A local-first Windows setup assistant that turns a fresh PC into a ready-to-work machine.
Download the latest Windows release · v0.2.1
An AgenStudio project by EagleFox31 · Think sharp. Build what matters.
AgenStart is being built to remove one of the most repetitive parts of owning, preparing, or deploying a Windows PC: figuring out what should be installed, finding trustworthy sources, installing everything one application at a time, and rebuilding the same setup again later.
The goal is not to create another software catalogue.
AgenStart should understand the machine, understand the intended use, propose a coherent setup, let the user stay in control, and execute the setup safely.
Setting up a Windows machine is still surprisingly manual.
A developer, student, trainer, creator, office worker, technician or small IT team often has to:
- inspect the machine manually;
- remember which applications are needed;
- search for official installers;
- avoid bundled or unsafe download sources;
- install applications one by one;
- repeat the exact same work on the next machine;
- remember what was installed and why.
AgenStart aims to turn that fragmented process into one deliberate workflow.
Understand the PC
↓
Understand the user's goal
↓
Recommend a coherent setup
↓
Let the user review and approve
↓
Install through trusted providers
↓
Verify, report and save the setup
We want AgenStart to become a trusted setup layer for Windows.
A user should eventually be able to open AgenStart on a new or reinstalled computer and say, in effect:
“This machine is for full-stack development, teaching and office work.”
AgenStart should determine what is already available, what is compatible with the machine, what is useful for that workload, what is unnecessary, and what can be installed safely.
The long-term ambition is bigger than batch installation. AgenStart is designed around the idea of reproducible personal computing environments: a setup should be understandable, exportable, repeatable and maintainable.
AgenStart should make it possible to:
- prepare a new Windows PC in minutes instead of manually rebuilding a setup;
- receive recommendations based on usage + machine capabilities, not generic popularity;
- install selected applications in a controlled batch;
- avoid reinstalling software that is already present;
- reproduce a known setup on another machine;
- export and import setup profiles;
- keep a clear report of what succeeded, failed or was skipped;
- remain useful without requiring an AgenStudio account.
Machine inspection and recommendation logic should run locally whenever possible.
Detection may be automatic. Installation is not. The user reviews the proposed setup before AgenStart changes the machine.
AgenStart does not need personal files, browser history, passwords, MAC addresses or device serial numbers to recommend software.
The preferred installation path is through trusted package providers such as WinGet, with carefully controlled fallbacks to official publisher sources when required.
A recommendation should have a reason. “Recommended because your profile is Development and Git is not installed” is useful. “Recommended by AI” is not enough.
A good setup is not a one-off event. Profiles, catalogues and installation results should be representable as versionable data.
Installers fail. Networks disappear. Packages change. AgenStart should surface failures clearly, allow retries where safe, and never pretend an installation succeeded when it did not.
- Windows 10/11 x64
- desktop-first experience
- no mandatory cloud account
- Personal
- Development
- Business
- Creation
- Training / Education
- local hardware and OS inventory;
- detection of already-installed applications;
- curated software catalogue;
- rule-based recommendation engine;
- compatibility and prerequisite checks;
- selection/review screen;
- installation queue;
- per-package progress and status;
- cancellation and safe retry where supported;
- final installation report;
- setup profile export/import;
- structured logs for diagnostics.
The initial catalogue is expected to contain roughly 40–60 carefully selected applications rather than hundreds of poorly maintained entries.
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ Desktop Experience │
├───────────────────────────────┤
│ Recommendation & Policies │
├──────────────┬────────────────┤
│ PC Inventory │ Software State │
├──────────────┴────────────────┤
│ Catalogue & Provider Adapters │
├───────────────────────────────┤
│ Installation Orchestrator │
├───────────────────────────────┤
│ Profiles · Reports · Logging │
└───────────────────────────────┘
- C# / .NET 10 for the application and domain layers;
- Avalonia UI 12.1.2 with XAML and compiled bindings for the Windows desktop experience;
- WinGet for trusted package discovery, preparation and installation;
- Windows Registry + WinGet export for installed-software inventory;
- xUnit v3 and Microsoft .NET Test SDK for automated tests;
- a modular architecture split across Core, Application, Catalogue, Package Management, Windows Platform, Recommendations and Software Inventory projects.
The stack is now implemented and versioned. Future architecture-impacting changes will continue to be documented through ADRs.
AgenStart is developed using our AppFactory approach: products are built from explicit, reusable engineering capabilities instead of accumulating ad-hoc code until something appears to work.
A feature is not finished because the UI works. It is finished when the product behaviour is specified, implemented, verified, observable and maintainable.
Our loop:
- Discover — define the real user problem, constraints, risks and success criteria.
- Specify — turn ideas into issues, acceptance criteria, domain rules and technical decisions.
- Design — define user flow, system boundaries, contracts and failure behaviour.
- Build — implement small reviewable increments through branches and pull requests.
- Verify — test happy paths, failure paths and OS-dependent behaviour.
- Ship — automate builds, version releases and document meaningful changes.
- Observe — capture actionable diagnostics without compromising privacy.
- Iterate — feed real usage, maintenance lessons and defects back into the product system.
More detail: docs/APPFACTORY.md
mainstays releasable;- meaningful work is tracked with GitHub Issues;
- features and fixes use focused branches and pull requests;
- architecture-impacting choices get an ADR;
- new behaviour includes appropriate tests;
- CI validates proposed changes;
- releases are versioned and reproducible;
- dependencies and providers are treated as supply-chain boundaries;
- logs must help debugging without collecting unnecessary personal information;
- documentation evolves with implementation.
Architecture, ADR process, repository conventions, catalogue schema, threat model and development stack.
Windows inventory, installed-software detection and normalized capability models.
Curated application catalogue, provider metadata, profiles, rules and recommendation explanations.
Provider adapters, queue orchestration, progress, cancellation, retries and post-install verification.
Complete guided flow from onboarding to recommendations, approval, installation and report.
Profile export/import, reusable setup recipes and reliable re-execution on another compatible machine.
Packaging, CI/CD, signed releases where applicable, upgrade strategy, diagnostics and broader Windows testing.
Detailed working plan: docs/ROADMAP.md
The README describes where AgenStart is going. It should not become the operational task tracker.
Use:
- GitHub Issues for concrete units of work;
- GitHub Projects for backlog, priority, status and roadmap views;
- Pull Requests for implementation and review;
- ADRs for durable technical decisions.
Recommended workflow:
Backlog → Ready → In Progress → Review → Validation → Done
Priority:
P0 Critical · P1 High · P2 Normal · P3 Later
Work types:
Product · Feature · Engineering · UX · Security · Quality · Documentation · Bug
Stage: Functional prototype · v0.2.1
The current application already includes:
- Windows machine and operating-system inventory;
- installed-software detection through WinGet and the Windows Registry;
- a curated software catalogue and profile-driven recommendations;
- explainable recommendation progress and compatibility checks;
- trusted WinGet package preparation and sequential installation;
- setup profile import/export, local history, settings and installation reports;
- automated tests covering the application, catalogue, recommendation and Windows platform layers.
Next priorities:
- harden packaging and distribution for Windows;
- sign release artifacts and define the upgrade strategy;
- expand and maintain the curated software catalogue;
- strengthen installation recovery, cancellation and retry behaviour;
- keep the README, roadmap and release documentation aligned with shipped capabilities.
AgenStart is not intended to be:
- a cracked-software installer;
- an arbitrary script runner;
- an opaque “AI optimizer” that changes the computer without explanation;
- a replacement for enterprise device-management platforms;
- a catalogue filled with unverified third-party download links.
Trust is part of the product.
AgenStart is proprietary software owned by EagleFox31 and published under the AgenStudio brand. Public access to this repository does not grant permission to copy, modify, redistribute, deploy or commercially reuse the code.
Third-party components remain subject to their own licences. See LICENSE and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.
AgenStart
Prepare once. Understand everything. Reproduce anywhere.
An AgenStudio project by EagleFox31 · Think sharp. Build what matters.