Slingshot

Use the CPU, RAM, and GPU of a powerful machine from your laptop, without leaving your own editor and terminal.

What It Does

• Runs builds, servers, containers, and coding agents on a powerful machine, started from your laptop.
• Feels local. Typing, colors, Ctrl C, and exit codes work as they do on your own machine.
• Copies only your source files. Build output such as target and node_modules stays on the powerful machine.
• Works at home, over a VPN such as Tailscale, or from anywhere, with no account and no router setup.

Name	Meaning
Client	The machine you work on, such as your laptop.
Agent	The powerful machine that does the work.

Setup

1. Install What Slingshot Needs

• The Agent needs git, rsync, tmux, Rust, and an ssh server, which lets the Client log in.
• The Client needs git, rsync, and Rust.

System	Commands
Arch Linux	sudo pacman -S --needed git rsync tmux openssh rustup rustup default stable sudo systemctl enable --now sshd
Ubuntu or Debian	sudo apt install git rsync tmux openssh-server curl curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh sudo systemctl enable --now ssh
Fedora	sudo dnf install git rsync tmux openssh-server curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh sudo systemctl enable --now sshd
macOS	xcode-select --install curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

• On a Linux Client, skip tmux and the ssh server. They are only needed on the Agent.
• A Mac as the Agent also needs brew install tmux, and Remote Login turned on in System Settings, then General, then Sharing.

2. Install Slingshot

• On both machines:

  git clone https://github.com/ado11231/slingshot.git
  cd slingshot
  cargo install --path crates/slingshot-cli

• If slingshot is then not found, add Rust's folder to your PATH, then open a new terminal. Use ~/.zshrc instead if your shell is zsh.

  echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc

3. Start, Link, And Run

1. On the Agent, start Slingshot. It checks the machine, then prints a pairing code.

   slingshot start

2. On the Client, run the line it printed. Both machines must be on the same network, or the same VPN, for this step only.

   slingshot link 192.168.1.9:7433:K7QW9ZR2

3. From a project folder on the Client, run anything on the Agent:

   slingshot run cargo build

• link also offers to install the tools you use, such as Claude Code and Codex, on the Agent. It shows every command and asks first.

Commands

Command	Does
slingshot start	Starts Slingshot on the Agent and prints a pairing code.
slingshot link <code>	Links this machine to an Agent.
slingshot run <command>	Copies your changes, then runs the command on the Agent.
slingshot attach	Opens a terminal on the Agent that keeps running when you disconnect.
slingshot sync	Copies your changes. Add --pull to bring the Agent's edits back.
slingshot tools	Installs tools the Agent is missing, after asking.
slingshot env	Keeps .env files on the Agent, apart from your source.
slingshot ps	Lists running jobs.
slingshot stop <id>	Stops a job.
slingshot health	Shows CPU, RAM, GPU, and disk use. Add --watch to keep it live.
slingshot top	Shows live use with running jobs.
slingshot info	Shows the Agent's hardware.
slingshot menubar	Builds and opens the macOS menu bar app.
slingshot unlink	Removes this machine's access from the Agent.

• Every option is in USAGE.md.

Menu Bar

Status

• Early, and tested between a Mac and an Arch Linux machine.
• What works is in the roadmap. Planned work is in the issues.

Usage · Troubleshooting · Architecture · Roadmap · Contributing