rk dev

Summary

Build a project, install it on a Roku device, and launch it.

Description

This is the development loop. By default it builds to dist-dev, sideloads the result to the active device, and launches the app. Either half can be skipped: --no-build installs an already-built app without rebuilding, and --no-sideload builds without contacting a device at all. Formerly rk start-dev, which still works as a deprecated alias.

Usage

rk dev [options]

Options

--config

path to config file

Example:

rk dev --config apps/demo/roku-config.ts

--no-uglify

[deprecated] use --no-minify

--json

Output in JSON format

--out-dir

output directory for build artifacts

--minify

enable minification (whitespace + identifiers).

--uglify

[deprecated] use --minify

--compile-ts

compile the TypeScript/JavaScript bundle to Hermes bytecode locally.

--dev-blocks

keep development-only code: sets DEV to true so if (DEV) {} blocks are kept. --no-dev-blocks sets DEV to false.

--typecheck

enable TypeScript semantic type checking.

--solid-dev-mode

use Solid's development build so Solid devtools can inspect the app (implies --no-compile-ts --no-minify)

--solid-dev

[deprecated] use --solid-dev-mode

--write-ts-path

add the TypeScript entry point (ts_path) to the manifest. --no-write-ts-path is for BrightScript-only apps and DCLs (also skips type checking).

--no-typescript

[deprecated] use --no-write-ts-path

--source-map

generate source maps.

--drop-console

drop console.* calls. Console calls cost milliseconds each on a device, so release builds drop them.

--drop-debugger

drop debugger statements.

--lower-destructuring

rewrite const [a, b] = createSignal() and similar Solid calls to indexed reads for smaller bytecode.

--disable-type-checking

[deprecated] use --no-typecheck

--show-copied-files

show individual file copy operations (verbose mode)

--build-type

Label passed to getBuildType().

--perfetto-paths

Folder path prefix for Perfetto auto-instrumentation (repeatable; comma-separated values per flag also supported)

Example:

rk dev --perfetto-paths src/screens,src/components --perfetto-paths src/data

--perfetto-exclude

Babel visitor shapes to skip during Perfetto auto-instrumentation (repeatable; comma-separated values per flag also supported)

Example:

rk dev --perfetto-paths src --perfetto-exclude FunctionExpression,ObjectMethod

--perfetto-filter

Trace name substrings to include during Perfetto auto-instrumentation (repeatable; comma-separated values per flag also supported)

Example:

rk dev --perfetto-paths src --perfetto-filter render,fetch

--release

release build preset: --minify --typecheck --no-dev-blocks --drop-console --drop-debugger. Leaves compile-ts at its default (off).

--build

build the app. --no-build sideloads the existing build and rejects any option that affects the build output.

--build-only

[deprecated] use --no-sideload

--sideload

sideload the build to the device. --no-sideload builds without contacting a device and rejects device options.

--launch

launch the app after sideloading. --no-launch only installs it.

--watch

watch for changes and rebuild

--console

connect to device console (port 8085) and stream output

--auto-console-close

auto-close console connection after completion (Pilot integration)

--debug

run in debug mode

--inspect

enable inspect mode (implies --debug; merges into launchParams.inspect)

--inspect-persist

persist inspect mode on device (requires FW 16.0+; implies --debug; all subsequent launches wait for debugger until reinstalled without this flag)

--dap-debug

sideload with remotedebug fields so the device opens the BrightScript debug protocol port (8081). Requires protocol >=3.2 on the device (checked via ECP before any build starts).

--bump-build

force a different build_version on this sideload (ephemeral, in-memory only -- no persisted version.json, unlike build --archive's --bump-build). Guards against the device's identical-package trap, where a byte-identical redeploy reports Install Success but does not relaunch, silently leaving the previous instance running.

--device

target device to use (id | ip | name, or rce:<name>); overrides config.device and default

Example:

rk dev --device rce:living-room

--host

connect directly to a device by IPv4 or hostname

--password

device developer password override

--start

start a stopped Roku Cloud Emulator device, building while it boots. It keeps running afterwards (stop it with rk device stop), unless --watch, or --console without --auto-console-close, holds rk dev open: then it stops when rk dev exits

--max-runtime

with --start: the longest the device may run, in seconds

Example:

rk dev --device rce:living-room --start --max-runtime 1800

--launch-params

launch parameters in JSON format (e.g., '{"contentId":"123","mediaType":"movie"}')

Example:

rk dev --launch-params '{"contentId":"123","mediaType":"movie"}'

Examples

rk dev --no-sideload
rk dev --watch --console
rk dev --release --device living-room
rk dev --no-build --device 192.168.1.20 --console

Environment variables

All documented variables are listed on rk environment variables.

See also

• startDev (POST /api/dev)
• stopDev (DELETE /api/dev/:sessionId)
• rebuildDev (POST /api/dev/:sessionId/rebuild)
• deploy_app
• stop_dev_session