dev-server

name	dev-server
description	Manage the frontend dev server idempotently. Use instead of npm run dev to prevent port conflicts.

IMPORTANT: Use this instead of directly running npm run dev to prevent multiple dev servers from spawning on different ports.

Commands

Start Dev Server (Idempotent)

Use this to start a dev server. It will:

• Check if a server is already running on port 5173
• Kill any stray servers on other ports
• Start a new server only if needed

cd /workspaces/tracked/frontend && npm run dev:ensure

Check Status

cd /workspaces/tracked/frontend && npm run dev:status

Stop Dev Server

cd /workspaces/tracked/frontend && npm run dev:stop

Kill All Orphaned Servers

If things get messy with multiple servers:

cd /workspaces/tracked/frontend && npm run dev:cleanup

Or the nuclear option:

pkill -f 'vite'

For Claude Agents

Before Starting a Dev Server

Always check first:

curl -s http://localhost:5173 > /dev/null && echo "Running" || echo "Not running"

If not running, use:

cd /workspaces/tracked/frontend && npm run dev:ensure

Never use:

npm run dev  # This will spawn new servers on incremented ports!