Start llama-server outside the starter's job

README.md

@@ -192,6 +192,12 @@ nothing. Set
 
 Linux support is new. Bug reports from real Linux setups are welcome.
 
+**Windows: start Hawk on its own.** Start it from Explorer, a terminal of its own, or
+Task Scheduler. Started from inside another app (an IDE or AI-assistant terminal),
+Hawk belongs to that app's process group (job), and an update or restart of that
+app ends Hawk with it. llama-server, which Hawk starts, always leaves that group,
+so it keeps running either way.
+
 ## Agent markers
 
 Hawk's injected prompts tell the agent which markers to use, so normally no

opencode_hawk/coordinator.py

@@ -771,6 +771,22 @@ def creation_flags() -> int:
     return 0
 
 
+CREATE_BREAKAWAY_FROM_JOB = 0x01000000
+
+
+def spawn_independent(argv, **kw):
+    """Start a long-lived process (llama-server) that must outlive whoever started Hawk. On Windows a process
+    inherits its parent's job object: 2026-10-05 Hawk had been started from inside another app, that app's update
+    ended its job, and Hawk and llama-server died with it. So leave the job when the job allows it, else start
+    normally."""
+    if os.name != "nt":
+        return subprocess.Popen(argv, start_new_session=True, **kw)
+    try:
+        return subprocess.Popen(argv, creationflags=creation_flags() | CREATE_BREAKAWAY_FROM_JOB, **kw)
+    except OSError:
+        return subprocess.Popen(argv, creationflags=creation_flags(), **kw)
+
+
 def git(project_dir, *args):
     res = subprocess.run(
         ["git", "-C", project_dir, *args],

opencode_hawk/llama_restart.py

@@ -398,12 +398,11 @@ def _respawn(spec) -> int | None:
     except Exception:
         fh = None
     try:
-        proc = subprocess.Popen(
+        proc = coordinator.spawn_independent(
             spec["argv"],
             cwd=spec.get("cwd") or None,
             env=spec.get("env") or None,
             stdout=fh, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-            creationflags=coordinator.creation_flags(),
         )
         return proc.pid
     except Exception as e:

opencode_hawk/probes.py

@@ -261,11 +261,7 @@ def llama_respawn(cfg, timeout_s=None) -> bool:
             argv = ["cmd", "/c", bat]
         else:
             argv = [bat] if os.access(bat, os.X_OK) else ["sh", bat]
-        proc = subprocess.Popen(
-            argv,
-            stdout=fh, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-            creationflags=core.creation_flags(),
-        )
+        proc = core.spawn_independent(argv, stdout=fh, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
     except Exception as e:
         core.log("LLAMA-DOWN: respawn launch failed: %s" % e)
         return False

tests/selftest_coordinator.py

@@ -614,6 +614,30 @@ def mkllama_idle_test(cpu_frac, slots_processing, gate_slots,
         "OK" if ok_m else "MISMATCH",
         "escalation note written to session DB as synthetic user msg + text part"))
 
+    # N00: llama-server is started outside the starter's job (Windows), falling back when breakaway is refused
+    import subprocess as _sp
+    _calls = []
+    class _FakePopen:
+        def __init__(self, argv, **kw):
+            _calls.append(kw)
+            if os.name == "nt" and kw.get("creationflags", 0) & 0x01000000 and len(_calls) == 1:
+                raise PermissionError("breakaway not allowed")
+    _orig_popen = _sp.Popen
+    _sp.Popen = _FakePopen
+    try:
+        hawk.spawn_independent(["llama-server"])
+    finally:
+        _sp.Popen = _orig_popen
+    if os.name == "nt":
+        ok_brk = (len(_calls) == 2 and _calls[0]["creationflags"] & 0x01000000
+                  and not _calls[1]["creationflags"] & 0x01000000)
+    else:
+        ok_brk = len(_calls) == 1 and _calls[0].get("start_new_session") is True
+    results.append(("spawn_independent", "pass", "pass" if ok_brk else "fail", ok_brk,
+                    "llama-server leaves the starter's job; falls back when not allowed", []))
+    print("%-22s expect=%-9s got=%-9s %s" % ("spawn_independent", "pass", "pass" if ok_brk else "fail",
+                                            "OK" if ok_brk else "MISMATCH"))
+
     # N0: `hawk init` on a fresh install creates the (missing) home folder and a private topic
     import tempfile as _tf
     from opencode_hawk import cli as _cli