Introduction

lokl is a CLI/TUI tool that allows developers to define their entire local development environment in a single configuration file.

The Problem

Setting up a local development environment is painful:

• Time-consuming — New developers spend hours/days configuring their setup
• Inconsistent — “Works on my machine” syndrome
• Complex HTTPS — OAuth, cookies, CORS often require HTTPS with custom domains
• Scattered config — Docker Compose, npm scripts, env files, nginx configs everywhere

The Solution

lokl provides:

1. Single config file — All services defined in lokl.yaml
2. Automatic HTTPS — Certificates generated and trusted for custom domains
3. Process orchestration — Health checks, dependencies, restart policies
4. Interactive TUI — Visual management of all services

Example

name: my-project

proxy:
  domain: myproject.dev

services:
  frontend:
    command: pnpm dev
    port: 5173
    subdomain: app

  api:
    command: pnpm dev
    port: 3000
    subdomain: api

Then run:

lokl up

Access your services at:

• https://app.myproject.dev → frontend
• https://api.myproject.dev → api