Browsersync-mDNS

#### Version: 1.1.0

Advertise [Browsersync][] instances over mDNS (bonjour/zeroconf/avahi)






What it does

The Browsersync-mDNS plugin advertises the current Browsersync instance over multicast Bonjour. This makes it fast and easy to connect from other test devices regardless of dynamic IP addresses, *.local support or whatever.

Installation

``sh
$ npm install --save-dev browsersync-mdns
`

Basic usage

#### Code

Add Browsersync-mDNS to the Browsersync init block's plugins array and the instance will be advertised when Browsersync starts up.

`js
browserSync.init({
plugins: ["browsersync-mdns"]
});
`

#### Command Line

Include --plugins browsersync-mdns in your browsersync command:

`sh
browser-sync start -s app --plugins browsersync-mdns
`

Note that both Browsersync and this plugin will need to be installed globally.

Options

In most cases, Browsersync-mDNS will advertise the current instance using the name value from package.json.

To use a specific name instead, define the plugin using an object.

`js
browserSync.init({
plugins: [
{
module: "browsersync-mdns",
options: {
name: "Local Dev Site"
}
}
]
});
`

See the [Browsersync plugins documentation][plugin-docs] for other plugin configuration examples.

If options.name` isn't defined and a package.json file can't be found, the hostname will be used as a fallback.

Related Plugins & Tools

[][bs] For browsing mDNS/Bonjour services on Android and iOS, I've been using Tomoaki Takeda's (parKhang CyungCyung's?) [BonjourSearch][bs] app ([Android][bsa], [iOS][bsi]). It's a free, barebones app that does one simple thing really well. I haven't yet found a functional equivalent for Windows.

This project was partly inspired by stephenfri's [bs-console-qrcode][] project, which prints a QR code linking to the current Browsersync instance directly in the terminal (and browser console).

Epilogue

[Bonjour][] / [ZeroConf][] / [mDNS][] / [multicast DNS][] / [Avahi][] / [DNS-SD][]... Can't we just pick one name?

[browsersync]: https://www.browsersync.io/
[plugin-docs]: https://www.browsersync.io/docs/options#option-plugins
[bs]: http://tbt.deci.jp/ios//2016/bonjour_search/
[bsa]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.deci.tbt.andro.bonjoursearch
[bsi]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bonjour-search-for-http-web-in-wi-fi/id1097517829?mt=8
[bs-console-qrcode]: https://github.com/stephenfri/bs-console-qrcode
[bonjour]: https://developer.apple.com/bonjour/
[zeroconf]: http://www.zeroconf.org/
[mdns]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicast_DNS
[multicast dns]: http://www.multicastdns.org/
[avahi]: http://www.avahi.org/
[dns-sd]: http://www.dns-sd.org/