doom-coding

A DIY approach to coding on-the-go!

As an aspiring builder, I sought out a way to keep coding while not at home. Thanks to some Claude-assisted research and troubleshooting, I can now code via the terminal on my phone anywhere at anytime via "Doom Coding" (think Doom Scrolling but more productive).

After this 5-minute setup guide, you'll be able to "doom code" anywhere you have Internet connection.

Code in the air!

Code on a run!

Even code at the club!

I've been amazed by how much I can get done while being so far away from home. In Taiwan, I could access my computer in Philadelphia and coded a prototype in my downtime.

Shameless plug: check out www.friendlyr.ai to help shape the future of connection!

Make sure to "Watch" this repo for future updates to this doom coding guide. As I tryout the latest mobile coding tools (e.g. Claude Code on the Web), I'll update this repository with comparisons.

Happy doom coding my friends!

What You'll Need

1. A Computer running 24/7 with Internet Connection
2. A Smartphone
3. A Claude Pro subscription

Overview

Use Tailscale, Termius, Claude Code, and a computer running 24/7 to continue building anywhere you have Internet connection.

Getting Started

1. Set Up Your Computer

• Disable sleep in power settings
  
• Enable SSH/Remote Login
  
• Install Tailscale and sign in
  
  https://tailscale.com/download
• Log into Tailscale on the web
  https://login.tailscale.com/admin/machines
• Go to Access Controls to Disable-IPv4 for all devices. I'd be lying if I told you I knew why MagicDNS works and IPv4 doesn't.
  
  
  This is what your Access controls settings should look like
  
• Install Claude Code on your computer
  https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/overview

2. Set Up Your Phone

• Install Tailscale → Sign in with the same account
  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tailscale/id1470499037

• Install Termius (A Mobile Terminal Tool)
  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908

• Note the MagicDNS address of your computer (e.g. my-computer.tailnet-name.ts.net)
  

• Create a new host in Termius:
  

  • Label: What you want your connection to be called
  • Hostname: The MagicDNS address (my-computer.tailnet-name.ts.net)
  • Port: 22
  • Username/Password: Your login for your computer
    
    
  

3. Connect and Code

• Turn on Tailscale VPN on your phone
  
• Select your host in Termius
  
• Run claude and start coding!
  

Troubleshooting

• If you're not able to establish a connection from your phone via Termius to your computer:

1. Reset your Tailscale VPN

• Check your phone settings to make sure you are connected to the Tailscale VPN.
  
  
• Check the Tailscale app to make sure the Tailscale VPN is on. If your phone and doom coding computer do not have a green circle next to their labels, there is an issue with your Tailscale/Internet connection.

2. Make sure your computer is ON and UNLOCKED

• When disconnecting/reconnecting power, make sure you unlock the computer. I've ran into this issue one too many times.
• New niche bug: If you're using a closed laptop to doom code, do not connect that laptop to a monitor. I've recently changed my setup from displaying my doom coding laptop 24/7 to connecting the doom code laptop display to a backup HDMI port I can switch too. Despite setting the doom code laptop to never sleep, it would still disconnect from tailscale after 10 minutes. Issue was resolved by disconnecting the doom code laptop from the monitor. Go figure.

3. Check your Access control settings on the web

• Refer to the screenshots in "1. Set Up Your Computer" above. I reset my doom-coding setup to test out the guide and forgot this critical step. You need to disable IPv4 so that Termius connects via MagicDNS. I don't know why, but that's the beauty of hours of AI-Enabled troubleshooting.

Best Practices

Track your progress:

End sessions by asking Claude to update CLAUDE.md with where you left off.

Preview websites:

Go to your desired directory and start an HTTP server
python -m http.server 3005 then visit http://your-machine.tailnet-name.ts.net:3005/your-html-file.html in a browser on your phone.

Wherever you would use localhost:PORT to view an app on your computer, replace localhost with the computer's MagicDNS from the Tailscale app (e.g. your-computer.tailnet-name.ts.net)

View databases:

Use the PostgreSQL app to view databases for your projects https://apps.apple.com/us/app/postgresql-client/id1233662353

Bookmark useful sites:

On your computer, bookmark the sites you refer to during development (e.g. Google OAuth, GitHub) to make it easier to reference from your phone. I use the Chrome app to seamlessly access the sites I need.

Happy Doom Coding!

Please contibute your best practices! I am looking forward to seeing all the places you will code!

I'm new to the world of hacking - so please share your ideas, feedback, and questions - you will help me learn! Please connect at [email protected] or https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-bergamini-223606107/