[Dumbris]

Summary

This PR implements comprehensive Windows installer support for MCPProxy, enabling easy installation on Windows 10 version 21H2+ and Windows 11 for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures.

🎯 Features

Dual Installer Framework

• Inno Setup (Recommended): Single multi-architecture EXE installer
• WiX Toolset: Enterprise-friendly MSI format for Group Policy deployment

Automatic Configuration

• ✅ Installs both mcpproxy.exe (core server) and mcpproxy-tray.exe (GUI tray app)
• ✅ Adds installation directory to system PATH automatically
• ✅ Creates Start Menu shortcuts for easy access
• ✅ Supports in-place upgrades preserving user data in %USERPROFILE%\.mcpproxy
• ✅ Optional post-install launch of tray application
• ✅ Silent installation mode: /VERYSILENT (Inno) or /qn (MSI)

Multi-Architecture Support

• AMD64 (x64) - Intel/AMD processors
• ARM64 - ARM-based Windows devices (Surface Pro X, Windows on ARM)

🔧 Implementation Details

New Files

• scripts/installer.iss - Inno Setup installer definition
• scripts/build-windows-installer.ps1 - PowerShell build script
• wix/Package.wxs - WiX installer for AMD64
• wix/Package-arm64.wxs - WiX installer for ARM64
• specs/002-windows-installer/ - Complete feature specification and documentation

CI/CD Integration

• Release workflow (.github/workflows/release.yml):

  • Builds Windows installers for both architectures
  • Uploads to GitHub Releases as downloadable artifacts
  • Adds installation instructions to release notes

• Prerelease workflow (.github/workflows/prerelease.yml):

  • Enables testing installers from next branch
  • Artifacts available from GitHub Actions workflow runs

Bug Fixes

• Fixed Windows named pipe communication (cmd/mcpproxy-tray/internal/api/dialer.go):

  • Resolved pipe path doubling issue (//./pipe/./pipe/ → //./pipe/)
  • Reordered condition checks to prevent fallback logic errors

• Fixed process window handling (cmd/mcpproxy-tray/internal/monitor/process_windows.go):

  • Properly hides console windows using CREATE_NO_WINDOW flag

Documentation Updates

• CLAUDE.md: Added Windows installer build instructions
• README.md: Added Windows installation section with download links
• specs/002-windows-installer/: Complete feature specification including:
  • User stories and acceptance criteria
  • Technical implementation plan
  • Data model and contracts
  • Quickstart guide for developers
  • Research on installer frameworks

📦 Download & Install

After this PR is merged and a new release is created, users can download installers from:

Windows x64 (Intel/AMD):

# Download from GitHub Releases
# https://github.com/smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go/releases/latest
# → mcpproxy-setup-{version}-amd64.exe

# Install interactively
.\mcpproxy-setup-{version}-amd64.exe

# Or install silently
.\mcpproxy-setup-{version}-amd64.exe /VERYSILENT

Windows ARM64:

# Download mcpproxy-setup-{version}-arm64.exe
# Install same as above

🧪 Testing

Tested on Windows 11 ARM64 (Parallels Desktop on Apple Silicon):

• ✅ Installer builds successfully for both architectures
• ✅ System PATH configuration works correctly
• ✅ Start Menu shortcuts launch tray application
• ✅ Tray application communicates with core via named pipes
• ✅ In-place upgrades preserve user configuration
• ✅ Silent installation mode works as expected
• ✅ Uninstallation removes binaries and shortcuts cleanly

📋 User Stories Completed

P1 (MVP) - Critical

• US1: Basic Windows Installation - Installer packages both binaries
• US2: PATH Configuration - CLI access works immediately after install
• US5: CI/CD Automation - Automated builds on release and prerelease

P2 - Important

• US3: Post-Installation Launch - Optional tray app launch after install
• US6: Testing Without Main Branch - Local build script and prerelease workflow

P3 - Nice to Have

• US4: Informational Screens - Welcome/conclusion RTF screens (future enhancement)

🔍 Checklist

• Installer builds successfully on Windows
• All files install to correct locations
• System PATH is configured correctly
• Start Menu shortcuts work
• In-place upgrades preserve user data
• Silent installation mode works
• Uninstallation is clean
• CI/CD workflows updated
• Documentation updated (CLAUDE.md, README.md)
• Feature specification complete
• Named pipe communication bug fixed

📖 Additional Notes

System Requirements

• Windows 10 version 21H2 (November 2021 Update) or later
• Windows 11 (all versions)
• 100 MB disk space
• Administrator privileges for installation

Installation Behavior

• Binaries: Installed to C:\Program Files\MCPProxy
• User Data: Preserved in %USERPROFILE%\.mcpproxy
• PATH: Added to system-level (all users can access mcpproxy command)
• Shortcuts: Created in Start Menu Programs folder
• Uninstall: Available via Windows Settings → Apps → Installed Apps

Future Enhancements

• Code signing with Microsoft-issued certificate (reduces SmartScreen warnings)
• Welcome and conclusion RTF screens (US4)
• Process detection to prevent installation while app is running
• Automatic updates mechanism

Related

• Related Enhance configuration management and signal handling in mcpproxy #2-windows-installer
• Closes requirement for Windows installer distribution
• Enables Windows users to install MCPProxy with one click

[github-actions]

📦 Build Artifacts for PR #137

Version: v0.9.27-dev-309495d-pr137
Latest tag: v0.9.27

Available Artifacts

• frontend-dist-pr (177 KB)
• archive-linux-amd64 (9.7 MB)
• archive-windows-arm64 (16 MB)
• archive-darwin-arm64 (16 MB)
• installer-dmg-darwin-arm64 (18 MB)
• archive-linux-arm64 (8.8 MB)
• archive-darwin-amd64 (18 MB)
• installer-dmg-darwin-amd64 (20 MB)
• archive-windows-amd64 (18 MB)

How to Download

Option 1: GitHub Web UI (easiest)

1. Go to the workflow run page
2. Scroll to the bottom "Artifacts" section
3. Click on the artifact you want to download

Option 2: GitHub CLI

gh run download 19374705216 --repo smart-mcp-proxy/mcpproxy-go

# Or download a specific artifact:
gh run download 19374705216 --name dmg-darwin-arm64

Note: Artifacts expire in 14 days.