[ TERM ]
Live remote terminal
Interactive PTY on your Mac. Type on your phone, resize columns/rows, run real shell sessions over a token-gated WebSocket.
LINK ESTABLISHED · TAILSCALE
Your Mac terminal.
On your phone.
Stax Link turns your iPhone into a real remote shell on your Mac — live PTY, project bookmarks, and Grok chat — over your private Tailscale network.
# phone → Mac over Tailscale
$ stax-link status
host: online · port 8787 · token: ok
network: tailscale · mesh encrypted
session: main · cwd: ~/Documents/Apps
$ cd Terminal-App && git status -sb
## main...origin/main
M host/server/terminal.go
?? mobile/lib/screens/chat_screen.dart
$ echo "shell from your pocket"
shell from your pocket
$
01 · TERMINAL
Real zsh/bash PTY over WebSocket
02 · PROJECTS
Saved paths, commands, bookmarks
03 · CHAT
Grok on the host — key stays on Mac
Features
Built for builders who live in a shell.
In-house we call it Terminal-App. Shipping name: Stax Link — phone client, Mac host, one private link.
[ PROJ ]
Projects that stick
Name a project, pin the host folder, save command snippets and file bookmarks. Open in terminal sets cwd and reconnects the shell.
[ CHAT ]
Grok chat from the host
Phone Chat hits the Mac host. By default it resumes a linked Grok Build session — same thread as your desktop, key never leaves the machine.
[ MESH ]
Tailscale network edge
No public hole-punching for the terminal. Your phone and Mac join the same tailnet. The mesh is the boundary.
[ HOST ]
Menu bar host
Start/stop host, simple QR setup, copy URL/token, pick screenshot inbox, set listen address — all from the Mac menu bar.
[ SHOT ]
Screenshot → Mac inbox
Grab a shot on the phone, push it over Tailscale into a Mac folder. Perfect for “look at this UI” loops with Grok on the host.
Setup
Three pieces. One private link.
Host on Mac. Client on phone. Same tailnet. Scan a QR and you’re in.
-
01
Run the Mac host
Install Stax Link Host (menu bar). It opens a local control plane for shell, chat, and screenshots — token-gated on every request.
-
02
Join the same Tailscale network
Mac + iPhone on one tailnet. Use MagicDNS or the 100.x address. That private path is how the phone reaches the host.
-
03
Scan Simple Setup QR
Menu bar → Simple Setup (QR). Phone scans, receives host URL + token, saves and tests. Shared session id keeps phone and desktop on the same shell room.
Preview
Terminal aesthetic. Built in.
Matrix greens, monospace UI, dark surfaces — the app matches the site.
Security
Private by network design.
v1 security is simple and intentional: your mesh, your token, your host keys.
// Tailscale boundary
Terminal traffic stays on your tailnet. No public terminal port exposed for the happy path — the phone reaches the Mac as a private node.
// HOST_TOKEN on every call
Terminal and chat endpoints require a host token with constant-time compare. QR setup delivers URL + token in one scan.
// Chat key stays on Mac
xAI / Grok credentials live on the host only. The phone never needs your API key — it talks to the local host proxy.
// Hardening roadmap
Optional Rust security core later: keychain-backed secrets, stronger device binding, and tighter session controls.
NOTE: Stax Link is a remote shell into your machine. Treat the host token like a password. Only devices you trust should join the tailnet and hold the token.
Architecture
What ships under the hood.
Phone client · Mac host · private mesh.
| Piece | Stack | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | Flutter · iOS first | Terminal, projects, chat, setup QR |
| Host | Go + menu bar app | PTY shell, chat proxy, screenshots |
| Network | Tailscale | Private path phone ↔ Mac |
| Chat | Grok via host | Linked session or API backend |
| Security core | Rust (later) | Optional hardened secrets path |
> init stax-link --access early
Building in the open for people who want a real shell in their pocket — not a toy terminal skin.