Getting Started

Download & Extract

Download the ProxyStack portable ZIP (Full or Lite edition) and extract it to any folder on your Windows machine.

Example: E:\ProxyStack\

That's it. No installer, no registry entries, no system modifications. Everything runs from this folder.

Launch ProxyStack

Double-click ProxyStackGUI.exe to launch the modern dark-themed GUI.

# Default: Modern dark theme
ProxyStackGUI.exe

# Classic tabbed interface
ProxyStackGUI.exe --classic

The Dashboard tab shows the status of all services, quick action buttons, and the update checker.

Start Apache

Click the green "Start All" button on the Dashboard, or go to the Dashboard and click "Start". Apache will start on ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS).

The status card will show "Running (PID: XXXX)" when Apache is active.

Add Your First Site

Go to the Sites tab and click "Add Site".

For a reverse proxy (e.g., proxying to a Node.js app on port 3000):

• Domain: myapp.example.com
• Proxy Target: http://localhost:3000
• SSL: Enable if you have a certificate
• WebSocket: Enable if your app uses WebSockets

For a static site (e.g., a React build):

• Domain: static.example.com
• Document Root: sites/my-react-app/build
• SPA Fallback: Enable for single-page apps

Click "Save". ProxyStack generates the Apache virtual host configuration automatically.

Get an SSL Certificate

Go to the Certs tab for SSL options:

Let's Encrypt (free, production-ready):

1. Click "Let's Encrypt"
2. Enter your domain and email
3. ProxyStack automatically stops Apache, runs validation, and restarts
4. Certificate files appear in certs/

Self-Signed (for development):

1. Click "Generate Self-Signed"
2. Enter your domain
3. Certificate and key are generated using bundled OpenSSL

Reload Apache

After adding sites or certificates, click "Restart" on the Dashboard to apply the new configuration. Apache reloads with the updated virtual hosts.

Your site should now be accessible at https://myapp.example.com.

Add Backend Apps (Optional)

Go to the Apps tab to manage backend processes:

1. Click "Add App"
2. Enter a name, command (e.g., npm run dev), working directory, and port
3. Optionally add sub-processes (e.g., npx supabase start)
4. Enable Auto-Start and Auto-Restart as needed
5. Click "Save", then "Start"

ProxyStack manages the process lifecycle, including starting sub-processes before the main command and stopping everything together.

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