Skip to main content

Access from a tablet

Beta — desktop installation

Tablet access is part of beta, at 1.2.0-beta and its subsequent network fixes. It is absent from stable 1.0.3. It applies to the desktop application, not Docker hosting.

The desktop application can be used from a tablet or phone connected to the same Wi-Fi as the PC it is installed on: handy for keeping your scenes, clocks and journal at hand at the gaming table. Nothing needs to be installed on the tablet; its browser is enough.

Turn access on​

  1. On the PC, open Settings, section Access from a tablet. Shortcut: right-click the DM Loremind icon in the taskbar, then Connecter une tablette… (the tray menu is in French).

  2. Check Allow access from the local network.

  3. Look at the Network check block that appears. DM Loremind checks there the two Windows settings that can stop the tablet from connecting (for Linux, see the dedicated section below):

    • The firewall. If it doesn't let DM Loremind through yet, click Allow through the firewall, then confirm in the Windows administrator prompt. The permission only applies to private networks.
    • The network type. Windows often classifies a new Wi-Fi as "Public", which blocks other devices. If it's your home network, click Open network settings, then, in your Wi-Fi properties, choose the Private network profile type.

    Click Check again: the block turns green when everything is ready.

The address to open on the tablet is then shown, for example http://192.168.1.20:8765.

Trusted network only

Only turn this on at home. On public Wi-Fi (hotel, convention, café), other people share the same network.

Connect a device​

  1. On the PC, click Connect a device: a QR code and a 6-digit code appear, valid for 5 minutes and for a single device.
  2. On the tablet, scan the QR code with the camera, or open the address shown and enter the code.
  3. Give the device a name ("Lea's tablet"), then tap Connect.

The tablet is then remembered: no code needed anymore, even after the PC restarts. To connect another device, click New code.

What a tablet can do​

A connected tablet can access your campaigns, your lore and your sessions, to read and to edit. Settings stay on the PC: a tablet can't change the AI provider, read your keys, or manage backups and devices.

The PC must stay on, with DM Loremind open, while the tablet uses it.

Remove access​

The Authorized devices list shows each device and its last connection. Remove access disconnects it immediately; it will need a new code to come back. Unchecking Allow access from the local network cuts access for every device without forgetting them.

Change the port​

By default, access uses port 8765. If another application uses it, DM Loremind says so: pick another one in Advanced settings > Network port, then Apply.

The tablet loads forever​

A firewall, guest network or device isolation can block the connection. The steps below apply to Windows; for a Linux host, see On Linux or a Debian server.

  1. In Settings > Access from a tablet, click Check again and follow the Network check block.

  2. Check that the tablet is on the same Wi-Fi as the PC, not on your router's "guest" network: guest networks often isolate devices from each other.

  3. If Allow through the firewall fails, add the rule manually in a PowerShell started as administrator (adjust the path if DM Loremind is installed elsewhere):

    New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "DM Loremind (accès tablette)" -Direction Inbound -Program "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\DM Loremind\DM Loremind.exe" -Action Allow -Profile Private

Antivirus with its own firewall​

Some antivirus products (Bitdefender, Norton, Kaspersky, ESET…) install a firewall that filters connections on top of the Windows one, with their own rules. DM Loremind detects them and says so in Network check, but can't read their settings: the Windows permission is then not enough.

In the antivirus firewall settings:

  1. Classify your Wi-Fi as a home network ("Home/Office", "Private"…), not a public network, and turn off stealth mode if there is one.
  2. Add a rule that allows DM Loremind (DM Loremind.exe, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\DM Loremind) for incoming connections on that network type.

Example with Bitdefender: Protection > Firewall > Settings, Network adapters tab for the network type, then Rules tab > Add rule. Labels vary between versions.

To confirm the antivirus is the cause, turn its firewall off for a minute (not the antivirus) and try again from the tablet; turn it back on afterwards.

On Linux or a Debian server​

The desktop application also exists for Linux (AppImage file) and can run on a server without a screen: your devices connect to it just like to a Windows PC.

  1. Start the application on the server:

    chmod +x DM_Loremind*.AppImage
    ./DM_Loremind*.AppImage --appimage-extract-and-run

    --appimage-extract-and-run avoids installing FUSE. Without a screen, messages about the tray icon or the browser not opening are expected.

  2. Change the admin password: on first launch, DM Loremind creates ~/.loremind/loremind.properties with admin / admin. Edit admin.password, then restart.

  3. Open Settings from your PC. Settings only open from the machine itself: go through an SSH tunnel, then open http://localhost:8080 on your PC.

    ssh -L 8080:localhost:8080 user@your-server

    If port 8080 was taken on the server, DM Loremind picked another one: it's written in ~/.loremind/.port.

  4. Turn access on in Access from a tablet. The Network check block says whether a ufw or firewalld firewall is active and gives the command to run on the server to open the port, for example sudo ufw allow 8765/tcp. With ufw, DM Loremind can't read the rules without administrator rights: it shows the command as a precaution.

  5. Connect your devices with the server's address, for example http://192.168.1.50:8765, and a pairing code.

Away from home: Tailscale​

Access is designed for the local network. To browse your campaigns on 4G or at a friend's, don't open a port on your router: use Tailscale instead, an encrypted private network, free for personal use.

  1. Install Tailscale on the PC and on the tablet, and sign in to the same account on both.
  2. In the tablet's Tailscale app, find the PC's address (looks like 100.x.y.z).
  3. On the tablet, open http://100.x.y.z:8765 and connect the device with a code, just like at home.

If the tablet can't reach the PC, check in the Windows firewall that DM Loremind is allowed for the network used by Tailscale.

Beta details​

  • The PC keeps localhost:8080 unless changed. The tablet uses the displayed network address and separate port 8765 by default. Its own localhost does not refer to your PC.
  • Checks cover the firewall and network profile on Windows, and detect third-party antivirus firewalls without reading their rules. On Linux, they check ufw or firewalld and suggest the appropriate command. Use system tools elsewhere. A green verdict does not rule out Wi-Fi device isolation.
  • New code invalidates the previous one. Codes expire after five minutes, work once and are invalidated after five incorrect attempts. Generate another code on the PC if rejected.
  • Authorisation is stored in the paired browser, in a cookie lasting up to one year. Clearing cookies, changing browsers or using private browsing may require pairing again. If the PC address changes, reopen the displayed address and reconnect the browser if needed.
  • An authorised device is a GM tool with read and edit access, rather than a player account limited to public material. See Data and sharing.

Once connected, use mobile navigation and session mode. Access can be enabled or disabled on the PC without restarting or changing its usual local viewing port.