xiry.

Development · Tip

Local Dev Stack with Make and Caddy

Run full local stacks offline with automatic TLS via Caddy reverse proxy

From the Xiry library · Updated 11 October 2026

This development setup pattern wraps your entire project stack and dependencies into a single 'make dev' command designed to work fully offline. Pairing it with Caddy as a local reverse proxy maps services to clean .localhost subdomains with automatic HTTPS.

How it works

1) Wrap your whole stack in a `make dev` command: spins up the entire stack and dependencies locally, works offline. 2) Use Caddy as a reverse proxy to support `.localhost` domains with TLS — e.g. userjot.localhost shown in the screenshot. Author: @ImSh4yy, building userjot.com.

What it's for

  • Spin up multi-service application stacks with a single terminal command
  • Develop web applications locally without an active internet connection
  • Test HTTPS and cookie-based authentication using local TLS certificates
  • Isolate microservices behind clean named subdomains instead of distinct port numbers

Key points

  • Single command execution via Makefile to orchestrate all local services
  • Complete offline functionality for core application dependencies
  • Caddy reverse proxy integration to route to .localhost domains
  • Automatic local TLS certificate generation without manual trust setup
  • Realistic browser-environment testing matching production-like routing

Pricing

Free

Details

Type
Tip
Category
Development
Topic
Local Development
Open source
Yes
Platforms
Command line, macOS, Linux, Windows
For
Full-stack software engineers and indie hackers
Alternative to
ngrok, traefik, docker compose
Tags
caddy, makefile, local development, https, devops, tls

Why it was saved

  • @ImSh4yy, 30 May 2025: One command spins up everything, works without internet, and gives realistic HTTPS domains per service during development.

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