Aperture

Diagnostic tui for Windows power users

Quick Navigation

Installation (standalone/portable)

Download and run the latest release (1 MB executable)

That's all! Run as admin to access all features.

If you want to run the `aperture` command from any terminal:

Just move Aperture.exe to a folder that is already in your user's PATH
Then restart your terminal and run aperture from anywhere!

Installation (package managers)

WinGet

winget install stylebending.aperture

Scoop

Scoop requires 100 GitHub stars or 2000 downloads to be in their Extras bucket, for now please use this installation command:
scoop install https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stylebending/scoop-bucket/refs/heads/main/bucket/Aperture.json

Chocolatey (may be behind in version)

choco install aperture

Installing with these package managers automatically adds Aperture to your path. After running one of those installation commands, just close and re-open your terminal and you'll immediately be able to run aperture from any terminal.

Usage

aperture

Screenshots

Locker Tab - Process Management

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ Aperture [Locker] [Controller] [Nexus] [Env] │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ → Find and kill processes holding file locks │ Navigation        │
│                                              │ j/k     Move      │
│                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ C-d/u   Page      │
│ │ Processes (Locker) [CPU▼] [45/230]   │     │ Tab     SwitchTab│
│ │                                      │     │                   │
│ │ 1234  chrome.exe   15.2%   245.6MB   │     │ Actions           │
│ │ 5678  firefox.exe   8.1%   189.2MB   │     │ /       Search    │
│ │ 9012  notepad.exe   0.5%     4.2MB   │     │ s/S     Sort      │
│ │ 3456  code.exe      3.2%    56.8MB   │     │ f       FindLocks │
│ │ 7890  explorer.exe  2.1%    78.3MB   │     │ K       Kill      │
│ │ ...                                  │     │ r       Refresh   │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
│ Sort: CPU ▼            CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │             │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Controller Tab - Service Management

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ ... [Controller] ...         [Nexus] [Env]   │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ → Start, stop, and manage Windows services   │ Navigation        │
│                                              │ j/k     Move      │
│                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ ...               │
│ │ Services (Controller) [Status▲]      │     │ Actions           │
│ │                                      │     │ /       Search    │
│ │ Windows Update        Running ...    │     │ s/S     Sort      │
│ │ Print Spooler         Running ...    │     │ Enter   Toggle    │
│ │ Bluetooth Service     Stopped ...    │     │ r       Refresh   │
│ │ ...                                  │     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │                   │
│ Sort: Status ▲         CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │             │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Env Tab - Environment Variables

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ ... [Nexus] [Env]                            │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
 │ → View user, system, and process environment │ Navigation        │
 │   variables                                  │ j/k     Move      │
 │                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
 │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ ...               │
 │ │ Environment [74/74 | Name ▲]         │     │ Actions           │
 │ │                                      │     │ /       Search    │
 │ │ ALLUSERSPROFILE  C:\ProgramData  Sys │     │ s/S     Sort      │
 │ │ APPDATA          C:\Users\Me\... Usr │     │ a       Add       │
 │ │ JAVA_HOME        C:\Java\...     Usr │     │ E       Edit      │
 │ │ PATH             C:\Windows\...  Sys │     │ D       Delete    │
 │ │ MY_VAR        some value         Usr │     │ r       Refresh   │
 │ │ TEMP          C:\Temp            Sys │     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
 │ │ ZENDATA_HOME  C:\zend\...        Prc │     │                   │
 │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │ Quit              │
 │ Sort: Name ▲           CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │ q Exit     │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Scope colors: System=Cyan, User=Green, Process=Yellow. Process-only entries shown when not backed by registry.

File Lock Search Modal

┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Find Locking Processes         │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Path: C:\Users\Me\Documents\file.txt   │
│                                        │
│   Locking processes:                   │
│                                        │
│     PID:   5678  notepad.exe           │
│   ▶ PID:   9012  chrome.exe            │
│     PID:  12345  excel.exe             │
│                                        │
│ [/] Edit Path  [Enter] Search          │
│ [j/k] Navigate  [K] Kill  [Esc] Close  │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘

Note: Press / to enter input mode and type a file path. Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory.

Acknowledgements

This project wouldn't be possible without:

Rust - Systems programming language making Windows API access safe and fast
ratatui - The beautiful terminal user interface framework powering Aperture
crossterm - Cross-platform terminal manipulation and event handling
tokio - The asynchronous runtime enabling responsive UI updates
windows-rs - Microsoft's official Windows API bindings for Rust
Vim / Neovim - For the motion-based navigation philosophy

Quick Start Guide

Find What's Locking a File

Can't delete a file because it's "in use"? Aperture can find the culprit:

Press f to open the File Lock Search modal
Press / to enter input mode
Type the full path to the file (e.g., C:\Users\You\file.txt)
Press Enter to search
See which processes have the file locked
Navigate with j/k and press K to kill the process (requires admin)

Tip: Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory and find all locks.

Kill a Runaway Process

Switch to Locker tab (press Tab until you see "Locker")
Sort by CPU usage: Press s until title shows "CPU", then S to toggle direction
Find the process using high CPU
Press K to kill it (requires admin privileges)

Manage Services

Switch to Controller tab
Sort by Status: Press s until title shows "Status"
Find the service you want to control
Press Enter to toggle start/stop (requires admin)

View Process Tree

See hierarchical process relationships (parent/child):

Switch to Locker tab
Press t to toggle Tree View
Navigate the tree with j/k
Press Space to expand/collapse nodes (> / v indicators)
Search/filter still works in tree view - shows matching processes and their ancestor chain

View Process Details

See detailed information about a process:

Switch to Locker tab
Navigate to a process with j/k
Press d to open Process Details modal
View loaded modules, parent PID, CPU, and memory usage
Press K in the modal to kill the process (requires admin)
Press Esc or q to close

Manage Environment Variables

View, add, edit, and delete environment variables across scopes:

Switch to Env tab (press Tab until you see "Env")
See System (cyan), User (green), and Process (yellow) variables
Sort by: Name or Scope — press s to cycle, S to toggle order
Filter with / — search by name, value, or scope
Process-only variables (set by current shell, no registry backing) shown in yellow
Registry-backed variables only show once (Process copy hidden when redundant)
Add a new variable: press a to open the edit modal with empty fields
Edit a variable: navigate to an entry and press E
Delete a variable: navigate to an entry and press D
System scope operations require admin elevation
Process-only entries are session-only — press a to persist one

Export Data

Export all data to JSON or CSV format:

Press e to open the Export modal
Press j to export as JSON
Press c to export as CSV
Files are saved to your Documents folder with timestamps
Press Esc or q to cancel

Export includes: All processes, services, and network connections from all tabs

Filter and Search

Press / to enter search mode
Type to filter the current list
Press Enter to apply the filter and exit search mode
Press Esc to clear the filter

Example workflow:

In Locker tab, press /
Type "chrome" - list filters to show only Chrome processes
Navigate with j/k
Press Esc to clear filter and see all processes again

Navigate Large Lists

j/k or ↑/↓ - Move one item at a time
Ctrl+D - Page down (jump 10 items)
Ctrl+U - Page up (jump 10 items)
gg - Jump to first item
G - Jump to last item
Tab/Shift+Tab - Switch between tabs

Sort Data

Each tab supports different sorting:

Locker (Processes):

Press s to cycle: Name → PID → CPU → Memory
Press S (Shift+s) to toggle ascending/descending
Default: CPU descending (highest first)

Controller (Services):

Press s to cycle: Name → Status → Type
Press S to toggle order
Default: Status ascending (Running first)

Nexus (Connections):

Press s to cycle: State → PID → Protocol → Process
Press S to toggle order
Default: State ascending (ESTABLISHED first)

Env (Environment Variables):

Press s to cycle: Name → Scope
Press S to toggle order
Default: Name ascending

Keybindings

Category	Key	Action	Context	Description
Navigation	`Tab` / `Shift+Tab`	Switch tabs	Global	Move between Locker/Controller/Nexus/Env
	`j` / `k`	Navigate	Lists	Move down/up one item
	`↑` / `↓`	Navigate	Lists	Alternative to j/k
	`Ctrl+D`	Page down	Lists	Jump down 10 items
	`Ctrl+U`	Page up	Lists	Jump up 10 items
	`gg`	Jump to first	Lists	Jump to first item
	`G`	Jump to last	Lists	Jump to last item
Actions	`/`	Toggle search	Global	Enter/exit search mode
	`Esc`	Clear/Cancel	Global	Clear filter, exit search, or close modal
	`s`	Cycle sort	Global	Change sort key (Name, PID, Status, etc.)
	`S` (Shift+s)	Toggle order	Global	Switch ascending/descending
	`r`	Refresh	Global	Force refresh current tab
	`f`	Find locks	Global	Open file lock search modal
	`e`	Export	Global	Open export format modal
Locker	`t`	Tree view	Locker only	Toggle hierarchical process tree view
	`Space`	Expand/Collapse	Locker only	Expand/collapse tree node (tree mode only)
	`d`	Details	Locker only	Show process details modal
	`K`	Kill process	Locker only	Kill selected process (admin)
Controller	`Enter`	Toggle service	Controller only	Start/stop selected service (admin)
Env	`a`	Add var	Env only	Add new environment variable (User/System)
	`E`	Edit var	Env only	Edit selected environment variable
	`D`	Delete var	Env only	Delete selected environment variable
Env Edit Modal	`Tab`/`Shift+Tab`	Cycle fields	Modal	Switch between Name, Value, Scope fields
	`Space`	Toggle scope	Modal	Switch between User and System scope
	`Enter`	Save	Modal	Save changes to registry (green status)
	`Esc`	Cancel	Modal	Discard changes
File Lock Modal	`/`	Edit path	Modal	Enter input mode to type path
	`Enter`	Search	Modal	Execute search
	`j`/`k`	Navigate	Modal	Move up/down results
	`K`	Kill	Modal	Kill selected locking process
System	`q`	Quit	Global	Exit application

Search Mode Keybindings

When in search mode (/):

Type characters to filter
Backspace - Delete last character
Enter - Apply filter and exit search
Esc - Cancel search

File Lock Search Modal

When file lock modal is open (f):

Type file paths (one per line)
/ - Enter input mode to edit path (any key including j/k can now be typed)
Enter - Search for locking processes
j/k or ↑/↓ - Navigate results (normal mode only)
K - Kill selected process (admin)
Esc - Close modal (or cancel input mode)

Directory Scanning:

Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory
Shows "Scanned X files - Found Y locks" with the count of files checked

Export Modal

When export modal is open (e):

j - Export to JSON format
c - Export to CSV format
Esc or q - Close modal without exporting

Export Location: Files are saved to your Documents folder with timestamps (e.g., aperture_export_1234567890.json)

Process Details Modal

When process details modal is open (d in Locker tab):

View process information: PID, name, parent PID, CPU%, memory
View loaded modules (first 10, with count of additional modules)
K - Kill the process (requires admin)
Esc or q - Close modal

Env Var Edit Modal

When env var add/edit modal is open (a or E in Env tab):

Name field: type the variable name
Value field: type the variable value
Scope field: press Space to toggle User/System
Tab/Shift+Tab - Cycle between Name, Value, Scope fields
Enter - Save to registry and broadcast changes
Esc - Cancel and discard changes
System scope changes require admin elevation
Process-scoped entries cannot be edited (read-only)

Configuration

Aperture currently uses sensible defaults optimized for real-time performance:

Setting	Default	Description
Data refresh interval	2 seconds	How often to poll for new data
Navigation debounce	50ms	Delay after navigation before accepting updates
CPU metrics interval	1 second	How often to update CPU/memory usage

Note: Configurable polling intervals are on the roadmap. Currently, these values are optimized for smooth real-time performance without overwhelming the system.

Performance

Aperture is designed for real-time performance on Windows:

Smart Update System

Change Detection: Uses data hashing to only update when data actually changes
Navigation Debounce: 50ms delay after navigation prevents cursor jumping during active use
Separate Concerns: Filter operations apply instantly; only navigation triggers debounce
Cached Metrics: CPU and memory values are cached to prevent flashing during temporary data unavailability

Data Loading

Preload All Tabs: Data for all tabs loads at startup, enabling instant tab switching
Background Updates: All tabs refresh every 2 seconds in the background
Initial Load Bypass: First data load happens immediately without debounce

Why Not WMI?

Aperture uses direct Win32 APIs instead of WMI for maximum performance:

WMI queries can take 500ms-2s per call
Win32 APIs respond in <50ms
Essential for smooth TUI experience with 2-second refresh rates

Architecture

aperture/
├── src/
│   ├── main.rs          # Entry point, event loop, keybindings
│   ├── app.rs           # Application state, tab management
│   ├── ui/              # UI rendering
│   │   ├── mod.rs       # Layout, sidebar, status bar
│   │   ├── locker.rs    # Process tab UI with sorting
│   │   ├── controller.rs # Services tab UI with sorting
│   │   ├── nexus.rs     # Network tab UI with sorting
│   │   └── env.rs       # Environment variables tab UI
│   ├── sys/             # Windows API abstractions
│   │   ├── process.rs   # Process enumeration, CPU/memory metrics
│   │   ├── service.rs   # SCM/Service control
│   │   ├── network.rs   # IP Helper/TCP-UDP connections
│   │   ├── env.rs       # Registry and process environment variables
│   │   └── handle.rs    # File lock detection (Restart Manager)
│   └── state/           # Per-tab state with sorting
│       ├── locker.rs    # Process state, PID tracking
│       ├── controller.rs # Service state, name tracking
│       ├── nexus.rs     # Connection state, key tracking
│       └── env.rs       # Environment variable state, filter, sort
├── Cargo.toml
└── README.md

Win32 APIs Used

Feature	API
Process Enumeration	`EnumProcesses`, `QueryFullProcessImageNameW`, `CreateToolhelp32Snapshot`, `Process32FirstW`
Process Tree/Parent PID	`CreateToolhelp32Snapshot`, `Process32FirstW/NextW`
Process Metrics	`GetProcessTimes`, `GetProcessMemoryInfo`
Process Details	`EnumProcessModules`, `GetModuleBaseNameW`, `GetModuleFileNameExW`
Elevation Check	`OpenProcessToken`, `GetTokenInformation`
Service Management	`OpenSCManagerW`, `EnumServicesStatusExW`, `ControlService`
Network Connections (IPv4)	`GetExtendedTcpTable`, `GetExtendedUdpTable`
Network Connections (IPv6)	`GetExtendedTcpTable` (AF_INET6), `GetExtendedUdpTable` (AF_INET6)
File Lock Detection	`RmRegisterResources`, `RmGetList` (Restart Manager)
Environment Variables (Read)	`RegOpenKeyExW`, `RegEnumValueW`, `RegQueryInfoKeyW`, `RegCloseKey`
Environment Variables (Write)	`RegSetValueExW`, `RegDeleteValueW`, `SendMessageTimeoutW`

Roadmap

Completed ✅

In Progress / TODO

Making as much configurable as possible, including colors/themes
Real-time service status notifications via NotifyServiceStatusChange
- Currently polls every 2s; would show instant service state changes
Configurable polling intervals
- Allow users to change 2s refresh rate

Features

The Locker (Process Management)

View all running processes with PID, name, path, CPU%, and memory usage
Real-time CPU and memory metrics with intelligent caching
Sort by: Name, PID, CPU usage, Memory usage
Filter processes by name, path, or PID
Kill processes (requires admin - press K)
Find file locks - Identify which processes are locking specific files (press f)
Process tree view - Hierarchical parent/child relationships (press t)
Process details - View loaded modules and detailed info (press d)

The Controller (Service Management)

List all Windows services with status, start type, and process ID
Start/Stop services (requires admin - press Enter)
Sort by: Name, Status, Service Type
Filter services by name or display name

The Nexus (Network Monitor)

Real-time TCP/UDP connection listing (IPv4 and IPv6)
Map connections to process PIDs and names
View connection states (ESTABLISHED, LISTENING, etc.)
Sort by: Connection State, PID, Protocol, Process Name
Filter connections by address, port, PID, or process name

The Env (Environment Variables)

View all environment variables from System, User, and Process scopes
Scope coloring: System (cyan), User (green), Process (yellow)
Process-only variables (set by current shell, not in registry) shown in yellow
Registry-backed variables (System/User) hide their redundant Process copy — one entry per name
Add, Edit, and Delete User and System-scoped variables (press a, E, D)
Process-only entries are read-only — press a to persist one to the registry
System scope operations require admin elevation
Sort by: Name, Scope
Filter by name, value, or scope
Registry writes broadcast WM_SETTINGCHANGE so running apps pick up changes

UI Features

Vim Motions keybindings for easy navigation
Four tabs - Locker (processes), Controller (services), Nexus (network), Env (environment)
Permanent sidebar with context-aware keybindings
System metrics in the status bar - Total CPU and memory usage visible from any tab
Smart data caching - All tabs preload for instant switching
50ms navigation debounce - Smooth cursor movement without jitter
Change detection - Only updates when data actually changes
Cached metrics - CPU/memory values persist during temporary data unavailability
Export data - Save all tab data to JSON or CSV (press e)

License

MIT

Aperture

Diagnostic tui for Windows power users

Quick Navigation

Installation (standalone/portable)

Download and run the latest release (1 MB executable)

That's all! Run as admin to access all features.

If you want to run the `aperture` command from any terminal:

Just move Aperture.exe to a folder that is already in your user's PATH
Then restart your terminal and run aperture from anywhere!

Installation (package managers)

WinGet

winget install stylebending.aperture

Scoop

Chocolatey (may be behind in version)

choco install aperture

Usage

aperture

Screenshots

Locker Tab - Process Management

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ Aperture [Locker] [Controller] [Nexus] [Env] │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ → Find and kill processes holding file locks │ Navigation        │
│                                              │ j/k     Move      │
│                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ C-d/u   Page      │
│ │ Processes (Locker) [CPU▼] [45/230]   │     │ Tab     SwitchTab│
│ │                                      │     │                   │
│ │ 1234  chrome.exe   15.2%   245.6MB   │     │ Actions           │
│ │ 5678  firefox.exe   8.1%   189.2MB   │     │ /       Search    │
│ │ 9012  notepad.exe   0.5%     4.2MB   │     │ s/S     Sort      │
│ │ 3456  code.exe      3.2%    56.8MB   │     │ f       FindLocks │
│ │ 7890  explorer.exe  2.1%    78.3MB   │     │ K       Kill      │
│ │ ...                                  │     │ r       Refresh   │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
│ Sort: CPU ▼            CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │             │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Controller Tab - Service Management

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ ... [Controller] ...         [Nexus] [Env]   │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ → Start, stop, and manage Windows services   │ Navigation        │
│                                              │ j/k     Move      │
│                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ ...               │
│ │ Services (Controller) [Status▲]      │     │ Actions           │
│ │                                      │     │ /       Search    │
│ │ Windows Update        Running ...    │     │ s/S     Sort      │
│ │ Print Spooler         Running ...    │     │ Enter   Toggle    │
│ │ Bluetooth Service     Stopped ...    │     │ r       Refresh   │
│ │ ...                                  │     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │                   │
│ Sort: Status ▲         CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │             │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Env Tab - Environment Variables

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┐
│ ... [Nexus] [Env]                            │ Keys              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┤
 │ → View user, system, and process environment │ Navigation        │
 │   variables                                  │ j/k     Move      │
 │                                              │ ↑/↓     Move      │
 │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐     │ ...               │
 │ │ Environment [74/74 | Name ▲]         │     │ Actions           │
 │ │                                      │     │ /       Search    │
 │ │ ALLUSERSPROFILE  C:\ProgramData  Sys │     │ s/S     Sort      │
 │ │ APPDATA          C:\Users\Me\... Usr │     │ a       Add       │
 │ │ JAVA_HOME        C:\Java\...     Usr │     │ E       Edit      │
 │ │ PATH             C:\Windows\...  Sys │     │ D       Delete    │
 │ │ MY_VAR        some value         Usr │     │ r       Refresh   │
 │ │ TEMP          C:\Temp            Sys │     │ Esc     ClearFilt │
 │ │ ZENDATA_HOME  C:\zend\...        Prc │     │                   │
 │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘     │ Quit              │
 │ Sort: Name ▲           CPU: 45.2%  Mem: 4.2/31.9GB │ q Exit     │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘

Scope colors: System=Cyan, User=Green, Process=Yellow. Process-only entries shown when not backed by registry.

File Lock Search Modal

┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Find Locking Processes         │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Path: C:\Users\Me\Documents\file.txt   │
│                                        │
│   Locking processes:                   │
│                                        │
│     PID:   5678  notepad.exe           │
│   ▶ PID:   9012  chrome.exe            │
│     PID:  12345  excel.exe             │
│                                        │
│ [/] Edit Path  [Enter] Search          │
│ [j/k] Navigate  [K] Kill  [Esc] Close  │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘

Note: Press / to enter input mode and type a file path. Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory.

Acknowledgements

This project wouldn't be possible without:

Rust - Systems programming language making Windows API access safe and fast
ratatui - The beautiful terminal user interface framework powering Aperture
crossterm - Cross-platform terminal manipulation and event handling
tokio - The asynchronous runtime enabling responsive UI updates
windows-rs - Microsoft's official Windows API bindings for Rust
Vim / Neovim - For the motion-based navigation philosophy

Quick Start Guide

Find What's Locking a File

Can't delete a file because it's "in use"? Aperture can find the culprit:

Press f to open the File Lock Search modal
Press / to enter input mode
Type the full path to the file (e.g., C:\Users\You\file.txt)
Press Enter to search
See which processes have the file locked
Navigate with j/k and press K to kill the process (requires admin)

Tip: Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory and find all locks.

Kill a Runaway Process

Switch to Locker tab (press Tab until you see "Locker")
Sort by CPU usage: Press s until title shows "CPU", then S to toggle direction
Find the process using high CPU
Press K to kill it (requires admin privileges)

Manage Services

Switch to Controller tab
Sort by Status: Press s until title shows "Status"
Find the service you want to control
Press Enter to toggle start/stop (requires admin)

View Process Tree

See hierarchical process relationships (parent/child):

Switch to Locker tab
Press t to toggle Tree View
Navigate the tree with j/k
Press Space to expand/collapse nodes (> / v indicators)
Search/filter still works in tree view - shows matching processes and their ancestor chain

View Process Details

See detailed information about a process:

Switch to Locker tab
Navigate to a process with j/k
Press d to open Process Details modal
View loaded modules, parent PID, CPU, and memory usage
Press K in the modal to kill the process (requires admin)
Press Esc or q to close

Manage Environment Variables

View, add, edit, and delete environment variables across scopes:

Switch to Env tab (press Tab until you see "Env")
See System (cyan), User (green), and Process (yellow) variables
Sort by: Name or Scope — press s to cycle, S to toggle order
Filter with / — search by name, value, or scope
Process-only variables (set by current shell, no registry backing) shown in yellow
Registry-backed variables only show once (Process copy hidden when redundant)
Add a new variable: press a to open the edit modal with empty fields
Edit a variable: navigate to an entry and press E
Delete a variable: navigate to an entry and press D
System scope operations require admin elevation
Process-only entries are session-only — press a to persist one

Export Data

Export all data to JSON or CSV format:

Press e to open the Export modal
Press j to export as JSON
Press c to export as CSV
Files are saved to your Documents folder with timestamps
Press Esc or q to cancel

Export includes: All processes, services, and network connections from all tabs

Filter and Search

Press / to enter search mode
Type to filter the current list
Press Enter to apply the filter and exit search mode
Press Esc to clear the filter

Example workflow:

In Locker tab, press /
Type "chrome" - list filters to show only Chrome processes
Navigate with j/k
Press Esc to clear filter and see all processes again

Navigate Large Lists

j/k or ↑/↓ - Move one item at a time
Ctrl+D - Page down (jump 10 items)
Ctrl+U - Page up (jump 10 items)
gg - Jump to first item
G - Jump to last item
Tab/Shift+Tab - Switch between tabs

Sort Data

Each tab supports different sorting:

Locker (Processes):

Press s to cycle: Name → PID → CPU → Memory
Press S (Shift+s) to toggle ascending/descending
Default: CPU descending (highest first)

Controller (Services):

Press s to cycle: Name → Status → Type
Press S to toggle order
Default: Status ascending (Running first)

Nexus (Connections):

Press s to cycle: State → PID → Protocol → Process
Press S to toggle order
Default: State ascending (ESTABLISHED first)

Env (Environment Variables):

Press s to cycle: Name → Scope
Press S to toggle order
Default: Name ascending

Keybindings

Category	Key	Action	Context	Description
Navigation	`Tab` / `Shift+Tab`	Switch tabs	Global	Move between Locker/Controller/Nexus/Env
	`j` / `k`	Navigate	Lists	Move down/up one item
	`↑` / `↓`	Navigate	Lists	Alternative to j/k
	`Ctrl+D`	Page down	Lists	Jump down 10 items
	`Ctrl+U`	Page up	Lists	Jump up 10 items
	`gg`	Jump to first	Lists	Jump to first item
	`G`	Jump to last	Lists	Jump to last item
Actions	`/`	Toggle search	Global	Enter/exit search mode
	`Esc`	Clear/Cancel	Global	Clear filter, exit search, or close modal
	`s`	Cycle sort	Global	Change sort key (Name, PID, Status, etc.)
	`S` (Shift+s)	Toggle order	Global	Switch ascending/descending
	`r`	Refresh	Global	Force refresh current tab
	`f`	Find locks	Global	Open file lock search modal
	`e`	Export	Global	Open export format modal
Locker	`t`	Tree view	Locker only	Toggle hierarchical process tree view
	`Space`	Expand/Collapse	Locker only	Expand/collapse tree node (tree mode only)
	`d`	Details	Locker only	Show process details modal
	`K`	Kill process	Locker only	Kill selected process (admin)
Controller	`Enter`	Toggle service	Controller only	Start/stop selected service (admin)
Env	`a`	Add var	Env only	Add new environment variable (User/System)
	`E`	Edit var	Env only	Edit selected environment variable
	`D`	Delete var	Env only	Delete selected environment variable
Env Edit Modal	`Tab`/`Shift+Tab`	Cycle fields	Modal	Switch between Name, Value, Scope fields
	`Space`	Toggle scope	Modal	Switch between User and System scope
	`Enter`	Save	Modal	Save changes to registry (green status)
	`Esc`	Cancel	Modal	Discard changes
File Lock Modal	`/`	Edit path	Modal	Enter input mode to type path
	`Enter`	Search	Modal	Execute search
	`j`/`k`	Navigate	Modal	Move up/down results
	`K`	Kill	Modal	Kill selected locking process
System	`q`	Quit	Global	Exit application

Search Mode Keybindings

When in search mode (/):

Type characters to filter
Backspace - Delete last character
Enter - Apply filter and exit search
Esc - Cancel search

File Lock Search Modal

When file lock modal is open (f):

Type file paths (one per line)
/ - Enter input mode to edit path (any key including j/k can now be typed)
Enter - Search for locking processes
j/k or ↑/↓ - Navigate results (normal mode only)
K - Kill selected process (admin)
Esc - Close modal (or cancel input mode)

Directory Scanning:

Enter a folder path to scan all files in that directory
Shows "Scanned X files - Found Y locks" with the count of files checked

Export Modal

When export modal is open (e):

j - Export to JSON format
c - Export to CSV format
Esc or q - Close modal without exporting

Export Location: Files are saved to your Documents folder with timestamps (e.g., aperture_export_1234567890.json)

Process Details Modal

When process details modal is open (d in Locker tab):

View process information: PID, name, parent PID, CPU%, memory
View loaded modules (first 10, with count of additional modules)
K - Kill the process (requires admin)
Esc or q - Close modal

Env Var Edit Modal

When env var add/edit modal is open (a or E in Env tab):

Name field: type the variable name
Value field: type the variable value
Scope field: press Space to toggle User/System
Tab/Shift+Tab - Cycle between Name, Value, Scope fields
Enter - Save to registry and broadcast changes
Esc - Cancel and discard changes
System scope changes require admin elevation
Process-scoped entries cannot be edited (read-only)

Configuration

Aperture currently uses sensible defaults optimized for real-time performance:

Setting	Default	Description
Data refresh interval	2 seconds	How often to poll for new data
Navigation debounce	50ms	Delay after navigation before accepting updates
CPU metrics interval	1 second	How often to update CPU/memory usage

Note: Configurable polling intervals are on the roadmap. Currently, these values are optimized for smooth real-time performance without overwhelming the system.

Performance

Aperture is designed for real-time performance on Windows:

Smart Update System

Change Detection: Uses data hashing to only update when data actually changes
Navigation Debounce: 50ms delay after navigation prevents cursor jumping during active use
Separate Concerns: Filter operations apply instantly; only navigation triggers debounce
Cached Metrics: CPU and memory values are cached to prevent flashing during temporary data unavailability

Data Loading

Preload All Tabs: Data for all tabs loads at startup, enabling instant tab switching
Background Updates: All tabs refresh every 2 seconds in the background
Initial Load Bypass: First data load happens immediately without debounce

Why Not WMI?

Aperture uses direct Win32 APIs instead of WMI for maximum performance:

WMI queries can take 500ms-2s per call
Win32 APIs respond in <50ms
Essential for smooth TUI experience with 2-second refresh rates

Architecture

aperture/
├── src/
│   ├── main.rs          # Entry point, event loop, keybindings
│   ├── app.rs           # Application state, tab management
│   ├── ui/              # UI rendering
│   │   ├── mod.rs       # Layout, sidebar, status bar
│   │   ├── locker.rs    # Process tab UI with sorting
│   │   ├── controller.rs # Services tab UI with sorting
│   │   ├── nexus.rs     # Network tab UI with sorting
│   │   └── env.rs       # Environment variables tab UI
│   ├── sys/             # Windows API abstractions
│   │   ├── process.rs   # Process enumeration, CPU/memory metrics
│   │   ├── service.rs   # SCM/Service control
│   │   ├── network.rs   # IP Helper/TCP-UDP connections
│   │   ├── env.rs       # Registry and process environment variables
│   │   └── handle.rs    # File lock detection (Restart Manager)
│   └── state/           # Per-tab state with sorting
│       ├── locker.rs    # Process state, PID tracking
│       ├── controller.rs # Service state, name tracking
│       ├── nexus.rs     # Connection state, key tracking
│       └── env.rs       # Environment variable state, filter, sort
├── Cargo.toml
└── README.md

Win32 APIs Used

Feature	API
Process Enumeration	`EnumProcesses`, `QueryFullProcessImageNameW`, `CreateToolhelp32Snapshot`, `Process32FirstW`
Process Tree/Parent PID	`CreateToolhelp32Snapshot`, `Process32FirstW/NextW`
Process Metrics	`GetProcessTimes`, `GetProcessMemoryInfo`
Process Details	`EnumProcessModules`, `GetModuleBaseNameW`, `GetModuleFileNameExW`
Elevation Check	`OpenProcessToken`, `GetTokenInformation`
Service Management	`OpenSCManagerW`, `EnumServicesStatusExW`, `ControlService`
Network Connections (IPv4)	`GetExtendedTcpTable`, `GetExtendedUdpTable`
Network Connections (IPv6)	`GetExtendedTcpTable` (AF_INET6), `GetExtendedUdpTable` (AF_INET6)
File Lock Detection	`RmRegisterResources`, `RmGetList` (Restart Manager)
Environment Variables (Read)	`RegOpenKeyExW`, `RegEnumValueW`, `RegQueryInfoKeyW`, `RegCloseKey`
Environment Variables (Write)	`RegSetValueExW`, `RegDeleteValueW`, `SendMessageTimeoutW`

Roadmap

Completed ✅

In Progress / TODO

Making as much configurable as possible, including colors/themes
Real-time service status notifications via NotifyServiceStatusChange
- Currently polls every 2s; would show instant service state changes
Configurable polling intervals
- Allow users to change 2s refresh rate

Features

The Locker (Process Management)

View all running processes with PID, name, path, CPU%, and memory usage
Real-time CPU and memory metrics with intelligent caching
Sort by: Name, PID, CPU usage, Memory usage
Filter processes by name, path, or PID
Kill processes (requires admin - press K)
Find file locks - Identify which processes are locking specific files (press f)
Process tree view - Hierarchical parent/child relationships (press t)
Process details - View loaded modules and detailed info (press d)

The Controller (Service Management)

List all Windows services with status, start type, and process ID
Start/Stop services (requires admin - press Enter)
Sort by: Name, Status, Service Type
Filter services by name or display name

The Nexus (Network Monitor)

Real-time TCP/UDP connection listing (IPv4 and IPv6)
Map connections to process PIDs and names
View connection states (ESTABLISHED, LISTENING, etc.)
Sort by: Connection State, PID, Protocol, Process Name
Filter connections by address, port, PID, or process name

The Env (Environment Variables)

View all environment variables from System, User, and Process scopes
Scope coloring: System (cyan), User (green), Process (yellow)
Process-only variables (set by current shell, not in registry) shown in yellow
Registry-backed variables (System/User) hide their redundant Process copy — one entry per name
Add, Edit, and Delete User and System-scoped variables (press a, E, D)
Process-only entries are read-only — press a to persist one to the registry
System scope operations require admin elevation
Sort by: Name, Scope
Filter by name, value, or scope
Registry writes broadcast WM_SETTINGCHANGE so running apps pick up changes

UI Features

Vim Motions keybindings for easy navigation
Four tabs - Locker (processes), Controller (services), Nexus (network), Env (environment)
Permanent sidebar with context-aware keybindings
System metrics in the status bar - Total CPU and memory usage visible from any tab
Smart data caching - All tabs preload for instant switching
50ms navigation debounce - Smooth cursor movement without jitter
Change detection - Only updates when data actually changes
Cached metrics - CPU/memory values persist during temporary data unavailability
Export data - Save all tab data to JSON or CSV (press e)

License

MIT

Aperture Stylebending

README

Aperture

Diagnostic tui for Windows power users

Quick Navigation

Installation (standalone/portable)

Download and run the latest release (1 MB executable)

If you want to run the aperture command from any terminal:

Installation (package managers)

WinGet

Scoop

Chocolatey (may be behind in version)

Usage

Screenshots

Acknowledgements

This project wouldn't be possible without:

Quick Start Guide

Find What's Locking a File

Kill a Runaway Process

Manage Services

View Process Tree

View Process Details

Manage Environment Variables

Export Data

Filter and Search

Navigate Large Lists

Sort Data

Keybindings

Search Mode Keybindings

File Lock Search Modal

Export Modal

Process Details Modal

Env Var Edit Modal

Configuration

Performance

Smart Update System

Data Loading

Why Not WMI?

Architecture

Win32 APIs Used

Roadmap

Completed ✅

In Progress / TODO

Features

The Locker (Process Management)

The Controller (Service Management)

The Nexus (Network Monitor)

The Env (Environment Variables)

UI Features

License

Aperture Stylebending

README

Aperture

Diagnostic tui for Windows power users

Quick Navigation

Installation (standalone/portable)

Download and run the latest release (1 MB executable)

If you want to run the aperture command from any terminal:

Installation (package managers)

WinGet

Scoop

Chocolatey (may be behind in version)

Usage

Screenshots

Acknowledgements

This project wouldn't be possible without:

Quick Start Guide

Find What's Locking a File

Kill a Runaway Process

Manage Services

View Process Tree

View Process Details

Manage Environment Variables

Export Data

Filter and Search

Navigate Large Lists

Sort Data

Keybindings

Search Mode Keybindings

File Lock Search Modal

If you want to run the `aperture` command from any terminal:

If you want to run the `aperture` command from any terminal: