# Development on a Remote Machine

Zulip can be developed on a remote server. We recommend doing this if you are
running Windows or have other blockers stopping you
from [developing locally](dev-overview.html).


## Connecting to the Remote Environment

Set up you remote server and connect to it.

We recommend using [Mosh](https://mosh.org/) as it is more reliable over slow
network connections.

## Editing Code on the Remote Machine

You will need to either edit code locally on your computer and sync it to the remote
development environment or just edit the zulip code base on the remote host.

#### Editing Locally

If you want to edit code locally you can install you favorite text editor:
* [atom](https://atom.io/)
* [emacs](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/)
* [vim](http://www.vim.org/)
* [spacemacs](https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs)
* [sublime](https://www.sublimetext.com/)
* etc

Next, [set up git](git-guide.html) on you local machine and clone the zulip
repository.

Once you have your code locally you will need to sync your changes to your development server:
* [Unison](https://github.com/bcpierce00/unison) Recommended
* [Rsync](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-rsync-to-sync-local-and-remote-directories-on-a-vps)


#### Editing Remotely

You will need to use a text editor on the remote machine:
* [emacs](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/)
* [vim](http://www.vim.org/)
* [spacemacs](https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs)

Once you install an editor
[setup an ssh key](https://help.github.com/articles/generating-an-ssh-key/)
on your host and [clone](git-guide.html) the zulip repository.


## Setting Up the Development Environment

* [Installing on Ubuntu](install-ubuntu-without-vagrant-dev.html).
  This offers the most convenient developer experience, if you are developing on a clean remote machine we recomend this.
* [Detailed tutorial for Vagrant development environment](dev-env-first-time-contributors.html)
* [Brief installation instructions for Vagrant development environment](brief-install-vagrant-dev.html)


## Running the Development Server

See [Using the Development Environment](using-dev-environment.html).

Zulip will need to be run on an exposed interface so that you can access web server remotely.

```
./tools/run-dev.py --interface 0.0.0.0:9991
```

You can then navigate to http://<REMOTE_IP>:9991 and you should see something like
[(this screenshot of the Zulip dev environment)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zulip/zulip/master/docs/images/zulip-dev.png).

![Image of Zulip dev environment](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zulip/zulip/master/docs/images/zulip-dev.png)

You can [port forward](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SSH/OpenSSH/PortForwarding)
using ssh instead of running the dev env on an exposed interface.

#### Next Steps

At this point you should
[read about developing](dev-env-first-time-contributors.html#step-4-developing)
and [read about using the development environment](using-dev-environment.html).