diff --git a/bin/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate b/bin/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate
index 1e9e51e..c13d163 100755
--- a/bin/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate
+++ b/bin/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate
@@ -2,24 +2,37 @@
 
 var program = require('commander');
 var serialport = require('serialport');
+var inquirer = require('inquirer');
+var vorpal = require('vorpal')();
 var pkg = require('../package.json');
 var serverMain = require('../index');
+var options = {};
 
 program
 	.version(pkg.version)
-	.usage('-p <port> [options]')
+	.usage('-s <secret> -p <port> [options]')
 	.option('-l, --list', 'list available ports then exit')
+    .option('-s, --secret', 'the secret key stored in the ~/.cncrc file')
 	.option('-p, --port <port>', 'path or name of serial port')
 	.option('-b, --baudrate <baudrate>', 'baud rate (default: 115200)', 115200)
 	.option('--socket-address <address>', 'socket address or hostname (default: localhost)', 'localhost')
 	.option('--socket-port <port>', 'socket port (default: 8000)', 8000)
-	.option('--controller-type <type>', 'controller type: Grbl|Smoothie|TinyG (default: Grbl)', 'Grbl');
+	.option('--controller-type <type>', 'controller type: Grbl|Smoothie|TinyG (default: Grbl)', 'Grbl')
+    .option('--access-token-lifetime <lifetime>', 'access token lifetime in seconds or a time span string (default: 30d)', '30d')
 
-if (process.argv.length > 1) {
-	program.parse(process.argv);
-}
+program.parse(process.argv);
+
+var options = {
+    secret: program.secret,
+    port: program.port,
+    baudrate: program.baudrate,
+    socketAddress: program.socketAddress,
+    socketPort: program.socketPort,
+    controllerType: program.controllerType,
+    accessTokenLifetime: program.accessTokenLifetime
+};
 
-if (program.list) {
+if (options.list) {
 	serialport.list(function(err, ports) {
 		if (err) {
 			console.error(err);
@@ -32,15 +45,53 @@ if (program.list) {
 	return;
 }
 
-if (!program.port) {
-    program.outputHelp();
-    process.exit(1);
+var createServer = function(options) {
+    serverMain(options, function(err, socket) {
+        vorpal
+            .mode('command')
+            .description('Enters the command-line mode.')
+            .delimiter(options.controllerType + '>')
+            .init(function(args, callback) {
+                this.log('You can now directly enter commands. To exit, type `exit`.');
+                callback();
+            })
+            .action(function(command, callback) {
+                var line = command + '\n';
+                socket.emit('write', options.port, line);
+                callback();
+            });
+
+        console.log('');
+        console.log('Type "help" to display supported options:');
+
+        vorpal
+            .delimiter('pendant$')
+            .show();
+    });
+};
+
+if (options.port) {
+    createServer(options);
+    return;
 }
 
-serverMain({
-    port: program.port,
-    baudrate: program.baudrate,
-    socketAddress: program.socketAddress,
-    socketPort: program.socketPort,
-    controllerType: program.controllerType
+serialport.list(function(err, ports) {
+    if (err) {
+        console.error(err);
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+    const choices = ports.map(function(port) {
+        return port.comName;
+    });
+
+    inquirer.prompt([{
+        type: 'list',
+        name: 'port',
+        message: 'Specify which port you want to use?',
+        choices: choices
+    }]).then(function(answers) {
+        options.port = answers.port;
+
+        createServer(options);
+    });
 });
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 99e6310..031b911 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
-var fs = require('fs');
-var path = require('path');
-var io = require('socket.io-client');
-var jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const io = require('socket.io-client');
+const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+const get = require('lodash.get');
 
-var generateAccessToken = function(payload, secret, expiration) {
-    var token = jwt.sign(payload, secret, {
+const generateAccessToken = function(payload, secret, expiration) {
+    const token = jwt.sign(payload, secret, {
         expiresIn: expiration
     });
 
@@ -14,20 +15,39 @@ var generateAccessToken = function(payload, secret, expiration) {
 };
 
 // Get secret key from the config file and generate an access token
-var getUserHome = function () {
+const getUserHome = function() {
     return process.env[(process.platform === 'win32') ? 'USERPROFILE' : 'HOME'];
 };
 
-module.exports = function(options) {
-    var cncrc = path.resolve(getUserHome(), '.cncrc');
-    var config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cncrc, 'utf8'));
-    var token = generateAccessToken({ id: '', name: 'pendant' }, config.secret, '30d');
+module.exports = function(options, callback) {
+    options = options || {};
+    options.secret = get(options, 'secret', process.env['CNCJS_SECRET']);
+    options.baudrate = get(options, 'baudrate', 115200);
+    options.socketAddress = get(options, 'socketAddress', 'localhost');
+    options.socketPort = get(options, 'socketPort', 8000);
+    options.controllerType = get(options, 'controllerType', 'Grbl');
+    options.accessTokenLifetime = get(options, 'accessTokenLifetime', '30d');
+
+    if (!options.secret) {
+        const cncrc = path.resolve(getUserHome(), '.cncrc');
+        try {
+            const config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cncrc, 'utf8'));
+            options.secret = config.secret;
+        } catch (err) {
+            console.error(err);
+            process.exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+
+    const token = generateAccessToken({ id: '', name: 'cncjs-pendant' }, options.secret, options.accessTokenLifetime);
+    const url = 'ws://' + options.socketAddress + ':' + options.socketPort + '?token=' + token;
 
     socket = io.connect('ws://' + options.socketAddress + ':' + options.socketPort, {
         'query': 'token=' + token
     });
+
     socket.on('connect', () => {
-        console.log('[socket.io] Connected to ' + options.socketAddress + ':' + options.socketPort);
+        console.log('Connected to ' + url);
 
         // Open port
         socket.emit('open', options.port, {
@@ -36,8 +56,8 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
         });
     });
 
-    socket.on('error', () => {
-        console.error('[socket.io] Error');
+    socket.on('error', (err) => {
+        console.error('Connection error.');
         if (socket) {
             socket.destroy();
             socket = null;
@@ -45,19 +65,28 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
     });
 
     socket.on('close', () => {
-        console.log('[socket.io] Connection close');
+        console.log('Connection closed.');
+    });
+
+    socket.on('serialport:open', function(options) {
+        options = options || {};
+
+        console.log('Connected to port "' + options.port + '" (Baud rate: ' + options.baudrate + ')');
+
+        callback(null, socket);
     });
 
-    socket.on('serialport:open', function (options) {
-        const { controllerType, port, baudrate, inuse } = options;
-        console.log('[pendant] Connected to port "' + options.port + '" (Baud rate: ' + options.baudrate + ')');
+    socket.on('serialport:error', function(options) {
+        callback(new Error('Error opening serial port "' + options.port + '"'));
     });
 
     socket.on('serialport:read', function(data) {
-        console.log(data);
+        console.log((data || '').trim());
     });
 
+    /*
     socket.on('serialport:write', function(data) {
-        console.log('> ' + data);
+        console.log((data || '').trim());
     });
+    */
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c28c743..41417c1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   "version": "0.1.0",
   "description": "A bare minimum example to develop a cncjs pendant.",
   "main": "./index.js",
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=4"
+  },
   "bin": {
     "cncjs-pendant-boilerplate": "./bin/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate"
   },
@@ -27,8 +30,11 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/cncjs/cncjs-pendant-boilerplate#readme",
   "dependencies": {
     "commander": "^2.9.0",
+    "inquirer": "^3.0.1",
     "jsonwebtoken": "^7.2.1",
+    "lodash.get": "^4.4.2",
     "serialport": "^4.0.7",
-    "socket.io-client": "^1.7.2"
+    "socket.io-client": "^1.7.2",
+    "vorpal": "^1.11.4"
   }
 }