Local domains, local HTTPS, zero config — for real projects.

dnser gives every project on your machine a real domain (mailbox.test), trusted HTTPS, and a supervisor that starts, stops, and revives your apps. One Go binary orchestrating Caddy, a local DNS server, and process-compose.

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Install

# macOS (Homebrew) — includes Caddy, mkcert and process-compose
brew install --cask sdk-e/tap/dnser

# Linux (deb/rpm from the releases page)
# https://github.com/SDK-E/dnser/releases/latest

# From source
go install github.com/SDK-E/dnser/cmd/dnser@latest

Upgrading from v1? Run dnser migrate in each project directory.

60-second tour

mkdir demo && cd demo && echo '<h1>hi</h1>' > index.html

dnser init static     # scaffold .dnser.yaml for the current project type
dnser link .          # register: DNS + TLS + supervisor config, journalled & reversible
dnser up              # start dnser itself (DNS on :3533 fallback chain, Caddy, supervisor)
dnser start demo      # start the app; readiness-gated, so "ready" means ready
open https://demo.test

Every command speaks JSON when you do: dnser status -o json, dnser doctor -o json. Exit codes are stable (0 ok, 2 usage, 4 needs setup with remediation printed, 10 doctor found issues).

Everyday commands

Command	What it does
dnser link .	Wire the current project into DNS/TLS/supervision (safe to re-run)
dnser start / stop / restart <project>	Lifecycle, gated by a TCP readiness probe
dnser status [-o json]	Projects, phases, ports, DNS state
dnser logs <project> [-f]	App logs via the supervisor
dnser explain <project>	Where every config value came from (flag > env > dotenv > manifest > default)
dnser doctor	Diagnose resolver drift, stale plans, upstream DNS; prints fixes
dnser journal	Every mutation dnser ever made; journal revert <id> undoes one
dnser dashboard	Local web UI (loopback + token)
dnser elevate	Opt-in system integration (/etc/resolver); never implicit
dnser uninstall	Purge everything, verified against the mutation journal

Examples

Ready-to-link projects live in examples/ — clone, cd, link, up:

• hello-static — plain HTML served by Caddy with local HTTPS (no process at all)
• node-api — Node API honoring $PORT
• python-api — Python stdlib server with availability: on_request
• mailbox-style — realistic v1-style manifest after dnser migrate: multi-backend routes, SMTP side-service, custom DNS records

How it fits together

        dnser (one binary, CLI-on-demand — no idle daemon)
   ┌─────────────┬──────────────────┬───────────────────┐
   │ ctrld/DNS   │ Caddy            │ process-compose   │
   │ *.test →    │ TLS (mkcert CA)  │ start/stop/wake,  │
   │ 127.0.0.1   │ reverse proxy    │ readiness probes  │
   └─────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┘
        every change journalled → dnser journal / revert / uninstall

• Zero-config first run: bare dnser guides you; nothing privileged without elevate.
• Fallback mode: no /etc/resolver writes; projects resolve while your normal browsing stays untouched. Unhandled queries always forward upstream.
• Privileged ports degrade gracefully: 53→5353→35353, 80→8080, 443→8443.
• Your processes never run as root.

Development

go build ./... && go test ./... && golangci-lint run

Documentation lives in docs/: getting started, CLI reference, manifest reference, architecture and troubleshooting. Brand assets drop into docs/brand/.

License

BUSL-1.1 © SDK Enterprises · hicham@sdk.enterprises