CLI

Run your dev workspace on a VPS, from your phone

Your VPS doesn't need a desktop, and you don't need one either. codemote-cli turns a project on any VPS into a workspace your phone can reach directly.

Most VPS boxes never see a GUI, which is exactly why the CodeMote CLI exists. Run npx codemote-cli start in your project folder on the server, scan the QR code it prints, and your iPhone or iPad is paired directly to that workspace — over the same encrypted dev tunnel the VS Code extension uses.

Works on the VPS you already have

DigitalOcean droplet, Hetzner box, AWS instance, a bare-metal server in a rack — if it runs Node.js 18 or newer, the CLI runs on it. There’s nothing to install beyond the CLI itself and Microsoft’s free devtunnel tool.

Start a session

$npx codemote-cli start

Or install it once and reuse it across projects:

$npm install -g codemote-cli

$codemote start ~/projects/my-app

Scan the QR code — or enter the pairing string by hand if you’re on a headless box with no way to display it — and you’re connected.

What you get on the phone

A real terminal on the VPS, for running dev servers and CLI tools.
File browsing, with image and Markdown preview.
Git — status, diff, commit, push and branch, using the credentials already on the box.

This is workspace access, not general server administration — you’re driving the project you started the session in, the same way the extension drives a VS Code window.

Questions

Do I need to install VS Code or another editor on my VPS?

No. codemote-cli is a standalone Node.js package — run it in your project folder and pair your phone, with no editor involved at any point.

Which VPS providers does this work with?

Any of them. The CLI only needs Node.js 18+ and the ability to run devtunnel — DigitalOcean, Hetzner, AWS, Linode, a bare-metal box, all work the same way.

Take your dev environment with you.

Drive your AI agents, terminals and Git from your phone — with no cloud copy of your code.

Get the app