detox-server

library7.0.0jsnpmunverified

WebSocket proxy server for Detox, the gray-box end-to-end testing library for mobile apps. Version 7.0.0 is current and maintained. It acts as a middleware between Detox tests and the mobile device, handling app connectivity and command proxying. Releases are coupled with Detox's release cycle, roughly monthly. Key differentiator: it is a lightweight, dedicated server component that simplifies test infrastructure by managing WebSocket connections and device sessions, unlike generic WebSocket servers that require manual setup.

testing

npm install detox-server

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · DETOX-SERVER

detox-server

testingjavascriptv7.0.0

harness data pending

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

No compatibility data collected yet for this library.

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

DetoxServer

✓ import { DetoxServer } from 'detox-server'

✗ const DetoxServer = require('detox-server').DetoxServer

DetoxServer is the default export. For CommonJS, use const DetoxServer = require('detox-server').

startServer

✓ import { startServer } from 'detox-server'

✗ const startServer = require('detox-server').startServer

startServer is a named export. In ESM, import { startServer } from 'detox-server'; in CJS, destructure from require('detox-server').

DetoxServerOptions

✓ import type { DetoxServerOptions } from 'detox-server'

✗ import { DetoxServerOptions } from 'detox-server'

DetoxServerOptions is a TypeScript type. Use import type for type-only imports to avoid runtime errors. Available in TypeScript v4.5+.

Initialize and start a Detox server on port 8099 with verbose logging.

import { DetoxServer } from 'detox-server'; const server = new DetoxServer({ port: 8099, log: 'verbose', }); server.start().then(() => { console.log('Detox server listening on port 8099'); });

Debug

Known issues

breakingIn v7, the DetoxServer constructor no longer accepts a 'host' option; use 'port' only. See migration guide.

fix

Remove 'host' option from DetoxServer constructor.

affects: >=7.0.0

deprecatedThe method 'start()' now returns a Promise instead of calling a callback. Old callback style is deprecated.

fix

Use async/await or .then() instead of callbacks.

affects: >=6.0.0

gotchaDetox server only supports WebSocket connections; ensure clients connect via ws:// (not TLS) unless configured.

fix

For TLS, configure a reverse proxy (e.g., nginx) to terminate TLS.

affects: all

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::8099

Port 8099 is already occupied by another process (e.g., another Detox server or application).

fix

Kill the process using port 8099 or change the port in DetoxServer constructor.

TypeError: DetoxServer is not a constructor

Importing DetoxServer incorrectly (e.g., as a default import from a named export).

fix

Use default import: import DetoxServer from 'detox-server' (ESM) or const DetoxServer = require('detox-server') (CJS).

Error: Cannot find module 'ws'

Missing peer dependency 'ws'.

fix

Run npm install ws or add 'ws' to your package.json dependencies.

Upgrade

Version history

7.0.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

wsrequiredWebSocket library for server-client and server-device communication

Agent activity

8 hits · last 30 days

node

Amazon

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/wix/detox ↗

packagedetox-server ↗

homepagehttps://github.com/wix/detox#readme ↗