Portless by yonatangross — AI Skill for Any LLM

Overview

Publisher	yonatangross
Repository	`orchestkit`
Skill name	`portless`
Stars	298
Forks	35
Bundled files	4
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions

A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

Works with any LLM

AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

4 bundled files

Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.

Open source

Published by yonatangross on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Portless AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/yonatangross/orchestkit/tree/main/plugins/ork/skills/portless
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/yonatangross/orchestkit.git /tmp/orchestkit
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/orchestkit/plugins/ork/skills/portless .claude/skills/portless

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Portless in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Portless on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Portless is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed

The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

Switch models mid-chat

Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Portless Integration

Named .localhost URLs for local development. Replaces localhost:3000 with https://myapp.localhost.

Full CLI reference: Load Read("references/upstream.md") for complete command docs.

New in 2026-04 → 2026-07 (portless 0.10.x → 0.15.0)

portless doctor (0.15.0) — read-only diagnostics that check Node.js, the state directory, proxy liveness, route entries, hostname resolution, HTTPS CA trust, and LAN prerequisites, then print suggested fixes. Run it before filing an issue or when a .localhost URL won't resolve.
HTTP/2 Host forwarding fix (0.15.0) — the proxy now forwards the HTTP/2 :authority as Host to HTTP/1.1 backends, fixing apps that read Host and previously saw 127.0.0.1 for browser traffic. --force takeover cleanup now removes only routes still owned by the exiting process, so a forced takeover no longer deregisters the new owner's route.
--ngrok flag (0.14.0) — share an app publicly via ngrok while local access keeps its .localhost URL. Pair with the existing Tailscale/Funnel options when you need a public URL without giving up the named-subdomain dev experience.
Node.js 24+ required (0.13.1, BREAKING) — the proxy and CLI now require Node.js 24 or newer; older runtimes are unsupported. This release also hardens startup-service persistence so .localhost URLs survive reboot reliably.
State directory moved to ~/.portless (0.11, BREAKING) — state relocated from scattered/temp locations to ~/.portless; override with PORTLESS_STATE_DIR. Old state from pre-0.11 installs is not migrated automatically.
OS startup service (0.13.0) — portless service install / service status / service uninstall register a native startup service for the HTTPS proxy across macOS launchd, Linux systemd, and Windows Task Scheduler. .localhost URLs survive reboot without a manual portless proxy start. portless clean removes the service alongside CA + hosts cleanup.
Tailscale readiness preflight (0.13.0) — --tailscale and --funnel now validate Tailscale HTTPS + Funnel prerequisites before starting the child process, surfacing actionable errors instead of hanging during registration.
Tailscale integration (0.12.0) — --tailscale shares your app over your tailnet with automatic HTTPS on port 443; --funnel exposes it publicly via Tailscale Funnel. Apps receive PORTLESS_TAILSCALE_URL so they can reference their own public address. portless list now shows tailnet URLs.
Zero-config mode (0.11.0) — bare portless auto-discovers dev scripts from package.json. Multi-app monorepos get automatic subdomain assignment; Turborepo task-graph integration is wired in. portless.json config file supported. --script overrides the default "dev" script.
portless prune — removes orphaned dev servers and stale Tailscale registrations.
portless clean (extended) — now also tears down Tailscale registrations alongside CA + hosts cleanup.
Rsbuild + VitePlus auto-port injection — same auto-wiring as Vite/Next.
State directory moved to ~/.portless (was scattered).
HTTPS on 443 by default (breaking from 0.9.x http:1355). Valid cert, no setup. --no-tls reverts.
NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS auto-injected (0.10.2) into child processes — node HTTPS calls trust portless CA with zero setup.
--wildcard subdomains — https://*.myapp.localhost for multi-tenant / preview routing.
portless alias <name> <port> — map a docker-compose / emulate port to a named URL without a long-running run process.
portless clean — full teardown: stops proxy, removes CA, wipes state, cleans /etc/hosts.
--lan mode — mDNS .local hostnames reachable across wifi (phone, tablet, other machines) without router config.
Fixed app ports — --app-port 3000 / PORTLESS_APP_PORT for tools that need a known port (debuggers, docker).
hosts-sync on by default for Safari compat (disable with PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0).
HTTP/2 HMR fixes for Vite/VitePlus/Next.js dev — websocket upgrades no longer break under h2.
Expo / React Native support — portless run expo start gives Metro a stable URL for device QR codes.

When to Use

Starting a dev server that agents or browser tests will target
Running multiple services locally (API + frontend + docs)
Working in git worktrees (branch-named subdomains)
Local OAuth flows (stable callback URLs)
Connecting emulate API mocks to named URLs

Quick Start

bash
# Instead of: npm run dev (random port)
portless run npm run dev
# → https://myapp.localhost (stable, named, HTTPS on 443 — default in 0.10+)

# Multi-service
portless run --name api npm run dev:api
portless run --name web npm run dev:web
# → https://api.localhost, https://web.localhost

# LAN mode (0.10.0) — reachable from phone/tablet via mDNS
portless proxy start --lan
portless run npm run dev
# → https://myapp.local (resolves across the local network, no router config)

# Full teardown (0.10.1) — stops proxy, removes CA, wipes state, cleans /etc/hosts
portless clean

# Boot persistence (0.13.0) — install native startup service (launchd / systemd / Task Scheduler)
portless service install
portless service status
# Removed automatically by `portless clean`, or explicitly:
portless service uninstall

0.10.x breaking change: default switched from https://app.localhost to https://app.localhost on port 443. Use --no-tls to revert. NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS is injected into child processes automatically (0.10.2) — no manual cert setup. /etc/hosts is synced automatically for Safari; disable with PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0.

Framework-Specific Setup

Load Read("references/framework-integration.md") for full framework recipes.

Most frameworks (Next.js, Vite, Express) work with portless run <cmd>. Some need explicit flags:

Framework	Auto-detected?	Extra flags needed
Next.js	Yes	None
Vite / Astro	Yes	None
Express / Fastify / Hono	Yes	None (reads `PORT` env var)
Ruby on Rails	Yes	None
FastAPI / uvicorn	No	`--port $PORT --host $HOST`
Django	No	`$HOST:$PORT` positional arg

Why `.localhost`?

Feature	`.localhost` (RFC 6761)	`127.0.0.1:PORT`	`/etc/hosts` hack
No `/etc/hosts` editing	Yes	Yes	No
HTTPS with valid cert	Yes	No	Manual
Wildcard subdomains	Yes	No	No
Works in all browsers	Yes	Yes	Varies
Cookie isolation per service	Yes	No	Yes
No port conflicts	Yes	No	Yes

Key Environment Variables

When portless runs your command, it injects:

Variable	Value	Use in agents
`PORT`	Assigned ephemeral port (4000-4999)	Internal only
`HOST`	`127.0.0.1`	Internal only
`PORTLESS_URL`	`https://myapp.localhost`	Use this in agent prompts
`NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS`	Path to portless CA (auto-injected 0.10.2)	Child node processes trust portless certs without setup

Toggle env vars

Variable	Effect
`PORTLESS=0`	Bypass portless entirely (CI)
`PORTLESS_SYNC_HOSTS=0`	Disable auto `/etc/hosts` sync (default: on in 0.10.1+)
`PORTLESS_STATE_DIR`	Override state dir (default: `~/.portless` or `/tmp/portless` for privileged ports)

OrchestKit Integration Patterns

1. Agent-Accessible Dev Server

bash
# Start with portless, then agents can target PORTLESS_URL
portless run npm run dev

# In ork:expect or agent-browser:
agent-browser open $PORTLESS_URL

2. Emulate + Portless (Named API Mocks)

bash
# Register emulate ports as named aliases
portless alias github-api 4001
portless alias vercel-api 4000
portless alias google-api 4002

# Now agents can target:
#   https://github-api.localhost — GitHub emulator
#   https://vercel-api.localhost — Vercel emulator

3. Git Worktree Dev

bash
# In worktree for feature/auth-flow:
portless run npm run dev
# → https://auth-flow.myapp.localhost (auto branch prefix)

4. Bypass in CI

bash
# Disable portless in CI — direct port access
PORTLESS=0 npm run dev

Anti-Patterns

Don't	Do Instead
Hardcode `localhost:3000` in tests	Use `PORTLESS_URL` or `process.env.PORTLESS_URL`
Run portless in CI	Set `PORTLESS=0` in CI environments
Use numeric ports in AGENTS.md	Document the portless URL

References

File	Content
`references/upstream.md`	Full portless CLI reference (synced from Vercel)
`references/upstream-oauth.md`	OAuth callback patterns with stable URLs
`references/framework-integration.md`	Framework recipes (FastAPI, Django, Docker, gotchas)
`checklists/new-project-setup.md`	Step-by-step: add portless to a new project

Frequently asked questions

What does the Portless AI skill do?

Named HTTPS .localhost URLs with portless (v0.15.x). Eliminates port collisions, gives agents stable URLs, adds branch-named subdomains for git worktrees, LAN mode (--lan), and Tailscale sharing. Use when setting up a local dev environment or testing from phones and tablets on the same wifi. Do NOT use for production deployments, CI environments (set PORTLESS=0), or DNS/hosting configuration.

Why use Portless on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Portless is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Portless in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/yonatangross/orchestkit/tree/main/plugins/ork/skills/portless. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Portless?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Portless?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Portless with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Portless AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by yonatangross under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

Portless Integration

New in 2026-04 → 2026-07 (portless 0.10.x → 0.15.0)

When to Use

Quick Start

Framework-Specific Setup

Why .localhost?

Key Environment Variables

Toggle env vars

OrchestKit Integration Patterns

1. Agent-Accessible Dev Server

2. Emulate + Portless (Named API Mocks)

3. Git Worktree Dev

4. Bypass in CI

Anti-Patterns

References

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

Related AI Skills

Set up your own AI workspace now

Why `.localhost`?