Debugging Installed ModForge Builds
Debugging Installed ModForge Builds
How to read console errors from the installed (release) ModForge build, where devtools are compiled out (no devtools feature in src-tauri/Cargo.toml, so F12 does nothing).
WebView2 remote debugging
WebView2 honors an env var for extra browser args. Launch the installed exe with a remote-debugging port:
$env:WEBVIEW2_ADDITIONAL_BROWSER_ARGUMENTS="--remote-debugging-port=9222"
Start-Process "C:\Program Files\Upgrayedd\Mod Forge\modman.exe"
Then http://127.0.0.1:9222/json lists debug targets. Either open the devtoolsFrontendUrl in a browser, or attach to webSocketDebuggerUrl with a small CDP script (Runtime.enable + Page.reload, listen for Runtime.exceptionThrown / Runtime.consoleAPICalled). Node 20 needs node --experimental-websocket for the global WebSocket.
Kill the app afterwards — leaving a release build running with an open debug port is undesirable.
Facts that matter when diagnosing
- Installed path:
C:\Program Files\Upgrayedd\Mod Forge\modman.exe(NSIS per-machine; publisher folder "Upgrayedd"). Process name:modman. - Installed and dev builds share
%APPDATA%\modforge\modforge.sqlite, so data written by a newer dev build can crash an older installed build (see [[ModForge Claude Model Selector]] — unknown model alias → black screen). - A solid black screen usually means an uncaught render exception unmounted the React root: the empty
<body class="bg-zinc-950">is near-black. The startup progress overlay appearing briefly on right-click → Refresh confirms the bundle loads and the crash happens during/after workspace restore (hydrateTabs).
Created 2026-06-11 while diagnosing the v1.0.20 black screen.