VibeDeck

VibeDeck turns a spare phone or e-paper device into a private wireless second screen, system dashboard, and AI-usage sideboard for Windows.

It runs locally: the Windows Host creates and captures an optional virtual display, while iPhone, Android, and BOOX devices connect through Safari, Chrome, or an installable PWA. No native mobile app or cloud account is required.

Product Architecture

Component	Supported product path
Windows Host	Install with VibeDeck-Setup-<version>.exe; it starts in the signed-in desktop session
Phone and e-paper clients	Safari, Chrome, or Add to Home Screen/PWA
Virtual display	Optional; required only for second-screen mode
Windows notifications	Optional packaged companion; it forwards notifications to the Host
Product updates	Run a newer Setup with the same AppId
Source development	Use start.bat or scripts\dev-run.ps1

The Host must not run as a Windows Service. A service runs in Session 0 and cannot enumerate or capture displays belonging to the signed-in user. VibeDeck instead launches as a hidden background process in the interactive desktop session.

Features

• A real Windows virtual monitor that accepts normal desktop windows.
• Low-latency WebRTC H.264 streaming with a JPEG compatibility fallback.
• Responsive phone, tablet, and e-paper layouts from one browser/PWA client.
• Live CPU, GPU, memory, storage, network, weather, and process information.
• AI-tool usage and quota cards.
• Configurable dashboard layouts and activity updates.
• Optional Windows notification integration.
• Local device approval and pairing without a third-party backend.
• Windows Setup, in-place updates, autostart, and persistent product data.

Showcase

Wireless second-screen mode

VibeDeck streams a live Windows virtual display to the browser client over the local network.

Information Board

The same device can become a focused desktop sideboard with live system telemetry, process insights, and AI-usage information.

Requirements

For an installed build:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 on x64.
• A phone or e-paper device on the same Wi-Fi network, or connected through the same Tailscale network.
• The optional virtual display only when using second-screen mode.

Building from source additionally requires the .NET 8 SDK. Creating the Windows installer requires Inno Setup 6.

Install VibeDeck

For a complete build + install from this repository, double-click install.bat. It builds the canonical Setup, requests administrator permission once, installs silently, starts the Host hidden, and verifies the running product.

Run the packaged installer:

VibeDeck-Setup-<version>.exe

Setup performs the complete product installation:

• installs the application under C:\Program Files\VibeDeck;
• stores persistent product data under %ProgramData%\VibeDeck;
• creates Start menu and desktop shortcuts;
• configures hidden autostart in the signed-in desktop session;
• creates the firewall rules required for LAN access;
• removes obsolete VibeDeck Windows Service registrations.

After installation, open:

http://127.0.0.1:5000

Build the installer from source

scripts\package-windows-setup.ps1

The default version comes from src/PhoneMonitor.Host/PhoneMonitor.Host.csproj. To specify it explicitly:

scripts\package-windows-setup.ps1 -Version 0.1.1

Output:

artifacts\windows-setup\VibeDeck-Setup-<version>.exe

To build only the installation payload without compiling the Setup executable:

scripts\package-windows-setup.ps1 -SkipInno

The packaging script normally runs tests, JavaScript syntax checks, product-path checks, and payload validation before producing the installer.

Update an Existing Installation

From this repository, double-click update.bat. The update uses the same Setup AppId and performs this sequence automatically: stop the running Host, replace the app files, preserve %ProgramData%\VibeDeck, start the Host hidden, and run the installed-product checks. Do not uninstall first.

1. Build or download a newer Setup version.
2. Run it without uninstalling the existing version.
3. Setup stops the old Host, replaces application files, removes obsolete service registrations, and starts the new Host in the desktop session.
4. %ProgramData%\VibeDeck is preserved, including paired devices, certificates, quota accounts, custom cards, and notification settings.

Verify the updated installation:

scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Installed

If the optional virtual display is installed:

scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Installed -RequireVirtualDisplay

These checks verify that:

• no obsolete Host service remains;
• the Host runs outside Session 0;
• port 5000 belongs to the correct Host process;
• Windows display enumeration is coming from the interactive session;
• the PhoneMonitor virtual display is available when required.

Connect a Phone or E-Paper Device

With both devices on the same Wi-Fi network, open the HTTPS address shown by the PC Host, for example:

https://192.168.1.20:5443

On first connection:

1. Request pairing from the phone.
2. Confirm the device name and six-digit code on the PC.
3. Select Allow on the PC.
4. Switch between Display, Information Board, and Quota modes on the client.

The phone and PC show the same explicit pairing progress:

Progress	Meaning
0–20%	Host, HTTPS address, and QR code are being prepared
25%	Phone reached the Host and is waiting for Start pairing
40%	Browser identity and the exact available device model are being read
70–75%	Request and six-digit code reached the PC; waiting for Allow
90%	Approval succeeded and the persistent credential is being saved
100%	Pairing is saved, or an existing pairing was restored; the page reloads automatically

Pairing is attached to a persistent browser-instance ID and stored under %ProgramData%\VibeDeck\devices. Re-pairing the same browser continues the existing device record and rotates its credential instead of adding a duplicate. Android Chromium reports its model when available, so known devices appear as names such as BOOX Go Color 7 and Samsung SM-S9110; browsers that intentionally hide the model fall back to a platform name.

Information Board and Quota modes do not require the virtual display. iPhone, Android, and BOOX all use the same Host-served web application; responsive and e-paper styles handle platform differences.

For access across different networks, use Tailscale. See docs/remote-access.md. HTTPS and iPhone certificate setup are documented in docs/https-onboarding.md.

Virtual Display

Only Display mode requires the PhoneMonitor virtual display.

When the PC UI reports that no virtual display is available, select Create virtual display and approve the Windows elevation prompt. Normal users do not need the Windows Driver Kit, test-signing mode, or driver-development scripts.

The Host must run in the local signed-in desktop session. If /api/displays reports only WinDisc 1024x768, the Host is running in the wrong session; this is not evidence that the virtual display driver is missing.

Driver-development tools remain under driver/ and scripts/*driver*.ps1, but they are not part of the normal product installation path.

Windows Notification Companion

Windows userNotificationListener access requires packaged application identity, so notification capture is implemented as an optional MSIX companion. It forwards notification data to the Host and must not listen on ports 5000 or 5443.

Build and install the development package:

scripts\package-windows-notifications.ps1 -Install

If Windows requires machine-level trust for the development certificate, run from an elevated PowerShell window:

scripts\package-windows-notifications.ps1 -RegisterOnly -InstallCertificateMachine

The companion process is VibeDeck.Notifications.exe. See docs/windows-notifications.md for details.

Run from Source

Start the project with:

start.bat

or:

scripts\dev-run.ps1

Source-development data is stored under %LocalAppData%\PhoneMonitor. Installed-product data is stored under %ProgramData%\VibeDeck.

The source and installed Hosts cannot use port 5000 at the same time. Stop the installed Host before starting source development. The notification companion may remain running.

Run the source product-flow checks with:

scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Source

Uninstall

Prefer Windows Installed apps, or run from an elevated PowerShell window:

scripts\uninstall-windows-product.ps1

To preserve product data:

scripts\uninstall-windows-product.ps1 -KeepData

The notification companion is a separate MSIX package. Remove it with:

scripts\package-windows-notifications.ps1 -Uninstall

Troubleshooting

Symptom	First check
PC page does not open	Start VibeDeck, then run scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Installed
Virtual display is installed but missing	Check the Host session; do not reinstall the driver solely because WinDisc appears
Phone cannot connect	Confirm Wi-Fi/Tailscale connectivity, firewall access, and the HTTPS URL
Phone UI looks like an old app	Close obsolete clients and use Safari, Chrome, or the PWA
A paired phone asks to pair again	Run scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Installed, then verify %ProgramData%\VibeDeck\devices\trusted-devices.json; Setup grants signed-in users write access and the Host keeps a .bak recovery copy
Refresh briefly opens PowerShell	Update to the latest Setup; the local information collector is launched non-interactively with a hidden window
Windows notifications do not appear	Confirm that the companion is connected and allowed
Data appears missing after an update	Verify %ProgramData%\VibeDeck; do not confuse it with the development data directory
Quota cards have no data	Use the corresponding local CLI/account on the Host PC, then refresh the card

Repository Structure

• src/PhoneMonitor.Host: Windows Host, APIs, streaming, and browser/PWA client.
• packaging/windows-setup: canonical Windows Setup packaging.
• packaging/windows-notifications: optional notification companion package.
• scripts/test-product-flow.ps1: shared source, payload, and installed-product checks.
• driver: virtual display development project.
• docs: protocol, remote access, HTTPS, notifications, product, and release documentation.
• AGENTS.md: engineering constraints for future development and debugging.

Release Checklist

scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Source
scripts\package-windows-setup.ps1
# Run the new Setup for a clean installation or in-place update.
scripts\test-product-flow.ps1 -Installed

See docs/release-checklist.md for the complete manual checklist.

OpenAI Build Week

VibeDeck entered OpenAI Build Week as an existing Windows virtual-display prototype. During the submission period, it was meaningfully extended into a complete product workflow with Codex and GPT-5.6.

Build Week work includes:

• redesigned responsive phone and e-paper interfaces, including rotation and overlay fixes;
• a Windows Setup and upgrade path that preserves product data and starts the Host in the signed-in desktop session;
• improved virtual-display discovery and setup guidance;
• a single browser/PWA product path for iPhone, Android, and BOOX devices;
• configurable dashboard layouts, activity updates, quota cards, and optional Windows notification integration;
• installed-product and source-product flow checks for packaging and release verification.

Codex was used as an engineering partner for product planning, implementation, debugging, review, testing, and packaging. GPT-5.6 helped reason across Windows desktop-session behavior, display enumeration, browser-media constraints, mobile and e-paper layouts, and installer lifecycle.

Dated commits and Codex session logs document work completed during the event. The primary Build Week Codex session ID is:

019f6890-877f-71e0-9ffa-7cf4d4457f2a

Roadmap

• Add a maintainable internationalization layer. The current interface is primarily Traditional Chinese; English is the first planned additional language.
• Improve adaptive stream quality and latency handling.
• Add more dashboard modules and integrations.
• Make e-paper refresh behavior configurable.
• Simplify signed distribution for non-technical users.

License

MIT