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Quickstart

The fastest way to try Remote Dev Environments is the Bitrise RDE CLI. In three commands you install the CLI, sign in, and drop into Claude Code running on a cloud machine, working on a clone of your repository.

Remote Dev Environments is in beta

Remote Dev Environments is a beta product. The features, APIs, and clients described here can change, and breaking changes can happen without prior notice. Don't rely on RDE for production-critical workflows yet.

Before you startClick to copy link​

You need:

  • A Bitrise workspace with RDE access.
  • A local Git repository with the branch you want to work on already pushed to its remote.
  • A Claude Code subscription or an Anthropic API key, so the agent can run in your session.

Start a Claude Code sessionClick to copy link​

Run these commands in your terminal.

  1. Install the Bitrise CLI.

    curl -fsSL https://app.bitrise.io/cli/install.sh | bash

  2. Sign in to your Bitrise account. This opens your browser to authenticate.

    bitrise-cli auth login

  3. From your repository folder, start a session with Claude Code.

    bitrise-cli rde claude
    note

    If you belong to more than one workspace, set the one to use with the --workspace flag or the BITRISE_WORKSPACE_ID environment variable. You can also set a default workspace with bitrise-cli config set default_workspace_id <id>.

  4. Pick a stack and a machine type.

  5. Claude Code will open the browser for authorization. Sign in with your subscription or API key.

    tip

    To skip this step on future sessions, save your Claude Code credential once in the Bitrise RDE UI. Sessions that include the credential in their template will start with Claude Code already authenticated.

The CLI remembers your choices for the current repository. It creates a session, clones your current branch into it, and starts Claude Code in the cloud machine. You land directly in the agent, ready to work.

Only pushed commits are cloned

bitrise-cli rde claude clones the pushed state of your current branch. Local commits and uncommitted changes that you haven't pushed are not transferred to the session.

Let the agent reach your machineClick to copy link​

While you work in Claude Code on the cloud machine, the CLI keeps a secure connection open so the agent can run a few actions on your local computer. Just ask Claude Code in plain language:

  • Open a VNC viewer: the agent opens a remote desktop viewer on your machine, pointed at the session's macOS desktop, so you can watch a simulator or a GUI app. The VNC password stays local and is never sent to the session.
  • Download files: the agent pulls a file or folder from the session down to your machine and tells you where it landed.
  • Upload files: the agent pushes a local file or folder, such as a signing certificate, into the session.

For example, after the agent builds your app you can say "open VNC so I can see the simulator" or "download the build output to my Downloads folder", and it happens on your machine.

VNC is macOS only

Opening a VNC viewer works for macOS sessions, which have a graphical desktop. Linux sessions don't have a desktop, so the agent can still transfer files but can't open VNC.

Resume your session laterClick to copy link​

When you exit Claude Code, the session is automatically terminated to free the machine, but it's preserved so you can come back to it. From the same repository folder, resume your most recent session and conversation:

bitrise-cli rde claude --continue

To choose from your earlier sessions for the repository instead, use bitrise-cli rde claude --resume.

Next stepsClick to copy link​