Blog

Brad Wood

January 29, 2018

Spread the word


Share your thoughts

A common question we get now is how to take a CommandBox server and wrap it in a Windows service so it starts automatically at boot time.  This is ideal for production use or just a dev site that you always want to stay running.  With this new screencast, you will learn how to take any CommandBox server and install it as a Windows service using a free tool called NSSM.

https://nssm.cc/

 

Add Your Comment

(6)

Dec 06, 2018 06:31:32 UTC

by Mark Drew

This is great! very handy! But as it's console, where does the startup log go (in case you need to debug it's start?)

Dec 06, 2018 08:21:26 UTC

by Brad Wood

Hi Mark, the console logs still go the same place they always do. You can view them with "server log" as well as looking at the log file on disk. If you need to debug a server, I recommend just running the start command manually in a terminal to debug it. NSSM also has a logging setting you can enable that will capture ALL the output of CommandBox including any output of the "server start" command itself prior to the actual server process coming online.

Sep 13, 2021 15:36:57 UTC

by Tom

Normally when I run CommandBox, the server context resides under my user profile. When CommandBox runs as a service, does this change the server context? I need to import the password file. I'm having an issue with cfconfig at the moment (you are also helping me via FaceBook Group ColdFusion Programmers at the moment) so until I can get that resolved, I'm setting up the admin manually.

Sep 13, 2021 15:56:52 UTC

by Bradley D Wood

Tom, unless otherwise configured, CommandBox will extract itself into the user home dir. When you run it as a Windows service, it will use the home directory of the Windows System account by default (unless you configure another user for it to run as) which is buried inside your windows/system32 folder. This will give you a totally separate installation of CommandBox with different settings, modules, etc. I recommend you "pin" your server home with a "commandbox.properties" file as described in the docs here: https://commandbox.ortusbooks.com/setup/installation

Nov 18, 2021 10:01:30 UTC

by Marco

Thanks for this post. One question: Isn't it possible to use some setting in the config files to keep a specific commandbox started server alive?

Nov 18, 2021 15:26:46 UTC

by Brad Wood

Marco, NSSM will actually auto-start service by default I think. It's configurable on one of the tabs I didn't show. I actually recommend you look into this CommandBox module that we made after this screencast was produced. It automatically creates the services for you with a single command and works on Windows, Linux, and Mac. https://commandbox-service-manager.ortusbooks.com/ It is a paid module ($49)

Recent Entries

BX-AI 1.2 Released: Claude 4 Support, New Tooling API, CFML Compatibility & More!

BX-AI 1.2 Released: Claude 4 Support, New Tooling API, CFML Compatibility & More!

We’re excited to announce the release of BoxLang AI v1.2, a major update to the BoxLang AI module that powers intelligent applications with a unified AI abstraction layer across even more providers: OpenAI, Claude, Grok, Gemini, and more. This release packs new features for providers, tools, debugging, and customization — making it easier than ever to build multi-runtime, AI-driven BoxLang and CFML applications.

Luis Majano
Luis Majano
June 19, 2025
Ortus Solutions invited at America Digital 2025

Ortus Solutions invited at America Digital 2025

Our participation is more than a presence, it is a commitment to represent El Salvador’s growing influence in the global tech ecosystem and to inspire others to embrace modern software practices.

This invitation is a recognition of our contributions to open source and a reminder of the importance of building with purpose. Whether through BoxLang, ColdBox, or any of our other tools, our focus remains the same: to empower developers, elevate teams, and enable the future of digital transformation.

Maria Jose Herrera
Maria Jose Herrera
June 18, 2025
Introducing the BoxLang Version Manager!

Introducing the BoxLang Version Manager!

We're excited to announce the release of BVM (BoxLang Version Manager), a powerful new tool that makes managing multiple BoxLang installations effortless across Mac, Linux, and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Whether you're a BoxLang developer working on multiple projects or testing across different versions, BVM is designed to streamline your workflow.

Luis Majano
Luis Majano
June 17, 2025