A machine running OpenClaw (Mac Mini, VPS, etc.), Python 3, and Tailscale on all devices you want to access from.
🤖 Agent Part 1: Send to your AI agent
Send your OpenClaw / Claude agent this message. It will fetch the instructions and set everything up automatically.
Follow the setup instructions at https://www.alexyao.me/guides/markdown-viewer-setup.md
That's it. The .md file contains step-by-step instructions your AI agent can read and execute: install dependencies, write the server script, set up persistence (systemd or launchd), and verify it's running.
- Installs the Python markdown library
- Creates the server script (~150 lines of Python)
- Configures persistence (auto-start on reboot)
- Starts the server and verifies it's running
- Reports the Tailscale IP and access URL
👤 You Part 2: Connect your devices
Your agent handles the server. You just connect your other devices to the same Tailscale network.
1. Install Tailscale everywhere
Sign in with the same account on each device.
| Device | Install |
|---|---|
| Mac Mini (host) | brew install tailscale or download |
| MacBook | brew install tailscale or download |
| iPhone | App Store |
2. Verify devices see each other
tailscale statusAll devices should appear with 100.x.x.x addresses. Note your host machine's IP.
3. Open the viewer
http://[YOUR-TAILSCALE-IP]:8787Your agent will have given you this URL when it finished setup.
4. Bookmark it
iPhone: Safari > Share > Add to Home Screen
MacBook: Bookmark in your browser
How it works
- Python reads your workspace and renders markdown as styled HTML
- Edit files in the browser, save with one click
- Live reload detects when your AI agent changes a file
- Tailscale encrypts everything in transit
- Nothing is exposed to the public internet
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Can't connect from other devices | Is Tailscale running? tailscale status |
| Can ping but page won't load | Is the server running? curl http://localhost:8787 |
| Import error on startup | pip3 install markdown |
| Port already in use | lsof -i :8787 |
| Files not showing | Check MD_ROOT env var |
Resources
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Setup instructions (.md) | AI-readable instructions with full script inline |