Key terms
Eight terms to understand your instance and rental
These terms distinguish the device you rent, how you connect to it, and how billing works. When choosing a plan, start with your workload, then choose a rental period.
- Physical node
- The location where your Mac mini is deployed. Consider the network locations of you and your collaborators when choosing a node. Check thenode detailsfor available locations.
- Dedicated physical Mac
- Each order is for one physical Mac mini, with CPU, memory, and storage that aren’t shared with other renters.
- Not a virtual machine
- You get access to a physical Mac, not a virtual instance carved out of a shared host.
- VNC
- A remote connection method for accessing the macOS desktop, useful for development and debugging that require a graphical interface.
- SSH key
- An authentication credential made up of a public and private key. Add the public key to authorize access; keep the private key secure yourself.
- self-hosted runner
- A runner registered with a CI platform that executes build jobs on the Mac you rent. Its permissions depend on the system account it runs under.
- Thunderbolt 5 daisy chaining
- An optional plan add-on, billed per device. Check its configuration and supported workloads on theplans page.
- Rental period
- The daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly billing period you choose when ordering. Each period has its own price, and starts when your instance is delivered.