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Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Stop Doom Scrolling, Start Doom Coding: Build via the terminal from your phone

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Session Persistence with tmux/Mosh

Users emphasize tmux for resuming sessions amid poor connectivity. "you need tmux/similar to keep things running" - fragmede. "set -g mouse on" in ~/.tmux.conf for scrolling - sigseg1v; stets.

2. Mobile SSH Apps and Local Terminals

Frequent iOS/Android tool recs like Blink Shell, Termius, Termux. "I switched to Blink on iOS which seems inferior to Termius in every way except that scrolling tmux actually works" - qaboutthat. "just install Termux and do it the same way you do it anywhere else?" - functionmouse.

3. Alternatives to Terminal/VPN (Email, Web UI, PRs)

Suggestions for easier interfaces. "Would an email interface to Claude code work better?" - analogpixel. "Claude manages the feature branching and PR process; I review the PR in the GitHub mobile app" - magospietato. "use a browser? OpenCode has a webUI" - gempir.

🚀 Project Ideas

Mobile Side-by-Side Diff Viewer

Summary

  • Native Android/iOS app for reviewing git diffs remotely via SSH/VPN/Tailscale, with synchronized scrolling, syntax highlighting, and landscape optimization.
  • Solves poor mobile diff experiences during code reviews in vibe-coding setups.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Mobile vibe-coders using SSH/tmux for AI-assisted dev (e.g., Claude Code users on transit).
Core Feature Fetch and display git diffs side-by-side with touch-scroll sync, bat-like highlighting, annotate/share.
Tech Stack React Native or Flutter; libgit2 for diff parsing; Tailscale SDK integration.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (basic free, pro $4.99/yr).

Notes

  • "I rely heavily on the vs code integration for nice side by side diffs, so losing that might be a problem unless there’s some way to launch the diffs into a separate diff viewer app on the phone." (scottbez1); revives abandoned superdiff project.
  • HN would love native mobile polish for terminal workflows; high utility for PR reviews in GitHub mobile.

iOS Tmux-Optimized SSH Client

Summary

  • iOS app like Blink Shell but with flawless tmux scrolling (two-finger, mouse mode auto-config), mosh resilience, and session persistence across network drops.
  • Addresses scrolling jank and iOS lack of Termux for persistent remote coding sessions.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience iPhone users SSH-ing to home servers for tmux/Claude Code (no Termux equivalent).
Core Feature Auto tmux.conf tweaks (set -g mouse on), momentum scrolling, mosh client, quick-resume bookmarks.
Tech Stack SwiftUI; SwiftSSH/Mosh-iOS ports; Tailscale integration.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: $9.99 one-time.

Notes

  • "Main issue is scrolling. Termius + tmux don't scroll very well." (auspiv); "switched to Blink... scrolling tmux actually works." (qaboutthat).
  • Fills critical iOS gap; HN terminal fans would discuss configs/extensions, practical for daily commutes.

AI Coding Email/Telegram Bot

Summary

  • Bot interface to run Claude Code/OpenCode/Aider on home server; send prompts via email/Telegram, get threaded replies with screenshot diffs, PR links, and ack gates.
  • Enables intermittent, non-VPN mobile coding with better UX than terminal for spotty connections.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Phone-only coders wanting async AI dev without SSH setup (transit, gym, chores).
Core Feature Prompt → AI execution → email/Telegram response with diff images/PR; resume via thread ID.
Tech Stack Node.js/Go bot; IMAP/SMTP or Telegram Bot API; Puppeteer for screenshots; OAuth for GitHub.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $5/mo SaaS (self-host free tier).

Notes

  • "Would an email interface to Claude code work better?... seems easier then getting a vpn working." (analogpixel); "This is genius!" (rbergamini27); Telegram variant praised.
  • HN would debate auth/security; massive utility for "vibe-coding" without full VPN/tmux, sparks agent workflow threads.

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