Windows native self-hosting — no WSL2, no Docker required #27

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opened 2026-04-01 08:18:21 -07:00 by pyr0ball · 0 comments

pyr0ball commented

2026-04-01 08:18:21 -07:00

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Windows Native Self-Hosting (no WSL2, no Docker)

Support self-hosting on Windows 10/11 natively — no WSL2, no Docker, no virtualisation required.

Status

Architecture defined. Implementation tracked in cf-core.

Circuit-Forge/circuitforge-core#6: manage.py cross-platform process manager
- manage.sh / manage.ps1 become thin shims that find Python and delegate to manage.py
- Docker mode (Linux/macOS default) and Native mode (Windows primary)
- PID file management, platform-aware log tailing, platformdirs for config/data paths
- Single manage.py ships in circuitforge-core; all products shim into it

Why native over WSL2

WSL2 has 6+ silent failure modes (BIOS virt, Windows version, WSL version, driver version, Hyper-V conflicts, reboot handling) that are insurmountable for non-technical users. The CF mission — accessible tools for ND/adaptive needs users — makes native support non-negotiable.

Why this matters for accessibility

Many users in the target demographic (ND, limited tech support) are on Windows
Docker Desktop on Windows is resource-heavy and frequently broken after updates
A python manage.py start that just works is the accessibility baseline

Blocker

Circuitforge-core manage.py (#6 above) must ship before any product can advertise Windows native support.

## Windows Native Self-Hosting (no WSL2, no Docker) Support self-hosting on Windows 10/11 natively — no WSL2, no Docker, no virtualisation required. ### Status **Architecture defined. Implementation tracked in cf-core.** - [Circuit-Forge/circuitforge-core#6](https://git.opensourcesolarpunk.com/Circuit-Forge/circuitforge-core/issues/6): `manage.py` cross-platform process manager - `manage.sh` / `manage.ps1` become thin shims that find Python and delegate to `manage.py` - Docker mode (Linux/macOS default) and Native mode (Windows primary) - PID file management, platform-aware log tailing, `platformdirs` for config/data paths - Single `manage.py` ships in circuitforge-core; all products shim into it ### Why native over WSL2 WSL2 has 6+ silent failure modes (BIOS virt, Windows version, WSL version, driver version, Hyper-V conflicts, reboot handling) that are insurmountable for non-technical users. The CF mission — accessible tools for ND/adaptive needs users — makes native support non-negotiable. ### Why this matters for accessibility - Many users in the target demographic (ND, limited tech support) are on Windows - Docker Desktop on Windows is resource-heavy and frequently broken after updates - A `python manage.py start` that just works is the accessibility baseline ### Blocker Circuitforge-core `manage.py` (#6 above) must ship before any product can advertise Windows native support.