GuardianNode 0.1.0-alpha.1¶
Initial public alpha release for technical parents, developers, early evaluators, and safety reviewers.
GuardianNode Alpha is a local-first safety-monitoring tool for technical parents and early evaluators. The Windows 11 installers have been tested in the documented install modes, including post-install detection verification. This is alpha software. It may miss events, may produce false positives, and is not a guarantee of child safety. It is not a replacement for parental involvement or emergency services. Do not expose GuardianNode directly to the public internet. Use only on devices and accounts you own or are legally responsible for.
Supported in this alpha¶
| Deployment shape | Status |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 all-in-one installer | Supported public alpha path for technical parents |
| Windows 11 parent server installer | Supported public alpha path for parent-owned server PCs |
| Windows 11 child-only installer | Supported public alpha path when paired to a trusted parent server |
| Source-code evaluation | Supported for contributors, security reviewers, and technically experienced testers |
| Backend bound to loopback | Safest default alpha path |
| Separated private LAN/VPN deployment | Advanced alpha path; explicit opt-in, trusted LAN/VPN/TLS required |
Not supported¶
| Deployment shape or claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Finished consumer product for non-technical families | Not supported |
| Production/stable deployment | Not supported |
| Raw public-internet exposure | Not supported |
| Guaranteed detection or guaranteed child safety | Not supported |
| Tamper-proof, stealth, or forensic-evidence claims | Not supported |
| Enterprise/commercial compliance use | Not supported |
Release artifacts¶
| Artifact | SHA-256 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
GuardianNodeChildSetup-0.1.0-alpha.1.exe |
b271dd24c448ac8c333f5c86548cac2d12c35a41c48de7193d62f376becb1fb7 |
Windows x64-compatible child/all-in-one installer |
GuardianNodeServerSetup-0.1.0-alpha.1.exe |
92314f7613341bd2ba47c34d96131f44e63126ef7cacd248f59642604fcf954f |
Windows x64-compatible parent server installer |
| Source archive | Generated by GitHub from the v0.1.0-alpha.1 tag |
Verify the tag and commit before building locally |
The Windows installers are unsigned in this alpha. Windows SmartScreen, Defender, or other antivirus tools may warn about unsigned or PyInstaller-built executables. Verify checksums from the official GitHub release before running the installers.
Install¶
- One PC: follow Install GuardianNode on one PC.
- Server + child PC: follow Install GuardianNode with a separate server + child PC.
- Source: follow Power-user/source install and Backend setup.
All Windows installer paths require administrator approval. Default backend binding is local-first. Private LAN/VPN access is explicit and must not be port-forwarded to the public internet.
Verify¶
After install:
- Open the parent dashboard.
- Confirm
/api/healthreportsok. - Finish first-run setup with the one-time setup token.
- Confirm the child device appears under Devices.
- Confirm Model Status or Pipeline Health shows the expected text-only, vision, or full tier.
- Trigger a synthetic or known-safe test phrase and verify a risk event appears in the dashboard.
Stop, disable, and uninstall¶
- Windows server installer: Start Menu -> GuardianNode Server -> Stop service.
- Windows child/all-in-one installer: use the visible tray icon to pause monitoring, or uninstall from Windows Settings / Programs & Features as an administrator.
- Logs are under
C:\ProgramData\GuardianNode\logs\. - Troubleshooting and manual cleanup steps are in Troubleshooting.
Privacy¶
GuardianNode is local-first by default and does not send child data to a GuardianNode-operated cloud. Current installer defaults capture visible screen content; retained evidence can include sensitive screenshots, OCR text, app names, window titles, URLs, names, and private messages. Evidence blobs and collected event text are encrypted for parent/admin review, but the alpha does not encrypt the entire SQLite database. Read Privacy before using the alpha.
Known limitations¶
- It may miss risks and may false-alarm.
- Text-only hardware does not detect visual-only risks such as image-only nudity, gore, or weapons.
- Local model quality and speed vary by hardware and model choice.
- Separated mode uses local-network HTTP unless you add HTTPS, Tailscale, WireGuard, or another trusted VPN/reverse proxy.
- Unsigned installer reputation is not established.
- A determined local administrator can disable or remove user-space monitoring.
- Docker is a technical self-hosting path, not the primary Windows parent alpha install path.
Evidence¶
Release-readiness evidence and Windows installer validation are tracked in:
- Windows 11 alpha installer validation
release-readiness-alpha.mdin the source repository
Feedback¶
Use GitHub Issues or Discussions for non-sensitive alpha feedback. Do not upload child screenshots, private messages, evidence exports, pairing codes, device tokens, setup tokens, or personal logs to public issues. Use the private vulnerability reporting flow for exploitable vulnerabilities or child-data leaks.