Portlens

Standardize your local development URLs.

A CLI dev tool that replaces port numbers with stable URLs (e.g., http://my-project.localhost).

Caution

Active Development & Support Portlens is currently in active development. Networking configurations vary across systems; while designed to be robust, things may behave unexpectedly in complex environments.

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Quick Start

You do not need to install the package to test it. Navigate to any web project (Vite, Next.js, etc.) and run:

Windows (Admin PowerShell):

npx portlens

macOS / Linux:

sudo npx portlens

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Core Solutions

• Eliminate Port Fatigue: Portlens finds a free internal port (–) automatically.
• Mental Mapping: Use project names instead of numbers. Access dashboard.localhost and api.localhost simultaneously.
• Native HMR Support: Built-in WebSocket proxying ensures Vite and Next.js Hot Module Replacement updates work instantly.
• Zero Config: Detects your framework and injects the correct --port and --host flags into your dev script.
• Smart Failover: If Port 80 is strictly occupied, it automatically falls back to 8080 or 8888 and notifies you.

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Usage Modes

1. Standard Mode (Auto-detection)

Run portlens inside your project folder. It will scan for package.json, identify the framework, and run the default dev script.

2. Wrapper Mode (Custom Command)

Wrap any command to give it a custom domain. Useful for Bun, Go, Rust, or custom scripts:

portlens [custom-name] [command...]

Example:

portlens my-api bun run index.ts

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Troubleshooting: The Doctor

If the URL will not load or you see permission errors, run the diagnostic tool:

portlens doctor

The Doctor checks:

1. Administrative Privileges: Verifies the terminal has rights to modify the hosts file.
2. Port 80 Availability: Identifies the specific Process Name and PID holding the port (e.g., Docker, Skype, IIS).
3. Auto-Repair: Offers to stop the conflicting process for you (including specialized handling for Windows System PID 4).

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Configuration

Create a portlens.json in your project root for fine-grained control:

{
  "name": "checkout",
  "suffix": ".localhost",
  "targetPort": 4500
}

Field	Description	Default
name	The subdomain prefix to use.	Folder name
suffix	The domain suffix.	.localhost
targetPort	Force a specific internal port for your dev server.	Automated

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Known Gotchas

1. Port 80 Conflict: Portlens lives on Port 80. If Docker Desktop or Nginx is running, they may occupy this. Use portlens doctor to fix.
2. Browser HSTS: If you have used a domain with HTTPS previously, your browser may force a redirect. Use .localhost to avoid most HSTS issues.
3. VPNs: Some Corporate VPNs interfere with hosts file resolution.
4. Windows Privileges: Always use an Elevated (Admin) terminal on Windows.

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Timothy T. Joe | GitHub | Twitter/X