Web-EditX

A simple browser-based file editor for developers and sysadmins who just want to edit files without fighting vi or nano.

💡 Why Web-EditX

If you’ve ever SSH’ed into a remote server and struggled with unfamiliar key bindings or broken terminals — this tool is for you.
Run a single command, open a browser, and edit files with a clean, familiar interface powered by Monaco (VS Code editor).

No setup, no dependencies, no frustration.

⚡ Quick Start

npx web-editx /path/to/file.txt

That’s it.
Web-EditX will:

1. Start a lightweight local web editor (default: http://localhost:7293)
2. Load your file directly into the editor
3. Save changes back to disk instantly
4. Optionally make the editor accessible remotely with --localtunnel

🧰 Typical Use Cases

• Quickly fix config files on a remote machine via SSH
• Edit log files or .env files with full text visibility
• Update scripts or JSON/YAML files without vim gymnastics
• Hand off a file to a teammate securely with a temporary tunnel

🪄 Examples

Edit a server config:

npx web-editx /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Fix a startup script:

npx web-editx startup.sh

Open access for a teammate (temporary, password-protected):

npx web-editx /var/www/html/index.html --localtunnel

⚙️ Options

| Command | Description | |----------|--------------| | PORT=4000 npx web-editx file.txt | Start on a specific port | | npx web-editx file.txt --localtunnel | Create a temporary public tunnel via localtunnel |

When using --localtunnel, the CLI retrieves a random tunnel password from https://loca.lt/mytunnelpassword and displays it with the public URL.
Share both only with people you trust.

🔒 Security

• Local-first by default — nothing leaves your machine unless you enable tunneling.
• The browser clearly warns if it detects a non-localhost session.
• HTTPS is handled by localtunnel; no extra encryption layer is added.
• To revoke access, simply stop the CLI — the tunnel closes immediately.

🧑‍💻 Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/shakthi/web-editx.git
cd web-editx
npm install
npm link

Then test locally:

npx web-editx test.txt

🧾 Version Highlights

v1.5.0

Minor changes

• Prompt to create missing target files, so you can bootstrap new files without leaving the CLI.
• Pre-flight port availability checks with clearer fallback messaging when the chosen port is busy.
• Localtunnel runs on a random high port by default for more reliable remote editing sessions.

v1.4.0

Improved

• Compact, responsive toolbar for maximum editing area
• Clearer save status indicators (saving / unsaved / success)
• Persistent consent for tunnel security warnings
• Reloading a page no longer terminates the editing session

📄 License

MIT © 2025 Shakthi Prasad G S