Repo-side rename only (Phases 1-3 of the migration plan); the live box (~/.castle, systemd units, /data/castle, domains) is a separate cutover. - Slug `castle` -> `wildpc`: CLI command, module names (wildpc_core/cli/api), dist names, entry point `wildpc = wildpc_cli.main:main`. - Identifiers: CastleConfig/NATSClient/DirError/MDNS -> Wildpc*. - Env/constants: CASTLE_* -> WILDPC_*; ~/.castle -> ~/.wildpc, castle.yaml -> wildpc.yaml, /data/castle -> /data/wildpc. - Systemd UNIT_PREFIX castle- -> wildpc-; own programs castle-api/gateway/etc. - Display prose "Castle" -> "Wild PC" in docs, agent-guide files, README, frontend. - Package dirs and bootstrap yaml renamed via git mv; lockfiles regenerated; redundant nested uv.lock files dropped (workspace root lock is authoritative). Tests: core 273, cli 47, wildpc-api 120 all pass. Frontend type-checks + builds. Fixed a stale test fixture (secret_env_path kind arg) broken pre-rename.
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Registry
How wildpc tracks, configures, and manages programs and their deployments.
This is the central reference for wildpc.yaml structure and the registry
architecture.
Vocabulary (canonical)
Use these terms consistently across code, CLI, API, and docs.
- program — any project wildpc manages, regardless of what it does. The
software catalog (
programs/). Every program has an optional stack. ("component" was the old name for program — don't use it.) - stack — a creation-time toolchain + scaffold template (
python-cli,python-fastapi,react-vite). Optional; seeds a program's default dev commands but isn't required at runtime. - deployment — a program materialized into this node's runtime
(
deployments/). Every deployment is discriminated on itsmanager. - manager — who supervises or realizes a deployment:
systemd(a process, or with aschedulea.timer),caddy(a gateway static file_server route),path(a CLI installed on PATH viauv tool install), ornone(an external remote reference). The manager is the deployment's stored discriminant. - launcher — for
manager: systemdonly, the process-launch mechanism in the nestedrun:block:python|command|container|compose|node. Non-systemd managers have norun:/launcher. - kind — the human-facing label, derived from the manager (+ schedule),
never stored: systemd+
schedule→ job, systemd → service, caddy → static, path → tool, none → reference. (kind replaces the oldbehavior; the oldfrontendkind is nowstatic.)
Two orthogonal axes. manager is who realizes a deployment; kind is
the derived label describing what it is. A program may have no deployment (a
program you just develop), a service (always-on), a job (scheduled), a
tool (installed on PATH), or a static (a built frontend served by the
gateway). A single deployments/<name>.yaml file carries the whole thing.
Configuration Directory Layout
Wild PC splits its configuration across a root directory (~/.wildpc/ or your config root) instead of a single file:
~/.wildpc/
├── wildpc.yaml # Global settings (gateway, repo, etc.)
├── programs/ # Program configuration files (one file per program)
│ └── my-tool.yaml
└── deployments/ # Deployment configuration files (one file per deployment)
├── my-service.yaml # manager: systemd → kind: service
├── nightly.yaml # manager: systemd + schedule → kind: job
├── my-tool.yaml # manager: path → kind: tool
└── my-app.yaml # manager: caddy → kind: static
wildpc.yaml (Globals)
The core wildpc.yaml contains configuration settings that apply globally to your Wild PC platform instance:
gateway:
port: 9000
repo: /data/repos/wildpc
data_dir: /data/wildpc # optional — where program/service data lives
repos_dir: /data/repos # optional — default home for new program source repos
data_dir / repos_dir — the configurable roots. Both are optional and omitted
by default (the built-ins /data/wildpc and /data/repos apply). Each resolves with
precedence env var > wildpc.yaml > built-in default:
| root | env override | wildpc.yaml key | default |
|---|---|---|---|
program data (${data_dir} base) |
WILDPC_DATA_DIR |
data_dir: |
/data/wildpc |
new-repo home (wildpc create/add/clone) |
WILDPC_REPOS_DIR |
repos_dir: |
/data/repos |
Put the value in wildpc.yaml, not an env var. The wildpc CLI and the wildpc-api
service each resolve config independently in their own process; a per-shell env var is
seen by only one of them, so the two silently diverge (and apply crashes if the
resolved dir — e.g. a non-existent /data/wildpc — can't be created). Persisting the
choice in wildpc.yaml is the single source of truth both read. install.sh writes
these keys when you install with WILDPC_DATA_DIR/WILDPC_REPOS_DIR set; wildpc doctor flags a data dir that isn't writable, or an env var that's overriding the file.
(WILDPC_HOME, the dir that contains wildpc.yaml, stays env-or-default ~/.wildpc —
it can't be defined inside the file it locates.)
Resource Configuration Files (programs/, deployments/)
Each resource (a program or a deployment) is configured in its own YAML file named after the resource's unique ID (e.g., deployments/my-service.yaml defines the deployment my-service).
programs/my-tool.yaml:
description: Does something useful
source: /data/repos/my-tool
stack: python-cli
system_dependencies: [pandoc]
deployments/my-service.yaml (a service — manager: systemd, no schedule):
program: my-service
manager: systemd
run: { launcher: python, program: my-service }
expose:
http:
internal: { port: 9001 }
health_path: /health
proxy: true # expose at my-service.<gateway.domain>
manage:
systemd: {}
deployments/nightly.yaml (a job — manager: systemd + schedule):
program: my-tool
manager: systemd
run: { launcher: command, argv: [my-tool, sync] }
schedule: "0 2 * * *"
manage:
systemd: {}
deployments/my-tool.yaml (a tool — manager: path, no run:):
program: my-tool
manager: path
deployments/my-app.yaml (a static frontend — manager: caddy, no run:):
program: my-app
manager: caddy
root: dist
Resource Categories
| Category | Location | Purpose | Kinds (derived) |
|---|---|---|---|
| programs | programs/*.yaml |
Software catalog — what software exists | — |
| deployments | deployments/*.yaml |
How a program is realized on this node | service, job, tool, static, reference |
A deployment can reference a program via program: for description fallthrough
and source code linking. It can also exist independently (e.g., wildpc-gateway
runs Caddy — not our software). The kind is derived from manager (+
schedule), never stored.
Program blocks
Programs define what software exists — identity, source, builds. How a
program is used is not a program property: it's decided by its deployment's
manager and surfaces as the derived kind (service/job/tool/static/reference).
A program with no deployment is just source wildpc knows how to develop.
source — Where the source lives
source: /data/repos/my-tool # your programs, under $WILDPC_REPOS_DIR
source: repo:wildpc-api # wildpc's own programs, inside the git repo
The source path is resolved one of three ways (core/src/wildpc_core/config.py):
source: value |
Resolves to | Used for |
|---|---|---|
/data/repos/my-tool (absolute) |
as-is | Your own programs (the default) |
repo:wildpc-api |
<repo>/wildpc-api (via the top-level repo: field) |
Wild PC's built-in programs |
code/my-tool (relative) |
$WILDPC_HOME/code/my-tool |
Legacy — pre-/data/repos layout |
Programs you create or adopt live under $WILDPC_REPOS_DIR (default
/data/repos, override with WILDPC_REPOS_DIR) and are recorded with an
absolute source:. Wild PC's own programs (CLI, core, wildpc-api, app) live
in the git repo and use the repo: prefix. A relative source: still resolves
against $WILDPC_HOME for back-compat, but new programs no longer use it.
stack — Development toolchain (optional)
stack: python-fastapi # or: python-cli, react-vite — OPTIONAL
A stack provides default dev-verb commands (build/test/lint/type-check/…)
and a scaffold template for new code. It is optional: a program with no
stack works fine as long as it declares its own commands:. Stacks are a
creation-time convenience, not a runtime requirement.
commands — Per-program dev verbs
commands:
lint: [["ruff", "check", "."]]
test: [["pytest", "tests/"]]
run: [["./bin/my-tool", "--serve"]]
Each verb is a list of argv lists (run in sequence). A declared verb overrides
the stack default; an absent verb falls back to the stack handler (if any), else
the verb is unavailable. build is declared via build: (it also carries
outputs:); every other verb via commands:. This is what lets a wired-in repo
with no stack be linted/tested/run. Verb resolution lives in
core/src/wildpc_core/stacks.py (run_action, available_actions).
repo / ref — Wiring in an existing repo
repo: https://github.com/me/widget.git
ref: v2.1.0 # optional branch/tag/commit
repo records a git URL so wildpc program clone can provision the source on a fresh
machine. When source: points at an existing working copy, that takes
precedence. Use wildpc program add <path|url> to register an existing repo as a program.
system_dependencies — Required system packages
system_dependencies: [pandoc, poppler-utils]
System packages that must be installed for the program to work. Displayed
in wildpc tool list / wildpc tool info and the dashboard.
version — Program version
version: "1.0.0"
Optional version metadata.
build — How to build it
build:
commands:
- ["pnpm", "build"]
outputs:
- dist/
Programs with build outputs are typically served as static deployments.
Deployment blocks
Deployments define how a program is realized on this node. Every deployment
declares a manager — who makes it available and supervises its lifecycle:
manager — Who realizes it (the discriminant)
A deployment is a managed materialization of a program. Its manager is
the stored discriminant — the single axis wildpc apply and status dispatch on
(it's what makes activation polymorphic: one verb, kind-specific mechanism):
| Manager | Makes available as | Launch mechanism | how apply activates |
Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| systemd | a running process (or a .timer for jobs) |
nested run: { launcher: … } |
systemctl enable --now |
service / job |
| caddy | a gateway static file_server route | (none — files on disk; root:) |
wire the route + reload | static |
| path | an installed CLI on PATH |
(none — uv tool install) |
uv tool install |
tool |
| none | an external reference | (none; base_url:/health_url:) |
(nothing — not ours) | reference |
The kind (service/job/tool/static/reference) is derived from manager (+
schedule) — it never drives logic and is never stored. DeploymentSpec is a
discriminated union on manager (SystemdDeployment/CaddyDeployment/
PathDeployment/RemoteDeployment); see Manifest models.
run — How to launch it (systemd only)
For manager: systemd only, the nested run: block carries a launcher
— the process-launch mechanism. Non-systemd managers have no run:/launcher;
their fields live directly on the deployment (caddy has root:, none has
base_url:/health_url:).
Nested launch spec, discriminated union on launcher:
| Launcher | Deploy | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
python |
uv run --project <source> --no-dev <program> |
program, args |
command |
which(argv[0]) → resolved path |
argv |
container |
docker/podman run |
image, command, ports, volumes |
compose |
docker compose -p <project> -f <file> up (+ ExecStop=down) |
file, project_name |
node |
package_manager run script |
script, package_manager |
A python launcher runs in place from its own project venv via uv run, which
syncs the env to the project's lockfile before launching. There is no separate
tool venv and no uv tool install step: a restart picks up both code and
dependency changes (the deploy-time ExecStart is deterministic from source,
so it never goes stale). uv tool install is reserved for manager: path
deployments (tools), where being on a human's PATH is the point. If a python
launcher declares a program with no resolvable source, deploy falls back to a
PATH lookup of the script.
manager: systemd
run:
launcher: python
program: my-service # name in [project.scripts]
A compose launcher supervises a whole multi-container stack as one systemd
unit — ExecStart runs docker compose … up attached (Type=simple) and a
generated ExecStop runs … down so networks/anonymous volumes are reclaimed on
stop. Unlike the single-container container launcher, compose owns the stack's own
networking, startup ordering, and per-service health — Wild PC delegates rather
than reinventing orchestration. Secrets/env reach compose through the unit's
Environment=/EnvironmentFile= (from defaults.env), which compose interpolates
from the process environment. This is what runs the shared Supabase substrate
(see @docs/stacks/supabase.md).
manager: systemd
run:
launcher: compose
file: docker-compose.yml # resolved under the program source
# project_name: wildpc-my-stack # optional; defaults to wildpc-<name>
root — Static frontend (caddy only)
For manager: caddy, root: names the built-frontend directory (relative to the
program source) that the gateway serves via file_server. There is no process
and no run: block.
manager: caddy
root: dist # served at <name>.<gateway.domain>
base_url / health_url — Remote reference (none only)
For manager: none, the deployment is an external reference — a service on
another node — with no local process. It carries base_url: and health_url:
directly.
expose — What it exposes
expose:
http:
internal:
port: 9001 # Required for HTTP services
health_path: /health # Used by health polling
proxy — Expose the service at a subdomain
proxy is a checkbox (a bool): true means the gateway routes
<service-name>.<gateway.domain> to this service; omitted/false means the
service is reachable only at its own host:port.
proxy: true # expose at <service-name>.<gateway.domain>
public — Also expose to the public internet (opt-in)
public: true additionally projects a proxied service to the public internet via a
Cloudflare tunnel, at <service-name>.<gateway.public_domain> (a separate zone,
so internal subdomain names stay out of public DNS). Defaults to false — public is
explicit — and requires proxy: true. wildpc apply generates the cloudflared
ingress from the set of public services. Needs gateway.public_domain +
gateway.tunnel_id set and the wildpc-tunnel service running; see
@docs/tunnel-setup.md for the one-time setup.
proxy: true
public: true # also reachable at <service-name>.<gateway.public_domain>
The subdomain is always the service name — there's nothing to customize (rename the
service to change it). There are no path-prefix routes: a whole subdomain maps
to the backend root, so root-relative asset URLs and window.location-derived
WebSocket URLs just work (the failure mode of the old prefix-stripping handle_path
routes is gone). Caddy proxies WebSocket upgrades transparently.
public_host — Publish on a different domain / apex (opt-in)
gateway.public_domain is the default public zone. To project a specific
deployment on a different domain, or at an apex (payne.io, which can't be a
<name>.<zone> subdomain), set an exact public_host FQDN on the deployment (only
valid with reach: public / public: true):
reach: public
public_host: payne.io # exact hostname; overrides <name>.<public_domain>
The tunnel origin still bridges to the internal <name>.<gateway.domain> host, and
the gateway also serves the custom host LAN-direct with its own DNS-01 cert. The
public CNAME is reconciled into whichever accessible Cloudflare zone is the host's
longest suffix, so the CLOUDFLARE_PUBLIC_DNS_TOKEN (and the gateway's
CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN, for the cert) must have DNS:Edit on that zone. A
deployment with public_host publishes even with no node-wide public_domain. Full
prerequisites (tokens + LAN DNS for the apex): @docs/tunnel-setup.md.
Gateway routes — one concept, three target kinds. The gateway maps a public
address (always a subdomain host, <name>.<domain>) to a target:
| Kind | Target | Declared by |
|---|---|---|
| proxy | a local service on a port — Caddy reverse_proxy localhost:PORT |
a service's proxy: true |
| static | a built frontend's dist/ — Caddy file_server (no process) |
a manager: caddy deployment (kind static) with a root: (served at <name>.<domain>) |
| remote | a service on another node | mesh discovery (out of scope of the single-node gateway) |
"Serving a frontend" and "proxying a service" are the same thing — a subdomain
route — differing only in whether the target is files on disk or a live process.
The table is shown by wildpc gateway status, the dashboard Gateway panel, and
GET /gateway; the Caddyfile is generated from it.
The dashboard and its API. wildpc (the dashboard frontend) and wildpc-api
are just two such subdomains (wildpc.<domain>, wildpc-api.<domain>); the
dashboard calls the API cross-origin (wildpc-api allows CORS *). The bare
gateway port (:9000) redirects to the dashboard subdomain. On a node with no
domain (gateway.tls: off), there are no subdomains, so :9000 serves just the
control plane — the dashboard at / plus a /api reverse-proxy to wildpc-api —
and other services stay port-only.
Host routes need DNS, and the gateway is HTTP-only
A host route only does something once <host> resolves to this node. For a
LAN .lan zone that's the LAN's DNS authority (typically the router that hands
out .lan DHCP names) — not necessarily any central/mesh resolver. A single
dnsmasq wildcard routes every subdomain to the gateway, so each new host-routed
service works with no further DNS edits:
address=/<node>.lan/<node-ip> # e.g. address=/node.lan/192.0.2.10
Pin <node-ip> with a DHCP reservation — the wildcard hardcodes it.
By default the gateway is HTTP-only: it generates auto_https off and listens
on a bare :<gateway-port> (default :9000), so reach it at http://<host>:9000/,
not https:// (a TLS hello to the plain-HTTP listener fails with "wrong
version number"). gateway.tls has two values:
gateway.tls |
listener | host routes | cert / trust |
|---|---|---|---|
off (default/unset) |
:<port> HTTP, auto_https off |
host matcher on :<port> |
none |
acme |
one *.<domain> :443 site |
matcher inside the wildcard site | real Let's Encrypt wildcard, no CA install |
In off mode all routes stay on the HTTP :<port> site — the way to put a
service on HTTPS is to set proxy: true (and use acme mode). A node with no public
domain stays on off (plain HTTP; use localhost/direct ports for anything that
needs a secure context).
HTTPS matters beyond encryption: only https:// (and http://localhost) is a
browser secure context, the prerequisite for WebCrypto/crypto.subtle — which
apps doing device identity or end-to-end crypto require and browsers disable on
plain-HTTP LAN hosts. That's the reason to move such a service to a host route with
acme.
Bind 443/80. The acme HTTPS site listens on :443 (and redirects :80). A
user-level gateway can't bind privileged ports under NoNewPrivileges, so lower
the floor once: net.ipv4.ip_unprivileged_port_start=80 (persist in
/etc/sysctl.d/). This beats setcap, which NoNewPrivileges=true would void.
Publicly-trusted HTTPS — gateway.tls: acme
A private-CA approach would force every client device to trust a custom root —
which some platforms (e.g. Android browsers, and Firefox, which uses its own
store) make painful — so Wild PC doesn't offer one. acme mode avoids it entirely:
Caddy obtains a
real Let's Encrypt wildcard cert (*.<domain>) via a DNS-01 challenge, so
every browser trusts it with zero CA install — while the services stay
internal-only.
gateway:
port: 9000
tls: acme
domain: example.com # wildcard cert *.example.com; services → <name>.example.com
acme_email: you@example.com
acme_dns_provider: cloudflare # default
{
email you@example.com
acme_dns cloudflare {env.CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN}
}
*.example.com {
@host_openclaw host openclaw.example.com
handle @host_openclaw {
reverse_proxy localhost:18789
}
}
How it stays internal-only: DNS-01 proves domain ownership by having Caddy write a
transient _acme-challenge TXT to the public zone via the DNS provider API —
it needs no inbound exposure and no public A records for the services. Only your
LAN DNS resolves *.<domain> to the gateway's private IP. (HTTP-01 can't
validate a wildcard, so DNS-01 — and thus the provider token — is mandatory here.)
Every subdomain is the service name: a service sets proxy: true and
is published at <name>.<domain>. Services stay domain-agnostic (switching
gateway.domain needs no service edits). One *.<domain> site means a single cert
covers every route — adding a service needs no new cert.
Setup (the parts wildpc can't do for you):
- DNS-plugin Caddy. Stock Caddy has no DNS modules; build one with the
provider plugin:
./install.sh --with-dns-plugin=cloudflare(usesxcaddy, installs to/usr/local/bin/caddy, which the gateway picks up on next deploy). - Provider token. Store a scoped API token as the
CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKENsecret (Cloudflare scope: Zone → DNS → Edit), and map it into the gateway service env — add todeployments/wildpc-gateway.yaml:defaults: env: CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN: ${secret:CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN}wildpc applywarns if the domain, this env var, or the secret is missing. - LAN DNS. Add a wildcard on your LAN's DNS server (usually the router)
pointing
*.<domain>at the gateway's private IP —address=/<domain>/<gateway-ip>(dnsmasq) or the equivalent A record. The public zone gets no A records, so services aren't externally reachable. - Staging first. Set
WILDPC_ACME_STAGING=1to use Let's Encrypt's staging CA (its rate limits are generous) while verifying issuance, then unset it and redeploy to get a browser-trusted production cert. Verify withopenssl s_client -connect <ip>:443 -servername claw.<domain> | openssl x509 -noout -issuer.
The 443/80 bind requirement (above) applies here. There's no CA to distribute — the wildcard is publicly trusted.
Routing only moves bytes — it does not supply the proxied app's own auth.
If a backend requires a token/credential (e.g. in the URL or a header), that
stays the client's responsibility through the gateway exactly as it would direct.
A host served over HTTPS also has its own origin (https://foo.lan, no port);
an app that allowlists origins must include it.
manage — How to manage it
manage:
systemd: {}
Marks the deployment systemd-managed, so wildpc apply generates and reconciles
its unit (and wildpc service logs tails it). An empty {} uses defaults
(enable=true, restart=on-failure, restart_sec=2).
Full options:
manage:
systemd:
description: Custom unit description
restart: always # on-failure | always | no
restart_sec: 2
no_new_privileges: true
after: [network.target, wildpc-other.service]
wanted_by: [default.target]
exec_reload: "caddy reload ..."
defaults — Environment
defaults.env is the single, explicit source of the env a service/job runs
with — what you write here is exactly what lands in the systemd unit. Wild PC
does not inject hidden convention vars; whatever env var your program reads
for its port, data dir, etc., you map here.
expose: { http: { internal: { port: 9001 }, health_path: /health } }
defaults:
env:
MY_SERVICE_PORT: ${port} # the program's own port var ← expose.port
MY_SERVICE_DATA_DIR: ${data_dir} # = $WILDPC_DATA_DIR/<name>
CENTRAL_CONTEXT_URL: http://localhost:9001
API_KEY: ${secret:MY_API_KEY}
Values may contain placeholders that wildpc resolves at deploy:
| Placeholder | Expands to |
|---|---|
${port} |
the service's expose.http.internal.port (so it can't drift) |
${data_dir} |
$WILDPC_DATA_DIR/<program-or-name> (the dedicated data volume) |
${name} |
the deployment name |
${public_url} |
the service's gateway-facing base URL — https://<name>.<domain> when exposed under tls: acme, else the node-local http://localhost:<port>. The origin an app allowlists (CORS/WebSocket/secure-context); tracks gateway.domain, so a domain change needs no app edit. |
${secret:NAME} |
the contents of ~/.wildpc/secrets/NAME |
Hardcode the values instead if you prefer; the placeholders just save you from
repeating wildpc's computed paths/ports. wildpc program create scaffolds the
${port}/${data_dir} lines for new services. Never store secrets in
wildpc.yaml — use ${secret:…}.
Job fields
A job is just a manager: systemd deployment that also carries a
schedule — the derived kind flips from service to job. Same blocks as a
service (nested run: launch, manage, defaults) plus schedule and
timezone.
schedule — Cron expression (required for a job)
schedule: "*/5 * * * *"
timezone: America/Los_Angeles # default
Wild PC generates a systemd .timer file alongside the .service unit.
How programs get into /data/repos/
Every program's source lives under $WILDPC_REPOS_DIR (default /data/repos/<name>/).
It can arrive there a few ways:
- Scaffold a new one with
wildpc program create— writes the project into/data/repos/<name>/and registers it inwildpc.yamlwith an absolutesource: /data/repos/<name>. - Adopt an existing repo —
wildpc program add <path|git-url>registers it in place (or records itsrepo:URL forwildpc program clone). - Drop files in directly — a
/data/repos/<name>/directory is just a working tree; it doesn't have to be under version control to be run.
/data/repos/ holds independent repos — each program directory manages its own
version control (or none); some are standalone git clones, others loose files.
Wild PC's own programs (CLI, core, wildpc-api, app) are the exception: they live
inside the wildpc git repo and are referenced with source: repo:<name>.
Registering a new program
Via wildpc program create (recommended)
# Service — scaffolds into /data/repos/, assigns port, registers in wildpc.yaml
wildpc program create my-service --stack python-fastapi --description "Does something"
# Tool — scaffolds into /data/repos/
wildpc program create my-tool --stack python-cli --description "Does something"
Manually
Clone or create the project under /data/repos/, then add a programs/<name>.yaml
file (plus a deployments/<name>.yaml file if it's deployed):
# Tool — programs/my-tool.yaml (a program)
description: Does something useful
source: /data/repos/my-tool
stack: python-cli
# Tool — deployments/my-tool.yaml (installed on PATH → kind: tool)
program: my-tool
manager: path
# Service — programs/my-service.yaml (a program)
description: Does something useful
source: /data/repos/my-service
stack: python-fastapi
# Service — deployments/my-service.yaml (manager: systemd → kind: service)
program: my-service
manager: systemd
run:
launcher: python
program: my-service
expose:
http:
internal: { port: 9001 }
health_path: /health
proxy: true # expose at my-service.<gateway.domain>
manage:
systemd: {}
Lifecycle
One flow for every kind — scaffold, implement, wildpc apply. Activation is
polymorphic over the manager, so the verb never changes; only what apply does
does:
wildpc program create my-thing --stack python-fastapi # scaffold source + deployment
cd /data/repos/my-thing && uv sync # implement
wildpc program test my-thing # dev verbs (build/test/lint/…)
wildpc apply my-thing # converge: render + activate
| kind (manager) | what wildpc apply does |
|---|---|
| service (systemd) | render the .service unit + gateway route, enable --now |
| job (systemd + schedule) | render a .service (Type=oneshot) and a .timer |
| tool (path) | uv tool install — put the executable on PATH |
| static (caddy) | wire the gateway file_server route to <source>/<root> |
Manage a running deployment:
wildpc logs my-thing -f # Tail logs
wildpc program run my-thing # Run in foreground (for debugging)
wildpc restart my-thing # Imperative bounce — re-actualize current state
To durably turn something off, set enabled: false in its deployment and
wildpc apply — there is no start/stop/enable/disable/install verb.
Infrastructure paths
Wild PC uses two independent roots, each overridable by an environment
variable (both expand ~ and resolve relative paths):
WILDPC_HOME— config, code, artifacts, and secrets. Default~/.wildpc.WILDPC_DATA_DIR— program/service data I/O (potentially large; lives on a dedicated volume). Default/data/wildpc. Decoupled fromWILDPC_HOMEon purpose so bulk data doesn't sit in the home directory.
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Wild PC home | $WILDPC_HOME (default ~/.wildpc) |
| Config | $WILDPC_HOME/wildpc.yaml + programs/ + deployments/ |
| Program source (yours) | /data/repos/<name>/ ($WILDPC_REPOS_DIR; absolute source:) |
| Program source (wildpc's) | <repo>/<name> (via source: repo:<name>) |
| Secrets | $WILDPC_HOME/secrets/<NAME> |
| Generated Caddyfile | $WILDPC_HOME/artifacts/specs/Caddyfile |
| Built frontends | served in place from <source>/<dist>/ (no copy) |
| Service data | $WILDPC_DATA_DIR/<name>/ (default /data/wildpc/<name>/) |
| Systemd units | ~/.config/systemd/user/wildpc-*.service |
| Systemd timers | ~/.config/systemd/user/wildpc-*.timer |
Defined in core/src/wildpc_core/config.py: WILDPC_HOME (with derived
CODE_DIR, SECRETS_DIR, SPECS_DIR, CONTENT_DIR) and the independent
DATA_DIR (WILDPC_DATA_DIR). A service reaches its data path by mapping
${data_dir} (= $WILDPC_DATA_DIR/<name>) to the env var its program reads, in
defaults.env. Systemd unit/timer paths are fixed by systemd's user-unit
convention.
Manifest models
The Pydantic models live in core/src/wildpc_core/manifest.py. Key classes:
ProgramSpec— software catalog entry (source, stack, build, system_dependencies)DeploymentSpec— a deployment, a discriminated union onmanager:SystemdDeployment(service/job — run, expose, proxy, schedule, manage, defaults),CaddyDeployment(static — root),PathDeployment(tool),RemoteDeployment(reference — base_url, health_url)LaunchSpec— the nestedrun:block (systemd only), a discriminated union onlauncher(LaunchPython, LaunchCommand, LaunchContainer, LaunchCompose, LaunchNode)ExposeSpec,ProxySpec,ManageSpec,BuildSpecCaddySpec,SystemdSpec,HttpExposeSpec,HttpInternal
Config loading: core/src/wildpc_core/config.py — load_config() parses the
config root into WildpcConfig with typed programs and deployments dicts.
Infrastructure generators: core/src/wildpc_core/generators/ — systemd unit/timer
generation (systemd.py) and Caddyfile generation (caddyfile.py).