DevCat
Phone and remote
devcat serve (CLI)
Share a computer with DevCat Mobile and the browser version from a terminal, without opening the app.
Use it on a server or dev box, over SSH, or simply with the window closed. Phones pair and work exactly as with the app: agents and terminals, files, databases, VPNs and Kubernetes. It uses the app's own data folder, connections and paired phones.
Start it
Install the CLI (Install and update), or use the one inside the app:
devcat serve # the CLI, or Linux .deb / .rpm installs
/Applications/DevCat.app/Contents/MacOS/devcat serve # macOS app
It prints the computer's addresses and a pairing QR code in the terminal. Scan it with the phone, then answer the
pairing request in the terminal: f (full access), r (read-only) or n (no).
The CLI on its own has no window code, so it runs on a bare server. On Linux it only needs libdbus.
Commands while it runs
| Type | To |
|---|---|
pair (or just Enter) |
Show a new pairing QR code |
status |
Addresses, relay and connected phones |
devices |
List paired phones, numbered |
access <n> full / access <n> readonly |
Change a phone's access |
revoke <n> |
Unpair a phone |
log |
Recent activity from phones |
quit |
Stop (Ctrl+C works too) |
Options
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
--port <n> |
Port phones connect to (default 47100; UDP, and TCP for browsers) |
--name <name> |
Name phones show for this computer |
--relay public|off|<url> |
How phones on other networks get here |
--public-addr <host> |
A public address phones outside this network can use |
--no-browser / --browser |
Turn the browser version off or on again |
--approve ask|full|readonly |
Who answers pairing requests (this run only) |
--data-dir <dir> |
DevCat's data folder (this run only) |
--port, --name, --relay, --public-addr and --no-browser are saved and also used by the app. Run
devcat help for the full list.
Run it in the background
With no terminal to answer in (systemd, nohup, the app's Windows binary), start it with --approve full or
--approve readonly. Any phone with the current pairing code is then allowed, and new codes are printed as links.