🔥 Hotplate — Live Server

⚡ Fast HTTPS live-reload dev server powered by Rust.

Zero config. HTTPS out of the box. LAN access for mobile testing.

Features

Feature	Description
⚡ Blazing Fast	Rust binary — starts in <50ms, ~7.5MB
🔒 HTTPS	Built-in rustls — no OpenSSL needed
🔄 Live Reload	OS-native file watcher, WebSocket push
🌐 LAN Access	Auto-detects local IP, works on mobile
📂 Zero Config	Reads `.vscode/settings.json` automatically
🎛️ Context Menu	Right-click folder → Start Server

Quick Start

Install from Marketplace
Open a project folder
Click $(flame) Go Live in the status bar
Done! Browser opens automatically.

Or use Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → Hotplate: Start Server

Commands

Command	Keybinding	Description
`Hotplate: Start Server`	`Alt+L Alt+O`	Start the dev server
`Hotplate: Stop Server`	`Alt+L Alt+C`	Stop the dev server
`Hotplate: Restart Server`	—	Restart the dev server
`Hotplate: Open in Browser`	—	Open server URL in browser

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`hotplate.port`	`5500`	Port number
`hotplate.root`	`""`	Root directory (relative to workspace)
`hotplate.host`	`0.0.0.0`	Bind host (`0.0.0.0` = LAN, `127.0.0.1` = local)
`hotplate.https.cert`	`""`	TLS certificate path (PEM)
`hotplate.https.key`	`""`	TLS private key path (PEM)
`hotplate.liveReload`	`true`	Enable live reload
`hotplate.openBrowser`	`true`	Auto-open browser on start

HTTPS Example

// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "hotplate.port": 5500,
  "hotplate.root": "apps",
  "hotplate.https.cert": ".hotplate/certs/server.crt",
  "hotplate.https.key": ".hotplate/certs/server.key"
}

How It Works

┌─────────────┐   spawn    ┌──────────────────┐
│  extension.js│ ─────────→│  hotplate.exe     │
│  (~250 LOC)  │           │  (Rust binary)    │
│              │           │                   │
│  • statusBar │  stdout   │  • axum server    │
│  • commands  │◄──────────│  • file watcher   │
│  • config UI │           │  • WebSocket      │
└─────────────┘           │  • HTTPS/rustls   │
                           └──────────────────┘

The extension is a thin JavaScript wrapper. All heavy lifting runs in a native Rust binary:

Static file serving — tower-http ServeDir
HTTPS — rustls (no OpenSSL dependency)
Live reload — OS-native file watcher (notify crate) + WebSocket
HTML injection — auto-injects reload script before </body>

Compatibility

Works with existing liveServer.settings.* in .vscode/settings.json — drop-in replacement for Live Server extension.

Requirements

VS Code ≥ 1.85.0
No additional runtime needed (self-contained Rust binary)

License

MIT

Hotplate — Live Server

maithanhduyan