How to set up HTTPS with a custom certificate in dotnet-serve?

Use the --cert and --key flags for PEM files or --pfx for PKCS#12 files. For example, 'dotnet serve --cert cert.pem --key private.key' serves over HTTPS with your custom certificate, overriding defaults.

Can dotnet-serve handle WebSocket connections?

No, dotnet-serve is designed for static file serving and reverse proxying; it does not support WebSockets or other real-time protocols, limiting its use for applications requiring bidirectional communication.

dotnet-serve vs http-server for local development?

dotnet-serve offers more features like HTTPS with .NET integration, reverse proxy, and configuration persistence, but requires .NET. http-server (Node.js) is simpler and dependency-light but lacks advanced options, making it better for quick, cross-platform static serving.

How to save and reuse server settings in dotnet-serve?

Append --save-options to your command to write settings to a .netconfig file in the current directory. Future runs in that directory will automatically apply those options, and you can use dotnet-config tool for global settings.

Does dotnet-serve support authentication or basic auth?

No, authentication is not built-in; for secured access, you would need to rely on external proxies or tools, as dotnet-serve focuses on basic serving and development convenience.

How to serve a single-page application with client-side routing?

Use the --fallback-file option to specify a file (e.g., index.html) that is served for unmatched requests, enabling SPA routing without server-side configuration.

Open-Awesome

Dotnet Serve

Apache-2.0C#v1.10.194

A simple command-line HTTP/HTTPS server for the .NET Core CLI that serves files from the current directory.

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870 stars66 forks0 contributors

What is Dotnet Serve?

dotnet-serve is a command-line HTTP/HTTPS server tool for the .NET Core CLI that serves static files from the current directory. It provides a quick way to spin up a local web server for development, testing, or file sharing, with built-in support for HTTPS, reverse proxying, and compression. The tool simplifies common tasks like serving single-page applications or proxying API requests during local development.

Target Audience

.NET developers who need a lightweight, local web server for testing static websites, APIs, or single-page applications without configuring IIS or other web servers. It is also useful for developers working in containerized environments like Docker who require a simple file server.

Value Proposition

Developers choose dotnet-serve for its simplicity, seamless integration with the .NET ecosystem, and robust feature set including HTTPS with developer certificates, reverse proxy support, and configuration persistence. Unlike heavier alternatives, it requires minimal setup and is distributed as a global .NET tool, making it easily accessible from any directory.

Overview

Simple command-line HTTPS server for the .NET Core CLI

Use Cases

Best For

Quickly serving static HTML/CSS/JS files during local development
Testing HTTPS locally with self-signed or developer certificates
Proxying API requests to backend services while developing frontend applications
Sharing files locally over HTTP/HTTPS in a development or demo environment
Serving single-page applications with fallback file support
Running a simple web server inside Docker containers for development or testing

Not Ideal For

Production environments requiring high-performance, scalable web servers with load balancing
Projects needing server-side rendering, dynamic routing, or server logic beyond static files
Teams not using .NET who prefer zero-dependency tools like Python's http.server or Node's http-server
Applications demanding fine-grained CORS policies or built-in authentication mechanisms

Pros & Cons

Pros

Easy HTTPS Setup

Supports TLS with default ASP.NET Core developer certificates, custom PEM/PFX files, and simple flags like -S, making local HTTPS testing painless without manual certificate configuration.

Flexible Reverse Proxy

Allows mapping path patterns to backend URLs using ASP.NET routing syntax (e.g., --reverse-proxy), enabling seamless API forwarding during frontend development without additional tools.

Configuration Persistence

Options like port, headers, and compression can be saved to .netconfig files via --save-options, promoting consistency and reducing repetitive command-line arguments across projects.

Lightweight and Integrated

Distributed as a global .NET tool, it requires minimal setup and leverages the .NET ecosystem, such as developer certificates, for a smooth, CLI-focused experience.

Cons

Static-Only Limitation

Cannot handle server-side logic or dynamic content generation; it's strictly for serving static files and proxying, which restricts use cases compared to full web servers.

.NET Runtime Dependency

Requires .NET SDK or runtime installation, adding overhead for non-.NET environments or teams preferring language-agnostic tools.

Basic Security Features

CORS support is all-or-nothing with the -c flag, lacking granular control over origins or methods, and there's no built-in authentication for secured access.

PEM Key Restriction

Only supports RSA private keys for PEM files, as noted in the README, which may complicate setups using other key types like ECC certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

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