Docs / Laptop

Use Directionally Local from your laptop

Connect your laptop to your server, send tasks, follow them, and check out the pull request branches.

Install the command

npm install -g directionallylocal

This gives you two commands that do the same thing: directionallylocal and dl.

Connect to your server

Your laptop must be on the same Tailscale network as the server: install Tailscale on the laptop and sign in to the same account. A ts.net address only works on devices signed in to that network. Then:

dl connect https://<server>.<tailnet>.ts.net

It shows a code and opens your browser. Approve the code, and your laptop is connected. The laptop gets its own credential, which lasts 90 days and can be revoked from the server. It never receives your model key.

Run a task

From inside a GitHub repo:

dl run "fix the flaky checkout test"

The task runs in its own sandbox on the server. Your uncommitted changes go along with it, so the agent starts from exactly what you have locally. When it's done, it opens a pull request. You can close your laptop while it works.

You can start several tasks at once. Each gets its own sandbox and its own branch.

Follow your tasks

Command What it does
dl runs Lists your tasks and their pull requests.
dl watch <id> Follows a task's progress live.
dl pull <id> Checks out a task's branch on your laptop.
dl cancel <id> Stops a task.
dl servers Lists the servers this laptop is connected to.
dl Explains what Directionally Local is and shows what's going on.