devhost 2.1.2

Lightweight local development domain router with ASGI middleware support

🌐 Devhost

Secure, flexible local domain routing for developers.

Devhost allows you to map subdomains of a base domain (default: localhost, e.g. myapp.localhost) to local app ports, with optional HTTPS and wildcard routing via Caddy and a Python backend.

Features

• Map domains like app.localhost → localhost:1234
• Map domains to remote IPs (e.g. rpi.localhost → 192.168.1.100:8080)
• HTTPS support via Caddy's internal CA (use --https)
• Add/remove routes using a single CLI command
• Wildcard reverse proxy using Python (FastAPI)
• Custom base domain (e.g. hello.flask)
• Supports macOS, Linux, and Windows (native PowerShell shim)

Benefits for Devs

• No need to remember localhost:PORT combos
• Clean and memorable dev URLs
• HTTP by default; HTTPS available with --https
• Works with any language/framework running locally

Quickstart

1. Clone the project

git clone https://github.com/Patoruzuy/devhost.git
cd devhost
python install.py --linux
devhost add hello 3000
devhost list
devhost remove hello

Visit hello.localhost in your browser.

Note: the devhost CLI is implemented in Python (cross-platform).

Installation Options

The installer supports various flags to customize the setup process:

Flag	Description	Platforms
--yes	Accept all prompts automatically (non-interactive mode)	All
--dry-run	Show what would be done without making any changes	All
--domain <name>	Set custom base domain (default: localhost)	All
--start-dns	Automatically start DNS service (dnsmasq)	macOS, Linux
--install-completions	Install shell completions for bash/zsh	macOS, Linux
--caddy	Install and configure Caddy web server	Windows
--clean	Remove existing installation before reinstalling	Windows

Cross-platform installer (uses the Python CLI):

python install.py --linux

macOS example:

python install.py --macos --yes --start-dns --install-completions

Windows example (PowerShell):

python .\install.py --windows --caddy

To change the base domain (for example, hello.flask), set it once and re-run your installer to update DNS/resolvers:

devhost domain flask
python install.py --domain flask

Run the router locally (development):

cd router
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn app:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 5555 --reload

Run the router in Docker (quick):

docker compose up --build -d
# then open http://127.0.0.1:5555 with Host header set to <name>.localhost

docker-compose.yml mounts the repo devhost.json into the container so edits take effect immediately.

Notes & safety

• install.py handles Linux/macOS/Windows and will prompt you about DNS changes. Review DNS/resolver changes before applying them on systems using systemd-resolved.
• We now generate the project caddy/Caddyfile, the user ~/.config/caddy/Caddyfile, and (if present) /etc/caddy/Caddyfile to keep system Caddy installs in sync.
• The router loads devhost.json per request so CLI changes take effect immediately without restarting the router.

Quick Commands

• devhost add <name> <port|host:port> — add a mapping (e.g. devhost add hello 3000).
• devhost add <name> <ip:port> — add remote IP mapping (e.g. devhost add rpi 192.168.1.100:8080).
• devhost add <name> --http <port|host:port> — force HTTP when opening the dev URL.
• devhost add <name> --https <port|host:port> — force HTTPS when opening the dev URL.
• devhost remove <name> — remove a mapping.
• devhost list — show active mappings.
• devhost list --json — show mappings as JSON.
• devhost url <name> — print the URL and press Ctrl+O to open it in the browser.
• devhost open <name> — open the URL in the default browser.
• devhost validate — quick health checks (config JSON, router health, DNS).
• devhost export caddy — print the generated Caddyfile to stdout.
• devhost edit — open devhost.json in $EDITOR (fallback: nano/vi).
• devhost resolve <name> — show DNS resolution and port reachability for a mapping.
• devhost doctor — deeper diagnostics (dnsmasq/systemd-resolved/Caddy).
• devhost doctor --windows — Windows-specific diagnostics (Caddy, port 80, hosts).
• devhost doctor --windows --fix — attempt Windows fixes (hosts sync + free port 80 + start Caddy).
• devhost info — show all commands and usage.
• devhost status --json — print router status as JSON (running, pid, health).
• devhost domain [name] — show or set the base domain (default: localhost).
• devhost hosts sync — re-apply hosts entries for all mappings on Windows (admin).
• devhost hosts clear — remove all devhost entries from the Windows hosts file (admin).
• devhost caddy start|stop|restart|status — manage Caddy on Windows.
• devhost fix-http — convert all https:// mappings to http:// and regenerate Caddyfile.

Remote IP Support

Devhost supports mapping domains to devices on your local network, not just localhost ports. This is perfect for:

• Raspberry Pi projects
• IoT devices
• Other computers on your network
• Docker containers with bridge networking

Examples

Raspberry Pi running a web server:

devhost add rpi 192.168.1.100:8080
# Access at http://rpi.localhost

Network attached storage (NAS) web interface:

devhost add nas 192.168.1.50:5000
devhost open nas  # Opens http://nas.localhost

Remote development server:

devhost add staging 10.0.0.25:3000
# Access at http://staging.localhost

Docker container with bridge network:

devhost add docker 172.17.0.2:8080

Configuration Format

Remote IPs can be added in several formats:

• 192.168.1.100:8080 - Full IP with port
• 10.0.0.25:3000 - Any valid IPv4 address
• Combined with other targets in devhost.json:

{
  "hello": 3000,
  "api": 8000,
  "rpi": "192.168.1.100:8080",
  "nas": "192.168.1.50:5000"
}

Notes

• The remote device must be reachable from your machine
• Ensure firewalls allow traffic to the target port
• IP addresses are validated when adding routes
• Use devhost resolve <name> to test connectivity

Configuration

The project uses a devhost.json file (project root) with a simple mapping of names to ports. Example:

{
	"hello": 3000,
	"api": 8000
}

This file is created/updated by the CLI and is meant to be local (it’s gitignored). The router reads DEVHOST_CONFIG if set; otherwise it looks for the project root devhost.json (even when run from router/). The base domain comes from DEVHOST_DOMAIN or .devhost/domain (default: localhost).

Router endpoints

• GET /health — liveness + route count + uptime.
• GET /metrics — basic request metrics (totals, per-status, per-subdomain).
• GET /routes — current routes with parsed targets.
• GET /mappings — current routes with basic TCP health checks.

Logging

• DEVHOST_LOG_LEVEL controls router log verbosity (default: INFO).
• DEVHOST_LOG_FILE writes logs to a file in addition to stdout.
• DEVHOST_LOG_REQUESTS=1 enables per-request logging.

Quick test (curl)

Run the router (locally or via Docker) and test with curl by setting the Host header:

curl -H "Host: hello.localhost" http://127.0.0.1:5555/

Regenerating Caddyfile

The devhost CLI writes both the project caddy/Caddyfile (generated, gitignored) and, when present, the user ~/.config/caddy/Caddyfile. Inspect generated files before reloading system Caddy and, when appropriate, reload the service:

# inspect
less caddy/Caddyfile
# if using system Caddy (Linux)
sudo systemctl reload caddy

Troubleshooting

General Issues

• Check mappings: devhost list - Verify your routes are configured correctly.
• Router health: curl http://127.0.0.1:5555/health should return { "status": "ok" }.
• Check router logs: Look for request IDs in logs to trace specific requests (X-Request-ID header).
• Validate setup: devhost validate - Quick health checks for config, router, and DNS.
• Deep diagnostics: devhost doctor - Comprehensive system diagnostics.

DNS & Domain Issues

• Linux DNS issues: Check systemd-resolved and /etc/resolv.conf for unintended changes.
• macOS DNS issues: Verify /etc/resolver/<domain> file exists and contains nameserver 127.0.0.1.
• Windows DNS issues: Wildcard DNS requires a local resolver like Acrylic DNS. Alternatively, use devhost hosts sync to add individual entries to hosts file.
• Domain resolution: devhost resolve <name> - Show DNS resolution and port reachability.

Windows-Specific Issues

Hosts File Management

When to use hosts file (Windows only):

• You don't have a wildcard DNS resolver installed (like Acrylic DNS)
• You want individual domain entries instead of wildcard DNS
• Testing specific routes without full DNS setup

Admin elevation required:

• devhost hosts sync - Adds/updates all routes in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts (requires admin)
• devhost hosts clear - Removes all devhost entries from hosts file (requires admin)

Admin NOT required:

• devhost add/remove/list - Regular route management
• devhost start/stop/status - Router process management
• devhost validate - Health checks

The hosts file commands modify system files and therefore require administrator privileges. The CLI will automatically attempt to relaunch with elevation if needed.

Other Windows Issues

• Port 80 conflicts: Run devhost doctor --windows to check what's using port 80.
• Port 80 auto-fix: devhost doctor --windows --fix - Attempts to free port 80 and start Caddy.
• Caddy not running: devhost caddy status - Check Caddy status.
• Start Caddy: devhost caddy start - Start Caddy web server.
• Windows diagnostics: devhost doctor --windows - Windows-specific checks.

HTTPS & Certificate Issues

• Browser forcing HTTPS: Clear HSTS settings for the domain or change base domain (devhost domain devhost2).
• Caddy not running: Ensure Caddy is running if you depend on system TLS (systemctl status caddy on Linux).
• Convert to HTTP: devhost fix-http - Convert all HTTPS mappings to HTTP.

Remote IP Issues

• Remote device unreachable: Verify the remote IP/port is accessible from your machine (curl http://192.168.1.100:8080).
• Network firewall: Ensure firewall rules allow traffic to the remote device.
• Wrong IP address: Check the device's current IP (devhost list to see configured IPs).

Platform notes

• install.py targets Linux/macOS/Windows; it reads DEVHOST_DOMAIN or .devhost/domain to configure DNS for the base domain.
• On Windows, run the installer from an elevated PowerShell if you want hosts entries updated automatically, or use a local DNS resolver (Acrylic) for wildcard domains.

Release notes

See CHANGELOG.md for the v1.0.0 release notes.

macOS installer

Run the Python installer to generate the LaunchAgent plist (from router/devhost-router.plist.tmpl), create /etc/resolver/<domain>, and optionally start dnsmasq via Homebrew:

# dry-run (print actions)
python install.py --macos --dry-run

# run interactively (will prompt for username and uvicorn path)
python install.py --macos

Non-interactive example (accept all prompts and start dnsmasq if available):

python install.py --macos --yes --start-dns

To use a custom base domain on macOS:

devhost domain flask
python install.py --macos --domain flask

Windows installer

Run the Python installer from PowerShell to prepare the venv, router deps, and initial config:

python .\install.py --windows --caddy
python .\devhost add hello 8000

To clean and reinstall:

python .\install.py --windows --clean

If you want a shortcut in PowerShell without typing python, use:

.\devhost.ps1 add hello 8000
.\devhost.ps1 start

Note: the router requires a Host header. Don’t browse http://127.0.0.1:5555 directly — use devhost open <name> or:

curl -H "Host: hello.localhost" http://127.0.0.1:5555/

Tip (Windows): if your app only listens on IPv4, Devhost uses `127.0.0.1` for numeric ports to avoid IPv6 `::1` connection errors.

Tip: On Windows, devhost.ps1 start will try to start Caddy (if installed) before starting the router.