Run OpenCode on a remote server

Start coding#

On your computer, create a VM and connect. Pick any free name; if you've already clicked Deploy or have a VM, skip the first command and use its name:

ssh exe.dev new --name=my-opencode
ssh my-opencode.exe.xyz

On the VM, update OpenCode to its latest release and point its Anthropic, OpenAI and Fireworks providers at exe.dev's LLM gateway. This replaces settings left over from OpenCode 1:

sudo exeuntu update opencode
rm -f ~/.config/opencode/plugins/exe-dev.js
cat > ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json <<'EOF'
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-5-5",
  "providers": {
    "anthropic": { "settings": { "baseURL": "https://llm.int.exe.xyz/anthropic/v1" } },
    "openai": { "settings": { "baseURL": "https://llm.int.exe.xyz/openai/v1" } },
    "fireworks-ai": { "settings": { "baseURL": "https://llm.int.exe.xyz/fireworks/inference/v1" } }
  }
}
EOF

Make a project folder and open a tmux session:

mkdir -p ~/project
tmux new -A -s opencode -c ~/project

Inside that session, start OpenCode:

opencode

Give it a small task. For example:

Build a tiny website for a bakery that only sells one kind of bread.

That's the setup. Your files live in ~/project.

Take a break#

Press Ctrl-b, then d to detach. OpenCode keeps working on the VM when you disconnect. On your computer, use this command to hop back in:

ssh -t my-opencode.exe.xyz 'tmux new -A -s opencode -c ~/project'

A VM restart ends the running session, but not your saved work. Reconnect and run opencode --continue from your project's folder on the VM to pick up its last conversation.

Open it in your browser#

OpenCode runs a background service on the VM that holds your sessions, and that service also serves a web app. On the VM, give the service a fixed port that exe.dev's proxy can reach, and start it whenever the VM boots:

opencode service set port 4096
opencode service set hostname 0.0.0.0
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/opencode.service >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Start the OpenCode background service
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
RemainAfterExit=yes
User=exedev
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/opencode service start

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now opencode

Then open https://my-opencode.exe.xyz:4096/ in your browser. exe.dev asks you to log in, because port 4096 is private to people with access to the VM, and then OpenCode asks for a pairing link. Get one from your computer:

ssh my-opencode.exe.xyz opencode pair --url https://my-opencode.exe.xyz:4096

Open the link it prints within five minutes. OpenCode remembers that browser for 30 days and shows the same sessions as your terminal. Each link works once, so run the command again for another browser, or scan the QR code it prints with your phone.

Warning

The web app can run any command on the VM. Leave port 4096 private and share sign-in links only with people you'd hand your SSH key to.

Make yourself at home#

• Pick a model: type /models in OpenCode, or run opencode models to list them, and change model in ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json to set the default. exe.dev keeps a list of available models and prices. Models under opencode/ are OpenCode's own free ones and don't go through exe.dev.
• Bring your code: connect a GitHub repo, clone it onto the VM, and run opencode from its directory. Use that folder instead of ~/project in the commands above.
• Peek at your app: ask OpenCode to serve it on 0.0.0.0:8000, then open https://my-opencode.exe.xyz/. It's private by default. More about previews.
• Script it: opencode run "Summarize the TODOs in this repo" runs one task without the interactive screen and prints the answer.

For OpenCode's own features, head to the OpenCode docs.