Using localtunnel with Vuer¶

localtunnel is a free, open-source tunneling service that exposes your local server with SSL/TLS encryption. Unlike ngrok, it requires no account creation and is completely free, making it an excellent option for quick testing or when you don’t want to pay for ngrok’s premium features.

Installation¶

Install localtunnel globally using npm:

npm install -g localtunnel

Note: You’ll need Node.js and npm installed on your system. If you don’t have them:

Mac users: brew install node
Other platforms: See the official Node.js installation guide

Basic Usage¶

No authentication or account setup is required. Simply start localtunnel with:

lt --port 8012

You should see output like:

your url is: https://abc-xyz-123.loca.lt

Note: The URL will be randomly generated and will change each time you restart localtunnel.

This successfully promotes your local Vuer server from ws://localhost:8012 to wss://abc-xyz-123.loca.lt (note the wss protocol for secure WebSocket).

First-Time Access¶

The first time you access a localtunnel URL, you’ll need to enter a passcode for security. This is a one-time step per session:

Open the localtunnel URL in your browser
You’ll see a page asking for the “Tunnel Password”
The password is displayed in your terminal where you ran the lt command
Enter the password and click “Submit”
Your browser will remember this for the current session

Connecting to Your Vuer Server¶

Once localtunnel is running and you’ve entered the passcode, use the generated URL to connect:

https://vuer.ai/?ws=wss://abc-xyz-123.loca.lt

Replace abc-xyz-123.loca.lt with your actual localtunnel URL.

Note: If you change the Vuer port (e.g., app = Vuer(port=3012)), you need to update the localtunnel command accordingly:

lt --port 3012

The connection URL will use the new localtunnel-generated domain.

Using Custom Subdomains¶

You can request a custom subdomain for easier remembering (subject to availability):

lt --port 8012 --subdomain my-vuer-demo

If available, you’ll get:

your url is: https://my-vuer-demo.loca.lt

Then connect with:

https://vuer.ai/?ws=wss://my-vuer-demo.loca.lt

Note: Custom subdomains are first-come, first-served. If your desired subdomain is taken, you’ll receive an error and need to try a different name.

Serving Static Files¶

When using localtunnel with the https://vuer.ai web client, you must use absolute URLs for static assets:

# ✅ Correct - absolute URL with https
sess.upsert @ URDF(
    src='https://abc-xyz-123.loca.lt/static/urdf/robot.urdf',
    key='robot',
)

# ❌ Wrong - relative path won't work
sess.upsert @ URDF(
    src='static/urdf/robot.urdf',
    key='robot',
)

Replace abc-xyz-123.loca.lt with your actual localtunnel URL.