From 64263ee3fb9bfc9514733dddda26649f9a53a8ab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Gregor Lohaus <lohausgregor@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:32:52 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] standalone flag

---
 README.md                                     | 3 +++
 src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/Main.java | 9 +++++++--
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 26c6688..c877120 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ After that, a bare `jprototerm` connects to the daemon and opens a window in the
 directory. If no daemon is running, `jprototerm` falls back to a standalone in-process window
 (today's behavior), so it always works.
 
+For development testing, use `jprototerm --standalone` to skip the daemon even when one is
+running.
+
 To start the daemon automatically with your graphical session, enable the bundled **user**
 service (it's a user service, not a system one, because X11 needs a display — which only
 exists after you log in):
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/Main.java b/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/Main.java
index e42a1a5..938046b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/Main.java
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ package com.gregor.jprototerm;
  * Entry point and mode dispatch. A bare invocation is a thin client: it hands the request to a
  * running {@link Daemon}, or, if none is reachable, opens a single standalone window in this process
  * (today's behavior). {@code --daemon} runs the long-lived server that hosts every window in one
- * JVM, so client launches skip cold JVM/JavaFX/GL startup.
+ * JVM, so client launches skip cold JVM/JavaFX/GL startup. {@code --standalone} skips daemon client
+ * mode and always opens an in-process window, which is useful while testing development builds.
  */
 public final class Main {
     private Main() {
@@ -14,15 +15,19 @@ public final class Main {
         // Match the renderer order the app was tuned for; honor an explicit override if present.
         System.setProperty("prism.order", System.getProperty("prism.order", "es2,sw"));
 
+        boolean standalone = false;
         for (String arg : args) {
             if (arg.equals("--daemon")) {
                 Daemon.run();
                 return;
             }
+            if (arg.equals("--standalone")) {
+                standalone = true;
+            }
         }
 
         String workingDirectory = System.getProperty("user.dir");
-        if (Daemon.tryClient(workingDirectory)) {
+        if (!standalone && Daemon.tryClient(workingDirectory)) {
             return; // a running daemon opened the window
         }
         // No daemon reachable: fall back to a standalone window; the JVM exits when it closes.