Files
windmill/README_WORKMUX_DEV.md
Ruben Fiszel f237ecfb20 workmux setup
2026-02-19 12:09:48 +00:00

178 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown

# Windmill Development with workmux
This guide covers the workmux-based development setup for Windmill. Each worktree gets its own tmux window with a Claude Code agent, a backend server (with auto-reload), and a frontend dev server — all on isolated ports.
## Prerequisites
- tmux
- Rust toolchain (rustup)
- Node.js + npm
- PostgreSQL running locally (see `backend/.env`)
## Installation
### 1. Install workmux
```bash
cargo install workmux
```
### 2. Install the Claude Code plugin
```bash
workmux claude install
```
This lets workmux manage Claude Code agents in worktree panes.
### 3. Install cargo-watch
Used for auto-recompiling the backend on file changes:
```bash
cargo install cargo-watch
```
### 4. Install llm CLI (required for auto branch naming)
workmux uses the `llm` CLI to automatically generate branch names from prompts. Install it with:
```bash
uv tool install llm
llm install llm-anthropic
```
Then set your Anthropic API key:
```bash
llm keys set anthropic
# paste your API key when prompted
```
### 5. Recommended: shell alias and autocomplete
Set up a `wm` alias for convenience:
```bash
# Add to your ~/.zshrc
alias wm="workmux"
```
Setting up zsh autocomplete is also recommended — see the [workmux docs](https://github.com/rubenfiszel/workmux) for instructions.
## Port Slot System
Each worktree is assigned a **slot** that determines its ports:
| Slot | Backend | Frontend |
|------|---------|----------|
| 0 | 8000 | 3000 |
| 1 | 8010 | 3010 |
| 2 | 8020 | 3020 |
| 3 | 8030 | 3030 |
| ... | ... | ... |
- **Slot 0** is reserved for the main worktree (default `cargo run` / `npm run dev`).
- Without `WM_SLOT`, the script auto-assigns the first available slot (starting from 1) and prints it.
- With `WM_SLOT=N`, it uses that slot and errors if the ports are taken.
## SSH Port Forwarding
If you develop over SSH, add this to `~/.ssh/config` on your **local machine** to pre-configure tunnels for each slot:
```
Host windmill-dev
HostName <remote-ip>
User <username>
# Slot 0 (main worktree)
LocalForward 8000 localhost:8000
LocalForward 3000 localhost:3000
# Slot 1
LocalForward 8010 localhost:8010
LocalForward 3010 localhost:3010
# Slot 2
LocalForward 8020 localhost:8020
LocalForward 3020 localhost:3020
# Slot 3
LocalForward 8030 localhost:8030
LocalForward 3030 localhost:3030
```
Then connect once and all tunnels are active:
```bash
ssh windmill-dev
```
Access the frontend at `http://localhost:<frontend-port>` in your local browser.
## Quickstart
```bash
# Create a new worktree (auto-assigns slot, prints ports)
workmux add my-feature
# Or with an explicit slot
WM_SLOT=2 workmux add my-feature
# Create a worktree and immediately send a prompt to the agent
workmux add -A -p "fix the login bug in auth.rs"
```
The `add` command creates the worktree but does **not** open it. To open the tmux window and start working:
```bash
workmux open my-feature
```
This will open a tmux window with three panes:
- **Claude Code agent** (focused)
- **Backend**: `cargo watch -x run` on the assigned port (auto-reloads on save)
- **Frontend**: `npm run dev` proxying to the backend
When using `-A` with `add`, the worktree is created and opened automatically, and the prompt is sent to the agent right away.
Check which ports were assigned:
```bash
cat <worktree-path>/.env.local
```
### Sending work to the agent
```bash
# Send a prompt to the agent in a worktree
workmux send my-feature "fix the login bug in auth.rs"
# Check agent status
workmux status
```
### Merging and cleaning up
We never merge worktrees directly — always create a PR on GitHub and let it be merged there. Once the PR is merged, clean up the worktree:
```bash
# Close the tmux window but keep the worktree
workmux close my-feature
# After your PR is merged, remove the worktree, branch, and tmux window
workmux rm my-feature
```
> **Note**: Do not use `workmux merge`. Always go through a PR to get your changes into main. You can ask the Claude Code agent in the worktree to create the PR for you.
## Configuration
The setup is defined in `.workmux.yaml` at the repo root. Key sections:
- **`post_create`**: Runs `scripts/worktree-env` to generate `.env.local` with port assignments
- **`panes`**: Defines the tmux layout (agent, backend, frontend)
- **`files.copy`**: Copies `backend/.env` and `scripts/` into each worktree
- **`files.symlink`**: Symlinks `node_modules` and `.svelte-kit` to avoid reinstalling per worktree
## Login
Default credentials: `admin@windmill.dev` / `changeme`