Keeping the working copy on my laptop while the agent runs on a server

Description and use

Synchronizing a local working copy with a server lets a coding agent run continuously while the developer edits locally, without committing or pushing changes.

Problem

Synchronize a local working copy with a remote server so that a coding agent can run continuously while the developer edits locally without committing or pushing changes.

Outcome

Corami enables a developer to keep a working copy on a laptop while a coding agent runs on a server, with real‑time bidirectional sync, no commits or pushes required, and safe conflict handling.

Workflow

• Install Corami on the server via the provided install script and answer "server".
• Install Corami on the laptop via the same script and answer "client"; the script discovers the server in the tailnet.
• Run corami project add ~/dev/myapp on the laptop to add the project; Corami creates a synced copy on the server at ~/projects/myapp while keeping the local folder unchanged.
• Develop locally on the laptop; edits are automatically synced to the server and vice versa.
• Run the coding agent on the server; it operates on the same uncommitted files as the local copy.
• Use corami serve 3000 on the server to expose a stable HTTPS address for previews, accessible from the laptop or other devices.
• When both sides edit the same file and a conflict occurs, Corami stops the sync and reports the conflicting paths, preventing accidental overwrites.
• Handle large binaries or toolchain dependencies by excluding them from sync and ensuring required toolchains exist on each machine.

Evidence

Corami keeps a real copy of the project on both sides. It is a normal directory on the server and on the laptop, synced in both directions with Mutagen over Tailscale SSH.

Source

When both sides edit the same file and the merge cannot be done safely, the sync stops and reports which file and which two paths. Nothing is overwritten.

Source

On the server, over ssh as root (the setup creates the corami account): curl -fsSL https://github.com/tapeo/corami/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh

Source

The project lands in ~/projects/myapp on the server; the folder on the laptop stays where it was and becomes the synced copy.

Source