Process Compose Operations

Process Compose is a Go-based supervisor for non-containerized services. Single binary, YAML config, built-in TUI, REST API, MCP server, and proper Windows support. Replacement for PM2/supervisord/Foreman in the local-dev role.

Why not PM2: PM2 5.x has 15+ known CVEs (axios/lodash/tar/minimist transitive npm exposure). PC compiles all deps in at build time with go.sum hashes — structurally resistant to TanStack-style npm worm attacks.

Why not Docker Compose: Container overhead is unnecessary for local Python/Node/Go dev servers running directly. PC gives you health checks, dependencies, and restart policies without the container layer.

Install (verified)

# Pin a specific version, verify SHA-256 against upstream checksums
VER="v1.110.0"
BASE="https://github.com/F1bonacc1/process-compose/releases/download/$VER"

curl -fsSL -o pc.zip "$BASE/process-compose_windows_amd64.zip"
curl -fsSL -o checksums.txt "$BASE/process-compose_checksums.txt"

EXPECTED=$(grep "process-compose_windows_amd64.zip" checksums.txt | awk '{print $1}')
ACTUAL=$(sha256sum pc.zip | awk '{print $1}')
[ "$EXPECTED" = "$ACTUAL" ] || { echo "HASH MISMATCH"; exit 1; }

unzip pc.zip
# Commit process-compose.exe to your repo's bin/ directory

Record the binary's hash in your repo's SUPPLY-CHAIN.md for re-verification on next upgrade.

process-compose.yaml Quick Reference

version: "0.5"

log_level: info
log_length: 1000

processes:

  my-service:
    command: "pythonw -m uvicorn main:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000"
    working_dir: "X:/path/to/repo"
    environment:
      - "DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=myapp.settings"
      - "PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
    readiness_probe:
      http_get:
        host: localhost
        port: 8000
        path: /
      initial_delay_seconds: 5
      period_seconds: 10
      timeout_seconds: 3
      failure_threshold: 3
    availability:
      restart: always           # always | exit_on_failure | on_failure | no
      backoff_seconds: 5
      max_restarts: 20
    depends_on:
      database:
        condition: process_healthy   # process_started | process_healthy | process_completed
    shutdown:
      signal: 15                # SIGTERM
      timeout_seconds: 30
    log_location: "logs/my-service.log"

  scheduled-job:
    command: "python backup.py"
    schedule: "0 2 * * *"       # 2am daily cron
    availability:
      restart: exit_on_failure

Restart Policies

Policy	Restarts on...
always	Any exit (success or failure) — best for long-running daemons
on_failure	Non-zero exit codes only
exit_on_failure	Stops PC entirely if this process fails — use for critical deps
no	Never restart

Dependency Conditions

Condition	Wait until...
process_started	Dependency spawned (PID exists). Fastest, weakest guarantee.
process_healthy	Dependency's readiness_probe passes. Strong guarantee.
process_completed	Dependency exited successfully (for init/setup processes).

CLI Reference

# Lifecycle
process-compose up -f config.yaml          # Start (foreground TUI by default)
process-compose up -f config.yaml -t=false # Headless (no TUI)
process-compose up -f config.yaml --dry-run  # Validate config without starting
process-compose down                       # Stop all processes + project

# Inspection (against running PC)  (example values — substitute your own port/dir)
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process list       # all processes + status
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process logs <name> --follow
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> attach             # TUI for running project

# Process control
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process restart <name>
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process stop <name>
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process start <name>

# Reload config without stopping (hot update)
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> project update -f config.yaml

# Standalone inspection (no running PC)
process-compose info                       # config home info
process-compose graph -f config.yaml       # dependency graph
process-compose analyze -f config.yaml     # startup timing analysis

Key flag gotcha: there's no --detached flag. To run in background:

• Linux/Mac: process-compose up -t=false & (shell backgrounding)
• Windows: launch via Task Scheduler or Start-Process with -WindowStyle Hidden

TUI Navigation

Launch: process-compose attach (or up without -t=false).

Key	Action
↑ ↓ or j k	Navigate process list
Tab	Switch focus between process list and log pane
F4	Maximize current pane (toggle)
F5	Unfollow logs (lets you scroll history)
F6	Unwrap log lines
r	Restart selected process
s	Stop selected process
t	Start selected process
/	Filter process list
?	Help overlay
q	Quit TUI (PC keeps running in background)

MCP Server Integration

PC ships a built-in MCP server exposing processes as tools for AI agents. Enable via the config or CLI flag. With the MCP server on, a Claude Code agent can directly:

• List running processes
• Get process status/health
• Restart/stop/start processes
• Read process logs

This replaces shell-based glue scripts (the old PM2-broker pattern).

API Port Selection

Default API port is 8080. Common collisions:

Port 8080 user	Workaround
Dagu dashboard	Use -p <your-pc-port> until Dagu decommissioned
Tomcat / Spring Boot dev	Use -p <your-pc-port>
Other dev tool defaults	Pick anything free in 8000–9999 range

If you change the API port, every subsequent CLI call needs -p <port>:

process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process list
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process logs axiom --follow

Windows Boot Persistence Pattern

Task Scheduler runs with minimal PATH. Use a wrapper script that sets PATH explicitly before launching PC.

# scripts/boot-start.ps1
$root = "<your-process-compose-dir>"
$pcExe = "$root\bin\process-compose.exe"

# Explicit PATH for managed services (Python, uv, Git tools, cloudflared, etc.)
$env:PATH = (@(
    "$root\bin"
    "C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin"          # openssl, bash
    "C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python313\Scripts"
    "$env:PATH"
) -join ';')

# Optional: source secrets from gitignored .env
$envFile = "$root\.env"
if (Test-Path $envFile) {
    Get-Content $envFile | ForEach-Object {
        if ($_ -match '^\s*([A-Z_]+)\s*=\s*(.+?)\s*$') {
            [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($matches[1], $matches[2], 'Process')
        }
    }
}

# Launch headless
& $pcExe -p <your-pc-port> -t=false -L "$root\logs\process-compose.log" up -f "$root\process-compose.yaml"

Register as a Task Scheduler entry with LogonType S4U (runs at boot, no password, no interactive logon needed):

$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId $env:USERNAME -LogonType S4U -RunLevel Highest
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "powershell.exe" `
    -Argument "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -WindowStyle Hidden -File `"$root\scripts\boot-start.ps1`""
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "ProcessCompose-Boot" `
    -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal -Force

YAML Gotchas

Gotcha	Symptom	Fix
Windows PATH with backslashes in double-quoted YAML	yaml: found unknown escape character	Use single quotes: - 'PATH=C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin;...'
command with quoted paths containing spaces	First arg eaten	Wrap whole command in single quotes, inner paths in double: '"C:/Program Files/foo.exe" arg1 arg2'
Forgot working_dir	Process starts in PC's cwd, can't find files	Always specify absolute working_dir
Health probe wrong port	Process restart-loops with Not Ready	Match readiness_probe.http_get.port to where the process actually binds
Secrets in YAML	Committed to git	Use environment to pass-through; set in shell env or gitignored .env

Common Operations

# Validate config before applying
process-compose up --dry-run -f process-compose.yaml

# Hot-reload after editing config
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> project update -f process-compose.yaml

# Restart one service after code change
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process restart axiom

# Watch logs of a misbehaving service
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process logs axiom --follow

# Stop one service temporarily for debugging
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process stop axiom
# Now run it manually with your debugger, then:
process-compose -p <your-pc-port> process start axiom

When to Use Process Compose vs Alternatives

Need	Tool
Local non-containerized services with health/dependencies/MCP	Process Compose
Production node.js process supervision	PM2 (despite age)
Container-based stack	Docker Compose
Job queue with cron + DAGs	Dagu, Temporal, Airflow
System service supervision	systemd (Linux), Windows Services
One-shot Procfile run	Foreman / Overmind / Hivemind (Unix-only)

Worked Example

See <your-process-compose-dir>\ for an 11-process production stack:

• process-compose.yaml — health-checked services with depends_on chains
• scripts/boot-start.ps1 — PATH-aware boot wrapper
• docs/MIGRATION-LOG.md — full migration from PM2 + Caddy, every gotcha documented
• docs/SUPPLY-CHAIN.md — binary verification procedure

Anti-Patterns

BAD:  process-compose up --detached       # flag does not exist
GOOD: process-compose up -t=false &       # background via shell

BAD:  put secrets in process-compose.yaml (commits to git)
GOOD: source from gitignored .env in boot wrapper

BAD:  use API port 8080 (clashes with Dagu, Tomcat, others)
GOOD: -p <your-pc-port> (or any free port), document the choice

BAD:  ignore readiness_probe and just hope services come up
GOOD: configure http_get probe on a real endpoint; depends_on uses process_healthy

BAD:  upgrade PC by running an installer (npm install -g, scoop install, brew install)
GOOD: download specific version, verify SHA-256 against upstream checksums.txt, commit binary

Resources in this skill

references/

• schema-reference.md — full process-compose.yaml schema with field semantics, defaults, and command-quoting gotchas
• probe-patterns.md — readiness probe recipes by stack (Python, Go, Node, TCP-only, daemons)
• dependency-patterns.md — depends_on patterns: companion daemons, DB-before-app, tunnel-after-service, one-shot init
• tui-shortcuts.md — TUI cheatsheet (keys, status legend, search/sort/filter)
• boot-persistence-windows.md — Task Scheduler setup with S4U logon, PATH-aware wrapper
• supply-chain-verification.md — full SHA-256 verification procedure for the binary

scripts/

• install-process-compose.ps1 — download + verify + extract a pinned version, writes VERIFICATION.md
• verify-binary.ps1 — re-verify committed binary hash (monthly / pre-commit)
• boot-start.template.ps1 — PATH-aware boot wrapper (copy + adapt per machine)
• boot-task-install.template.ps1 — Task Scheduler entry registration (S4U logon)

assets/

• python-uvicorn.yaml — uvicorn/FastAPI/Django basic service template
• django-with-companions.yaml — Django + queue daemon + audit watcher chain
• go-binary-service.yaml — Go binary with HTTP or TCP probe
• tunnel-with-dependency.yaml — Cloudflare tunnel waiting on its target service
• cron-job.yaml — scheduled task patterns

Related Skills

• portless-ops — the routing layer we pair with PC (replaces Caddy)
• docker-ops — container alternative for the same role
• mcp-ops — PC's MCP server fits this ecosystem
• cli-ops — general CLI tool patterns