Short answer
You access a hosted Mac in two ways: SSH for a terminal, and remote desktop (screen sharing or VNC-compatible clients) for the full macOS interface. Use the host, port, and username your provider gives you; with MacMiniNode they appear in your dashboard once the machine is ready. For development, pair SSH with VS Code Remote-SSH or JetBrains Gateway.
SSH: the terminal connection
SSH gives you a secure command line on the Mac. From macOS or Linux, open a terminal and run ssh username@host -p port with the values from your dashboard. Windows 10 and later include an OpenSSH client; run the same command in PowerShell or Windows Terminal. Microsoft documents the client in its OpenSSH for Windows guide.
Add an entry to ~/.ssh/config so you can type ssh macmini instead of the full command, and use key-based authentication rather than passwords where your provider supports it. With MacMiniNode you can add your public key once connected.
Remote desktop: the full macOS interface
When you need Xcode’s GUI, a simulator, or any windowed app, use a remote desktop connection. macOS has Screen Sharing built in (open it from Spotlight or Finder’s Go menu). Windows, Linux, and iPad users can use a VNC-compatible client; the dashboard tells you which protocol and port your machine is configured for.
Interactive desktop use is sensitive to latency and bandwidth. Lower the display resolution or colour depth on slow links, and keep long builds in SSH sessions instead of watching them in a terminal window over remote desktop.
Using your IDE remotely
- VS Code: install the Remote-SSH extension, add the host, and open a remote folder. Extensions run on the Mac.
- JetBrains: use Gateway to run the IDE backend on the Mac with a thin client locally.
- Terminal-centric: tmux or screen keeps shells alive between connections.
Keeping work running after you disconnect
Processes started in a plain SSH session end when the session closes. Start long tasks inside tmux (tmux new -s work), detach with Ctrl-b d, and reattach later with tmux attach -t work. For recurring jobs, macOS uses launchd; Apple’s launchd documentation covers creating agents, and cron also works for simple schedules.
Security basics for remote access
- Prefer SSH keys over passwords and keep private keys on your own devices
- Do not paste credentials into chat or email; MacMiniNode shows them only in your signed-in dashboard
- Scope Git tokens and deploy keys to the repositories the machine needs
- Keep your own user account’s settings tight; the management controls the provider relies on must stay enabled
Is MacMiniNode the right option?
Every MacMiniNode machine comes with SSH and remote desktop configured, with instructions in the dashboard. If you only ever need a terminal, SSH alone is enough; the desktop is there when you need a screen.