bv-install ⚡

transform windows portable apps and directories into native installed applications.

bv-install is a modern, lightweight native windows utility designed for developers and power users. it takes ready-to-run portable application folders or .zip archives and integrates them seamlessly into the windows environment—handling file organization, start menu/desktop shortcuts, path variables, and registry registration.

it is not a package manager, but a smart installer for your portable binaries.

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✨ features

• 📂 folder & zip inputs: point to a folder or a .zip file. archives are automatically extracted and nested root folders are automatically unwrapped.
• 🎯 smart main exe detection: recursively scans your folder, calculates heuristics, and automatically identifies the primary executable.
• 🧠 gui vs cli auto-detection: parses raw executable header bytes (PE optional header) in sub-milliseconds to distinguish console ([cli]) from desktop ([gui]) applications.
• 🌐 environment PATH integration: optionally registers cli tools permanently into your environment PATH (user or machine level) with an instant win32 message broadcast so you don't have to restart active shells.
• 🧼 100% clean native uninstallation: registers an official entry in windows apps & features / control panel. uninstalling runs a tailored powershell script that removes the files, deletes shortcuts, and strips the application folder clean from your PATH.
• ⚡ fast developer flags:
  • --just-scan to run the heuristic analyzer on any folder/zip and exit.
  • --just-add-path to map any directory directly to your PATH variable and exit instantly.
• 🎨 lowercase-first aesthetics: outputs beautiful, low-noise, and minimal cli logs inspired by tools like bun and fd.

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🚀 installation

install the package globally via npm:

npm install -g bv-install

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🛠️ usage

1. standard interactive install

run the interactive installer wizard on any directory or .zip file:

bv-install .
bv-install C:\path\to\portable-app-folder
bv-install .\ffmpeg-release.zip

2. quick path mapper (--just-add-path)

instantly add the target directory directly to your user (or system-wide if run as admin) environment PATH and exit:

bv-install . --just-add-path

3. dry-run scanning (--just-scan)

scan any folder or archive to see detected executables, recommended entry points, and CLI/GUI classification without installing anything:

bv-install . --just-scan

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🔮 under the hood

⚡ sub-millisecond PE subsystem parser

unlike bulky external shell utilities, bv-install directly parses the executable file buffers on disk. by reading the PE signature offset at 0x3c and jumping to the optional header subsystem field at PE_OFFSET + 92, it determines if the file is a graphical app (GUI = 2) or command-line utility (CUI = 3) in under 1ms.

📡 win32 broadcast notifications

when updating environmental paths, the tool doesn't just change the registry. it uses a native powershell signature bridge to trigger:

[Win32.Win32SendMessage]::SendMessageTimeout([IntPtr]0xffff, 0x001A, [UIntPtr]::Zero, "Environment", 2, 5000, [ref]$result)

this notifies explorer.exe and active shells of the environment update immediately.

🧹 native uninstaller registration

registered apps will show up in the standard windows settings. the UninstallString contains backtick-escaped powershell command blocks that execute on click:

• removes all application files.
• cleans up the start menu and desktop shortcuts.
• selectively removes the bin directory from the system PATH environment variable.
• deletes the app registry key itself.

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📋 requirements

• OS: Windows 10 / 11
• shell: PowerShell 5.1+ (included with Windows)
• runtime: Node.js v16.7.0 or higher (uses native recursive fs.cp)

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📄 license

MIT © xbvuno