diff --git a/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py b/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
index 173e5fd..957dfbc 100644
--- a/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
+++ b/cli/src/castle_cli/commands/create.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ STACK_BUILD_OUTPUTS: dict[str, str] = {
"hugo": "public",
}
+# Stacks whose static output is a multi-page content site (not a single-page app):
+# the gateway resolves directory indexes and 404s missing paths instead of falling
+# back to the root index.html. See CaddyDeployment.spa.
+CONTENT_SITE_STACKS: set[str] = {"hugo"}
+
# Substrate a stack's apps depend on — seeded as a deployment `requires` at creation
# so the relationship graph shows it. This keeps `stack` uncoupled from the runtime
# model: the stack declares the edge once here; the graph only ever reads the encoded
@@ -142,6 +147,7 @@ def run_create(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
manager="caddy",
program=name,
root=static_root or "dist",
+ spa=stack not in CONTENT_SITE_STACKS,
description=description,
requires=seeded_requires,
)
diff --git a/core/src/castle_core/deploy.py b/core/src/castle_core/deploy.py
index 33e9a6f..a813095 100644
--- a/core/src/castle_core/deploy.py
+++ b/core/src/castle_core/deploy.py
@@ -743,6 +743,7 @@ def _build_deployed(
public=bool(dep.public),
public_host=(dep.public_host if dep.public else None),
static_root=static_root,
+ spa=dep.spa,
managed=False,
enabled=dep.enabled,
requires=_registry_requires(dep),
diff --git a/core/src/castle_core/generators/caddyfile.py b/core/src/castle_core/generators/caddyfile.py
index 1887e08..756c6e6 100644
--- a/core/src/castle_core/generators/caddyfile.py
+++ b/core/src/castle_core/generators/caddyfile.py
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ class GatewayRoute:
# Optional exact public-facing FQDN override (apex allowed). When set, the
# public name is this instead of the derived
..
public_host: str | None = None
+ # static routes only: SPA fallback (True) vs content-site serving (False).
+ spa: bool = True
@property
def is_host(self) -> bool:
@@ -70,15 +72,15 @@ def service_proxy_targets(name: str, dep: SystemdDeployment) -> ProxyTargets:
def _local_routes(
config: CastleConfig | None, registry: NodeRegistry
-) -> list[tuple[str, str, str, bool, str | None]]:
- """Each local deployment's route as ``(name, kind, target, public, public_host)``.
+) -> list[tuple[str, str, str, bool, str | None, bool]]:
+ """Each local deployment's route as ``(name, kind, target, public, public_host, spa)``.
``kind`` is ``static`` (a caddy deployment — file-serve a built dir) or
``proxy`` (a proxied systemd process). Prefers ``castle.yaml``
(``config.deployments``) so a regenerated Caddyfile reflects the current spec;
falls back to the deployed registry snapshot when config isn't available.
"""
- out: list[tuple[str, str, str, bool, str | None]] = []
+ out: list[tuple[str, str, str, bool, str | None, bool]] = []
if config is not None:
# Only HTTP-exposed kinds route: static (file-serve) and service (proxy).
# jobs/tools/references never do.
@@ -91,21 +93,21 @@ def _local_routes(
src = _program_source(config, dep.program)
if src is not None:
pub_host = dep.public_host if dep.public else None
- out.append((name, "static", str(src / dep.root), bool(dep.public), pub_host))
+ out.append((name, "static", str(src / dep.root), bool(dep.public), pub_host, dep.spa))
elif kind == "service" and isinstance(dep, SystemdDeployment):
expose, port, base_url = service_proxy_targets(name, dep)
if expose and (port or base_url):
pub_host = dep.public_host if dep.public else None
- out.append((name, "proxy", base_url or f"localhost:{port}", bool(dep.public), pub_host))
+ out.append((name, "proxy", base_url or f"localhost:{port}", bool(dep.public), pub_host, True))
return out
# No config → route from the deployed registry snapshot.
for _kind, name, d in registry.all():
if not d.enabled:
continue
if d.static_root:
- out.append((name, "static", d.static_root, d.public, d.public_host))
+ out.append((name, "static", d.static_root, d.public, d.public_host, d.spa))
elif d.subdomain and (d.port or d.base_url):
- out.append((name, "proxy", d.base_url or f"localhost:{d.port}", d.public, d.public_host))
+ out.append((name, "proxy", d.base_url or f"localhost:{d.port}", d.public, d.public_host, True))
return out
@@ -146,8 +148,8 @@ def compute_routes(
# built dir; everything else that's exposed reverse-proxies its port/base_url.
# (Static frontends are `runner: static` services now — no separate program
# branch, so routing derives from one place.)
- for name, kind, target, is_public, pub_host in _local_routes(config, registry):
- routes.append(GatewayRoute(name, kind, target, name, node, is_public, pub_host))
+ for name, kind, target, is_public, pub_host, spa in _local_routes(config, registry):
+ routes.append(GatewayRoute(name, kind, target, name, node, is_public, pub_host, spa))
if remote_registries:
routes.extend(_remote_routes(config, registry, remote_registries))
@@ -229,21 +231,30 @@ def _host_remote_block(label: str, host: str, target: str) -> list[str]:
]
-def _host_static_block(label: str, host: str, serve_dir: str) -> list[str]:
- """A host matcher that file-serves a frontend's dist (with SPA fallback)."""
+def _static_serve_lines(serve_dir: str, spa: bool, indent: str) -> list[str]:
+ """The `root`/`file_server` body for a static site. SPA sites get a fallback to
+ the root `index.html` (client-side routing); content sites (Hugo) get plain
+ `file_server`, which resolves directory indexes and 404s missing paths."""
+ lines = [f"{indent}root * {serve_dir}"]
+ if spa:
+ lines.append(indent + "try_files {path} /index.html")
+ lines.append(f"{indent}file_server")
+ return lines
+
+
+def _host_static_block(label: str, host: str, serve_dir: str, spa: bool) -> list[str]:
+ """A host matcher that file-serves a frontend's dist."""
matcher = f"@host_{label.replace('-', '_').replace('.', '_')}"
return [
f" {matcher} host {host}",
f" handle {matcher} {{",
- f" root * {serve_dir}",
- " try_files {path} /index.html",
- " file_server",
+ *_static_serve_lines(serve_dir, spa, " "),
" }",
"",
]
-def _public_site_block(host: str, kind: str, target: str) -> list[str]:
+def _public_site_block(host: str, kind: str, target: str, spa: bool = True) -> list[str]:
"""A standalone Caddy site for a custom ``public_host`` (apex or another zone).
Unlike the ``*.`` wildcard site, an apex/foreign host isn't
@@ -251,11 +262,7 @@ def _public_site_block(host: str, kind: str, target: str) -> list[str]:
host's cert via the global ``acme_dns`` (DNS-01) — provided the gateway's
Cloudflare token can edit the host's zone."""
if kind == "static":
- body = [
- f" root * {target}",
- " try_files {path} /index.html",
- " file_server",
- ]
+ body = _static_serve_lines(target, spa, " ")
elif kind == "remote":
body = [
f" reverse_proxy {target} {{",
@@ -334,7 +341,7 @@ def generate_caddyfile_from_registry(
for r in routes:
host = f"{r.address}.{domain}"
if r.kind == "static":
- lines += _host_static_block(r.name or r.address, host, r.target)
+ lines += _host_static_block(r.name or r.address, host, r.target, r.spa)
elif r.kind == "remote":
lines += _host_remote_block(r.name or r.address, host, r.target)
else:
@@ -359,7 +366,7 @@ def generate_caddyfile_from_registry(
host = f"{r.address}.{public_domain}"
label = f"{r.name or r.address}_pub"
if r.kind == "static":
- lines += _host_static_block(label, host, r.target)
+ lines += _host_static_block(label, host, r.target, r.spa)
elif r.kind == "remote":
lines += _host_remote_block(label, host, r.target)
else:
@@ -368,7 +375,7 @@ def generate_caddyfile_from_registry(
lines.append("")
for r in custom_pub:
if r.public_host: # always true (custom_pub filter); narrows the type
- lines += _public_site_block(r.public_host, r.kind, r.target)
+ lines += _public_site_block(r.public_host, r.kind, r.target, r.spa)
# Redirect the bare gateway port to the dashboard subdomain.
lines += [
f":{gw_port} {{",
diff --git a/core/src/castle_core/manifest.py b/core/src/castle_core/manifest.py
index 9f3cc6b..e24c57e 100644
--- a/core/src/castle_core/manifest.py
+++ b/core/src/castle_core/manifest.py
@@ -513,6 +513,13 @@ class CaddyDeployment(DeploymentBase):
manager: Literal["caddy"]
root: str = "dist"
+ # Serving strategy. `True` (default) → SPA fallback: any unmatched path serves
+ # the root `index.html` so a client-side router (React/Vite) takes over. `False`
+ # → content-site serving: the gateway resolves directory indexes (`/posts/` →
+ # `/posts/index.html`) and 404s genuinely-missing paths — correct for Hugo and
+ # other multi-page static sites, where the SPA fallback would swallow every
+ # in-site link back to the homepage.
+ spa: bool = True
# A static site is inherently served at its subdomain, so `reach` is
# `internal` or `public` (never `off`). `public` = also project via the tunnel.
reach: Reach = Reach.INTERNAL
diff --git a/core/src/castle_core/registry.py b/core/src/castle_core/registry.py
index fe05dc0..08764ce 100644
--- a/core/src/castle_core/registry.py
+++ b/core/src/castle_core/registry.py
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ class Deployment:
# For `static` runner services: the absolute dir the gateway file_servers.
# Set → the route is `static` (file_server) rather than `proxy` (reverse_proxy).
static_root: str | None = None
+ # For `static` routes: SPA fallback (True, default) vs content-site serving
+ # (False, Hugo/multi-page). See CaddyDeployment.spa.
+ spa: bool = True
base_url: str | None = None
schedule: str | None = None
managed: bool = False
@@ -192,6 +195,7 @@ def load_registry(path: Path | None = None) -> NodeRegistry:
public_host=comp_data.get("public_host"),
tcp_port=comp_data.get("tcp_port"),
static_root=comp_data.get("static_root"),
+ spa=comp_data.get("spa", True),
base_url=comp_data.get("base_url"),
schedule=comp_data.get("schedule"),
managed=comp_data.get("managed", False),
@@ -273,6 +277,10 @@ def save_registry(registry: NodeRegistry, path: Path | None = None) -> None:
entry["tcp_port"] = comp.tcp_port
if comp.static_root:
entry["static_root"] = comp.static_root
+ # Only emit when non-default (content-site) — default-True omission keeps
+ # existing registries byte-identical and matches the load-side default.
+ if not comp.spa:
+ entry["spa"] = comp.spa
if comp.base_url:
entry["base_url"] = comp.base_url
if comp.schedule:
diff --git a/docs/stacks/hugo.md b/docs/stacks/hugo.md
index 37c367c..8588161 100644
--- a/docs/stacks/hugo.md
+++ b/docs/stacks/hugo.md
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ How to build, serve, and manage [Hugo](https://gohugo.io) sites as castle progra
- Generator: Hugo (extended recommended — needed for SCSS/asset processing)
- Build: `hugo --gc --minify` → `public/`
-- Served: `manager: caddy` static deployment, in place at `.`
+- Served: `manager: caddy` static deployment, in place at `.`,
+ with `spa: false` — the gateway resolves directory indexes (`/posts/` →
+ `/posts/index.html`) and 404s missing paths. (The default `spa: true` is a
+ single-page-app fallback that serves the root `index.html` for every unmatched
+ path — correct for React/Vite, but it swallows a Hugo site's in-page links back
+ to the homepage. `castle program create --stack hugo` sets `spa: false` for you.)
- Package manager (only if a theme needs an asset pipeline): pnpm
Hugo has one meaningful dev verb — **build**. It has no native lint/test/type-check,