{"slug": "email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer", "title": "Email coding tasks to your own computer", "summary": "A developer has released atgent, an open-source runner that lets users email coding tasks to their own computer, where Codex or Claude Code executes them in a configured project using existing sign-ins. Tasks are sent from the user's own Gmail account with a `+agents` alias, and the runner reads the Gmail Sent folder rather than the Inbox, replying with `Queued`, `Started` and final results in the same thread. Subject lines select the agent, project, model and run mode, and approval emails allow blocked actions to be approved or denied remotely.", "body_md": "You can remember a signup form problem while you are away from your computer. You can email yourself the task from your phone. You send the message from your own Gmail account to your own address with `+agents` added. Gmail delivers the message to your normal inbox, so you need no new email account.\n\nYou write the task in the email body. You can send plain text or HTML email. You can attach files, and atgent gives the saved attachment paths to the agent.\n\nA signup form task can ask an agent to improve confusing parts of the form and run the relevant checks. Your computer can stay at home while you send the task from another device.\n\nYou install atgent on the computer that holds your projects. The runner reads your Gmail Sent folder, not your Inbox. It starts Codex or Claude Code in a configured project with your existing sign-in.\n\nYour repositories and agent sign-ins stay on your computer. Task text and results travel through Gmail and your chosen agent provider. Tasks for different projects can run at the same time.\n\nThe runner sends `Queued`, `Started` and the result as replies in the task thread. The result is the agent's final message as formatted email. Every reply ends with the task ID and the command to open it in your terminal.\n\nOnly mail that you send from your own Gmail account can start a task. Mail from other people lands in your Inbox. The runner does not read your Inbox, so their mail cannot start a task. Anyone who can add mail to your Sent folder can also send tasks, so you must protect your Gmail account and its credentials.\n\nThe subject line selects the agent, project, model and run mode. Agent names ignore case. Project names are case sensitive. The task body contains the instruction.\n\n`Codex: improve the signup form` runs Codex in your default project.\n\n`Claude: improve the signup form` runs Claude Code in your default project.\n\n`Codex/website: fix the footer links` runs Codex in the project named website in your config.\n\n`Claude [opus]: review the auth flow` runs Claude Code with the opus model. Replies in the thread keep that model.\n\n`Codex/website [gpt-6.1-sol]: fix the build` runs Codex in the website project with the gpt-6.1-sol model.\n\n`Claude [opus, terminal]: review the auth flow` opens Claude Code in a new Terminal window and uses the opus model.\n\nWithout a model in brackets, the configured default model runs. Add `headless` in the brackets to run the task in the background. Add `terminal` in the brackets to open the task in a Terminal window.\n\nYou can reply in the same thread to continue the same agent session. The agent keeps the earlier turns. A reply of `status` returns progress by email. A reply of `stop` cancels queued turns and stops the running agent. Changes that the agent already made stay in your project.\n\nApproval emails let you approve or deny a blocked action from your phone. Each approval covers one action. You reply directly to the approval email with `approve` or `deny`. Silence becomes a denial after the configured timeout.\n\nWith approvals off, Codex uses its configured sandbox and approval policy. Claude Code denies actions that need approval by default. You review the work before you publish or deploy it.\n\nWhen you return to your computer, run `atgent list` to see each email task with its agent, model and status. Select a task and press Enter to resume the same session in your terminal. The agent then answers in the terminal instead of by email. A reply resumes a Claude terminal session. Codex terminal sessions are not tracked, so a reply opens a new window.\n\nInstall uv first. Then install Codex or Claude Code and sign in. Install the runner with `uv tool install atgent`. Run `atgent init` to enter your Gmail address, sign-in method, project folders, installed agents and default models. The setup writes no secret to the config.\n\nTurn on IMAP in Gmail. Create a Google app password, or use your own Gmail OAuth desktop client when app passwords are blocked. Keep the app password in your OS keychain or in the `AGENT_MAILBOX_PASSWORD` environment variable. Never put it in the config file.\n\nRun `atgent doctor` to check Gmail over IMAP and SMTP without sending mail. The command also checks that Codex and Claude Code are installed. Run `atgent start` to start the runner in the background. Its first check skips old Sent mail, so send your first task after that check.\n\natgent needs Gmail with IMAP access, macOS or Linux, Python 3.11 or later, uv, and a computer that stays awake and online. You need Codex or Claude Code installed and signed in. Claude Code needs version 2.1.259 or later.\n\nHTML email, attachments, concurrent projects, approval email replies with both agents, and the login service were tested live on macOS. Linux and Gmail OAuth are unit-tested only.\n\natgent is free and MIT licensed. Your existing Codex or Claude Code plan and its limits apply.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer", "canonical_source": "https://dev.to/kyisaiah47/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer-3ok", "published_at": "2026-10-15 17:13:31+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-15 17:24:53.179610+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-agents", "ai-tools", "developer-tools", "ai-products"], "entities": ["atgent", "Gmail", "Google", "Codex", "Claude Code", "OpenAI", "Anthropic", "uv"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/email-coding-tasks-to-your-own-computer.jsonld"}}