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A mini PC, a coding agent, and everything I learned making them work together.

On my desk, a small, silent machine runs about thirty sites and apps. This guide shows you, step by step, how to set it up, how to connect it to Claude Code, OpenCode or Codex, and above all how to work well with the agent once it's there. 31 guides, checked on a real machine, in French, English and Chinese.

I've been running at Ulrich's for 213 days. He wrote everything down so you can build me too.

The site's AMD Strix Halo mini PC, in an upright case with lilac and beige panels, on a black desk next to a USB hub
The site's machine · Framework Desktop · 128 GB · photo Frandroid
Local Ollama, 128 GB your data stays here
and
In the cloud Claude, Codex, OpenCode when you need the best

The hybrid setup: local for everyday work, cloud for the big jobs. Your call, guide by guide.

One weekend

to set up the machine

From the USB stick to Linux installed, the agent running and the private network connected. Without ever having used a terminal before.

One command

and the agent sets up the rest

You install Claude Code, OpenCode or Codex first. After that, every step of the guide is done by asking it, and by reviewing its plan.

31 services

run on mine

Everything written here was done, broken and fixed on a real machine. Every guide shows the date it was last checked.

The path: 31 guides in five parts. In order, or straight to where you're at.

About 7 hours of reading · from Easy to Advanced

01 Before you start Why, which machine, which models, what it costs. 8 guides · 1 h 37 min 02 Set up the machine Linux, the agent (very early), Git, Docker. 6 guides · 1 h 36 min 03 Open it to the world Tailscale, tunnel, the phone at the wheel. 4 guides · 57 min 04 Agents and local AI Resident agents, Ollama, hybrid cloud + local. 8 guides · 1 h 52 min 05 Working well Scoping a project with an LLM, memory, skills, reviewing. 5 guides · 1 h 9 min
01Before you start02Set up the machine03Open it to the world04Agents and local AI05Working well

Part 1 · Before you start, guide by guide

Every guide: level, time, “do this first”, date checked
  1. 1 Why a mini-machine · Easy · 6 min
  2. 2 Spotting your needs: what to automate, what to hand to an agent · Easy · 16 min
  3. 3 Project ideas · Easy · 9 min
  4. 4 Choosing the hardware · Easy · 12 min
  5. 5 The machines we tested: which mini-PC for AI? · Easy · 14 min · new
  6. 6 What about a Mac mini? · Easy · 8 min
  7. 7 Frontier models on a subscription: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini · Easy · 16 min · new
  8. 8 Chinese LLMs: MiMo, Qwen, DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi · Intermediate · 16 min · new

Part 2 · Set up the machine, guide by guide

Every guide: level, time, “do this first”, date checked
  1. 9 Installing Linux · Intermediate · 25 min
  2. 10 Essential system settings · Intermediate · 15 min
  3. 11 Installing the agent (very early) · Easy · 12 min
  4. 12 What is an AI agent? · Easy · 12 min
  5. 13 Git, GitHub & backups · Intermediate · 16 min
  6. 14 Docker: isolate your projects · Intermediate · 16 min

Part 3 · Open it to the world, guide by guide

Every guide: level, time, “do this first”, date checked
  1. 15 Tailscale: your private network · Easy · 10 min
  2. 16 Securing access · Advanced · 20 min
  3. 17 Working remotely (terminal + VNC) · Easy · 12 min
  4. 18 Cloudflare Tunnel: expose things cleanly · Intermediate · 15 min

Part 4 · Agents and local AI, guide by guide

Every guide: level, time, “do this first”, date checked
  1. 19 Setting up your agents · Intermediate · 15 min
  2. 20 Agents in the service of a project · Intermediate · 14 min
  3. 21 Agents running on the mini-PC · Intermediate · 15 min
  4. 22 Hermes & OpenClaw: your in-house agents · Intermediate · 14 min
  5. 23 Running several agents together · Intermediate · 12 min
  6. 24 Choosing and sizing your model · Intermediate · 16 min
  7. 25 Ollama & local models · Easy · 12 min
  8. 26 Going hybrid: cloud + local · Intermediate · 14 min

Part 5 · Working well, guide by guide

Every guide: level, time, “do this first”, date checked
  1. 27 Framing a project with an LLM · Intermediate · 18 min
  2. 28 Memory files (CLAUDE.md & co) · Intermediate · 14 min
  3. 29 Skills: automating your workflows · Intermediate · 12 min
  4. 30 Review, audit, secure · Intermediate · 13 min
  5. 31 Maintain and update · Intermediate · 12 min
The centrepiece · part 5

Framing a project with an LLM

How to write a brief the agent understands, review its plan before saying yes, and slice the work so it doesn't go off the rails. The guide to read even without a machine. 18 min, checked on October 1, 2026.

Read the guideIntermediate · 18 min
Claude Code, in the Kiwee project, proposes a three-step plan to export the scan history as CSV, then waits for your go-ahead before coding

What's running on my machine right now

A Strix Halo, 128 GB of unified memory, Ubuntu 26.04, 31 services online. Five projects born on it, with the agent.

The machine on the author's desk, with a USB hub and cables in the foreground

Ulrich Rozier, co-founder of Frandroid, at Humanoid · ulrichrozier.com (external site, new tab). Free guide, updated on October 1, 2026.

Vignette Synced sticky notes, signed binary (external site, new tab) Kiwee Vegan scanner, iOS & Android (external site, new tab) Quelle IA AI model rankings (external site, new tab) Pippin Apple prices, 41 countries (external site, new tab) Saillant Multiplayer 3D game (external site, new tab) + 26 more services online on the machine
The 31 guides no guides read yet Open the list of guides