lazynginx: a beautiful terminal UI for Nginx management

Source: Dev.to

What is LazyNginx?

LazyNginx is a terminal‑based user interface that streamlines common Nginx administration tasks. Instead of typing systemctl commands or searching for log file locations, administrators can navigate through a clean, intuitive menu to perform essential operations.

The tool consolidates Nginx’s most frequently used functions into a single, accessible interface and automatically handles platform‑specific differences, making it useful on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Key Features

• Service Control – Start, stop, and restart Nginx services with a single keystroke; reload configuration without service interruption.
• Configuration Management – Test configuration files for syntax errors before applying changes and view the full nginx.conf directly in the terminal.
• Log Monitoring – Access the last 50 lines of both error and access logs without navigating to log directories.
• Status Checking – Quickly verify whether Nginx is currently running on your system.

Design and Usability

LazyNginx uses the Bubble Tea framework to create a responsive terminal UI. Navigation relies on familiar keyboard shortcuts:

• Arrow keys or Vim‑style h/j/k/l for movement
• Enter to select
• q to quit

The interface provides clear visual feedback for each operation’s success or failure. It automatically detects the operating system and adjusts its commands:

• Linux with systemd → systemctl
• Windows → net start/stop
• Other Unix‑like systems → direct nginx commands

Installation and Setup

Building LazyNginx requires Go 1.21 or later and an existing Nginx installation.

git clone https://github.com/giacomomasseron/lazynginx
cd lazynginx
go mod download
go build -o lazynginx
./lazynginx

The tool searches common locations for Nginx configuration files and logs, including:

• /etc/nginx/ (Linux)
• C:\nginx\ (Windows)
• /usr/local/nginx/ (macOS)

Permissions and Platform Support

Operations such as starting, stopping, and restarting services require elevated privileges:

• Linux/macOS – Run with sudo when needed.
• Windows – Launch the program with administrator rights.

The cross‑platform design ensures consistent functionality across different operating systems, abstracting away platform‑specific command differences.

Use Cases

• Learning Environments – New administrators can explore Nginx management without memorizing commands or worrying about syntax errors.
• Development Workflows – Developers who frequently restart and reconfigure Nginx during testing benefit from the streamlined interface.
• Quick Diagnostics – Rapidly check logs and service status through a unified interface when troubleshooting.
• Remote Server Management – While SSH’d into a server, the terminal UI provides an efficient way to manage Nginx without context switching.