Dev setup for solo developers

Solo developers on one machine use Rig to replace terminal archaeology: project groups boot Vite, API, database, and workers in health order; merged logs show which process died overnight; port reclaim fixes EADDRINUSE without lsof hunting. The local MCP hub lets Cursor or Claude read live health, stream logs, diagnose crashes, and restart a dead sidecar — scoped tools, not a raw shell. Everything works offline; cloud is optional for Continuity or a second machine. Rig does not host code or replace Docker — it is the native process manager for local development when you ship alone and cannot afford mystery crashes before standup. One board names every service so six anonymous panes become a recoverable morning routine with health order, colour-tagged logs, and one-click restart for the process that actually died overnight.

Do I need Rig Cloud as a solo developer?

No. The desktop app runs fully offline for process control, logs, ports, and MCP. Cloud is optional for Live Links, Continuity backups, or a second machine.

How is Rig different from iTerm or Terminal tabs?

Rig names every service, merges logs with colour tags, tracks ports, recovers crashes, and exposes MCP so your editor sees the runtime — not six anonymous panes.

Related

https://userig.app/for-solo-developers

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ChangelogStatus
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For solo developers

Six terminal tabs. One window.

When you work alone, every side project, every half-finished app and every “I'll get back to this” repo is yours to remember. One board shows what's running, what's not, and what's about to eat your battery.

Download for Mac or WindowsRig vs terminal tabs

Free forever on your computer. Pay only for Mesh (Pro, $15 a month).

rig / projectslive
Project · port · memoryStatus
habit-tracker:3000184 MBRunning · 2h 14m
habit-tracker · postgres:543296 MBRunning · 2h 14m
weekend-cli-tool——Stopped
portfolio-v3——Stopped since Tue

2 running · 2 stopped · 280 MB in use

  • Nothing runs unless you started it
  • One click to stop, restart, or tail the log
  • Auto-picks a free port, no more “address in use”
The problem

Terminal archaeology before standup.

Six anonymous panes, one of which died overnight. Working out which one, and why, is time you do not get back.

Terminal tabs
  • Six panes with no names
  • A process died overnight and the scrollback is gone
  • EADDRINUSE, then lsof, then kill
  • Your editor guesses from a pasted trace
Rig
  • Every service named, with health order for the morning boot
  • Merged, colour-tagged logs show which process died
  • Stuck ports reclaimed with one click
  • Cursor or Claude reads live health over MCP

The morning boot, step by step →Mac process manager →

Cursor already knows

Ask your editor, not the terminal.

Switching to a terminal to check a port breaks your flow. Rig's local MCP hub hands Cursor or Claude Code live processes, ports and logs, so it can restart a crashed dev server without you tabbing away.

A real session

Scoped tools, not a raw shell. Restarts wait for your yes.

01
cursor · habit-trackerlive
you › the habit tracker won't load, port issue?
cursor › who_owns_port 3000 — nothing, port's free
cursor › get_health habit-tracker — process exited, uncaught error in seed.ts
cursor › fixed the seed script and restarted it. Running on :3000 now.

who_owns_portget_healthget_logsdiagnose_crashrestart_project

Cursor & Claude MCP →

What happens before you sit down

Rig remembers what was running before you closed the lid.

A reboot should not mean starting your day by retyping commands. Turn it on once in Settings, and every reboot brings your servers and databases back without you touching a terminal.

Settings · General

Launch at startup, resume servers and databases, global hotkeys, and hide to the menu bar so it keeps running with the window closed.

02
rig / settings / generallive
Launch at startup
opens Rig at login
Resume servers
restarts what was running
Resume databases
Postgres · MySQL · Redis
Global hotkeys
⌘⇧R show · ⌘⇧S stop · ⌘⇧U start last
Hide to menu bar
keeps running, window closed

Settings · General

Same project, any machine

Start it on the desktop, keep going on the laptop.

Moving a project between your own computers usually means cloning, installing and configuring it again. Mesh teleports a running project from one of your machines to another. Cloud & Continuity keeps an encrypted backup of the whole setup, so a wiped drive is a restore, not a rebuild.

Teleport and Continuity

Mesh is part of Pro. Continuity backs up your Rig setup, encrypted, and never your source code.

03
rig / mesh / teleportlive
desktop › habit-tracker running · :3000
rig › Teleport habit-tracker → MacBook Air
laptop › habit-tracker running · :3000
continuity › encrypted backup saved · setup only, never code

Mesh →Cloud & Continuity →

No account needed

Works offline. Cloud is optional.

Offline first

Process control, logs, ports and MCP all run on your computer with no connection.

Cloud when you want it

Add an account only for Live Links, Continuity backups or a second machine.

Rig Cloud

Not a host, not Docker

Rig does not host your code or replace Docker. It is the native process manager for local development.

Rig vs Docker Desktop
Questions

Fair questions

Do I need Rig Cloud as a solo developer?

No. The desktop app runs fully offline for process control, logs, ports, and MCP. Cloud is optional for Live Links, Continuity backups, or a second machine.

How is Rig different from iTerm or Terminal tabs?

Rig names every service, merges logs with colour tags, tracks ports, recovers crashes, and exposes MCP so your editor sees the runtime — not six anonymous panes.

Other workflows

Rig for the way you work

Mac process manager

Every local process, its port and its log in one window, with crashes restarted for you.

See the workflow

Laravel + Valet

Keep Valet's .test domains. Rig watches the queue workers, Horizon and logs underneath.

See the workflow

Local WordPress

A fresh WordPress site in one click, with WP-CLI, the database and HTTPS built in.

See the workflow

Cursor & Claude MCP

Your AI assistant reads real ports, logs and health instead of guessing from your code.

See the workflow

For freelancers

Show a client the work running on your computer with a link, not a staging deploy.

See the workflow

Full stack local dev

Web, API, database and workers started in the right order with one button.

See the workflow

Stop hunting for the right tab.

One desktop app. Every project you're juggling, in one place, whether it's running or not. macOS 13+ or Windows 11 · no credit card.

Download for Mac or Windows — it's freeSee all features