How to turn a spare Mac into a remote server for Claude Code
This is a step-by-step setup guide for turning an idle Mac into a machine that Claude Code can control remotely. It covers enabling and remote login, configuring SSH access, and setting permissions so Claude Code can run commands and manipulate files on that Mac.
It also explains security precautions such as firewall configuration, restricting access, and disabling unnecessary services. With this setup, a separate Claude Code session can run in the background on the spare Mac, handling coding or in parallel while the main computer is used for something else.
Key points
- Walks through enabling , remote login, and SSH on an idle Mac so Claude Code can reach it remotely
- Sets permissions and access paths so Claude Code can run commands and edit files on that Mac
- Covers security precautions like firewall rules and restricting access
- Lets a separate Claude Code session run in parallel on the spare Mac while the main computer is used for other work