lan-media-server

What This Skill Does

The lan-media-server skill acts as a bridge for AI agents operating in text-only environments like CLI, SSH, or basic web interfaces. By deploying a lightweight, Node.js-based HTTP file server on your local machine, the AI can programmatically serve images, screenshots, and documents directly to your browser over your LAN. It effectively circumvents the display limitations of text-based interfaces, providing a visual component to your AI-assisted workflows without requiring complex cloud uploads or external hosting.

Installation

To get started, execute the setup script via bash scripts/setup.sh. This process configures the environment, establishes the shared directory (defaulting to $HOME/projects/shared-media), and registers the server as a systemd user service to ensure it runs reliably in the background. You can customize the server port and file location by providing environment variables MEDIA_PORT and MEDIA_ROOT before running the setup. Ensure your firewall allows incoming traffic on your chosen port if you plan to access the media from different devices on your local network.

Use Cases

This skill is perfect for agents performing web-based tasks or data visualization. Use it to share browser screenshots after a research session, display charts generated by Python libraries like Matplotlib or Seaborn, or provide temporary access to logs and report files that are too large or poorly formatted for standard chat windows. It acts as an "ephemeral gallery" for your agent's workspace output.

Example Prompts

1. "I'm debugging a layout issue; please take a screenshot of the login page and provide a link so I can inspect the rendering."
2. "Generate a graph comparing these two datasets and share it with me via the media server."
3. "Export the current analysis results to a PDF and give me the direct download link."

Tips & Limitations

Because this server is designed for convenience, it lacks authentication; never place highly sensitive or private data in the shared directory. Always use descriptive, unique filenames to avoid confusion in the flat directory structure. Remember that while path traversal is blocked, the server is only as secure as your LAN, so use it on trusted private networks only. If you need to troubleshoot, use journalctl --user -u media-server to inspect the server logs for any connectivity or file access errors.