# Port Killer — Cross-Platform Port Management Tool for Developers

> Monitor active ports, manage Kubernetes port forwards, integrate Cloudflare Tunnels, and kill processes with one click from a native desktop app.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Port Killer — Cross-Platform Port Management Tool for Developers

## Quick Use
```bash
# macOS via Homebrew
brew install --cask port-killer
# Or download from GitHub Releases for macOS/Windows
```

## Introduction
Port Killer is a cross-platform desktop application for managing network ports during development. It provides a visual interface to see which processes are using which ports, quickly free up occupied ports, manage Kubernetes port forwards, and integrate with Cloudflare Tunnels — tasks developers typically handle through scattered terminal commands.

## What Port Killer Does
- Lists all active network ports with their associated processes
- Kills processes occupying specific ports with a single click
- Manages Kubernetes port-forward sessions from a unified dashboard
- Integrates Cloudflare Tunnel management for exposing local services
- Runs as a lightweight menu bar app on macOS and system tray on Windows

## Architecture Overview
Port Killer is built with Swift and SwiftUI on macOS (with Windows support via a separate build). It queries the operating system's network stack to enumerate active ports and their owning processes. The Kubernetes integration communicates with kubectl to manage port-forward sessions, and the Cloudflare integration uses the cloudflared CLI for tunnel management. The app runs as a menu bar/system tray utility with minimal resource usage.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via Homebrew on macOS or download binaries from GitHub Releases
- No server component or account required — runs entirely locally
- Optionally configure kubectl path for Kubernetes port-forward management
- Optionally configure cloudflared path for Cloudflare Tunnel integration
- Set preferred ports to monitor or pin commonly used port groups

## Key Features
- Real-time port monitoring with process identification
- One-click process termination for freeing occupied ports
- Kubernetes port-forward lifecycle management
- Cloudflare Tunnel integration for secure local service exposure
- Lightweight menu bar/system tray presence with minimal resource use

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **lsof/netstat** — CLI tools that show port usage but require manual process killing
- **kill/pkill** — command-line process terminators without port-centric workflows
- **kubectl port-forward** — CLI-only Kubernetes forwarding without lifecycle management
- **Portmaster** — network firewall focused on blocking, not developer port management
- **Gas Mask** — hosts file manager, different scope from port management

## FAQ
**Q: Which operating systems are supported?**
A: macOS and Windows are supported. The macOS version runs as a native SwiftUI menu bar app.

**Q: Does it require root or administrator privileges?**
A: Killing some system-level processes may require elevated permissions, but monitoring ports works without them.

**Q: Can it manage Docker container ports?**
A: It shows all ports bound on the host, including those mapped by Docker containers. You can kill the Docker process from the app if needed.

**Q: Does Kubernetes integration require any special setup?**
A: You need kubectl configured with access to your cluster. Port Killer discovers active port-forward sessions and lets you manage them visually.

## Sources
- https://github.com/productdevbook/port-killer
- https://github.com/productdevbook/port-killer#readme

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-c493bc41
Author: AI Open Source