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Getting started

Install the command line tool, log in, and send your first link in a couple of minutes.

Install

On macOS and Linux, run:

curl -fsSL https://ouicu.com/install.sh | sh

It downloads the latest ouicu for your system, checks it against the release's checksums, and puts it in /usr/local/bin, or in ~/.local/bin when that folder isn't writable. Set OUICU_INSTALL_DIR to choose another folder.

On Windows, run this in PowerShell:

irm https://ouicu.com/install.ps1 | iex

It checks the download the same way, puts ouicu.exe in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ouicu\bin (or OUICU_INSTALL_DIR), and adds that folder to your PATH. Terminals that were already open need restarting to find it.

Check that it worked:

ouicu --version

Later, ouicu update installs the newest release.

Log in

ouicu login

It shows a code and opens ouicu.com in your browser. Check that the code matches the one in your terminal, then press Approve. The terminal saves an API key for this computer and says where.

  • No browser on this computer, say over SSH? Run ouicu login --no-browser and open the address it prints on any device.
  • ouicu whoami shows who you are logged in as, and your plan.
  • ouicu logout revokes the key and forgets it.

You need a ouicu account to approve the login. ouicu is in a closed beta, so accounts are for people we have invited: write to [email protected] to join.

Share your first link

Start your dev server as usual, then share its port:

ouicu share 3000
What the terminal says on the Free plan
  Live at https://calm-otter-4821.ouicu.app  Forwarding to localhost:3000  It stops in 2 h, the longest a share runs on your plan.  Visitors see a short notice from ouicu before your page.   Ctrl-C to stop.

Send that link to anyone. It opens on phones, tablets and other computers, on any network. Each request shows up in your terminal as it happens. Press Ctrl-C to stop sharing.

At a terminal, a QR code of the link comes with it, so you can open it on your phone. See QR codes.

What your visitor sees

Your site at its own address, as if it were hosted. A few things from ouicu can show around it:

  • On the Free plan, a short notice comes first. It shows the address, says this is a preview running on someone's computer, and has an Open the preview button. Each browser sees it once a week for each share. On Hobby and Pro, links open straight to your page.
  • Every page has a small Report button in the bottom corner, so anyone can tell ouicu about a preview that looks wrong. Reports go to ouicu, not to you.
  • If your dev server isn't running, they see a page saying the site isn't running yet, with a Try again link.

Next steps