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Your VPS is the “engine” where the heavy lifting happens. sincronizado is flexible, but it expects a standard Linux environment to function correctly.

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Minimum Requirements

  • OS: Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora, CentOS). Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS is highly recommended.
  • RAM: At least 4GB is recommended for running AI agents comfortably. 8GB+ is better.
  • CPU: 2+ vCPUs recommended.
  • Disk: 20GB+ (AI models and node_modules can be heavy).

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The Golden Path (Automated)

The easiest way to set up a fresh VPS is using our bootstrap script. You can run this directly from the sinc --setup wizard, or manually. What the script does:
  1. Updates apt packages.
  2. Installs tmux, git, curl, wget, unzip.
  3. Creates the ~/workspace directory.
  4. Installs bun (often needed for modern JS tooling).
  5. Checks for opencode or claude and warns if missing.
Run it manually: SSH into your VPS and run: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Microck/sincronizado/main/scripts/setup-vps.sh | bash

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Security Hardening

During sinc --setup, you can optionally enable “Security Hardening”. This runs an additional script that prepares your VPS for the wild internet. What Hardening Does:
  1. Updates System: Runs apt update && apt upgrade.
  2. Configures Firewall (UFW):
    • Denies incoming traffic by default.
    • Allows outgoing traffic.
    • Allows SSH (port 22) and alternative ports (2222, 3000).
  3. Installs Fail2Ban: Bans IP addresses that repeatedly fail SSH login attempts (3 strikes = 1 hour ban).
  4. Hardens SSH:
    • Disables root login.
    • Disables password authentication (keys only).
    • Note: It only does this if you create a non-root user or confirm it.
  5. Creates User: Optionally creates a non-root user (e.g. deployer) with sudo access.
Run it manually: 
# WARNING: This changes SSH config. Make sure you have a key added first!
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Microck/sincronizado/main/scripts/harden-vps.sh | sudo bash

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Manual Setup Guide

If you prefer to configure things yourself, here is the checklist.

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1. SSH Access

You need passwordless SSH access.
  • Local: Ensure you have a key pair (ssh-keygen -t ed25519).
  • Remote: Add your public key (id_ed25519.pub) to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the VPS.
  • Test: ssh user@vps-ip should let you in without a password.
Tip: Use Tailscale for easy, secure, private networking. It avoids exposing port 22 to the public internet.

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2. Install Tmux

Required for session persistence. 
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y tmux

# Fedora/CentOS
sudo dnf install -y tmux

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3. Create Workspace

Create the folder where sinc will sync your projects. 
mkdir -p ~/workspace
(You can change this path in your local config.json via sync.remoteBase)

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4. Install Your Agent

sincronizado launches an agent command. You need to install the one you plan to use. OpenCode is an open-source interpreter. 
npm install -g opencode
# OR
bun add -g opencode

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Option B: Claude Code

Anthropic’s CLI tool. 
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Note: The binary name is usually claude.

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5. Install Runtime Dependencies

Your agent will likely need to run code. Install common runtimes:
  • Node.js: Use nvm or sudo apt install nodejs npm.
  • Python: sudo apt install python3-full python3-pip.
  • Rust: curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

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Cloud Provider Guides

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Hetzner

Great performance/price ratio.
  1. Create a “Cloud” server (CPX21 or CPX31 recommended).
  2. Select “Ubuntu 24.04”.
  3. Add your SSH key during creation.
  4. Use the public IPv4 address as your hostname.

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DigitalOcean

  1. Create a Droplet (Basic -> Premium Intel/AMD).
  2. Select Ubuntu 24.04.
  3. Add SSH keys.
  4. Use the Droplet IP.

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AWS Lightsail

Simpler than EC2.
  1. Create an instance (OS Only -> Ubuntu 22.04).
  2. Download the default key pair (or upload yours).
  3. Important: You must allow port 22 in the networking firewall (enabled by default).
  4. User is usually ubuntu.