> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kit-rs.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# kit serve

> Start the development servers

The `kit serve` command starts both the backend Rust server and the frontend Vite development server with hot-reload support.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
kit serve [options]
```

## Options

| Option                   | Default | Description                     |
| ------------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------- |
| `-p, --port <PORT>`      | `8000`  | Backend server port             |
| `--frontend-port <PORT>` | `5173`  | Frontend Vite server port       |
| `--backend-only`         | `false` | Only start the backend server   |
| `--frontend-only`        | `false` | Only start the frontend server  |
| `--skip-types`           | `false` | Skip TypeScript type generation |

## Examples

### Start Both Servers

```bash theme={null}
kit serve
```

Starts:

* Backend server on `http://localhost:8000`
* Frontend Vite server on `http://localhost:5173`
* Watches for changes and auto-rebuilds
* Generates TypeScript types from Rust structs

### Custom Ports

```bash theme={null}
kit serve --port 3000 --frontend-port 3001
```

### Backend Only

```bash theme={null}
kit serve --backend-only
```

Useful when:

* Working on API-only features
* Frontend is deployed separately
* Running in production mode

### Frontend Only

```bash theme={null}
kit serve --frontend-only
```

Useful when:

* Backend is running elsewhere
* Testing frontend in isolation

### Skip Type Generation

```bash theme={null}
kit serve --skip-types
```

Skips the automatic TypeScript type generation from Rust `InertiaProps` structs. Useful if you're managing types manually.

## How It Works

When you run `kit serve`, the CLI:

1. **Builds the Rust backend** - Compiles your application in debug mode
2. **Generates TypeScript types** - Scans for `InertiaProps` structs and generates corresponding TypeScript interfaces
3. **Starts the backend server** - Runs your Rust application with hot-reload using `cargo watch`
4. **Starts the frontend server** - Runs Vite development server with HMR (Hot Module Replacement)

## Development Workflow

```bash theme={null}
# Terminal 1: Start the full development environment
kit serve

# Make changes to your Rust code - backend auto-rebuilds
# Make changes to your React code - frontend auto-updates

# Terminal 2: Generate migrations, run them
kit make:migration create_users_table
kit migrate
```

## Environment Variables

The serve command respects environment variables from `.env`:

```env theme={null}
# .env
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:./database.db
APP_PORT=8000
APP_HOST=127.0.0.1
```

## Troubleshooting

### Port Already in Use

If you see a port conflict error:

```bash theme={null}
# Find and kill the process using the port
lsof -i :8000
kill -9 <PID>

# Or use a different port
kit serve --port 8001
```

### Frontend Not Connecting

Ensure your frontend is configured to proxy to the correct backend port in `vite.config.ts`.