How to use Claude to troubleshoot devices over SSH
Tandem runs local Claude Code beside a remote SSH session in tmux, using repository instructions to let the agent interact with the device while keeping its setup local.
news.ycombinator.com
Suggested prompt
Suggested prompt written by Agents In Use, not the source author. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Help troubleshoot [remote device problem] from this local workspace. Use the existing tmux pane containing [SSH session] to inspect the remote machine. Follow [CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md instructions], explain observed evidence and propose a repair for my review.
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Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- SwellJoe
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author built and sometimes used Tandem to obtain remote troubleshooting help while keeping Claude Code and sensitive material local.
- Human involvement
- The post does not describe command approval or review steps; the author reports sometimes using the troubleshooting setup.
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How the agent did it
- Open a tmux pane with an SSH session to the remote device.
- Open another pane running Claude Code with a local workspace.
- Provide CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md instructions for remote interaction through tmux.
The author built Tandem, a wrapper around tmux and Claude Code, to support troubleshooting remote devices without installing and authenticating Claude Code on those devices. Coworkers had been putting the coding agent directly on robots to get help, which motivated the alternative setup.
Tandem opens two tmux panes. One holds an SSH session to a device; the other runs Claude Code locally. The local agent uses a local workspace, with CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md instructions telling it to interact with the remote machine through tmux. The author maintains hundreds of devices and described Tandem as a sysadmin companion that travels over SSH.
The reported benefit was keeping sensitive material local while still obtaining agent help directly with device troubleshooting. The author said they sometimes found the tool useful themselves. The post describes the setup and its use, rather than documenting a particular robot fault, repair or measured troubleshooting improvement. It also notes that Tandem can wrap another preferred agent instead of Claude Code.
Who it's for: administrators who want local agent assistance while working in remote SSH sessions.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · SwellJoe
Frequently asked questions
Where does Claude Code run in this setup?
Claude Code runs locally with a local workspace. A separate tmux pane contains the remote SSH session.
Does the source describe a specific repaired robot fault?
No. It describes Tandem's setup, motivation and occasional use by the author, without a specific fault-to-repair example.
More details
Remaining steps
- Use the paired sessions for agent-assisted device troubleshooting.
About this account
The local agent is instructed to interact with the remote machine through tmux alongside an SSH session.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48772247. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: SwellJoe on Hacker News
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Tandem · Claude Code · tmux · SSH · CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md
SSH · System administration · tmux · Robotics
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.