A command-line utility to instantly expose local development projects via Caddy-managed subdomains with automated tmux session management.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install dev-serve
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install dev-serve using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is dev-serve?
The dev-serve tool is a specialized utility within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem designed to bridge the gap between local development and network-accessible staging. It automates the orchestration of tmux sessions and Caddy reverse proxy configurations, allowing developers to spin up a project and have it immediately reachable via a secure HTTPS subdomain. This eliminates the manual overhead of managing terminal tabs and editing web server configurations for every new project.
By integrating seamlessly with your existing workflow, this entry in the Openclaw Skills library handles the technical heavy lifting of environment detection and network routing. It specifically targets modern web development needs, providing built-in support for popular frameworks while ensuring that your development servers remain persistent and easy to manage through a unified CLI.
dev-serve Use Cases
- Exposing local frontend projects to the LAN or internet via a consistent subdomain structure.
- Running multiple development environments (Vite, Next.js, Nuxt) in the background using tmux.
- Providing secure HTTPS endpoints for local development to test webhooks or mobile app integrations.
- Streamlining the process of sharing work-in-progress features with teammates over a local network.
How dev-serve Works
- The skill identifies the project name based on the directory path and maps it to a unique subdomain under your configured domain.
- It scans the project's
package.jsonto detect the appropriate dev command (e.g., vite, next, sveltekit). - If a Vite configuration is detected, the skill automatically updates the
allowedHostssetting to permit traffic from the new subdomain. - A dedicated tmux session is created to run the dev server on a dynamically assigned port (starting at 5200).
- It pushes a new reverse proxy route to the Caddy admin API, mapping the subdomain to the local tmux-managed port.
- The tool performs an end-to-end verification, polling the HTTPS endpoint until it returns a successful status code.
dev-serve Setup
To get started with this component of Openclaw Skills, follow these installation steps:
- Install the script to your local bin directory:
cp scripts/dev-serve.sh ~/.local/bin/dev-serve
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/dev-serve
- Set your wildcard domain in your environment variables:
export DEV_SERVE_DOMAIN="your.wildcard.domain"
- Ensure you have the prerequisites installed:
tmux,jq,curl, and a running Caddy instance configured for wildcard TLS.
dev-serve Data Schema & Taxonomy
The dev-serve skill manages state and routing information through the following schema:
| Component | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| State File | ~/.config/dev-serve/state.json |
Tracks active subdomains, assigned ports, and session names. |
| Caddy Routes | Admin API (localhost:2019) |
Dynamic routing rules for the Caddy reverse proxy. |
| Session Logs | TMUX (dev-<name>) |
Real-time output and error logs from the development server. |
| Port Range | 5200+ | Sequential port allocation for ephemeral dev processes. |
dev-serve Advanced Features
- Framework Auto-Detection: Automatically recognizes and configures dev commands for Vite, Next.js, Nuxt, and SvelteKit.
- Intelligent Vite Patching: Automatically modifies Vite config files to prevent host header blocking.
- Zero-Sudo Management: Utilizes the Caddy Admin API for dynamic configuration updates without requiring root privileges.
- Health Verification: Built-in polling logic ensures the server is fully ready before finishing the 'up' command.
- Seamless Integration: Designed to work perfectly as part of the wider Openclaw Skills automation framework.
SKILL.md
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