claude-code-remote-remake/README.md

10 KiB

Claude Code Remote

Control Claude Code remotely via email. Start tasks locally, receive notifications when Claude completes them, and send new commands by simply replying to emails.

🎥 Watch Demo Video

Claude Code Remote Demo
Watch on YouTube

🐦 Follow @Jiaxi_Cui for updates and AI development insights

Features

  • 📧 Email Notifications: Get notified when Claude completes tasks
  • 🔄 Email Control: Reply to emails to send new commands to Claude
  • 📱 Remote Access: Control Claude from anywhere with just email
  • 🔒 Secure: Whitelist-based sender verification
  • 📋 Multi-line Support: Send complex commands with formatting

📅 Changelog

August 2025

  • 2025-08-01: Implement terminal-style UI for email notifications (#8 by @vaclisinc)
  • 2025-08-01: Fix working directory issue - enable claude-remote to run from any directory (#7 by @vaclisinc)

July 2025

  • 2025-07-31: Fix self-reply loop issue when using same email for send/receive (#4 by @vaclisinc)
  • 2025-07-28: Remove hardcoded values and implement environment-based configuration (#2 by @kevinsslin)

📋 TODO List

Notification Channels

  • Discord & Telegram: Bot integration for messaging platforms
  • Slack Workflow: Native Slack app with slash commands

Developer Tools

  • AI Tools: Support for Gemini CLI, Cursor, and other AI tools
  • Git Automation: Auto-commit, PR creation, branch management

Usage Analytics

  • Cost Tracking: Token usage and estimated costs
  • Performance Metrics: Execution time and resource usage
  • Scheduled Reports: Daily/weekly usage summaries via email

Native Apps

  • Mobile Apps: iOS and Android applications
  • Desktop Apps: macOS and Windows native clients

🚀 Setup Guide

Follow these steps to get Claude Code Remote running:

Step 1: Clone and Install Dependencies

git clone https://github.com/JessyTsui/Claude-Code-Remote.git
cd Claude-Code-Remote
npm install

Step 2: Configure Email Settings

# Copy the example configuration
cp .env.example .env

# Open .env in your editor
nano .env  # or use vim, code, etc.

Edit the .env file with your email credentials:

# Email account for sending notifications
SMTP_USER=your-email@gmail.com
SMTP_PASS=your-app-password    # Gmail: use App Password, not regular password

# Email account for receiving replies (can be same as SMTP)
IMAP_USER=your-email@gmail.com  
IMAP_PASS=your-app-password

# Where to send notifications
EMAIL_TO=your-notification-email@gmail.com

# Who can send commands (security whitelist)
ALLOWED_SENDERS=your-notification-email@gmail.com

# Path to session data (use absolute path)
SESSION_MAP_PATH=/your/absolute/path/to/Claude-Code-Remote/src/data/session-map.json

📌 Gmail users: Create an App Password instead of using your regular password.

Note: You may need to enable two-step verification in your google account first before create app password.

Step 3: Set Up Claude Code Hooks

Open Claude's settings file:

# Create the directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/.claude

# Edit settings.json
nano ~/.claude/settings.json

Add this configuration (replace /your/absolute/path/ with your actual path):

{
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [{
      "matcher": "*",
      "hooks": [{
        "type": "command",
        "command": "node /your/absolute/path/to/Claude-Code-Remote/claude-remote.js notify --type completed",
        "timeout": 5
      }]
    }],
    "SubagentStop": [{
      "matcher": "*",
      "hooks": [{
        "type": "command",
        "command": "node /your/absolute/path/to/Claude-Code-Remote/claude-remote.js notify --type waiting",
        "timeout": 5
      }]
    }]
  }
}

Note: Subagent notifications are disabled by default. To enable them, set enableSubagentNotifications: true in your config. See Subagent Notifications Guide for details.

Step 4: Test Your Setup

# Test email configuration
node claude-remote.js test

You should receive a test email. If not, check your email settings.

Step 5: Start Claude Code Remote

Terminal 1 - Start email monitoring:

npm run relay:pty

Keep this running. You should see:

🚀 Claude Code Remote is running!
📧 Monitoring emails...

Terminal 2 - Start Claude in tmux:

# Create a new tmux session
tmux new-session -s my-project

# Inside tmux, start Claude
claude

Step 6: You're Ready!

  1. Use Claude normally in the tmux session
  2. When Claude completes a task, you'll receive an email
  3. Reply to the email with new commands
  4. Your commands will execute automatically in Claude

Verify Everything Works

In Claude, type:

What is 2+2?

Wait for Claude to respond, then check your email. You should receive a notification!

📖 How to Use

Email Notifications

When Claude completes a task, you'll receive an email notification:

Subject: Claude Code Remote Task Complete [#ABC123]

Claude completed: "analyze the code structure"

[Claude's full response here...]

Reply to this email to send new commands.

Sending Commands via Email Reply

  1. Direct Reply: Simply reply to the notification email
  2. Write Command: Type your command in the email body:
    Please refactor the main function and add error handling
    
  3. Send: Your command will automatically execute in Claude!

Advanced Email Features

Multi-line Commands

First analyze the current code structure.
Then create a comprehensive test suite.
Finally, update the documentation.

Complex Instructions

Refactor the authentication module with these requirements:
- Use JWT tokens instead of sessions
- Add rate limiting
- Implement refresh token logic
- Update all related tests

Email Reply Workflow

  1. Receive Notification → You get an email when Claude completes a task
  2. Reply with Command → Send your next instruction via email reply
  3. Automatic Execution → The system extracts your command and injects it into Claude
  4. Get Results → Receive another email when the new task completes

Supported Email Clients

Works with any email client that supports standard reply functionality:

  • Gmail (Web/Mobile)
  • Apple Mail
  • Outlook
  • Any SMTP-compatible email client

Advanced Configuration

Email Notification Options

  1. Subagent Activities in Email

    By default, email notifications only show the execution trace. You can optionally enable a separate subagent activities summary section:

    // In your config/config.json
    {
      "showSubagentActivitiesInEmail": true  // Default: false
    }
    

    When enabled, emails will include:

    • Subagent Activities Summary: A structured list of all subagent activities
    • Full Execution Trace: The complete terminal output

    Since the execution trace already contains all information, this feature is disabled by default to keep emails concise.

  2. Execution Trace Display

    You can control whether to include the execution trace in email notifications:

    // In your email channel configuration
    {
      "email": {
        "config": {
          "includeExecutionTrace": false  // Default: true
        }
      }
    }
    
    • When true (default): Shows a scrollable execution trace section in emails
    • When false: Removes the execution trace section entirely from emails

    This is useful if you find the execution trace too verbose or if your email client has issues with scrollable content.

💡 Common Use Cases

  • Remote Development: Start coding at the office, continue from home via email
  • Long Tasks: Let Claude work while you're in meetings, check results via email
  • Team Collaboration: Share Claude sessions by forwarding notification emails

🔧 Useful Commands

# Test email setup
node claude-remote.js test

# Check system status
node claude-remote.js status

# View tmux sessions
tmux list-sessions
tmux attach -t my-project

# Stop email monitoring
# Press Ctrl+C in the terminal running npm run relay:pty

🔍 Troubleshooting

Not receiving emails?

  • Run node claude-remote.js test to test email setup
  • Check spam folder
  • Verify SMTP settings in .env
  • For Gmail: ensure you're using App Password

Commands not executing?

  • Ensure tmux session is running: tmux list-sessions
  • Check sender email matches ALLOWED_SENDERS in .env
  • Verify Claude is running inside tmux

Need help?

🛡️ Security

  • Sender Whitelist: Only authorized emails can send commands
  • Session Isolation: Each token controls only its specific session
  • Auto Expiration: Sessions timeout automatically

🤝 Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request?

  • 🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
  • 🐦 Updates: Follow @Jiaxi_Cui on Twitter
  • 💬 Discussions: Share your use cases and improvements

📄 License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify!


🚀 Make Claude Code truly remote and accessible from anywhere!

Star History

Star History Chart

Star this repo if it helps you code more efficiently!

💡 Tip: Share your remote coding setup on Twitter and tag @Jiaxi_Cui - we love seeing how developers use Claude Code Remote!