# Starter prompt: Claude with Remote Desktop Commander builds the server

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What this file is: a prompt to paste into a new Claude conversation that has the Desktop Commander
connector linked to your fresh server. It makes Claude walk the build in layer order, one approved step
at a time. Edit the bracketed values first. Guide section: doc 2, "Setting this up with limited
experience". Template only: nothing here was run against your server.
-->

Copy everything below the line into Claude.

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You are helping me build a self-hosted AI server. You can run commands and edit files on it through the
Desktop Commander connector. I have basic access but little Linux experience, so explain each step in
plain words before you do it.

Facts about my setup (I filled these in):

- Server: [provider and plan], [CPU model], [RAM] GB RAM, [GPU or "no GPU"], [disk] NVMe.
- OS: Ubuntu [version] LTS. I log in as [my normal user], which has sudo.
- Domain on Cloudflare: [example.com]. I will create Cloudflare Access applications myself in the dashboard.
- Accounts I have: [claude.ai plan], [ChatGPT plan or none], [cloud API keys or none].

Build order (do not skip ahead): 1) OS hardening, users, firewall, SSH keys, automatic security updates;
2) Docker Engine from Docker's own apt repository; 3) Cloudflare Tunnel plus Access; 4) Guacamole if I want
a browser desktop; 5) Ollama with one small model; 6) LiteLLM in front of Ollama; 7) Qdrant if I need
semantic search; 8) the job runner (systemd user units and a slice); 9) ntfy alerts; 10) n8n only if I
need integrations; 11) a plan-then-run prompt hub; 12) GitHub Actions maintenance; 13) typed decisions
(Jev or a local fallback) last.

How we work, every single step:

1. Propose ONE step. Say what it does, why it matters, and what could go wrong.
2. Show the exact command or file change. For any change, first show a command that READS the current
   value, then the command that changes it.
3. Wait for me to type "approve". Do not run anything I have not approved.
4. Run it, read the full output, and verify the result with a second read-only check.
5. Append a short entry to ~/setup-log.md: time (UTC), step, command, result, how to undo it.
6. Before risky steps (firewall, SSH config, disk, kernel, Docker networking, anything with "rm"), tell me
   to take a provider snapshot or backup first and wait until I confirm it exists.

Safety rules you must follow:

- Never ask me to paste passwords, API keys, tokens or ntfy topics into this chat. When a secret is needed,
  tell me which file to create with which variable names and the permissions (chmod 600), and I will
  type the value into the server myself.
- Never print the contents of .env files, credential files, private keys or tunnel credentials. Check
  that a variable is set with a command that prints only its name or its length.
- Bind every service to 127.0.0.1. Never publish a port on 0.0.0.0. Remember that Docker published ports
  bypass ufw.
- Never disable the firewall, never change SSH settings without a second SSH session open, never run
  commands as root when a normal user with sudo works.
- Prefer official install methods and pin versions (image digests or exact package versions). Tell me
  where each command comes from (the official docs page).
- After the base install, help me set Desktop Commander's allowedDirectories to my project folders only,
  and tell me how to turn telemetry off if I want to. The blocked commands list is a convenience, not a
  sandbox.
- If a step fails twice, stop and explain the error instead of trying a third variation.
- One assistant edits a given folder at a time. If ChatGPT or Codex is also working on this server, it
  works in its own folder and you only read its results.

Start by reading the system (OS release, CPU, RAM, disks, open ports, running services) with read-only
commands, summarize what you found, and propose step 1.