Skip to main content
@alpha-sdk/api is the npm distribution of the Alpha Camera REST API. A single install gives you three things:
  1. The native REST API server binary (CameraWebApp) for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
  2. The camera-server CLI for installing, starting, stopping, and inspecting the server.
  3. A small ServerManager Node.js class for embedding the server lifecycle inside a Node application.
The matching platform binary (@alpha-sdk/darwin-arm64, @alpha-sdk/linux-arm64, @alpha-sdk/linux-x64, @alpha-sdk/win32-x64) is pulled in automatically as an optionalDependency.
ServerManager is a Node.js convenience class, not a separate SDK. Python and Swift clients do not ship a ServerManager equivalent. From those languages, run camera-server start, spawn the binary as a subprocess, or connect to a server already running elsewhere on the network.

​
Install

# Globally — CLI / scripting
npm install -g @alpha-sdk/api

# Per-project — when embedding ServerManager
npm install @alpha-sdk/api
After install, the Sony Camera Remote SDK License Agreement prompt appears once. Accept it to unlock the binary.

​
CLI

camera-server start             # spawn the server on :8080
camera-server stop
camera-server status            # check what's running

camera-server info              # version, platform, binary path
camera-server doctor            # verify prerequisites
camera-server platforms         # list installed/available platforms

camera-server install-sdk ts        # install @alpha-sdk/client in current project
camera-server install-sdk python    # install alpha-sdk-client
camera-server install-sdk swift     # print SwiftPM snippet
camera-server install-sdk all       # install all three

camera-server playground start      # browser-based interactive playground
camera-server mcp install <agent>   # install Camera Help Guides MCP server
camera-server docs                  # open https://crsdk.app
Run camera-server with no arguments to launch the interactive TUI.

​
ServerManager (Node.js)

A small class for embedding the server lifecycle inside a Node, Electron, or Tauri application. 
import { ServerManager } from "@alpha-sdk/api";

const server = new ServerManager();
await server.start();
console.log(`server on :${server.getPort()}`);

// ... do work against http://localhost:${server.getPort()}/api ...

await server.stop();

​
Constructor options

new ServerManager({
  port: 8080,
  binaryPath: "...",
  autoPort: true,
  detached: false,
});

​
Methods

MethodDescription
start() → Promise<void>Spawn the binary. Resolves when /api/server/status responds 200.
stop() → Promise<void>Graceful shutdown. Falls back to SIGTERM → SIGKILL if the binary does not exit.
kill() → voidSynchronous no-fallback kill. Useful inside signal handlers.
isRunning() → Promise<boolean>Pings /api/server/status.
getPort() → numberCurrently bound port.
getPid() → number | undefinedChild process PID or detached PID.
getStdout() → string[]Captured stdout lines.
getStderr() → string[]Captured stderr lines.

​
End-to-end example

Pair ServerManager with the TypeScript Client SDK — start the server, connect to a camera, change a setting, fire the shutter, list and download the resulting photo, then disconnect: 
import { ServerManager } from "@alpha-sdk/api";
import { AlphaSDKClient } from "@alpha-sdk/client";

const server = new ServerManager();
await server.start();

const client = new AlphaSDKClient({
  environment: `http://localhost:${server.getPort()}`,
});

const { cameras } = await client.cameras.list();
const cameraId = cameras[0].id;

await client.cameras.connect({
  cameraId,
  mode: "remote-transfer",
  reconnecting: "on",
});

await client.properties.setPriorityKey({ cameraId, setting: "pc-remote" });
await client.properties.set({ cameraId, propertyName: "shutter-speed", value: "1/250" });
await client.actions.shutter({ cameraId });

await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1500));
const { files } = await client.sdCard.list({ cameraId, slotNumber: 1 });
const latest = files[files.length - 1];

await client.sdCard.download({
  cameraId,
  slotNumber: 1,
  contentId: latest.contentId,
  fileId: latest.fileId,
  body: {},
});

await client.cameras.disconnect({ cameraId });
await server.stop();

​
Integration patterns

Application typePatternBundling
Node CLI / scriptServerManager.start()Binary auto-installed via npm.
ElectronServerManager + extraResourcesBinary copied into the app bundle.
TauriSidecarBinary in src-tauri/binaries/.
Browser-only SPATalk to a server running elsewhereNothing bundled.
iOS / AndroidTalk to a server running elsewhereNothing bundled.
Python / Swift / other languagesSpawn the binary as a subprocess, or run camera-server start separatelySee the server subprocess example.

​
Health and control endpoints

For TypeScript projects, use ServerManager plus the published client and example patterns instead of calling these endpoints directly in application code.
See the auto-generated API reference for full request and response schemas.

​
Server status

GET /api/server/status returns server version, uptime, platform, and camera counts. ServerManager uses this endpoint to confirm the server is ready. 
curl http://localhost:8080/api/server/status

​
Server logs

GET /api/server/logs returns buffered server log output. Query params: lines (default 100), level (default info). 
curl http://localhost:8080/api/server/logs

​
Shutdown

POST /api/server/shutdown initiates graceful shutdown: disconnects all cameras, closes open SSE streams, then exits. ServerManager.stop() calls this before falling back to SIGTERM. 
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/server/shutdown

​
Embedding in Electron or Tauri

The bundled binary lives at node_modules/@alpha-sdk/<platform>/CameraWebApp (or CameraWebApp.exe on Windows).

​
Electron-builder

{
  "build": {
    "extraResources": [
      {
        "from": "node_modules/@alpha-sdk/${platform}-${arch}",
        "to": "alpha-sdk-binary",
        "filter": ["**/*"]
      }
    ]
  }
}
Then in your main process: 
import path from "node:path";
import { ServerManager } from "@alpha-sdk/api";

const server = new ServerManager({
  binaryPath: path.join(
    process.resourcesPath,
    "alpha-sdk-binary",
    process.platform === "win32" ? "CameraWebApp.exe" : "CameraWebApp"
  ),
});
await server.start();

​
Tauri

Drop the binary into src-tauri/binaries/CameraWebApp-<triple> and declare it as a sidecar in tauri.conf.json: 
{
  "tauri": {
    "bundle": {
      "externalBin": ["binaries/CameraWebApp"]
    }
  }
}

​
Versioning

@alpha-sdk/api follows SemVer.
  • Patch — bug fixes, bundled-binary updates, playground bundle refreshes.
  • Minor — new CLI commands, new ServerManager methods.
  • Major — breaking changes to the CLI surface or ServerManager API.