This guide explains how to turn a spare Mac into an always-on machine Claude Code can fully control with computer use enabled, accessible from your phone via the Claude app or from your main Mac over SSH. The goal is a separate environment to delegate research and development tasks, mitigating risks of running Claude Code with the --dangerously-skip-permissions flag on your primary device.

Why not use a container? Containers still run on your main machine, share its network, and cannot access Mac-only apps like Unity — essential for computer-use actions such as clicking and dragging. Alternatives like Open Claw lack the latest Claude Code features and mobile app integration.

The approach: wipe the target Mac, create a fresh local admin account (no Apple ID), and enable Remote Login (SSH) via `sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on` (grant Terminal Full Disk Access if needed). Configure passwordless sudo for the target account with a validated sudoers rule.

Find the target’s hostname (`scutil --get Local Host Name` + `.local`), set up passwordless SSH from the source (`ssh-copy-id`), and prevent sleep with `pmset -c sleep 0`, `disablesleep 1`, `displaysleep 0`. Disable the screensaver to avoid auto-locking. macOS clipboard tools `pbcopy`/`pbpaste` work over the SSH session.