process management
Add, configure, and control processes from the web dashboard. Changes sync to the agent within ~1-2 seconds.
adding a process
- Click on a machine in the dashboard.
- Click add process.
- Fill in the current dialog fields:
- name: display name, such as
TouchDesigner. - launch mode:
off,always, orscheduled.offleaves the process unmanaged,alwayskeeps it running, andscheduledruns it only during configured schedule blocks. - executable path: required path to the executable, such as
C:\Program Files\App\app.exe. - file path / command arguments: optional file to open or command-line arguments to pass to the executable.
- working directory: optional directory to run the process from.
- task priority:
low,normal,high, orrealtime. - window visibility:
normalorhidden; hidden is intended for console apps only. - launch delay (sec): seconds to wait before launching.
- init timeout (sec): seconds to wait before responsiveness checks begin.
- relaunch attempts: crash-restart attempts before the process is treated as failed.
- schedule configuration: shown only when launch mode is
scheduled; edit one or more blocks with days and start/stop ranges in the site's timezone.
- name: display name, such as
- Click create process.
The agent receives the new configuration and begins monitoring the process.
editing a process
- Click edit on a process row or card.
- The edit process dialog opens with the current settings.
- Edit any fields.
- Click save changes.
Changes propagate through Firestore to the agent immediately.
process actions
From the process row, machine card, or edit dialog, the dashboard exposes these actions:
| action | description | requires |
|---|---|---|
| launch mode | Set off, always, or scheduled. Enabling always or scheduled requires an executable path. | MACHINE_CONFIG_WRITE |
| configure schedule | Edit scheduled-mode blocks, days, time ranges, and overnight windows. | MACHINE_CONFIG_WRITE |
| edit | Open the process dialog and update paths, priority, visibility, timing, relaunch attempts, or schedule settings. | MACHINE_CONFIG_WRITE |
| restart | Queue a restart_process command. The dashboard enables this for RUNNING, LAUNCHING, or STALLED processes. | MACHINE_EXEC_COMMAND |
| kill | Queue a kill_process command. The dashboard enables this for RUNNING, LAUNCHING, or STALLED processes. | MACHINE_EXEC_COMMAND |
| delete | Remove the process from the machine configuration. | MACHINE_CONFIG_WRITE |
Site admins on the site and superadmins have MACHINE_CONFIG_WRITE and MACHINE_EXEC_COMMAND. Members can view process state and configuration, but they are read-only for create, edit, delete, schedule, launch-mode, restart, and kill actions.
Restart and kill actions send commands to the agent. Create, edit, delete, launch-mode, and schedule changes update the machine configuration that the agent watches.
When a process is changed from off to scheduled, the agent clears stale killed/cooldown markers immediately. If the current time is outside the schedule window, the process stays stopped until the next matching window, then launches normally.
If the configured executable path no longer exists, the process can show as INACTIVE and the dashboard shows an error toast. When the agent finds likely sibling executable paths, the toast lists up to two suggestions and the use path action opens the edit dialog with that path pre-filled.
process settings reference
| setting | type | default | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | required | Display name for identification. |
| launch mode | enum | off | off, always, or scheduled. This replaces the old separate autolaunch toggle in the dashboard UI. |
| executable path | string | required | Full path to the executable, for example C:\Program Files\App\app.exe. |
| file path / command arguments | string | "" | File to open or arguments to pass to the executable. |
| working directory | string | "" | Directory used as the process working directory. |
| task priority | enum | normal | low, normal, high, or realtime. |
| window visibility | enum | normal | normal for a visible window, or hidden for console apps. |
| launch delay (sec) | number | 0 | Seconds to wait before launching, useful for boot ordering. |
| init timeout (sec) | number | 10 | Grace period before monitoring responsiveness. |
| relaunch attempts | number | 3 | Crash-restart attempts before the process is treated as failed. |
| schedule configuration | blocks | null | Scheduled mode uses blocks with days and start/stop ranges. When scheduled mode has no saved blocks, the editor displays a weekday 09:00-17:00 block to edit. |
tips
Launch ordering
Use launch delay to control startup order. For example, set a database to 0s delay and the application that depends on it to 15s.
Hidden processes
Use hidden visibility for background services like Node.js servers or Python scripts that don't need a window.
realtime priority
Setting priority to realtime can starve other processes and make the machine unresponsive. Use with extreme caution.
machine monitoring
The dashboard provides real-time visibility into all your machines' health, performance, and process status.
deployments
Deploy Windows installers to one or many machines. owlette creates a tracked deployment record, fans out install_software commands, and reconciles per-machine progress as agents report back.