Remote Access to Odin via Tailscale

Research and configuration guides for accessing Odin (home Mac) remotely while traveling.

Prerequisites

✅ TailScale VPN configured on both Odin and laptop
✅ Syncthing running for file synchronization
✅ Same iCloud account syncing Documents folder

Remote Desktop Access

Advantages:

Native macOS integration
Works over TailScale VPN
Low bandwidth usage
Secure encryption

Setup on Odin:

Enable Screen Sharing:

# Via System Settings UI
System Settings → General → Sharing → Screen Sharing (enable)

Or via command line:

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.screensharing.plist

Configure Access:
- Allow access for: "Only these users" → Add your user account
- Or allow "All users" if multiple accounts need access

Get TailScale IP:

tailscale ip -4
# Example output: 100.x.x.x

Connect from Laptop:

Via Finder:
- Press ⌘K (Connect to Server)
- Enter: vnc://100.x.x.x (Odin's TailScale IP)
- Click Connect
- Enter macOS credentials
Via Screen Sharing App:
```
open vnc://100.x.x.x
```
Create Bookmark:
- After connecting, add server to sidebar for quick access
- Or create alias: ssh odin 'open vnc://localhost' (if SSH configured)

Option 2: Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)

More features but requires app purchase. Screen Sharing is sufficient for most needs.

Option 3: Third-Party Solutions

NoMachine, AnyDesk, TeamViewer:

Generally unnecessary when TailScale + Screen Sharing works
May have additional latency or costs
Consider only if Screen Sharing performance is inadequate

Performance Optimization

Network Settings:

TailScale direct connection is ideal (peer-to-peer when possible)
Check connection quality: tailscale status
If relayed connection, consider: tailscale up --accept-routes

Screen Sharing Quality:

Adaptive quality based on bandwidth
Lower resolution/color depth for slow connections
Full quality when on same network or good connection

Security Notes

TailScale provides WireGuard encryption
Screen Sharing adds VNC encryption layer
Ensure Odin firewall allows TailScale connections
Consider requiring password after sleep/screensaver

SSH Access + tmux

SSH Configuration

Setup on Odin:

Enable Remote Login:

# Via System Settings UI
System Settings → General → Sharing → Remote Login (enable)

Or via command line:

sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on

Verify SSH is running:

sudo launchctl list | grep ssh
# Should see: com.openssh.sshd

Get TailScale IP (if not already noted):
```
tailscale ip -4
# Example: 100.x.x.x
```

Configure on Laptop:

Create SSH config for easy access:

# Edit ~/.ssh/config
cat >> ~/.ssh/config <<EOF
 
Host odin
    HostName 100.x.x.x
    User $(whoami)
    ForwardAgent yes
    ServerAliveInterval 60
    ServerAliveCountMax 3
EOF

Set up SSH key authentication (if not already done):

# Generate key if needed
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "laptop-to-odin"
 
# Copy to Odin
ssh-copy-id odin

Test connection:
```
ssh odin
```

tmux Session Management

Philosophy:

Use named tmux windows to identify processes
Never kill the 'agent' window (where Claude Code runs)
Always verify window names before operations

Common Workflows:

Connect to existing tmux session:
```
ssh odin
tmux attach
```
List tmux windows remotely:
```
ssh odin "tmux list-windows"
```

View specific window output:

ssh odin "tmux capture-pane -t <window-name> -p | tail -20"

Create new background window:

ssh odin "tmux new-window -n <name> -d '<command>'"

Kill specific window (NEVER 'agent'):

# First verify windows
ssh odin "tmux list-windows"
 
# Then kill by name
ssh odin "tmux kill-window -t <window-name>"

Helper Functions (add to laptop's ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

# Quick tmux window listing on Odin
alias odin-tmux='ssh odin "tmux list-windows"'
 
# View window output
odin-tmux-view() {
    ssh odin "tmux capture-pane -t $1 -p | tail -20"
}
 
# Safe window kill (with confirmation)
odin-tmux-kill() {
    local window=$1
    if [[ "$window" == "agent" ]]; then
        echo "ERROR: Cannot kill 'agent' window (Claude Code)"
        return 1
    fi
    echo "Killing window: $window"
    ssh odin "tmux kill-window -t $window"
}

Safety Checks:

# Always rename Claude Code window first (on Odin)
tmux rename-window agent
 
# Before any operations, list windows
tmux list-windows
 
# Verify agent window exists
tmux list-windows | grep agent

SSH + tmux Best Practices

Persistent Sessions:
- tmux sessions survive SSH disconnections
- Reattach anytime with ssh odin then tmux attach
Network Resilience:
- Use mosh instead of SSH for unstable connections:
```
brew install mosh
ssh odin "brew install mosh"
mosh odin
```

Session Naming:

Use descriptive tmux session names:

tmux new-session -s work
tmux new-session -s automation

Monitoring:
- Check TailScale status: ssh odin "tailscale status"
- Monitor tmux sessions: ssh odin "tmux ls"

Troubleshooting

Check TailScale:

tailscale status
# On both laptop and Odin

Verify Screen Sharing is enabled:

ssh odin "sudo launchctl list | grep screensharing"

Check firewall:

ssh odin "sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --getglobalstate"

Test VNC port:
```
nc -zv 100.x.x.x 5900
```

SSH Connection Issues

Verify Remote Login:

ssh odin "sudo systemsetup -getremotelogin"
# Should return: Remote Login: On

Check SSH daemon:

ssh odin "sudo launchctl list | grep ssh"

Test basic connectivity:
```
ping 100.x.x.x
tailscale ping odin
```

tmux Session Not Found

List all sessions:
```
ssh odin "tmux ls"
```
Create new session if needed:
```
ssh odin "tmux new-session -d -s main"
```
Attach to specific session:
```
ssh odin "tmux attach -t main"
```

Quick Reference

Connect to Odin:

# Screen Sharing
open vnc://100.x.x.x
 
# SSH
ssh odin
 
# SSH + tmux attach
ssh odin -t "tmux attach"

Monitor Running Processes:

# View tmux windows
ssh odin "tmux list-windows"
 
# View specific window
ssh odin "tmux capture-pane -t <window-name> -p | tail -20"
 
# View all tmux sessions
ssh odin "tmux ls"

TailScale Management:

# Check status
tailscale status
 
# Get IP
tailscale ip -4
 
# Ping peer
tailscale ping odin

Next Steps

Enable Screen Sharing on Odin
Enable Remote Login (SSH) on Odin
Configure SSH config on laptop with 'odin' alias
Test Screen Sharing connection
Test SSH + tmux access
Add helper functions to laptop shell config
Bookmark Odin's VNC address in Finder
Verify TailScale connection quality

RESOURCES/research--workflow-cron-automation.md - Scheduling workflows while away
.agents/scripts/README.md - Workflow dispatcher documentation