Check the docs before opening a ticket. Connection, signing, and VNC — the three most common issues — can usually be resolved yourself in under 10 minutes with this page. If you're still stuck, the bottom of the page shows you how to file a ticket our engineers can act on right away.
Your credentials email arrives about 5 minutes after checkout. Follow these three steps and your first connection will take under 3 minutes.
The email includes your node address (e.g. hk1.oncemini.com), SSH port 22, your initial username dev, an initial password, and a VNC password. If it hasn't arrived, check your spam folder, then look under your instance details in the portal.
Run ssh -p 22 dev@your-node-address, then run passwd right away to change the initial password. We recommend uploading your public key with ssh-copy-id afterward and disabling password login.
Use macOS Screen Sharing or any VNC client to connect to your-node-address:5900 and enter your VNC password to reach the full macOS desktop. This is where you handle first-time Xcode pairing and approve any system dialogs.
sudo works everywhere, and you're free to reconfigure the system as needed. If something breaks, you can reinstall macOS yourself from the portal — see the guide below.Below is a real output excerpt from a Hong Kong Mini M (M4 / 24GB) node: SSH login, an Xcode build, and a fastlane upload to App Store Connect. Copy any command from the panel on the right.
ssh -p 22 dev@hk1.oncemini.com Last login: Mon Jul 27 09:12:33 2026 from 203.0.113.24 sw_vers ProductName: macOS ProductVersion: 15.5 BuildVersion: 24F74 xcodebuild -scheme App -configuration Release -destination 'generic/platform=iOS' build ▸ Compiling AppDelegate.swift ▸ Linking App ▸ Signing App.app ** BUILD SUCCEEDED ** [128.4s] bundle exec fastlane release [10:24:08] Login to App Store Connect (API key) [10:26:41] Upload progress: 100% Successfully uploaded package to App Store Connect dev@mini-hk1 ~ %
Common Commands · Click to Copy
ssh -p 22 dev@hk1.oncemini.com
passwd
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub dev@hk1.oncemini.com
sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode_16.4.app
xcodebuild -scheme App -configuration Release build
security unlock-keychain login.keychain-db
Just swap hk1 for your node's prefix — see all node domains on the Regions page. Any CI script that runs locally will run here without changes.
The four tasks we're asked about most, laid out step by step. Every guide below has been verified on real hardware.
/Applications/Xcode_16.4.app and /Applications/Xcode_15.4.app.xcodebuild -version.sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode_15.4.app.DEVELOPER_DIR=/Applications/Xcode_16.4.app xcodebuild …../config.sh --url … --token … to register it../svc.sh install && ./svc.sh start — launchd will bring it back up automatically after a reboot.runs-on: [self-hosted, macOS, ARM64]. If you run multiple machines, custom labels help you target the right one.xcodebuild -destination 'platform=iOS,name=your-device-name'.Eight terms that come up constantly in our docs and support threads — here's exactly what we mean by each one.
These three issue types account for roughly 70% of all support tickets. Work through them in order — most are resolved by step 2 or 3.
ping or mtr against your node's domain locally. High packet loss usually means a network issue on your end — try switching networks, or use the test IP on the Regions page to double-check the route.dev. Run ssh -v to see exactly where the handshake stalls.sshd_config yourself and locked yourself out, force a restart from the portal, then go in over VNC to fix the config.ssh -vvv into your ticket.errSecInternalComponent or a keychain access failure? Run security unlock-keychain login.keychain-db first.security find-identity -v -p codesigning should list your signing identity.sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.apple.screensharing.Our support team rotates across UTC+8 and UTC-8 time zones. There are only two channels — portal tickets and email support. We don't offer phone or live chat.
Go to the portal → Tickets → New, and select the relevant instance. Tickets are automatically tagged with instance context, so they're handled fastest. Use this for: instance issues, Xcode version requests, upgrades/downgrades, and reinstall help.
If you can't log into the portal, have a billing or invoice question, or need pre-sale technical advice, email support@oncemini.com. Use a clear subject line and include your registered email in the message so we can find your account.
| Issue Type | First Response | Coverage | Recommended Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical outage (instance down, totally unreachable) | 30 minutes | 24/7 | Portal ticket, marked urgent |
| General technical issues (builds, config, performance) | 2 hours | Support hours (UTC+8 / UTC-8 rotation) | Portal ticket |
| Billing, invoices, and pre-sale questions | 1 business day | Support hours | support@oncemini.com |
For connection and build issues, see the sections above. This is for questions about money and data. Full pricing details are on the Plans & Pricing page.
Billing starts the moment your credentials email arrives, not at checkout. Daily plans count in 24-hour blocks, and the ~5-minute average delivery window isn't billed.
You can renew manually anytime from the instance details page in the portal, or turn on auto-renewal. We send reminder emails 72 hours and 24 hours before expiry. If auto-renewal fails (e.g. an expired card), you'll get an email immediately and have a 72-hour grace period.
No. Your instance is stopped first, and your data is kept for 72 hours — renew during that window and everything comes back exactly as it was. After 72 hours, the APFS encryption keys are destroyed and the disk is fully overwritten, which is unrecoverable. See Trust & Security for the full process.
If both machines are still active, a direct machine-to-machine sync is fastest: rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 22" ~/work/ dev@new-node:~/work/ — internal transfers within the same region can run at full gigabit speed. Alternatively, download a snapshot from the portal and restore it onto the new machine.
All pricing and billing is in USD. USDT-TRC20 and Visa / Mastercard / Amex (Stripe) are supported — the checkout page in the portal shows exactly what's available. There are no hidden bandwidth fees; your invoice matches the listed plan price exactly.
Every payment automatically generates a PDF receipt, downloadable anytime from the billing page in the portal. If you need a specific company name or tax ID added, email support@oncemini.com and we'll handle it within 1 business day.
Upgrades are prorated against the remainder of your current billing period — you only pay the difference, never double. Submit the upgrade request from the portal and your data is migrated to the new machine via snapshot, with your old instance staying available in the meantime. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.
You can request a full refund within 24 hours of your first delivery; renewal periods aren't refundable. We recommend starting with a $19.9 one-day rental to run your own build scripts before committing to a monthly plan.
It's free, unlimited, fully self-serve from the portal, and takes about 10 minutes on average. The one thing to remember: reinstalling wipes the entire disk, so download a snapshot first.
Yes, one account can rent multiple machines at once — a common setup is one machine per project, distinguished with runner labels. Reselling or transferring access to a third party violates our Terms of Service and will result in termination if discovered; sharing one machine among your own team members is fine.
$ oncemini ticket new --priority normal
Log into the portal and open a ticket — you'll hear back within 2 hours during support hours. Don't have a machine yet? Start with a day rental first.