[SOLVED] Open existing livebook server, if exists, when using a file/directory

[joshuataylor]

This is more of a feature request/idea than an issue, so putting here.

When running livebook locally, you have a server which is running:

livebook server

I would love to then be able to open livemd files, or directories using this existing connection, or start a new server if one is not already started.

livebook foo.md

Right now it will start a new server.

For context, when using WezTerm I use SUPER+left click to open files in an editor, using custom logic, and was hoping livemd could be used to run a command to open in existing livebook server?

[jonatanklosko]

@joshuataylor when you run livebook server, then subsequent livebook server file.livemd should open the notebook on that same server. CLI docs:

~ livebook server --help
Usage: livebook server [options] [open-command]

An optional open-command can be given as argument. It will open
up a browser window according these rules:

  * If the open-command is "@home", the browser window will point
    to the home page

  * If the open-command is "@new", the browser window will point
    to a new notebook

  * If the open-command is a URL, the notebook at the given URL
    will be imported

  * If the open-command is a directory, the browser window will point
    to the open page with the directory selected

  * If the open-command is a notebook file, the browser window will point
    to the opened notebook

The open-command runs after the server is started. If a server is
already running, the browser window will point to the server
currently running.

Right now it will start a new server.

It should not, and since by default we always use the same port, that would fail anyway. Can you provide more details?

[joshuataylor]

Ah yes, I was just playing around with the "native app" vs the escript installed version, and found there must be something weird going on with the MacOS binary?

If I use these instructions:

mix do local.rebar --force, local.hex --force
mix escript.install hex livebook

# Start the Livebook server
livebook server

This seems to work:

LIVEBOOK_PORT=19092 LIVEBOOK_IP=127.0.0.1 LIVEBOOK_IFRAME_PORT=19023 LIVEBOOK_PASSWORD=helloworld123 livebook server mint.livemd

However using /Applications/Livebook.app/Contents/MacOS/Livebook does not, when trying to open a file when the server is running:

18:18:54.468 [error] Running LivebookWeb.IframeEndpoint with Bandit 1.5.3 at http failed, port 19023 already in use

ERROR!!! [Livebook] shutdown: failed to start child: {Bandit, #Reference<0.1765237902.3240361996.241617>}
    ** (EXIT) shutdown: failed to start child: :listener
        ** (EXIT) :eaddrinuse
[os_mon] memory supervisor port (memsup): Erlang has closed
[os_mon] cpu supervisor port (cpu_sup): Erlang has closed

I also used environment variables as --port didn't seem to work with /Applications/Livebook.app/Contents/MacOS/Livebook.

MacOS ARM64, Ventura Darwin btsl 22.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 22.6.0: Mon Apr 22 20:51:27 PDT 2024; root:xnu-8796.141.3.705.2~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6020 arm64 arm Darwin

I will collect additional information and see if it's a bug.

[jonatanklosko]

Also, if the file has a different extension, you can do open notebook.md -a Livebook :)

[joshuataylor]

Hooray! I also went to remap .livemd to Livebook, but it's already set, awesome!

Okay, thanks, this should work great as I don't need to run a local server, do any environment variable or any other weirdness!

Thank you so much!

[joshuataylor]

One annoying thing however, is if the file is already open:

Failed to create session: the given file is already in use

Would an acceptable PR be adding support to redirect to the open file in the UI? (Haven't delved into the code yet).

[jonatanklosko]

Oh, it's meant to redirect to the existing one. This is a bug, I will fix it shortly :)

[jonatanklosko]

There are a few more changes, so I opened an issue #2707, will fix after I finish another PR!