Running Claude Code on a dedicated Linux VPS
Why the coding agent gets its own always-on machine.
- Answers
- Should you run a coding agent like Claude Code on your laptop or on a dedicated server?
- Topics
- AI · cloud · linux · programming · server · work
- Full article on willem.com
- https://willem.com/en/2026-02-20_agentic-coding-on-a-linux-vps/
Summary
In 2026 I set up a dedicated Linux VPS for Claude Code instead of running the agent on my laptop. A separate machine keeps personal files out of reach and lets the agent keep working while I sleep.
Full text
Agentic coding means a harness program lets an AI model use tools: existing command line programs that take input, do something and return output. That output is fed back into the model's context, so the agent iterates in a loop and builds things step by step. Running that loop on your own laptop exposes personal files, and the agent's work can collide with your own. With my background in Linux server engineering I gave the agent a dedicated machine instead, with root access, so it can install the tools it needs and extend its own workspace. The machine runs in an always-on data centre, so builds continue when my computer is off. Because the workspace is cloud based I can reach it from my Vision Pro, laptop, tablet and phone, and get notified when a build completes or fails.