Problem
codedb publishes a native Windows x86_64 release binary, but its primary installation surfaces do not provide a native Windows installation path consistently.
npm is likely the best long-term way to distribute and update the Windows binary. Until Windows npm distribution is published consistently alongside codedb releases, however, users need a simple and trustworthy way to get started with the native Windows version.
The current Bash installer tells MINGW/MSYS/Cygwin users that codedb is Linux/macOS-only, directs them to WSL, and then continues into the Linux/macOS download path. The README, MCP documentation, npm documentation, and website also contain stale or incomplete Windows guidance.
Proposed change
As an interim installation path:
- add a native PowerShell installer for
codedb-windows-x86_64.exe
- require verification against the matching release SHA256 checksum
- install under the current user profile and optionally update user PATH
- support safe reinstalls and updates, including rollback if the new binary cannot execute
- direct Windows users away from the Bash installer without continuing into a Linux/macOS download
- align the README, MCP, npm, and website installation guidance with shipped Windows support
This gives Windows users a low-friction way to install codedb now while leaving npm as the preferred long-term distribution direction.
No MCP runtime behavior is changed.
Implementation status
A working implementation is complete and has been tested on native Windows. It successfully downloads the published Windows release, verifies its SHA256 checksum, installs and executes the binary, handles safe updates and rollback, and corrects the Windows Bash routing behavior.
A PR containing the implementation and corresponding documentation updates is incoming and will link to this issue.
Acceptance criteria
- Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7 accept the installer
- a real release binary downloads and passes SHA256 verification
- the installed executable runs successfully
- Windows Bash detection prints the PowerShell command and stops before downloading
- reinstall/update behavior preserves a working binary on failure
- install-facing documentation consistently describes native Windows support
Problem
codedb publishes a native Windows x86_64 release binary, but its primary installation surfaces do not provide a native Windows installation path consistently.
npm is likely the best long-term way to distribute and update the Windows binary. Until Windows npm distribution is published consistently alongside codedb releases, however, users need a simple and trustworthy way to get started with the native Windows version.
The current Bash installer tells MINGW/MSYS/Cygwin users that codedb is Linux/macOS-only, directs them to WSL, and then continues into the Linux/macOS download path. The README, MCP documentation, npm documentation, and website also contain stale or incomplete Windows guidance.
Proposed change
As an interim installation path:
codedb-windows-x86_64.exeThis gives Windows users a low-friction way to install codedb now while leaving npm as the preferred long-term distribution direction.
No MCP runtime behavior is changed.
Implementation status
A working implementation is complete and has been tested on native Windows. It successfully downloads the published Windows release, verifies its SHA256 checksum, installs and executes the binary, handles safe updates and rollback, and corrects the Windows Bash routing behavior.
A PR containing the implementation and corresponding documentation updates is incoming and will link to this issue.
Acceptance criteria