Even if a 1GB or 2GB VPS can start the installer, it easily runs out of memory (OOM) during npm install, TypeScript compilation or Docker builds. On a limited budget, start with 4GB and reserve at least 10GB of disk space for the system.

First log in over SSH and update the system:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
apt update && apt full-upgrade -y
apt install -y ca-certificates curl git tmux ripgrep sudo

Do not let AI tools run as root long term. Create a dedicated account and working directory:

adduser coder
usermod -aG sudo coder
mkdir -p /srv/workspaces
chown -R coder:coder /srv/workspaces
su - coder

Then confirm that networking and time are correct:

curl -I https://code.claude.com
timedatectl status

If SSH itself returns Permission denied, first check keys, users and directory permissions using the VPS SSH Permission denied troubleshooting checklist, then continue with the installation.

Run the official Linux installation command as the coder user:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Reload the shell configuration and check the version:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
claude --version
claude doctor

The official native installation updates automatically. If the server needs a pinned version or a stable channel, you can install stable:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s stable

Do not save the curl download into the project repository, and do not use sudo to install Claude Code into root's home directory. If you see claude: command not found, first check echo $PATH and ls -l ~/.local/bin/claude.

Place the repository where coder can write and other services cannot:

cd /srv/workspaces
git clone YOUR_REPOSITORY_URL demo
sudo chown -R coder:coder demo
cd demo

You can create .claude/settings.json inside the project to require confirmation for high-risk commands and to deny reading the secrets directory:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "Read(./**)",
      "Edit(./**)",
      "Bash(git status)",
      "Bash(git diff)",
      "Bash(npm test)"
    ],
    "ask": [
      "Bash(git push*)",
      "Bash(docker *)",
      "Bash(rm *)"
    ],
    "deny": [
      "Read(~/.ssh/**)",
      "Read(~/.config/claude.env)",
      "Bash(curl * | bash*)"
    ]
  }
}

Rules should be adjusted to the project's actual commands. Do not enable a fully automatic high-privilege mode just to skip confirmation steps; on a production VPS, at minimum keep manual confirmation for Git commits, deletions, Docker and network downloads.

Interactive development is best kept in tmux:

tmux new -s claude-demo
cd /srv/workspaces/demo
claude

Press Ctrl+b, then d to detach from the session; after reconnecting to the VPS, restore it:

tmux ls
tmux attach -t claude-demo

To continue the previous conversation, run claude --continue in the repository directory, or use claude --resume to select a session. tmux only keeps the terminal process from disconnecting; it does not handle automatic recovery after a VPS reboot for you, and it is not suitable for approving high-risk changes unattended.

• Claude Code runs as a regular user, and the working directory does not contain SSH private keys, database backups or production secrets.
• The API Key file has permissions 600, has not been committed to Git, and has not been written into shell history.
• SSH allows key-based login only, the firewall opens only necessary ports, and management ports are not fully open to the public internet.
• The project's .claude/settings.json keeps confirmation for git push, rm, Docker and external downloads.
• Before each major change, create a Git branch or commit point, and check git diff and test results afterward.
• Monitor disk, memory and outbound traffic; Docker projects should also set healthchecks and resource limits, as described in the VPS Docker Compose production configuration checklist.

If you already use a Codex CLI remote development environment on a VPS, the deployment approach for Claude Code is basically the same: a regular user, clear authentication boundaries and tmux sessions are the core of stability; the differences are mainly the account system, the API Key name and the permission configuration file format.

A Linux VPS starting at 4GB can host Claude Code's remote development workflow. Start with the official installer and a regular user to complete the minimal setup, then add permission rules, tmux sessions and monitoring as the project requires. Isolating authentication information from production directories matters far more than simply chasing a larger CPU.