leaf webui

Starts the LEAF backend server and serves the web interface on the local machine. This is the primary entry point for desktop installations.

Synopsis

leaf webui run    [--host HOST] [--port PORT]   # foreground
leaf webui start  [--host HOST] [--port PORT]   # detached daemon
leaf webui stop                                  # terminate the daemon
leaf webui status                                # show daemon state

Default behavior — leaf webui run

leaf webui run

On startup, the server:

1. Binds to the loopback interface 127.0.0.1 (not 0.0.0.0); the application is therefore reachable only from the local machine.
2. Listens on TCP port 18008 by default.
3. Runs in the foreground until interrupted (Ctrl+C).

Expected output (uvicorn banner):

INFO:     Started server process [12345]
INFO:     Waiting for application startup.
INFO:     Application startup complete.
INFO:     Uvicorn running on http://127.0.0.1:18008 (Press CTRL+C to quit)

Flags

Flag	Default	Description
--host, -H	127.0.0.1	Bind address. Use 0.0.0.0 to expose on the local network — see warning below.
--port, -p	18008	TCP port. Use a different value if 18008 is taken.

Network exposure

--host 0.0.0.0 exposes LEAF to anyone on the same network and provides no authentication. Use only on trusted networks. The hosted MINT path is under development and should not be treated as an available production deployment option yet.

Daemon mode

leaf webui start runs the server in the background. The PID is recorded so leaf webui stop can terminate it cleanly:

leaf webui start --port 18009
leaf webui status
leaf webui stop

Common scenarios

Port already in use

leaf webui run --port 18009

Then open http://127.0.0.1:18009 in the browser.

Confirming the server is running

curl -I http://127.0.0.1:18008

A 200 OK or 302 Found response indicates the server is reachable.

Lifecycle

Action	Effect
Ctrl+C (foreground run)	Stops the server.
Close the browser tab	No effect; server keeps running.
Close the terminal window	Terminates leaf webui run (SIGHUP). The daemon (leaf webui start) survives.
leaf webui stop	Terminates the daemon.

Next

→ Configuration — storage paths, backend selection