feat: Add support for remote services

- Added base_url field to DeployedComponent for external URL proxying
- Updated Caddyfile generator to proxy to base_url when present instead of requiring local port
- Added runner: remote handling in deploy command (returns empty run_cmd, marks as unmanaged)
- Reformatted long ternary expression in registry.py for readability

This enables castle to manage services that proxy to external endpoints without requiring a local process.

cli/src/castle_cli/commands/deploy.py

@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def _build_deployed_service(config: CastleConfig, name: str, svc: ServiceSpec) -
     env: dict[str, str] = {}
 
     # Data dir convention (for managed services)
-    managed = True  # Services are always managed by default
+    managed = run.runner != "remote"  # Remote services have no local process
     if svc.manage and svc.manage.systemd and not svc.manage.systemd.enable:
         managed = False
     if managed:
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ def _build_deployed_service(config: CastleConfig, name: str, svc: ServiceSpec) -
     if svc.component and svc.component in config.programs:
         stack = config.programs[svc.component].stack
 
+    # Remote services proxy to an external base_url
+    base_url = getattr(run, "base_url", None)
+
     return DeployedComponent(
         runner=run.runner,
         run_cmd=run_cmd,
@@ -169,6 +172,7 @@ def _build_deployed_service(config: CastleConfig, name: str, svc: ServiceSpec) -
         port=port,
         health_path=health_path,
         proxy_path=proxy_path,
+        base_url=base_url,
         managed=managed,
     )
 
@@ -322,6 +326,8 @@ def _build_run_cmd(run: object, env: dict[str, str]) -> list[str]:
             if run.args:
                 cmd.extend(run.args)
             return cmd
+        case "remote":
+            return []  # No local process for remote services
         case _:
             raise ValueError(f"Unsupported runner: {run.runner}")
 

core/src/castle_core/generators/caddyfile.py

@@ -24,12 +24,16 @@ def generate_caddyfile_from_registry(
     local_paths: set[str] = set()
 
     for name, deployed in registry.deployed.items():
-        if not deployed.proxy_path or not deployed.port:
+        if not deployed.proxy_path:
+            continue
+        # Need either a local port or a remote base_url to proxy to
+        if not deployed.port and not deployed.base_url:
             continue
 
         local_paths.add(deployed.proxy_path)
+        target = deployed.base_url or f"localhost:{deployed.port}"
         lines.append(f"    handle_path {deployed.proxy_path}/* {{")
-        lines.append(f"        reverse_proxy localhost:{deployed.port}")
+        lines.append(f"        reverse_proxy {target}")
         lines.append("    }")
         lines.append("")
 

core/src/castle_core/registry.py

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class DeployedComponent:
     port: int | None = None
     health_path: str | None = None
     proxy_path: str | None = None
+    base_url: str | None = None
     schedule: str | None = None
     managed: bool = False
 
@@ -82,7 +83,15 @@ def load_registry(path: Path | None = None) -> NodeRegistry:
         behavior = comp_data.get("behavior")
         if behavior is None:
             category = comp_data.get("category", "service")
-            behavior = "daemon" if category == "service" else "tool" if category in ("job", "tool") else "frontend" if category == "frontend" else category
+            behavior = (
+                "daemon"
+                if category == "service"
+                else "tool"
+                if category in ("job", "tool")
+                else "frontend"
+                if category == "frontend"
+                else category
+            )
         deployed[name] = DeployedComponent(
             runner=comp_data.get("runner", "command"),
             run_cmd=comp_data.get("run_cmd", []),
@@ -93,6 +102,7 @@ def load_registry(path: Path | None = None) -> NodeRegistry:
             port=comp_data.get("port"),
             health_path=comp_data.get("health_path"),
             proxy_path=comp_data.get("proxy_path"),
+            base_url=comp_data.get("base_url"),
             schedule=comp_data.get("schedule"),
             managed=comp_data.get("managed", False),
         )
@@ -136,6 +146,8 @@ def save_registry(registry: NodeRegistry, path: Path | None = None) -> None:
             entry["health_path"] = comp.health_path
         if comp.proxy_path:
             entry["proxy_path"] = comp.proxy_path
+        if comp.base_url:
+            entry["base_url"] = comp.base_url
         if comp.schedule:
             entry["schedule"] = comp.schedule
         if comp.managed: