A Windows WPF application that manages multiple services with an HTTP API designed for AI assistant integration.

When AI assistants spawn services directly, processes can linger after the session ends, leaving ports blocked and requiring manual cleanup. ServiceHost solves this by providing a dedicated service manager that:

• Gives you visibility and control over running services
• Persists across AI assistant sessions
• Provides clean start/stop/restart operations

Typical use cases:

• Backend API - ASP.NET Core, Express, FastAPI, Go servers
• Frontend dev server - Vite, Webpack, Next.js, Angular CLI
• Database - Local PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB instances
• Workers - Background job processors, queue consumers
• Sidecars - Auth proxies, mock servers, local S3/Azure emulators

• WPF UI - Dark themed interface with service list, controls, and log viewer
• HTTP API - Self-describing REST API on localhost:9500
• Process Management - Start, stop, restart services with stdout/stderr capture
• Shell Mode - cmd /c args are auto-joined for correct npm/npx PATH propagation
• Persistent Services - Services keep running when UI closes
• Auto-Reload Config - Edit ServiceHost.json and changes are picked up on next API request
• Service CRUD via API - Create, update, delete services via REST endpoints
• Auto-Update Check - Checks GitHub releases for new versions, includes update instructions in API
• Copy Prompt - One-click button copies an AI assistant prompt to your clipboard
• AI Ready - API returns self-describing manifest for AI assistants

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/mbundgaard/ServiceHost.git
cd ServiceHost
.\dev.ps1

Or publish a single-file executable:

.\publish.ps1
# Output: publish/ServiceHost.exe

Create ServiceHost.json next to the executable:

{
  "apiPort": 9500,
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "services": [
    {
      "name": "api",
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": ["run"],
      "workingDirectory": "./api",
      "url": "http://localhost:5000/health",
      "environment": {
        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "frontend",
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "npm", "run", "dev"],
      "workingDirectory": "./app",
      "url": "http://localhost:5173"
    }
  ]
}

curl http://localhost:9500/

Returns a self-describing manifest with all endpoints, examples, and current service status:

{
  "name": "ServiceHost",
  "version": "9",
  "description": "Service manager with HTTP API for AI assistants",
  "update": {
    "currentVersion": "8",
    "newVersion": "9",
    "downloadUrl": "https://github.com/mbundgaard/ServiceHost/releases/latest/download/ServiceHost.exe",
    "exePath": "C:/path/to/ServiceHost.exe",
    "processId": 12345,
    "instructions": "To update: 1) Download from downloadUrl to exePath.tmp, 2) POST /shutdown, 3) Wait for processId to exit, 4) Delete exePath, 5) Rename exePath.tmp to exePath, 6) Start exePath"
  },
  "endpoints": {
    "GET /": "API description and service status",
    "GET /services": "List all services",
    "POST /services": "Create a new service",
    "PUT /services/{name}": "Update an existing service",
    "DELETE /services/{name}": "Delete a service",
    "GET /services/{name}/logs?tail=N": "Get last N lines of logs",
    "POST /services/start": "Start all services",
    "POST /services/stop": "Stop all services",
    "POST /services/restart": "Restart all services",
    "POST /services/{name}/start": "Start a service",
    "POST /services/{name}/stop": "Stop a service",
    "POST /services/{name}/restart": "Restart a service",
    "POST /shutdown": "Shutdown the application"
  },
  "services": [...]
}

The update section only appears when a new version is available. It includes step-by-step instructions for AI assistants to perform the update automatically.

# Start all services
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/services/start

# Start a specific service
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/services/api/start

# Stop a service
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/services/api/stop

# Restart a service
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/services/api/restart

# Get logs (last 50 lines)
curl http://localhost:9500/services/api/logs?tail=50

# Create a new service
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/services \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"worker","command":"node","args":["worker.js"]}'

# Update a service
curl -X PUT http://localhost:9500/services/worker \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"worker","command":"node","args":["worker-v2.js"]}'

# Delete a service
curl -X DELETE http://localhost:9500/services/worker

# Shutdown application (for updates)
curl -X POST http://localhost:9500/shutdown

// Success
{ "success": true, "name": "api", "status": "running", "pid": 12345 }

// Failure
{ "success": false, "name": "api", "error": "Failed to start process" }

The dark-themed UI provides:

• Service List - Status indicator, name, and start/stop/restart buttons
• Log Viewer - Real-time log display for selected service
• Batch Controls - Start All / Stop All buttons
• Copy Prompt - Copies an AI assistant prompt to clipboard for quick integration

Status indicators:

• Green: Running
• Gray: Stopped
• Orange: Starting/Stopping
• Red: Failed

ServiceHost is designed to work with AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):

1. Start ServiceHost with your project's services configured
2. Click Copy Prompt to copy a ready-to-use prompt to your clipboard
3. Paste the prompt into your AI assistant - it will discover the API via curl
4. The AI assistant can start/stop/restart services and fetch logs as needed

The API manifest includes configuration details, so AI assistants know how to add or modify services in ServiceHost.json. Changes are auto-detected on the next API request.

Services persist when the UI closes, so you can:

• Start services via the UI
• Close ServiceHost
• Let the AI assistant manage services via the API
• Reopen ServiceHost to see current status

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases.

ServiceHost automatically checks for updates. When a new version is available, the API includes an update section with:

• Current and new version numbers
• Download URL
• Executable path and process ID
• Step-by-step instructions for AI assistants to perform the update

Requirements:

• .NET 8.0 SDK
• Windows (WPF)

# Development
.\dev.ps1

# Publish single-file exe
.\publish.ps1

MIT