HeadsUp CI

HeadsUp CI is a compact Windows desktop app for monitoring GitHub Actions for the exact commit currently selected in a repository or local clone.

It keeps local Git state, the selected GitHub branch, and the matching CI run separate so the HUD never reports a successful run for the wrong commit.

Install

Microsoft Store (recommended)

Microsoft Store download

Get HeadsUp CI from the Microsoft Store. This is the official download method; the signed Store version includes the .NET runtime and is the normal install path for most users.

Portable Windows x64

Download the portable Windows x64 ZIP, extract it, and run HeadsUp.exe.

The portable build is framework-dependent and requires the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime. It is intended for direct GitHub use and testing.

What it does

• Monitors a GitHub repository and branch through the authenticated GitHub CLI.
• Matches a workflow run only when its headSha exactly equals the selected SHA.
• Optionally links a local clone to show pushed, unpushed, behind, diverged, or dirty state.
• Shows workflow status, run metadata, duration, and individual job results.
• Opens the run or failed-job page in a browser, or copies failed-job names when multiple jobs fail.
• Copies the full SHA, run ID, run URL, or a complete CI evidence summary.
• Polls local Git and remote GitHub state independently.
• Remembers settings, window position, size, appearance, polling interval, and always-on-top preference.

HeadsUp is local-first. It has no telemetry, advertising, analytics, built-in cloud service, or user account. It only reads Git state and GitHub data through the user's installed tools; it never checks out, fetches, pushes, or otherwise mutates a repository.

Requirements

• Windows 10 version 2004 or later.
• GitHub CLI (gh) on PATH, authenticated with gh auth login, for GitHub repository and Actions monitoring.
• Portable ZIP only: .NET 10 Desktop Runtime.
• Development only: .NET 10 SDK or later.
• Git on PATH when linking a local clone.

GitHub monitoring is optional when using HeadsUp only to inspect a local clone. When a local clone is used without a repository entered in Settings, HeadsUp can discover its GitHub repository from the clone's origin remote.

Run from source

From the repository root:

dotnet restore .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj --configfile .\NuGet.Config
dotnet run --project .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj

Click the gear button to open Settings. Enter a GitHub repository URL, load and select a branch, and optionally choose a local clone folder. A URL containing /tree/<branch> may be used to preselect a branch.

Settings also control accent color, surface opacity, polling interval, Always on top, and—when running the unpackaged build—Start with Windows. The packaged Store build does not currently expose the registry-based startup option.

How matching works

HeadsUp treats the commit SHA as the identity of the state being monitored:

1. GitHub branch monitoring resolves the branch's current remote SHA.
2. Local-clone monitoring resolves the selected local branch SHA.
3. The previous CI snapshot is discarded whenever that selected SHA changes.
4. GitHub Actions runs are accepted only when their headSha exactly matches the selected SHA.

This prevents a newer or unrelated workflow run from being displayed as the result for the commit currently shown in the HUD.

Windows packages

The CI workflow produces two separate Windows artifacts:

• HeadsUp-win-x64: a lightweight framework-dependent development/testing publish.
• HeadsUp-msix: a self-contained MSIX Store payload that includes the .NET runtime.

Development publish

dotnet restore .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj --configfile .\NuGet.Config -r win-x64
dotnet publish .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj `
  -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false --no-restore `
  --output .\artifacts\HeadsUp-win-x64

Build the Store MSIX

Install the Windows SDK so MakeAppx.exe and MakePri.exe are available, then run:

dotnet restore .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj --configfile .\NuGet.Config -r win-x64
dotnet publish .\src\GitCiHud\GitCiHud.csproj `
  -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true --no-restore `
  -p:PublishSingleFile=false `
  --output .\artifacts\HeadsUp-store-win-x64
.\packaging\Build-MSIX.ps1 -PublishDirectory ".\artifacts\HeadsUp-store-win-x64" -OutputDirectory ".\artifacts"

The result is artifacts\HeadsUp-1.0.0.0.msix. The package is intentionally unsigned for local builds; Microsoft signs Store packages during certification. The package version is controlled by packaging\package-version.txt and must remain a valid Major.Minor.Build.0 value.

The checked-in Store identity is:

• Name: 404Builds.HeadsUpCI
• Display name: HeadsUp CI
• Publisher: 404 Builds
• Architecture: x64
• Minimum Windows version: 10.0.19041.0

See packaging/README.md for local signing, package identity, asset validation, and submission guidance.

Validation and CI

GitHub Actions checks repository hygiene, builds the Release configuration, publishes the Windows artifact, validates the self-contained Store payload, and builds the MSIX package. The current checked-in Windows App Certification Kit report records a passing result for the 1.0.0.0 package:

WACK report

Any new release should repeat installation, launch, settings persistence, uninstall, and WACK validation on a clean Windows environment.

Privacy

See the HeadsUp CI Privacy Policy for local settings, GitHub CLI, browser, clipboard, and data-retention details.