The client already ships the server binary. Start it by hand for a fast, single-machine test — no Docker, no Windows service.
The installer placed nightshipd.exe next to the client, in
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Nightship. Start it with a data
directory of your choice:
cd %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Nightship
nightshipd.exe --data-dir %LOCALAPPDATA%\NightshipServer --port 8080
It prints listening on http://0.0.0.0:8080 and, because no
tokens exist yet, the exact commands to bootstrap your first admin.
In a second terminal, point the offline commands at the same data directory:
nightshipd.exe user create admin --role admin --data-dir %LOCALAPPDATA%\NightshipServer
nightshipd.exe token create my-laptop --user admin --data-dir %LOCALAPPDATA%\NightshipServerThe second command prints a token once — copy it and store it somewhere safe, like a password manager. (Full detail in Bootstrap the first admin.)
In the desktop app: Servers → Add server →
http://localhost:8080, then Set token with that
value. The Admin page now lets you create channels, push builds, and
invite people.