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Debug WinPE testing

This page is for contributors validating Foundry Connect and Foundry Deploy from local builds.

The repository includes helper scripts and debug provisioning support for testing the WinPE applications from a development environment.

Publish helpers​

The foundry/scripts directory includes:

  • Publish-FoundryConnect.ps1
  • Publish-FoundryDeploy.ps1

These scripts publish self-contained single-file builds for:

  • win-x64
  • win-arm64

Debug override flow​

The repository also includes Enable-LocalWinPeDeploy.ps1, which is intended for development workflows where the desktop app should embed or reference debug WinPE application builds instead of normal release assets.

What the helper script actually sets​

When you run Enable-LocalWinPeDeploy.ps1, it enables debug runtime overrides and sets the project paths that Foundry uses later during media staging:

  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_CONNECT=1
  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_CONNECT_PROJECT=<repo>\\src\\Foundry.Connect\\Foundry.Connect.csproj
  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_DEPLOY=1
  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_DEPLOY_PROJECT=<repo>\\src\\Foundry.Deploy\\Foundry.Deploy.csproj

If you also provide archive paths, the script sets these optional overrides:

  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_CONNECT_ARCHIVE
  • FOUNDRY_WINPE_DEBUG_DEPLOY_ARCHIVE

That means debug testing can be driven from project builds, from prebuilt archives, or from a mix of both.

Script inputs​

Enable-LocalWinPeDeploy.ps1 supports these parameters:

  • -ArchivePath to reuse the same archive path for deploy when a deploy-specific path is not provided
  • -ConnectArchivePath for a specific Foundry Connect archive
  • -DeployArchivePath for a specific Foundry Deploy archive
  • -RunFoundry to launch the desktop app after the environment variables are set
What this changes

This helper does not change the normal release workflow. It only changes how the current shell session prepares debug WinPE payloads for development and validation.

Why this matters​

This debug flow is useful when you are changing:

  • Foundry Connect
  • Foundry Deploy
  • The WinPE bootstrap behavior
  • The media staging logic in Foundry

Scope of the debug flow​

The debug override path exists for development and validation. It is not the normal user workflow and should not be confused with the release-based media creation path.

Screenshot placeholder

Add a capture of the terminal after Enable-LocalWinPeDeploy.ps1 runs, with the debug override environment variables visible.