DevSpace

Give ChatGPT a secure connection to your own machine and Turn ChatGPT into Codex

DevSpace is a self-hosted MCP server that lets ChatGPT read, edit, search, and run code in your real local projects — your files, your tools, your terminal — without uploading anything to a third party. You run it on your machine, expose it through a tunnel you control, and approve the connection with a password only you have.

Sponsors and Special Thanks

Related MCP server: chatgpt-codex-local-mcp

Installation

DevSpace requires Node >=22.19 <27.

Install the DevSpace CLI:

npm install -g @waishnav/devspace

Then initialize and start the server:

devspace init
devspace serve

Or run it without a global install:

npx @waishnav/devspace init
npx @waishnav/devspace serve

During setup, DevSpace asks for:

• the local project folders ChatGPT is allowed to open through DevSpace

• the local port, usually 7676

• your public HTTPS base URL from Cloudflare Tunnel, ngrok, Pinggy, Tailscale Funnel, or another reverse proxy

Use the public origin without /mcp during setup:

https://your-tunnel-host.example.com

You will configure your MCP client with the public /mcp URL after setup.

When the client connects, DevSpace opens an Owner password approval page. Enter the Owner password printed by devspace init. It is also stored in:

~/.devspace/auth.json

Keep that password private.

Connect Your MCP Client

The default local endpoint is:

http://127.0.0.1:7676/mcp

Most users should connect through a public HTTPS tunnel:

https://your-tunnel-host.example.com/mcp

What ChatGPT Can Do

Once connected, ChatGPT can open one of your approved project folders as a workspace. From there, it can inspect the repo, make scoped edits, run commands, and show you what changed.

DevSpace gives ChatGPT tools to:

• read, write, and edit files inside the opened workspace

• search code and inspect directories

• run shell commands for tests, builds, git, and package scripts

• use isolated Git worktrees for parallel coding sessions

• follow project instructions from AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md

• discover built-in, workspace, and custom skills through a managed registry

• show tool cards and optional change summaries in ChatGPT Apps-compatible hosts

Mental Model

DevSpace is remote access to selected local folders.

You decide which roots are allowed. The MCP client still has powerful local capabilities inside an opened workspace, including shell execution. Treat a connected client like a trusted coding partner with access to your machine.

For a normal ChatGPT coding session:

1. Start your tunnel.

2. Run devspace serve.

3. Connect the MCP client to your public /mcp URL.

4. Approve the connection with the Owner password.

5. Ask ChatGPT to open a project inside one of your allowed roots.

Platform Support

DevSpace supports Linux, macOS, and Windows. Bash remains the most compatible shell path, while Windows can fall back to direct Git execution and an allowlisted native shell path for safe verification commands and read-only runtime probes.

Run this to inspect your local setup:

devspace doctor

Documentation

• Setup Guide

• ChatGPT Coding Workflow

• Configuration Reference

• Security Model

• Troubleshooting Gotchas

Philosophy

Every piece of software is becoming conversational. Natural language is redefining how we interact with tools, workflows, and systems.

My bet is that ChatGPT becomes the operating system for everything. Once we reach AGI, we will simply talk to ChatGPT, and it will prompt, coordinate, and orchestrate sub-agents that set up the right loops for us.

We are not there yet.

DevSpace is one attempt to fast-forward that future: a way for MCP-capable hosts like ChatGPT and Claude to work directly with local project files through explicit, inspectable tools.

Built by Waishnav

I'm Waishnav, I like building opinionated products and tools, and DevSpace is one example of that. This year, I started my journey to build a single-person and multiple-agents company doing multiple millions in revenue. If you want to watch the failures, wins, lessons, and everything in between, come hang out with me on X.

More from me

Local Development

For working on DevSpace itself:

npm install --include=dev
npm run dev
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run build
npm run start