Registry / devops / gulp-live-server

gulp-live-server

library0.0.31jsnpmunverified

gulp-live-server is a lightweight Gulp plugin designed to provide a development server with integrated live-reloading capabilities for static assets or Node.js applications. It abstracts the complexities of setting up a web server (potentially using `connect` or `express` internally) and a separate LiveReload server (via `tiny-lr`), allowing developers to quickly spin up a server and have their browser automatically refresh upon file changes. The package offers methods for serving static files, running a custom Node.js script as the server, and notifying the browser of updates. Despite its utility, the package is largely unmaintained, with its last release (version 0.0.31) dating back over 7 years to July 2017. Users should be aware of potential compatibility issues with newer Node.js versions or modern Gulp setups, especially those using ES Modules.

devops web-framework http-networking

npm install gulp-live-server

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · GULP-LIVE-SERVER

gulp-live-server

devopsjavascriptv0.0.31

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

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

gls

✓ const gls = require('gulp-live-server');

✗ import gls from 'gulp-live-server';

The package is CommonJS-only. Use `require()` for the main plugin instance.

gls.static

✓ const server = gls.static('public');

✗ import { static } from 'gulp-live-server';

This method creates a server for serving static files. The package does not support ES Module named imports.

gls.new

✓ const server = gls.new('myapp.js');

✗ import { new } from 'gulp-live-server';

This method starts a server by running a custom Node.js script. The package does not support ES Module named imports.

This quickstart demonstrates how to set up `gulp-live-server` to serve static files from one or multiple directories and configure live-reloading upon file changes.

const gulp = require('gulp'); const gls = require('gulp-live-server'); gulp.task('serve-static', function() { // 1. Serve with default settings (serves 'public' folder on port 3000) const server = gls.static(); server.start(); // 2. Serve at a custom port for 'dist' folder const customPortServer = gls.static('dist', 8888); customPortServer.start(); // 3. Serve multiple folders const multiFolderServer = gls.static(['dist', '.tmp']); multiFolderServer.start(); // Use gulp.watch to trigger server actions (notify, start or stop) gulp.watch(['static/**/*.css', 'static/**/*.html'], function (file) { server.notify.apply(server, [file]); customPortServer.notify.apply(customPortServer, [file]); multiFolderServer.notify.apply(multiFolderServer, [file]); }); }); // To run: `gulp serve-static`

Debug

Known issues

breakingThis package is CommonJS-only and does not support ES Modules. Attempting to import it directly in an ESM context (e.g., `"type": "module"` in `package.json` or `.mjs` files) will result in import errors.

fix

Ensure your `gulpfile.js` uses CommonJS `require()` syntax. If your project uses ESM for other parts, you may need to keep `gulpfile.js` as a `.js` file without `"type": "module"` set, or restructure your Gulp setup to handle CJS dependencies.

affects: >=0.0.31

gotchaWhen restarting the server via `gulp.watch`, directly binding `server.start` might lead to a `TypeError: Bad argument` due to how `ChildProcess.spawn` handles the `this` context.

fix

Wrap `server.start.bind(server)` in an anonymous function to ensure correct context: `gulp.watch('myapp.js', function() { server.start.bind(server)() });`.

affects: >=0.0.31

gotchaThis package is effectively abandoned, with its last release over 7 years ago. It may contain unpatched security vulnerabilities, suffer from compatibility issues with newer Node.js versions or dependencies, and is not actively maintained. Consider modern alternatives.

fix

Evaluate alternative Gulp plugins for live-reloading and static servers, such as `browser-sync` or `gulp-connect`, which are actively maintained and provide similar or enhanced functionality for modern development workflows.

affects: >=0.0.31

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: Bad argument at TypeError (native) at ChildProcess.spawn

The `server.start` method's `this` context is lost when bound directly in `gulp.watch`.

fix

Wrap the bound function in an anonymous function: `gulp.watch('myapp.js', function() { server.start.bind(server)() });`

ERR_REQUIRE_ESM

Attempting to `require()` this CommonJS-only package in an ES Module context (e.g., a file with `"type": "module"` in `package.json` or a `.mjs` extension).

fix

Ensure your `gulpfile.js` is a CommonJS file (plain `.js` without `"type": "module"` in `package.json` or a separate `cjs` folder for Gulp tasks) and use `const gls = require('gulp-live-server');`.

ReferenceError: gulp is not defined

The `gulp` object was not correctly imported or available in the scope where `gulp-live-server` is used.

fix

Ensure `var gulp = require('gulp');` is present at the top of your `gulpfile.js` and `gulp` is installed as a development dependency (`npm install --save-dev gulp`).

Upgrade

Version history

0.0.31latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

gulprequiredThis is a Gulp plugin and requires Gulp to define tasks and orchestrate the server setup and watch operations.

Agent activity

8 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/gimm/gulp-live-server ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp-live-server ↗