Run M8Shift on Windows

M8Shift is a single Python file using only the standard library, so the core has nothing to pip install. It runs on Windows in three ways.

Option A — WSL (recommended)

Use a WSL distribution and treat it exactly like Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M8Shift/M8Shift/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --agents claude,codex
python3 m8shift.py status

The installer downloads m8shift.py plus m8shift-worktree.py, m8shift-runtime.py, and m8shift-context.py, verifies them with checksums.sha256, and runs init.

claude,codex is the default example roster. Use gemini,vibe or any cooperative agent names that match the tools you actually run.

Option B — Git Bash

Works the same, invoking Python explicitly:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M8Shift/M8Shift/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --agents claude,codex
python m8shift.py status

Optional RTK install also works from Git Bash:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M8Shift/M8Shift/main/install.sh | \
  bash -s -- --agents claude,codex --with-rtk

It downloads the Windows RTK .zip asset, verifies it against RTK's checksums.txt from the same GitHub release tag, installs rtk.exe in .m8shift/bin, records provenance, disables telemetry, and identity-pins the adapter manifest. Cargo/Rust source builds are disabled unless --allow-source-build is explicit. Experimental --with-headroom creates a local venv and installs a pinned stack (headroom-ai==0.28.0 + onnxruntime + transformers), fail-closed: any failed step removes the venv and reports clearly. Since v3.52.0 an opted-in helper failure never aborts the core install — it degrades to a prominent warning, init still runs, and the installer exits 0 with a summary of failed helpers.

Option C — native PowerShell / cmd

In PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M8Shift/M8Shift/main/install.ps1 | iex
python m8shift.py status

From cmd.exe:

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M8Shift/M8Shift/main/install.ps1 | iex"
python m8shift.py status

The PowerShell installer downloads m8shift.py plus m8shift-worktree.py, m8shift-runtime.py, and m8shift-context.py, verifies them with checksums.sha256 by default, and runs init. It is kept in lockstep with install.sh for the core components (verified by static parity tests; executed end-to-end where pwsh is available) — same flags, same verify-by-default, -Checksums implies verification, and -DryRun prints the plan and prerequisites without writing (no Python needed for the plan). RTK/Headroom are POSIX-only helpers: PowerShell reports them honestly (an rtk already on PATH is detected and gets its telemetry disabled, mirroring install.sh) but never installs them — use WSL or Git Bash for --with-rtk / --with-headroom. After any install, verify with:

python m8shift.py doctor --install

Manual fallback:

py m8shift.py init --agents claude,codex

If you do not use the installer, download or copy m8shift.py first; add m8shift-worktree.py next to it only if you need isolated parallel work.

Invoke through the interpreter (python m8shift.py … / py m8shift.py …); do not rely on ./m8shift.py.

Line endings

Keep the relay file as LF. A .gitattributes entry or git config core.autocrlf input avoids CRLF noise in M8SHIFT.md. The parser tolerates CRLF, but a clean LF file diffs better.

What needs Git for Windows

Only one optional feature: renaming an anchor's case (git mv). Everything else works without Git installed. The inter-process lock targets local disk; avoid running on a network share, where O_EXCL and atomic rename are less reliable.