Daemon

SimDeck runs a local server for the current project. The server owns the browser UI, REST API, live stream, inspector connections, and warm device sessions.

Most commands start or reuse the project daemon automatically. Manage it directly only when you need a specific lifecycle.

Foreground

simdeck

Use this for normal interactive work. It prints browser URLs and stops when you press q or Ctrl-C.

Detached

simdeck -d
simdeck daemon start

Both start or reuse a background daemon for the current project. Detached mode is useful for tests, editor integrations, and scripts.

simdeck daemon status
simdeck daemon stop
simdeck daemon restart
simdeck daemon killall

daemon killall stops SimDeck project daemons from every workspace.

Open The Browser UI

simdeck ui --open

This starts or reuses the daemon, then opens the authenticated local URL.

Common Server Options

simdeck ui, daemon start, daemon restart, and service restart use the same core options:

Flag	Default	Use it when
--port <port>	4311 for daemons, 4310 for service	The default port is busy
--bind <ip>	127.0.0.1	You need LAN access with 0.0.0.0 or ::
--advertise-host <host>	detected	Remote browsers need a specific host or IP
--video-codec <mode>	auto	You need to force encoder behavior
--stream-quality <profile>	full	You want lower CPU or bandwidth use
--local-stream-fps <fps>	60	You want a different local stream target
--client-root <path>	bundled client	You are serving a custom static client

Example:

simdeck daemon start --port 4320 --video-codec software --stream-quality low

Always-On Service

Use the macOS user service when SimDeck should be reachable after login without starting a project daemon first:

simdeck service on
simdeck service restart --port 4310
simdeck service reset
simdeck service off

The LaunchAgent service uses port 4310. Workspace daemons start at 4311 and probe upward when the requested daemon port is busy. When the service is active, simdeck and simdeck ui report the service endpoints instead of launching a project daemon.

service on, service restart, and simdeck pair preserve the installed service token and pairing code. Use service reset when you explicitly want to rotate those credentials and restart the LaunchAgent.

Prefer the project daemon for normal repository work. Use the service for long-lived agent or editor setups.

Restart CoreSimulator

If simctl hangs, reports a stale service version, or devices never attach:

simdeck core-simulator restart

Then retry:

simdeck list
simdeck boot <udid>