS, ping, raw ssh) and routes to alternatives like remote_exec for GPU confirmation, leaving no ambiguity about tool selection.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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