Installation

Get PortPilot up and running in minutes.

Requirements

  • Node.js v18.0.0 or higher
  • npm, yarn, or pnpm
  • Administrator/sudo access (for hosts file and ports 80/443)

Install via npm

Install PortPilot globally using npm:

bash
npm install -g @volchoklv/portpilot

Tip: Use pp as a shorthand for portpilot — e.g., pp ls, pp start myapp -d

First Time Setup

After installing, run these commands to initialize PortPilot:

1. Initialize HTTPS Support

This downloads mkcert, installs the CA certificate, and generates SSL certificates for local development:

bash
portpilot init

2. Start the Proxy

The proxy runs on ports 80 and 443 to route requests to your dev servers. This requires administrator privileges:

bash
# Windows: Run terminal as Administrator
portpilot proxy -d
# macOS/Linux: Use sudo
sudo portpilot proxy -d

3. Sync Hosts File

Add your registered projects to the system hosts file:

bash
# Windows: Run terminal as Administrator
portpilot sync
# macOS/Linux: Use sudo
sudo portpilot sync

Verify Installation

Check that everything is set up correctly:

bash
portpilot status

This shows your configuration, SSL status, and whether the proxy is running.

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