# pod-launch

The supervising launch **entry-point** for the two DOSBox titles (BattleTech /
Red Planet 4.10). TeslaConsole → TeslaLauncher invokes this exe in the game dir
with args selecting game/mode; it is the single authoritative handle for the
whole session. See [`../DEPLOYMENT-PLAN.md`](../DEPLOYMENT-PLAN.md).

## Why an exe, not a batch/script

The entry-point must **own** the child processes' lifetime, not hand off and
exit. `pod-launch`:

1. Creates a **Windows Job Object** with `JOB_OBJECT_LIMIT_KILL_ON_JOB_CLOSE`.
2. Launches **DOSBox-X** and the **render bridge** *into* the job.
3. **Blocks** on DOSBox for the whole mission.

Kill this process (TeslaLauncher force-killing a hung DOSBox on a console
command) → the job's last handle closes → the **kernel** kills DOSBox + the
renderer. This holds even on a hard `TerminateProcess`, where no cooperative
shutdown can run. When DOSBox exits on its own (mission end) the supervisor
tears the job down and returns DOSBox's exit code.

A batch file / `cmd.exe` / `start` / `Start-Process` can't do this: they decouple
from the child, which then survives the parent. Verified: hard-killing the
supervisor reaps its child via the kernel (see the job-object cascade test).

## Build

Dev (needs the .NET 8 runtime present):

```
dotnet build -c Release
```

Deploy — self-contained single-file, so the air-gapped pod needs no .NET runtime
installed:

```
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true
```

## Console argument reference

`pod-launch [mode] [options]` — the single installed entry-point. The product is
installed once; the console activates features by the args it passes. The per-rig
layout is fixed at `postinstall` time, so a typical call is just `pod-launch bt`.

### Mode — the primary feature selector (positional, or `--mode <name>`)

| Arg | Activates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| `bt` | BattleTech, networked cockpit (`net_loop.conf`, looped) | wired |
| `rp` | Red Planet, networked cockpit (`net_rp.conf`, looped) | wired |
| `review` | mission-review PLAYBACK of `last.spl` | recognized, exits 3 (DOS arg TBD) |
| `test-plasma` | plasma-display diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |
| `reset-rio` | RIO reset diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |
| `audio-test` | audio test diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |

Camera ship and LIVE mission-review are **not** modes — same `bt`/`rp` boot; the
console sets the role per-IP via the egg `hostType` (0 pod / 1 camera / 2 review),
see `../CAMERA-REVIEW-NOTES.md`. Default mode: `bt`.

### Feature toggles

| Arg | Effect |
|---|---|
| `--no-sound` | skip the ~4-min AWE32 SoundFont upload — **freezes bt/rp**: no AWE32 = no SOS ticks, and the default confs use the FAST (SOS) clock, so BTL4 hangs in the RIO-reset busy-wait (`L4RIO.cpp` `SetDTR`/`Now()`; root-caused 2026-07-10). Only safe with a SLOW-clock conf (`setenv` arg2=`s`) |
| `--mipmap` | mip-filter minified textures (fixes RP floor shimmer; non-authentic) |
| `--layout cockpit\|explode` | `cockpit` = borderless VDB head windows (default); `explode` = 7-window debug |
| `--no-bridge` | pod only, no GL render window |
| `--no-focus` | skip the renderer-topmost / DOSBox-focus pass |

### Window placement (per-rig; normally fixed, overridable per-launch)

| Arg | Effect |
|---|---|
| `--bridge-pos x,y` | main render window position (default `0,0`) |
| `--bridge-size w,h` | main render size (default `832,512` — the dPL3 board's native framebuffer res; see `../LAUNCH.md`) |
| `--dosbox-xy x,y` | DOSBox window position + focus (default `10,10`) |

### Path / asset overrides (dev / edge — `postinstall` already wires these)

`--root <dir>` · `--conf <path>` · `--dosbox <exe>` · `--renderer <exe>` ·
`--bridge-script <py>` · `--awe-rom <raw>` · `--work <dir>`

### Diagnostics

`--dry-run` (resolve + print the launch plan, don't launch) · `-h` / `--help`

```
pod-launch bt --root C:\VWE\TeslaRel410\emulator --dry-run
```

### Exit codes the console reads back

- **normal run** → returns **DOSBox's exit code** = the game's **`ExitCodeID`**,
  passed straight through (the same remote-ops code the pod loop dispatched on).
- **`2`** → bad arguments (usage on stderr).
- **`3`** → recognized mode not yet wired (reason on stderr).

## Deploy layout it expects (under the game dir / `--root`)

```
pod-launch.exe        dosbox-x.exe        net_loop.conf  net_rp.conf
renderer.exe (frozen) roms\awe32.raw      <game content + net-boot drivers>
```

`postinstall.bat` lays this out and renders the `net_*.conf` (paths, `realnic`,
`WATTCP my_ip = bayIP+100`). This exe just selects + launches.

## TODO (tracked in DEPLOYMENT-PLAN.md OPEN items)

- Wire the distinct non-networked modes once their DOS launch args are
  confirmed: `review` (playback app + `last.spl`) and the diagnostics. (The mode
  table in `Modes.cs` is the single place to add each.)
- Swap the dev `pyw live_bridge.py` for the frozen renderer exe once packaging
  is decided (freeze vs embedded Python — with David).
- Per-rig cockpit head RECTS (currently the `pod_deploy.ps1` defaults).