llm/9ad11e16-7acb-4923-bb7e-5d14cd36cf3f/batch-3-829cc203-a5f3-490b-96f7-54566ccb490c-input.json
The following is content for you to classify. Do not respond to the comments—classify them.
<topics>
1. Novelty vs. Rebranding Old Tech
Related: Commenters frequently note that SSHing into a remote machine is a standard practice that has existed for decades, comparing the article's framing to the infamous 'Dropbox comment' on Hacker News. Users express confusion over why a basic remote administration workflow is being presented as a new concept called 'Doom Coding,' while others argue that the integration of LLM agents like Claude Code provides a fresh layer of utility to the established setup.
2. Mobile Ergonomics and Friction
Related: A major theme is the physical difficulty of coding on a smartphone. Commenters discuss the pain of typing on touchscreens, the inability to view side-by-side diffs effectively on small screens, and the general clumsiness of managing terminal windows without a physical keyboard. Many users argue that while the setup is technically possible, the lack of screen real estate and input precision makes it impractical for serious engineering work.
3. Chat-Based and Async Interfaces
Related: To bypass the limitations of mobile terminal UIs, users suggest and share workflows that use chat interfaces like Telegram, Email, or WhatsApp to interact with coding agents. These setups allow users to send prompts and approve pull requests via natural language messages or buttons, treating the coding process as an asynchronous conversation rather than a real-time terminal session, which resolves many formatting and typing issues.
4. Session Persistence with Tmux
Related: Technical advice heavily features `tmux` (terminal multiplexer) as an essential tool for this workflow. Commenters explain that standard SSH connections drop when a mobile device sleeps or switches networks, whereas `tmux` allows the session to persist on the host machine. This enables users to seamlessly resume their work exactly where they left off, regardless of connectivity interruptions or app switching.
5. Alternative Mobile Environments
Related: Users discuss various apps and environments that serve as alternatives to the article's Termius setup. Android users advocate for Termux, which provides a local Linux environment without needing a remote host, while iOS users recommend Blink Shell or Shellfish for better Mosh and SSH integration. Some also mention using native Pixel terminal features or running local LLMs directly on the device to avoid latency and dependency on internet access.
6. Mental Health and Downtime
Related: The concept of 'Doom Coding' sparks a philosophical debate about work-life balance. Commenters question the healthiness of filling every moment of downtime with productivity, suggesting that time spent waiting or commuting might be better used for rest, observation, or 'micro-exercises.' There is criticism of the compulsion to code constantly, with some arguing that being present in social situations or relaxing is more valuable than 'vibe coding' on a phone.
7. Reliability and Network Latency
Related: The discussion highlights the technical challenges of mobile connectivity, specifically latency and dropped connections. Tools like Mosh (Mobile Shell) are frequently recommended over standard SSH because they are designed to handle intermittent networks and roaming between Wi-Fi and cellular data without killing the session. Tailscale is praised for simplifying the networking layer, though some prefer Wireguard for a lighter-weight alternative.
8. Wake-on-LAN and Power Usage
Related: Critiques of the requirement to leave a computer running 24/7 lead to discussions on energy efficiency and remote wake capabilities. Users share solutions using Wake-on-LAN (WOL) via routers or Raspberry Pis to turn on powerful machines only when needed. Others mention macOS settings like `caffeinate` or specific power configurations to ensure the host machine remains accessible without wasting electricity around the clock.
9. Verification and Code Review
Related: A critical point raised is the danger of 'fire-and-forget' coding with LLMs on mobile. Users note that verifying the code generated by AI is difficult on a phone due to limited visibility and syntax highlighting. The conversation touches on the risks of deploying code or merging pull requests without the ability to properly audit the logic or run tests, suggesting that mobile workflows are better suited for prototyping than production engineering.
10. Security Risks of Remote Access
Related: Several commenters express concern over the security implications of the proposed setup. Issues include leaving a computer unlocked at home, opening SSH ports (even via VPN), and the potential for bad actors to gain access to a local network. Discussions involve best practices such as using key-based authentication, locking the keychain via command line, and the general risks of exposing a development machine to remote connections.
11. Vibe Coding vs. Engineering
Related: There is a distinction drawn between 'vibe coding'—prompting an LLM to generate scripts or apps—and traditional software engineering. Some users view this workflow as 'slop' or merely prompting, lacking the depth of actual problem-solving, while others find it empowering for quick prototypes or hobby projects. This theme reflects broader tensions regarding the changing nature of software development in the age of generative AI.
12. Web-Based and Cloud Alternatives
Related: Users suggest that browser-based solutions like GitHub Codespaces, Replit, or self-hosted web IDEs (like `opencode`) offer a superior experience to terminal tunneling. These tools often provide better UI elements for mobile browsers and abstract away the need to manage hardware or VPNs, allowing users to code via a web interface that handles state management and environments automatically.
13. Social Acceptability
Related: The humorous notion of 'coding at the club' mentioned in the article draws specific reactions. Commenters joke about or criticize the anti-social nature of pulling out a phone to code in social settings like parties or bars. This overlaps with the 'doom scrolling' comparison, with some users suggesting that using a phone for work in social spaces is just as rude or 'gross' as using it for social media.
14. Hardware Workarounds
Related: To mitigate the interface limitations of smartphones, users discuss hardware additions such as folding phones, external Bluetooth keyboards, and 'thin client' setups using old laptops or tablets. Some mention specific devices like the 'Clicks' keyboard case or using AR glasses, highlighting that while the phone provides the compute or connection, better peripherals are often needed for actual productivity.
15. Agentic Workflows and Automation
Related: Discussions extend beyond simple coding to fully automated agentic workflows. Users describe setups where agents running on home servers are triggered via mobile to perform tasks, run scans, or manage infrastructure autonomously. This shifts the mobile interaction from writing code to orchestrating agents that perform the heavy lifting, reporting back status via push notifications or chat messages.
16. Subscription Fatigue vs. Open Source
Related: Comments reflect a wariness of paid subscriptions for tools like Claude Pro, Tailscale, or premium terminal apps. Users advocate for open-source alternatives such as Ollama for local LLMs, Wireguard for VPNs, and various free terminal emulators. There is a sentiment that basic remote coding shouldn't require a stack of monthly fees when free tools can achieve similar results with slightly more configuration.
17. Educational Value of LLMs
Related: Some users highlight the learning aspect of this workflow, noting that interacting with Claude Code allows them to understand new concepts (like API behaviors or network scanning) through the generative act. This counters the 'slop' narrative, suggesting that 'doom coding' can be a valid educational tool for hobbyists or those looking to understand how their devices and networks function.
18. Thin Client Philosophy
Related: The thread revisits the concept of thin clients, where the mobile device acts merely as a window into a powerful remote machine. Users compare this to historical mainframe/terminal workflows, arguing that the phone doesn't need to be powerful if it just renders text from a desktop. This philosophy underpins the preference for SSH/Mosh over running heavy local IDEs on the phone.
19. Code Quality and Maintenance
Related: Skepticism arises regarding the quality of code produced during short mobile bursts. Commenters worry about creating 'spaghetti code' or unmaintainable projects when working in fragmented sessions on a phone. However, others argue that for small utilities, prototypes, or personal tools, the quality is sufficient, and the ability to iterate quickly from anywhere outweighs the lack of rigorous structure.
20. Gatekeeping vs. Encouragement
Related: The comment section illustrates a divide between experienced users who gatekeep the term 'coding' or mock the setup, and those who encourage the experimentation. While some dismiss the article as trivial, others defend the author's enthusiasm, noting that lowering the barrier to entry and finding new ways to engage with technology is positive, even if the underlying methods are not strictly new.
0. Does not fit well in any category
</topics>
<comments_to_classify>
[
{
"id": "46525592",
"text": "I don't think it's actually the VM crashing, it's the Android OS killing what it thinks is an idle app."
}
,
{
"id": "46524865",
"text": "Got a direct link to the app? The play store search is just offering me the Tom Hanks movie about a dude stuck in an airport ...\n\nEdit: found it using these instructions.\n\nhttps://github.com/nix-community/nixos-avf?tab=readme-ov-fil..."
}
,
{
"id": "46522079",
"text": "Also, you can have NixOS instead of debian: https://github.com/nix-community/nixos-avf"
}
,
{
"id": "46518916",
"text": "Wow, that’s cool! I wonder whether one day Apple is going to allow something like this with headless “macOS” VM on iPadOS to make it a viable local development platform."
}
,
{
"id": "46521517",
"text": "I would venture a guess some time between: \"The heat death of the universe\" and \"Never\"."
}
,
{
"id": "46519502",
"text": "Why would that be preferable to Termux?"
}
,
{
"id": "46519844",
"text": "Because, wonderful as Termux is, it has a very nonstandard filesystem layout, so installation scripts for something like Anaconda will not run without extensive modifications. And Termux has no access to /proc, /dev etc., so lots of utilities fail. Since Terminal provides a full Linux VM, all programs that will run on Linux just work as expected."
}
,
{
"id": "46521607",
"text": "Termux can access the full file system if you have root access, which is how I play around with it; however, running a VM is a safer and easier route, especially as smartphone manufacturers are making it tougher to root the device you own."
}
,
{
"id": "46524475",
"text": "I haven't noticed anything like that. Some more obscure tools have trouble with the file system but that happens in ordinary Linux too. Though I have no experience with Anaconda specifically so you likely know better whether it'll need adaptations to work under Termux.\n\nI run htop just fine on my handhelds and I'm pretty sure it sources directly from /proc, /sys or something."
}
,
{
"id": "46525660",
"text": "On my unrooted Pixel, I get \"Permission denied\" errors if I ls /sys, /dev, /proc and / within Termux. And /usr and /var don't exist."
}
,
{
"id": "46518268",
"text": "Sadly I'm an iPhone kid - and yeah the 24/7 computer running is not ideal. It's been nice building on the server that I'm using to host the app, but then again I could just run the Dockerfiles via QPython and push the code via git?"
}
,
{
"id": "46518355",
"text": "> A Claude Pro subscription\n\n\"Doom Slopping\" might be more fitting."
}
,
{
"id": "46518513",
"text": "Exactly"
}
,
{
"id": "46517853",
"text": "I remember when I started learning coding, and didn't have a computer. I literally used to use my phone to write code - terrible experience, but I was determined"
}
,
{
"id": "46517979",
"text": "I wrote C with a compiler running on my Palm Pilot well before smartphones existed yet"
}
,
{
"id": "46518003",
"text": "I remember having some kind of a shell app on my iPod Touch in college and needing to run and find wifi a few times to troubleshoot something at a job I was student working at.\n\nThey were fun times :D"
}
,
{
"id": "46517935",
"text": "Imagine doing that on a time share system through a rotary phone..."
}
,
{
"id": "46518434",
"text": "It wasn't coding, but tech support...I was on vacation from my law office IT job. All I had was my PalmPilot, the clip-on modem, and my sister's landline phone system. I spent 2-3 hours one day exchanging email with my firm's law librarian (the only other semi-technical person in the firm) troubleshooting some odd network problem. We got it done, but it was torture, tapping out messages with the Palm's stylus."
}
,
{
"id": "46518061",
"text": "Luckily I think in this day and age it’d be more viable and not as miserable as an experience - dare I say more accessible\n\nYou can connect an external keyboard to your phone and if you can swing getting a cheap IPS panel that displays text clearly enough, you’d have a working set up\n\nAnyway, kudos to you, I love reading stories about determination"
}
,
{
"id": "46517871",
"text": "I remember when I started learning coding. I didn't have the Internet. It was also terrible and I was also determined."
}
,
{
"id": "46518050",
"text": "When I started learning coding I had to write my C code on paper and have it sent by mule to the nearby city where the only computer in the area existed. Only a week later I would hear back the result of my programs."
}
,
{
"id": "46518449",
"text": "I assume you’re joking, but I have a Cuban acquaintance who actually did something like this. He did everything on paper and even won a national coding competition without ever having actually used a computer. Of course, as soon as he had the opportunity to leave Cuba, he left for good."
}
,
{
"id": "46518247",
"text": "I vaguely recall a service in the 90's where you'd write HTML on paper and mail it to them and they would make a website for you..."
}
,
{
"id": "46518141",
"text": "When I started learning coding, we had to run 50 kilometers through dense jungle, fight Jaguars and jump over snakes, to get to the only computer in the region. I saw a lot of friends die during the daily journey. The teacher was a shaman too, very knowledgeable on C. He would teach us rituals and stuff."
}
,
{
"id": "46518196",
"text": "That's cute! I had to cross the Darién in both directions to get there!"
}
,
{
"id": "46520736",
"text": "Being able to “code” from your phone really feels like a huge change; it never took before because coding from your phone was miserable, but if you’re just coding by having a conversation then it might even be better to do it from your phone. I don’t know what that leads to, but it’s let me fix bugs from bed and build an MVP while moving, so I can’t complain.\n\nFor anyone looking for a more integrated and smaller approach, I built an open source app builder + runtime: https://github.com/tinykit-studio/tinykit\n\nBasically gives you a Lovable-like app builder with built-in services (database/files/auth/email/payments/etc), content and design fields, and a code editor. Code is a single Svelte 5 file, and you can build/host unlimited apps on one server. And the server is just node + PocketBase, so runs easy on a $2 VPS. And LLM is BYOKey."
}
,
{
"id": "46524180",
"text": "i switched to using neovim a year ago and oddly enough its actually a lot easier to write code in termux compared to any of the other android IDE type apps. they all have drop down menus or sidebars that are quite awkward to use, especially when the keyboard is already taking up half the screen, but with neovim (or vim) youre using the keyboard to do most things anyway, so the keyboard can just stay open all of the time and you never need to move your hand up to the actual app part. selecting text is way easier than android's implementation as well"
}
,
{
"id": "46521275",
"text": "Typing on the phone is terrible. Could work with good speech to text though"
}
,
{
"id": "46524633",
"text": "Back 15-20 years ago we had many phones with keyboards. They had a purpose but Apple's profits made everyone envious and they started to copy what the leader was doing even thought for some users a keyboard make much more sense.\n\nWhat make sense for all users would be a swap-able battery. Water-tightness is no longer and excuse with new phones likes foldables that aren't. Fun fact, Apple dumped the swap-able battery before the iPhone was waterproof."
}
,
{
"id": "46517799",
"text": "Coding on a phone really isn't something new. With tmux a lot of people created crazy things directly on their phone. In some countries this even is the only possibility to code at all, because there are no laptops.\n\nThe example use case images are very funny though! :-)"
}
,
{
"id": "46517971",
"text": "Which countries in the world don't sell laptops?"
}
,
{
"id": "46517984",
"text": "there are going to be quite a lot of places where getting a laptop is a considerable expense"
}
,
{
"id": "46519386",
"text": "Why does it have to be a laptop, and why does it need to be new?\n\nThere aren't that many places in 2025 where getting a phone with internet is significantly cheaper than getting some scrappy laptop or desktop."
}
,
{
"id": "46520960",
"text": ">> There aren't that many places in 2025 where getting a phone with internet is significantly cheaper than getting some scrappy laptop or desktop.\n\nNo, but it's not a choice between a phone and a laptop. You NEED a phone. So you use what you've got. I've done work helping developers in less developed countries and you frequently find they're sending screenshots of code they've written on phones."
}
,
{
"id": "46535633",
"text": "I think I'll take any LLM slop code over the written-on-phone-by-\"developers\" slop code."
}
,
{
"id": "46521779",
"text": "Having the means doesn't mean the would-be programmer is in charge of the purse. I got my start coding at the local library because my parents wouldn't get me my own computer until I was in high school."
}
,
{
"id": "46519045",
"text": "There are countries where the market for PCs and laptops is really tiny and the stores sell them at markups compared to US/European prices. Many of these countries are low wage countries, too, so these markups have a big impact on affordability."
}
,
{
"id": "46517985",
"text": "I assume he means people are too poor to have multiple devices, and if you only have one it's probably a phone. That said I'm dubious anyone who only has a phone is doing meaningful coding"
}
,
{
"id": "46518191",
"text": "There is this guy: https://github.com/OXY2DEV/markview.nvim/issues/216#issuecom... . I haven‘t used his plugin, but it seems quite popular (+3k stars). I guess ergonomics don‘t matter so much yet when you are young.."
}
,
{
"id": "46518437",
"text": "Huh, makes you wonder if it's actually doing it on his phone or if he has a keyboard and maybe dock and monitor he attaches it to. I suppose my original comment was too broad, there was a point not too long ago when everyone wanted to replace their laptop with their phone. Samsung even let you dual boot linux from your phone with DeX"
}
,
{
"id": "46535731",
"text": "There's always an edge case. Speaking of which, here's someone who would really benefit from a hard column width limit and limited nesting that modern programmers (particularly ones using various IDEs) so carelessly violate these days."
}
,
{
"id": "46521594",
"text": "Following that story as it happened, it was all on the phone with the phone keyboard and he somehow made multiple good Neovim plugins including that very popular one (which I use in multiple configs)."
}
,
{
"id": "46524332",
"text": "neovim is probably the only sane way you could code like this on a small screen. everything works pretty much the same way it does on a desktop terminal, the only thing you have to get used to is having so many lines wrapped, and not having quick access to some characters like $ or ^, but they can just be added to the toolbar in termux"
}
,
{
"id": "46521795",
"text": "The initial version of Copyparty seems to have been written on a phone: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46056869"
}
,
{
"id": "46518574",
"text": "I use a bespoke hacker software keyboard (ctrl/meta/custom keys for GNU screen and emacs) and also bespoke SSH client (fork of the original irssiconnectbot) for years.\n\nMy phone is the original Pixel Fold. You would think I use it unfolded but the passport form factor lends itself to be almost as productive folded that I use it that way most of the time. Unfolded it's just a bit better experience (bigger keys / more display real estate/ more characters per line/ etc).\n\nWith that said I'm looking forward to the Click Communicator: https://clicks.tech/communicator\n\nI've also been meaning to write about my setup and open sourcing my tools.\n\nOh. Writing clojure helps due to the terseness of the language. Not sure it would be a pleasant experience writing something like Java with the 80 character line limit I try to impose on myself"
}
,
{
"id": "46528712",
"text": "Maybe I'm just lacking in creativity, but I don't see the appeal of developing anything with less than 2 monitors and a full-sized keyboard. Even for those who find the act of coding intrinsically entertaining, do you want to dance so badly that you'll do so even if you can only use one leg?"
}
,
{
"id": "46528853",
"text": "I'll bite (even though I think the proposed setup is dumb tbh) : why do you need 2 monitors? Can't you just alt-tab from one window to another?\n\nFWIW I do code on the go and I 100% prefer to code at home with my neat setup... but also quite often when I'm on the move and inspiration strikes, I do enjoy having a way to tinker right here and there."
}
,
{
"id": "46529289",
"text": "I can, but I find the friction it induces to be extremely irritating. I have to memorize snippets of documentation before switching back instead of just having it open on the other monitor to reference at a glance. Plus the act of switching windows itself is extra keystrokes/touch gestures and tedium. Coding on a small touch screen sounds like absolute hell. Like being forced to drive in stop-and-go traffic with a manual shift.\n\nI'll do it only if I have no other choice (i.e. logged into a remote terminal-only server at work). If I have some flash of inspiration I'll write it down in Google Keep and try it out when I get back to my 3-monitor workstation.\n\nBut hey, we're all wired different"
}
,
{
"id": "46520570",
"text": "My flow is GitHub issues+ GitHub Copilot+ Web Deployments from GitHub actions.\n\nI can just ask GitHub to fix something from the mobile app, and then set it to build on PR merge. It works most of the time, but you'd have to be absolutely wacky to do it in production or with any code you actually care about"
}
,
{
"id": "46520735",
"text": "I've been working on something similar: https://github.com/shepherdjerred/monorepo/tree/main/package...\n\nEssentially you run a server on some machine. Sessions are created in Docker containers, K8s pods, or via Zellij (an app similar to tmux).\n\nYou can:\n\n- Directly attach to sessions via Docker attach (built-in via a TUI). You get a normal Claude Code experience, but multiplexed. The switcher/UI shows you the status of Claude and the PR (pushed, merge conflicts, CI status, review status, etc.)\n\n- Manage sessions via a web UI. Connect to Claude Code directly via your browser. You have access to the usual Claude Code terminal or a native chat view.\n\n- Manage sessions via an app. You have access to a native chat view.\n\nIt achieves isolation via Git worktrees + a proxy so that containers have access to zero credentials (there aren't even any Claude code creds in the container), which allows you to more safely use bypass all permissions mode.\n\nThis works better for me that Claude Code on Web because I have control over the environment Claude is running in. I can give it any Docker image I want, I can have it connect to my local network, etc.\n\nIt's still a WIP (the core bits are there, but it's not polished yet), but I'm hoping it provides a friendlier UX with a similar goal for what the OP has in mind."
}
]
</comments_to_classify>
Based on the comments above, assign each to up to 3 relevant topics.
Return ONLY a JSON array with this exact structure (no other text):
[
{
"id": "comment_id_1",
"topics": [
1,
3,
5
]
}
,
{
"id": "comment_id_2",
"topics": [
2
]
}
,
{
"id": "comment_id_3",
"topics": [
0
]
}
,
...
]
Rules:
- Each comment can have 0 to 3 topics
- Use 1-based topic indices for matches
- Use index 0 if the comment does not fit well in any category
- Only assign topics that are genuinely relevant to the comment
Remember: Output ONLY the JSON array, no other text.
50