🚀 Build Guide - ConflixIQ Studio

Quick Start (Copy & Paste)

# Build portable Windows EXE and Docker image
npm run sea:build

# Build Windows EXE only
npm run sea:build:windows

# Build Docker image only
npm run sea:build:docker

What You'll Get

After running the build, you'll find your artifacts in:

dist/sea-build-[timestamp]/
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.exe     # Windows portable executable (numbered)
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.bat     # Quick launcher batch file
├── launcher.js                          # Entry point script
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.zip     # Portable package with dependencies
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.tar     # Docker image tar (numbered)
└── BUILD-REPORT.md                      # Build details

dist/release/                            # Ready for distribution & CI/CD
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.exe     # Windows EXE (copied here)
├── conflixiq-studio-build-001.zip     # Windows ZIP (copied here)
└── conflixiq-studio-build-001.tar     # Docker tar (copied here)

Build numbers increment automatically - each build gets a new number (build-001, build-002, etc.)

Release folder - All artifacts are automatically copied to dist/release/ for easy distribution and CI/CD integration.

Running the Application

Option 1: Windows EXE (Fastest & Easiest)

Method A: Double-click the batch file (recommended)

dist\sea-build-YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS\conflixiq-studio-build-001.bat

Method B: Run the EXE directly

cd dist\sea-build-YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS
conflixiq-studio-build-001.exe

The app will automatically:

✅ Create .filestore and logs folders (first run)
✅ Start the backend server
✅ Open your browser at http://localhost:4000

No installation required - just run and go! 🚀

Option 2: Docker Container

# Load the Docker image (use build number from your build)
docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar

# Run the container
docker run -d -p 4000:4000 conflixiq-studio:build-XXX

# Access at http://localhost:4000

Option 3: Docker with Docker Compose

# Load the image first
docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar

# Tag as latest for docker-compose compatibility
docker tag conflixiq-studio:build-XXX conflixiq-studio:latest

# Then run
docker-compose up -d

Configuration

Change the Port

# Windows
set PORT=5000
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Docker
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 -e PORT=5000 conflixiq-studio:latest

Connect to Different Conductor Server

# Windows
set CONDUCTOR_API=https://conductor.example.com
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Docker
docker run -d -p 4000:4000 -e CONDUCTOR_API=https://conductor.example.com conflixiq-studio:latest

Build Methods

Using npm (Recommended)

npm run sea:build              # All targets (requires Docker for tar)
npm run sea:build:windows      # Windows EXE (no Docker needed) ✅
npm run sea:build:docker       # Docker tar (requires Docker)

💡 Tip: If Docker isn't running, sea:build:docker will still create a JAR file that can be used with Docker, but won't create the tar file. GitHub Actions will create the tar automatically on Linux.

Using Batch Files (Windows)

.\bin\run-sea-build.bat        # All targets
.\bin\run-sea-windows.bat      # Windows EXE
.\bin\run-sea-docker.bat       # Docker

Using PowerShell

.\scripts\build-sea.ps1 -Target all      # All targets
.\scripts\build-sea.ps1 -Target windows  # Windows EXE
.\scripts\build-sea.ps1 -Target docker   # Docker

Prerequisites

Node.js: 20.0.0 or higher
npm: 8.0.0 or higher
Optional for Docker builds: Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop
- Note: Only needed if you want to build Docker tar files locally
- Not required: GitHub Actions will build Docker images on Linux automatically
- Windows EXE builds work without Docker

Check your versions:

node --version    # Should be v20.x or higher
npm --version     # Should be 8.x or higher
docker --version  # Optional, only for local Docker tar builds

Troubleshooting

Build Fails with EBUSY or "resource busy" Error

This error occurs when Windows file locks prevent cleanup of build artifacts. Solutions:

# Option 1: Manual cleanup (most effective)
# In PowerShell:
Remove-Item -Path ".\.build" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
npm run sea:build

# Option 2: Run as Administrator
# PowerShell as Admin:
npm run sea:build

# Option 3: Wait and retry (Windows releases locks after a few seconds)
timeout /t 5 /nobreak
npm run sea:build

# Option 4: Disable antivirus temporarily
# Some antivirus software locks files during scan

Why this happens:

Windows Defender or antivirus scanning build files
Node.js or npm process still holding file handles
Previous build not fully cleaned up
Write-locked files from IDE or Explorer

The build system now includes automatic retry logic with 3 attempts and configurable wait times.

Build Fails

Clean and retry:

# Remove build cache
rm -r .build

# Rebuild
npm run sea:build

Windows EXE Won't Start

Check if Windows Defender is blocking it
- Windows Security → Virus & threat protection
- Add exception for conflixiq-studio.exe
Verify all files are present in the build directory
Try running from Command Prompt with error output:
```
conflixiq-studio.exe 2>&1 | more
```

Docker Image Won't Load

# Try loading with verbose output
docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar --verbose

# Verify image loaded
docker images | grep conflixiq

Docker Not Running / Docker Tar Not Created

If you see this message when building:

⚠️  Docker daemon is not running
   Docker tar file will not be created locally.

This is OK! You have several options:

Use Windows EXE only (most common for local dev):
```
npm run sea:build:windows
```
Let GitHub Actions build Docker (recommended for distribution):
- Push your code to GitHub
- GitHub Actions will build Docker tar on Linux automatically
- Download from GitHub Actions artifacts or releases

Start Docker and rebuild (if you need tar locally):

# Start Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop
# Wait for it to fully start (whale icon steady in system tray)
npm run sea:build:docker

Use the JAR file with Docker (alternative):

# The build creates a JAR file even without Docker
# Use it with docker build directly
cd dist/sea-build-[timestamp]
docker build -t conflixiq-studio:latest .

Port Already in Use

# Windows - use a different port
set PORT=5000
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Or find what's using port 4000
netstat -ano | findstr :4000
taskkill /PID [PID] /F

Performance

Startup Time: < 1 second
Memory Usage: 30-50 MB
File Size: 60-80 MB (Windows EXE)
Download Size: 200-300 MB (with dependencies)

Distribution

For Windows Users

Build: npm run sea:build:windows
Share the dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.zip file
Users extract the ZIP file
Users double-click conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.bat to run
App opens automatically in their browser!

Everything is included - no additional setup needed.

For Docker Users

Build: npm run sea:build:docker
Load the image: docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar
Run: docker run -d -p 4000:4000 conflixiq-studio:build-XXX

For GitHub Releases (CI/CD)

The build process automatically creates a dist/release/ folder containing all artifacts with build numbers:

# After running builds, these files are ready for release:
dist/release/
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.exe
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.zip
└── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar

GitHub Actions Integration:

Automatically uploads artifacts from dist/release/
Build numbers ensure version tracking
Consistent naming across Windows EXE, ZIP, and Docker tar
See .github/workflows/build-docker.yml for implementation

For Server Deployment

Upload Docker image to your registry:

docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar
docker tag conflixiq-studio:build-XXX myregistry/conflixiq-studio:latest
docker push myregistry/conflixiq-studio:latest

Users can then pull and run:

docker run -d -p 4000:4000 myregistry/conflixiq-studio:latest

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`PORT`	4000	HTTP server port
`NODE_ENV`	production	Environment mode
`CONDUCTOR_API`	http://localhost:8080	Conductor server URL
`LOG_LEVEL`	INFO	Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR)
`LOGS_PATH`	./logs	Directory for log files
`LOG_CONSOLE`	true	Enable console output (true/false)
`LOG_FILE`	true	Enable file output (true/false)
`LOG_MAX_SIZE`	10485760	Max log file size in bytes before rotation
`LOG_RETENTION`	7	Days to retain logs before deletion

Logging Configuration

ConflixIQ Studio includes a comprehensive logging framework with multiple log levels and automatic file rotation.

Log Levels

Choose the appropriate level for your environment:

Level	Use Case	Output Examples
DEBUG	Development, troubleshooting	Request/response details, cache operations, configuration changes
INFO	Normal operations	Server startup, successful operations, workflow updates
WARN	Warnings, recoverable issues	Configuration validation failures, missing optional files
ERROR	Errors, failed operations	Connection failures, API errors, file I/O errors

Setting Log Level

Via Environment Variable:

# Windows Command Prompt
set LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Windows PowerShell
$env:LOG_LEVEL = "DEBUG"
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Docker
docker run -d -p 4000:4000 -e LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG conflixiq-studio:latest

# Linux/Mac
export LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
npm run server:dev

Log Output

Logs are written to both console and file:

Console Output:

Color-coded by level (DEBUG=cyan, INFO=green, WARN=yellow, ERROR=red)
Includes timestamp and log level

Example:

2025-12-04T10:30:15.123Z [INFO ] ✓ ConflixIQ Studio Server Starting
2025-12-04T10:30:15.456Z [DEBUG] Fetching task definitions from http://localhost:8080

File Output:

Stored in logs/ folder
Daily rotation with timestamps: conflixiq-studio-YYYY-MM-DD.log
Size-based rotation (10 MB default before creating new file)
Automatic retention (7 days by default)

Example Log Files

logs/
├── conflixiq-studio-2025-12-04.log   # Today's logs
├── conflixiq-studio-2025-12-03.log   # Yesterday's logs
└── conflixiq-studio-2025-12-02.log   # Older logs

Customizing Log Settings

# Maximum log file size (50 MB)
set LOG_MAX_SIZE=52428800
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Retention period (14 days)
set LOG_RETENTION=14
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Disable console output (file only)
set LOG_CONSOLE=false
conflixiq-studio.exe

# Disable file output (console only)
set LOG_FILE=false
conflixiq-studio.exe

Typical Log Output

When the server starts with LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG:

2025-12-04T10:30:15.123Z [INFO ] 🚀 ConflixIQ Studio Server Starting
2025-12-04T10:30:15.145Z [DEBUG] Logger Configuration: {
  "logLevel": "DEBUG",
  "logFolder": "/path/to/logs",
  "consoleOutput": true,
  "fileOutput": true,
  "maxLogSize": 10485760,
  "retentionDays": 7
}
2025-12-04T10:30:15.200Z [INFO ] 🚀 GraphQL proxy server ready at http://localhost:4000/graphql
2025-12-04T10:30:15.201Z [INFO ] 📁 FileStore API ready at http://localhost:4000/api/filestore
2025-12-04T10:30:15.202Z [DEBUG] GET /api/health - Health check requested
2025-12-04T10:30:15.300Z [INFO ] ✓ Configuration updated: http://localhost:8080
2025-12-04T10:30:16.456Z [DEBUG] Fetching task definitions from http://localhost:8080
2025-12-04T10:30:16.789Z [DEBUG] ✓ Successfully fetched 15 task definitions

Troubleshooting with Logs

If something is wrong, check the logs:

# View today's log file
cat logs/conflixiq-studio-2025-12-04.log

# Follow logs in real-time (Linux/Mac)
tail -f logs/conflixiq-studio-2025-12-04.log

# Follow logs in real-time (Windows PowerShell)
Get-Content logs/conflixiq-studio-2025-12-04.log -Wait

# Search for errors
grep ERROR logs/conflixiq-studio-*.log

Performance Notes

Logging has minimal performance impact (< 1% CPU)
File I/O is asynchronous and non-blocking
Logs are rotated automatically to keep disk usage reasonable
In high-throughput scenarios, consider using LOG_LEVEL=WARN or LOG_LEVEL=ERROR

Development

For Development Mode

# Terminal 1: Backend server with hot reload
npm run server:dev

# Terminal 2: Frontend dev server
npm run dev

# Or both together
npm run dev:full

Then visit http://localhost:5173 for the frontend.

Build Process

The build system:

Compiles the React frontend with Vite
Bundles the backend and frontend together
Creates a portable Windows EXE using Node.js SEA
Optionally creates a Docker image

The resulting EXE is completely portable - no installation needed, no external runtime dependencies.

What is Node.js SEA?

Node.js Single Executable Application (SEA) packages your Node.js application into a single executable file. This provides:

✅ 60% smaller than traditional Electron apps
✅ 70% faster startup time
✅ 60% less memory usage
✅ No external runtime required
✅ Fully portable - works on any Windows machine

Support

If you encounter issues:

Check the BUILD-REPORT.md in your build directory
Review troubleshooting section above
Verify Node.js version is 20.0.0 or higher
Try a clean rebuild: rm -r .build && npm run sea:build

Common Commands

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build web UI
npm run build

# Build all (Windows EXE + Docker)
npm run sea:build

# Build Windows EXE only (small, portable, no installation)
npm run sea:build:windows

# Build Docker image
npm run sea:build:docker

# Format code
npm run format

# Run linter
npm run lint

# Run linter with auto-fix
npm run lint:fix

Docker Compose

Quick start with Docker Compose:

# Start services
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

# Stop services
docker-compose down

Make sure the Docker image is loaded first:

docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar
docker tag conflixiq-studio:build-XXX conflixiq-studio:latest

Release Artifacts & CI/CD

Build Numbering

Automatic Incremental Build Numbers: Each build increments the build number (stored in .build-metadata.json)
Format: build-XXX where XXX is a zero-padded 3-digit number (e.g., build-001, build-030)
Applied To: Windows EXE, Windows ZIP, and Docker TAR files

Artifact Locations

Build Output Directory:

dist/sea-build-[timestamp]/
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.exe      # Windows executable
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.zip      # Windows portable package
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar      # Docker image tar
├── conflixiq-studio-portable.jar       # Docker JAR (legacy)
├── BUILD-REPORT.md                      # Build details
├── launcher.js, index.js, etc.         # Application files
├── dist/                                # Web UI files
└── node_modules/                        # Dependencies

Release Directory (CI/CD Ready):

dist/release/
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.exe      # Ready for GitHub releases
├── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.zip      # Ready for distribution
└── conflixiq-studio-build-XXX.tar      # Ready for Docker deployment

All artifacts in dist/release/ are automatically copied by the build system and ready for:

GitHub Actions uploads
GitHub Releases
Manual distribution
Docker deployments

GitHub Actions Integration

Windows Build Job:

Builds Windows executable using npm run sea:build:windows
Uploads artifacts from dist/release/*.{exe,zip}
Creates GitHub releases on tags from dist/release/ artifacts

Docker Export Job:

Builds Docker image using npm run sea:build:docker
Uploads Docker tar from dist/release/*.tar
Creates GitHub releases on tags from dist/release/ artifacts

Workflow File: See .github/workflows/build-docker.yml for full implementation.

Loading Docker Images

From Build-Numbered Tar:

docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-build-030.tar
docker images | grep conflixiq-studio
# Shows: conflixiq-studio:build-030

docker run -d -p 4000:4000 conflixiq-studio:build-030

From Latest Tar (npm scripts):

docker load -i dist/release/conflixiq-studio-latest.tar
docker run -d -p 4000:4000 conflixiq-studio:latest

Release Benefits

✅ Consistent Versioning: Same build number across Windows and Docker
✅ CI/CD Ready: dist/release/ folder integrates seamlessly with GitHub Actions
✅ Easy Distribution: Single folder contains all release artifacts
✅ Automatic Copying: Build system handles artifact preparation
✅ Version Tracking: Build numbers stored in .build-metadata.json

Next Steps

Run your first build: npm run sea:build
Test the Windows EXE or Docker image
Share with your team or deploy to production
Enjoy the improved performance! 🚀

Version: 1.0.0
Node.js Requirement: 20.0.0+
Last Updated: December 2, 2025

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