The Problem

You have a Linux server (like an AWS EC2). You need to edit config files, write code, or fix something. Normally you have to:

• SSH into the server
• Use vim or nano in the terminal
• Remember keyboard shortcuts
• Can't use your mouse
• Can't see a file explorer

It works, but it's slow and annoying — especially if you're more comfortable with a proper code editor like VS Code.

The Solution

Edlics turns your server into a web-based code editor. Run one command, open a URL in your browser, and you get:

• A file explorer on the left — click folders to browse
• A code editor with colors and line numbers
• Right-click to rename, delete, copy paths
• Search to find files quickly
• Keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+S to save

No SSH skills required beyond the initial setup. Works on any Linux server.

Quick start

npx edlics serve --hostname 0.0.0.0 --port 5000

Locally : Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser. VPN : Open http://privateIP:5000 in your browser. public : Open http://publicIP:5000 in your browser.

See SETUP.md for all install methods and troubleshooting.

Features

| | | |---|---| | File browser | Flat file tree with directory navigation, hidden file dimming, search | | Code editor | CodeMirror 6 with syntax highlighting for JS, TS, Python, HTML, CSS, JSON, Markdown, XML, YAML | | File operations | Create, rename, delete files and folders — right-click context menu | | Dark / Light theme | Click the moon/sun icon to switch. Preference is saved automatically | | Server info | Shows which user is logged in, the server hostname, and private IP | | Clickable path bar | Click any directory in the breadcrumb to jump to it | | Sudo support | Edit protected files. Password prompt for users who need it, auto-escalation for NOPASSWD users | | No database | Works directly on the filesystem — what you see is what's on disk | | Async by design | Non-blocking file I/O, handles large files without hiccups |

Usage

edlics serve [options]

Options:
  --hostname   Host to bind to (default: 127.0.0.1)
  --port       Port to listen on (default: 3000)

Examples:
  edlics serve
  edlics serve --hostname 0.0.0.0 --port 5000

Keyboard shortcuts

| Shortcut | Action | |----------|--------| | Ctrl+S | Save file | | Ctrl+P | Search files | | Ctrl+W | Close tab | | F2 | Rename file | | Escape | Close dialogs / menus |

Screenshots

How it works

Edlics is a single Node.js file that starts a web server on your Linux machine.

1. You run edlics serve — it starts a web server on the port you choose
2. You open http://your-server-ip:5000 in your browser
3. The left panel shows your files and folders (like a file explorer)
4. Click a file — it opens in the editor panel with syntax coloring
5. Edit, save, create, rename, delete — all from the browser
6. The server reads and writes files directly on the filesystem

That's it. No database, no configuration, no complicated setup.

Project structure

edlics/
├── bin/
│   └── edlics.js          # The server (Node.js)
├── brand/
│   └── logo.svg           # Project logo
├── bundle/
│   └── editor.mjs         # CodeMirror 6 build entry
├── public/
│   ├── editor.mjs         # Pre-built editor bundle
│   └── index.html         # The web page you see in browser
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
├── SETUP.md               # Detailed install guide
├── install.sh             # Symlinks edlics to /usr/local/bin
└── package.json           # Dependencies + build scripts

Tech stack

• Frontend: Plain JavaScript, CodeMirror 6, CSS custom properties
• Backend: Node.js (bare http module — no frameworks)
• Editor: CodeMirror 6 with syntax highlighting, bracket matching, undo history
• Theme: Dark theme by default, light theme toggle available

License

MIT — use it, share it, build on it.