Use Moonpool on Windows

Windows is Moonpool’s main platform. Install it as described in Installing.

Before you run it

• SmartScreen. moonpool.exe is not code-signed, so Windows may show “Windows protected your PC” the first time. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
• Antivirus. A new, unsigned exe that copies itself and replaces itself on update can trip an antivirus. If yours blocks or quarantines moonpool.exe, allow it for the .moonpool folder.
• WebView2. Moonpool’s windows use Microsoft Edge WebView2, which ships with Windows 11 and current Windows 10. If the window stays blank or never opens, install the Evergreen WebView2 Runtime from Microsoft.

More: Windows protected your PC, WebView2 runtime missing and Start a script or dev server automatically at Windows login.

Tray

On Windows 11 a new tray icon often goes into the hidden-icons area. Click the ^ arrow at the right of the taskbar to find it, and drag it onto the taskbar to keep it visible.

Commands

• Commands run through cmd /c. Avoid nested double quotes in command; cmd /c mangles them. For a script that should leave a shell open, use pwsh -NoLogo -NoProfile -NoExit -Command <script and args> without quotes around the script part.
• processName matches with or without .exe, ignoring case.
• Stop ends the whole process tree Moonpool started, including processes that detached from it.
• Docker Desktop apps need killMode none or command, never port. See Docker apps on Windows.

What differs by platform

	Windows	Linux
Install	Self-installing moonpool.exe, or portable	AppImage, .deb or RPM; no install card
Self-update	Yes, installed and portable	AppImage only
Config folder	%USERPROFILE%\.moonpool\moonpool-config\	~/.config/Moonpool/
Shell for commands	cmd /c	$SHELL -c
processName	Any length, .exe optional, case-insensitive	15 characters or fewer, exact case
Stop by processName	Kills the process and its children	Kills processes with that exact name only
Control channel	Named pipe	Unix socket
Window screenshots (testing)	Yes	No
Icons from a program file	Yes	No
Tray	Works out of the box	Needs AppIndicator; stock GNOME needs an extension

Linux details are on the Linux page.