How to Install OpenLogi on Windows: MSI and Portable ZIP Setup Guide

OpenLogi provides two native Windows distribution formats—a per-user MSI installer that automatically configures your PATH, and a portable ZIP archive for custom directory deployment—both containing the GUI executable, background agent, and CLI tools required for HID++ device management.

OpenLogi is an open-source input device manager that separates concerns between a background service and a graphical interface. According to the AprilNEA/OpenLogi repository, the Windows installation process involves deploying two core binaries: openlogi-agent.exe, which owns all HID++ device I/O operations, and OpenLogi.exe, the GUI frontend that communicates with the agent via a named pipe. This guide covers both installation methods referenced in the WiX installer source at packaging/windows/OpenLogi.wxs and the Windows installation section of README.md (lines 65–82).

Choose Your Installation Method

OpenLogi distributes Windows builds as architecture-specific packages (x86_64 or arm64) in two formats:

• MSI Installer – Recommended for most users. Installs per-user to %LocalAppData%\Programs\OpenLogi, registers an uninstall entry, and automatically adds the CLI to your user PATH without requiring elevation.
• ZIP Archive – Ideal for portable setups or environments where you cannot run installers. Extract to any folder and optionally configure PATH manually.

Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page, selecting either the .msi or .zip asset matching your system architecture.

Installing via MSI Installer

The MSI package is defined in the WiX source file packaging/windows/OpenLogi.wxs, which specifies a per-user installation scope and component layout.

Standard GUI Installation

1. Download the openlogi-*.msi file from the releases page.
2. Double-click the downloaded file to launch the installer.
3. The installer copies OpenLogi.exe, openlogi-agent.exe, openlogi-overlay.exe, and the CLI (openlogi.exe) into the bin subdirectory under %LocalAppData%\Programs\OpenLogi.
4. The installer automatically appends this bin directory to your user PATH environment variable.

Silent Installation via PowerShell

For enterprise deployment or automated setups, run a silent installation without user interaction:

# Download the latest MSI (update the URL to match the current release)

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/AprilNEA/OpenLogi/releases/download/v0.5.0/openlogi-0.5.0-x86_64.msi" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\openlogi.msi"

# Execute silent install

Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/i `"$env:TEMP\openlogi.msi`" /qn" -Wait

# Verify installation

openlogi --version

The /qn flag suppresses all UI elements. The installation completes without requiring Administrator privileges because it writes to the user-specific LocalAppData directory.

Installing via Portable ZIP

The ZIP distribution provides the same binaries as the MSI but without registry modifications or PATH updates.

1. Download the openlogi-*.zip file matching your architecture.
2. Extract the archive to your preferred location (e.g., C:\Tools\OpenLogi).
3. Ensure OpenLogi.exe and openlogi-agent.exe remain in the same directory, as the GUI expects to find the agent binary alongside it.

Adding the CLI to PATH Manually

To enable the openlogi command from any terminal session, add the bin folder to your PATH:

set OPENLOGI_DIR=C:\Tools\OpenLogi
setx PATH "%PATH%;%OPENLOGI_DIR%\bin"

Restart your terminal to apply the change. Verify by running where openlogi or openlogi --help.

Starting the Agent and Configuring the GUI

The OpenLogi architecture requires the background agent to run before the GUI can interact with devices. The agent binary, implemented in crates/openlogi-agent, handles low-level HID++ protocol communication.

Launching the Application

• Automatic: The first run of OpenLogi.exe automatically launches openlogi-agent.exe if it is not already running.
• Manual: Run openlogi-agent.exe directly from the terminal or create a shortcut in your Startup folder (Win+R → shell:startup) to start the agent on login.

Hiding the System Tray Icon

To disable the agent's system tray icon, modify the TOML configuration file located at %USERPROFILE%\.config\openlogi\config.toml:

$configPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\.config\openlogi\config.toml"
if (-Not (Test-Path $configPath)) { 
    New-Item -ItemType File -Path $configPath -Force 
}

# Append configuration to disable tray icon

Add-Content -Path $configPath -Value "[app_settings]"
Add-Content -Path $configPath -Value "show_in_menu_bar = false"

# Restart agent to apply changes

Stop-Process -Name openlogi-agent -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Start-Process "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\OpenLogi\openlogi-agent.exe"

The [app_settings] block controls application-level behaviors as documented in the repository's configuration guide.

Upgrading and Uninstalling

Upgrade: The MSI supports in-place upgrades. Download the newer MSI and run it silently:

msiexec /i OpenLogi.msi /qn

Uninstall: Remove the application via Add or Remove Programs in Windows Settings, or execute the uninstall command directly using the product code stored in the MSI metadata:

msiexec /x {ProductCode} /qn

For ZIP installations, simply delete the extraction folder and remove any PATH entries you manually added.

Summary

• MSI Method: Installs to %LocalAppData%\Programs\OpenLogi, requires no elevation, auto-updates PATH, and creates an uninstall entry via the WiX installer definition.
• ZIP Method: Portable extraction to any directory; requires manual PATH configuration but leaves no registry traces.
• Agent Architecture: The openlogi-agent.exe binary manages HID++ I/O, while OpenLogi.exe provides the GUI; they communicate through a named pipe.
• Configuration: Settings are stored in %USERPROFILE%\.config\openlogi\config.toml, with show_in_menu_bar controlling tray visibility under the [app_settings] section.
• Automation: Silent installation and uninstallation are supported via msiexec with the /qn flag for enterprise deployment scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need administrator privileges to install OpenLogi on Windows?

No. The MSI installer is configured for per-user installation and writes to %LocalAppData%\Programs\OpenLogi, which does not require elevated privileges. The portable ZIP method also requires no administrative rights since it only involves file extraction.

What is the difference between openlogi-agent.exe and OpenLogi.exe?

openlogi-agent.exe is the background service that owns all HID++ device I/O operations and runs persistently. OpenLogi.exe is the graphical user interface that connects to the agent via a named pipe to send configuration commands and display device status. Both must reside in the same directory for the auto-launch feature to function.

How can I run OpenLogi automatically when Windows starts?

Place a shortcut to openlogi-agent.exe in your Startup folder (accessed via Win+R → shell:startup). The agent will start minimized to the system tray (unless disabled in config.toml). The GUI does not need to start automatically; launch it only when you need to change settings.

Where does OpenLogi store its configuration files on Windows?

The application reads settings from %USERPROFILE%\.config\openlogi\config.toml. If this file does not exist, the agent runs with default settings. This location follows the XDG Base Directory specification adapted for Windows environments as implemented in the openlogi-agent crate.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}