v1.6.8 - Quality & Stability, Context Awareness (Alpha for Testers)

Build Date: March 10, 2026
Status: Alpha Testing
Target: Technical testers & early adopters
Stability: Significantly improved over 1.6.3
Screenshots lower!

What's New - The Big Picture

This release is about making PC Workman work for months, not minutes. The app now remembers your system's behavior across sessions, detects patterns, and actually uses that data for intelligent alerts and insights.

Key shift: From "monitoring tool that resets every launch" to "system companion that learns over time."

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Core Engine Rebuild: HCK_STATS_ENGINE

What Changed

Replaced CSV-only logging with SQLite-backed time-series database. Your data now persists properly across sessions, aggregates intelligently, and doesn't blow up after 3 days of runtime.

Architecture

Raw samples (1s) -> Minute averages (60s) -> Hourly stats -> Daily stats
                                           \/
                                    Process tracking
                                    Event detection
                                    Pattern analysis

New modules:

• db_manager.py - SQLite with WAL mode (concurrent read/write, no locks)
• aggregator.py - Time-series rollup (minute → hour → day)
• process_aggregator.py - Per-process CPU/RAM tracking with hourly/daily aggregation
• query_api.py - Read interface for UI (separate connection, no blocking)
• events.py - Spike detection, anomaly logging, alert generation

Stability guarantees:

• Every DB call wrapped in try/except - scheduler never crashes
• Atomic transactions - crash mid-write = rollback, data stays consistent
• Graceful degradation - SQLite fails = app falls back to CSV mode
• No new dependencies - sqlite3 is Python stdlib

What this fixes:

• Bug A (Data Aggregation): Lifetime uptime now calculated correctly by merging daily/hourly/minute stats without overlap. No more "0 hours total" after relaunch.
• Bug B (Telemetry Noise): System processes like "System Idle Process", "Interrupts", "Memory Compression" are filtered out. No more 800% CPU alerts from kernel threads.

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Intelligence Layer: InsightsEngine

Context Awareness

hck_GPT now knows what's happening on your system and adjusts its responses accordingly.

Features:

• Time-aware greetings: "Good morning, yesterday you ran for 6.2 hours..."
• Real-time spike detection: CPU/GPU/RAM/temp anomalies trigger notifications
• App recognition: Tracks browsers, games, dev tools by name
• Pattern teasers: "Ready for another round of Battlefield?" (based on 7-day patterns)
• 24h anomaly report: "3 temp spikes detected between 14:00-16:00"
• Dynamic banner status: Changes from "All quiet" to "CPU 87% SPIKE | 2 alerts"

New commands in hck_GPT chat:

• stats / co uzywam - Session & lifetime summary
• alerts / alerty - Recent anomalies report
• insights / co nowego - Current system insights
• teaser - Personalized suggestions based on usage
• health - Quick system health check
• report - Full colored report in chat window

Technical implementation:

• insights.py (~300 LOC) - Pattern detection, greeting logic, spike tracking
• Auto-greeting on panel open (once per session or 30min cooldown)
• Insight ticker: 60s intervals (only shows notable events, not spam)
• Banner ticker: 30s intervals (updates mini-status bar)
• Integrated with process_aggregator for app tracking

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UI/UX Refinements

Dashboard

• Main loop optimization: 300ms → 1000ms update cycle (-70% UI overhead)
• Widget reuse pattern: TOP 5 process panels no longer destroy/recreate on every update (massive memory improvement)
• Chart engine: Replaced pixel-by-pixel PhotoImage rendering with reusable canvas objects (orders of magnitude faster)
• Cached constants: cpu_count, total_ram cached on startup (no redundant psutil calls)

My PC Page (Work in Progress)

Live now:

• Real-time CPU/RAM/GPU monitoring with temperature simulation
• Hardware detection (actual CPU name, RAM total, GPU model)

Coming soon (buttons visible but not yet functional):

• Health Report - Comprehensive system health analysis
• Cleanup - Temp files, cache cleanup
• Stability Tests - Program diagnostics, log viewer, HCK_STATS_ENGINE status
• Your Account - Details - User settings and preferences

TOP 3 (Planned for 1.7.0):

• Stats & Alerts - Pattern-based alerts for temp spikes, voltage anomalies, suspicious activity (week-scale analysis)
• Optimization & Services - Windows services management, startup optimization
• First Setup & Drivers - Initial configuration wizard, driver checks

Info Section (Dashboard)

• Redesigned compact layout (50px height)
• Purple accent (#a78bfa) styling
• Consolas monospace font for technical readability
• Optimized typewriter animation (70ms typing / 3-char burst deletion)
• Punchy one-liner messages instead of verbose text

Charts

• Default mode: LIVE (real-time, last 30 seconds)
• Historical modes: 1H (3600s), 4H (14400s) with proper range mapping
• Auto-refresh: Historical views refresh every 30s from database
• Fixed bug: Switching between LIVE/1H/4H now loads correct data range

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Performance Optimizations

Threading Model

Before: Main thread blocked on psutil.process_iter() - caused UI lag spikes
After: Heavy telemetry collection offloaded to background daemon thread

Implementation:

• Telemetry thread runs independently (1s sampling rate)
• read_snapshot() provides instant, non-blocking access to latest data
• Graceful thread lifecycle (starts in startup.py, joins on shutdown)

Result: Zero UI lag, butter-smooth updates

Hardware Polling

• Hardware cards: 2s update interval (balance between real-time and low CPU)
• System tray: 3s update interval (less critical, less overhead)
• Charts: 2s with canvas object reuse (no redraw cost)

Code Cleanup

Removed dead code:

• utils/file_utils.py, utils/net_utils.py, utils/system_info.py (unused)
• ui/expandable_process_list.py (obsolete component)
• settings/ directory (migrated to database)
• _animate_button_shimmer() (60 LOC, unnecessary CPU burn)
• System artifacts (_nul, nul files)
• Obsolete exports (fan_settings_ultimate.json)

main_window.py refactor:

• 1606 lines → 1460 lines (-9%, -146 LOC)
• Extracted magic numbers to named constants
• Unified duplicate process rendering logic (DRY)
• Circuit breaker pattern for error handling (max 10 errors before graceful shutdown)
• Dynamic RAM detection (replaces hardcoded 8192MB)
• Better exception handling with detailed logging

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Critical

• [A] Lifetime Stats Reset: Session uptime now persists across launches (multi-tier aggregation fix)
• [B] System Process Noise: Kernel threads filtered out (no more 800% CPU alerts)
• [C] Chart Data Loading: Historical modes (1H/4H) now correctly query database instead of showing stale data

Stability

• Scheduler crash prevention: All DB operations wrapped in try/except
• UI thread safety: Separate DB connections for read (UI) and write (scheduler)
• Race condition fix: Widget existence checks before updates (winfo_exists() guards)
• Memory leak fix: Process panels now reuse widgets instead of recreate cycle

UI

• Dashboard-only updates: _update_hardware_cards() and _update_top5_processes() only run when dashboard is visible (eliminates majority of error sources)
• Navigation routing: Fixed sidebar IDs (temperature, voltage, alerts instead of old realtime, processes)

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For Testers: What to Focus On

Primary Test Areas

1. Long-term stability - Leave running for 24+ hours, check memory usage
2. Session persistence - Close app, reopen, verify lifetime stats continue (not reset to 0)
3. hck_GPT intelligence - Try commands: stats, alerts, insights, report
4. Chart accuracy - Switch between LIVE/1H/4H modes, verify data matches
5. Process tracking - Launch heavy apps (games, browsers), check if detected properly

Known Issues (Work in Progress)

• My PC page: Health Report, Cleanup, Stability Tests buttons are placeholders (visible but not functional yet)
• TOP 3 features: Planned for v1.7.0 (UI visible, logic not implemented)
• Temperature monitoring: Currently simulated (based on load %), real sensor integration coming
• Voltage monitoring: Not yet implemented

Performance Expectations

• CPU usage: ~1-2% idle, ~5-8% when dashboard active
• RAM usage: ~80-120 MB (depends on process history size)
• Database size: ~5-10 MB per month of runtime (tested over 3 months continuous use)

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Installation & Requirements

No new dependencies. Everything uses Python stdlib.

Python version: 3.9+
Tested on: Windows 10/11

Run from source:

python startup.py

Known limitations:

• Windows only (psutil limitations for GPU/temp on other platforms)
• Requires administrator rights for some system process queries

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Roadmap

v1.6.9 (Optional cleanup release):

• Optimize remaining files (core/monitor.py, hck_gpt modules)
• More constant extraction
• Documentation improvements

v1.7.0 (Feature release, ~3-4 weeks):

• Complete My PC page functionality (Health Report, Cleanup, Stability Tests)
• TOP 3 features (Stats & Alerts, Optimization, First Setup)
• Real temperature sensor integration (OpenHardwareMonitor)
• Voltage monitoring
• Pattern-based alerting system

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Feedback

This is an alpha build for testers. Expect rough edges.

Report issues:

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/HuckleR2003/PC_Workman_HCK/issues
  ...

v1.6.3+ finally .EXE - First Stable Alpha

PC_Workman v1.6.3+First Executable Release

The Milestone Nobody Sees Coming

After 680+ hours of coding, four complete rebuilds, and a laptop that peaked at 94°C during testing...
PC_Workman finally has a .exe file.

No more "install Python, pip install requirements, pray it works."
Just: double-click -> runs.

This is the moment PC_Workman stops being "code on GitHub" and becomes "a program in your Start Menu."

What's New in This Release

MAJOR: Standalone .exe Launcher

• No Python installation required
• No dependency hell
• No command line
• Just download, run, and go

Technical Details:

• Built with PyInstaller
• ~50MB single executable
• Includes debug console helper (for error reporting)
• Windows 10/11 (64-bit) compatible

Antivirus Warning Expected:
Windows Defender or your antivirus may flag PC_Workman as "unknown publisher." This is a false positive—the .exe isn't code-signed yet (certificate costs $200 I don't have).

To run:

1. Click "More info" on SmartScreen warning
2. Click "Run anyway"
3. (Optional) Add to Windows Defender exclusions

See It In Action

NVIDIA_Share_ibpqIVtWxc.mp4

Known Issues (Alpha Status)

Antivirus False Positives

• Windows may flag the .exe (no code signing yet)
• Solution: Click "Run anyway" or add exclusion

Random Shutdown in Minimal Mode

• Occasional crash when exiting Minimal Mode
• Fix scheduled for v1.7
• Workaround: Use standard mode

Debug Console Window

• Console window appears on launch
• This is INTENTIONAL - it's a debug helper
• If you encounter errors, attach this log when reporting

UI Polish

• Some elements still being refined

• Alpha = rough edges expected

Installation

Option 1: Download .exe (Recommended)

1. Download PC_Workman.exe from Assets below
2. Run!

Option 2: Run from Source (Advanced)

1. Download source code ZIP
2. Install Python 3.8+
3. pip install -r requirements.txt
4. python main.py

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Technical Requirements

System:

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• 50MB disk space
• 100MB RAM
• Admin privileges (for fan control)

Compatibility:

• NVIDIA, AMD, Intel GPUs
• All modern CPUs
• PWM fan control (motherboard-dependent)

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What This Means

Six months ago, PC_Workman was an idea.

Three months ago, it was spaghetti code that barely worked.

One month ago, it was a Python script you had to run from terminal.

Today, it's a program.
Not perfect. Not polished. But real.

This .exe represents:

• 680+ hours of work
• 4 complete rebuilds
• 39,000 -> 24,000 lines of code
• 29 features built and killed
• Every evening after warehouse shifts
• Every weekend morning
• Coding on a laptop that should've died months ago

Being able to say "download PC_Workman.exe" instead of "clone the repo and run python main.py" might seem small.

It's not.
It's the difference between a project and a product.

What's Next

v1.7 (Feb 2026):

• Fix Minimal Mode crash
• UI polish pass
• Performance optimizations

v2.0 (Q2 2026):

• Auto-update system
• Code signing certificate
• Local AI inference (Ollama/LM Studio)
• Background mode optimization

v3.0 (Late 2026):

• Microsoft Store release
• Full production ready
• Multi-language support

Feedback & Support

Found a bug?

• Open an issue on GitHub
• DM me on X (@hck_lab)
• Include the debug console output
  Want to help?
• Try it, break it, tell me what's wrong
• Share with someone who needs better PC monitoring
• Star the repo if you find it useful

Support development:

• ☕ Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/hhlabs
• 💬 Feedback is just as valuable as donations

Credits

Built by: Marcin Firmuga | HCK_Labs
Built with: Python, AI (Claude), Coffee, Stubbornness
Built on: A 2014 laptop that peaked at 94°C and somehow survived
Built during: Evenings after warehouse shifts, weekends, holidays
Built because: The tool I needed didn't exist, so I made it

A Note on Alpha Software

This is alpha software.

That means:

• Core features work and are tested
• Edge cases will cause problems
• UI will continue evolving
• Your feedback directly shapes development

If you expect production-ready polish, wait for v3.0.

If you want to be part of the journey, try it now.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for downloading. Thank you for giving PC_Workman a shot.

Every download, every bug report, every piece of feedback makes this better.

Let's build something good together.

Marcin
January 19, 2026
Built between warehouse shifts
Shipped despite dying hardware
Free because it should be.

v1.6.2 - UI Overhaul & Floating Monitor Widget

**Release Date: January 12, 2026 4:20
This release focuses on a
major UI overhaul, drawing from extensive market research on competitors like MSI Afterburner, ASUS GPU Tweak, and FanControl.

We prioritized density without sacrificing readability, resulting in a 40% reduction in graph height and a cleaner, more intuitive Fan Dashboard.
Key additions include the new Floating System Monitor widget for always-on monitoring and AI-enhanced profile generation.
This milestone builds on 6+ months of development, including 4 complete rebuilds and
over 680 hours of coding on resource-constrained hardware (94°C laptop peaks).

The project now has a dedicated website for easier access and feedback.
Source Code: Download ZIP from this release or clone the repo.

Key Features and Improvements

FAN DASHBOARD REBUILDS v1 / v4

FAN DASHBOARD REBUILDS v2 / v4

FAN DASHBOARD REBUILDS v3 / v4

FAN DASHBOARD REBUILDS v4 / v4 + Additional CPU,RAM usage window widget.

MAIN DASHBOARD

YOUR PC - Have first rebuild. It's still in progress, and looks like potato but Idea is good.

HCK_GPT - In action

DEDICATED PAGE - PC_WORKMAN

(from recent commits and development journey)
Fan Dashboard Evolution (3 iterations in one night):

• Redesigned from cluttered layout to a beautiful purple gradient fan curve graph with interactive drag-and-drop points.
• Compact 2x2 fan status cards with real-time RPM monitoring and connection status.
• Streamlined profile system (Default, Silent, AI, P1, P2) with JSON export/import to data/profiles/.
• Removed clutter (e.g., right panel) for better space utilization – inspired by Afterburner's curve editor but with AI suggestions.
• Comparisons: Beats Afterburner's old UI and GPU Tweak's scrolling hell with no-scroll design on 1080p and one-click profiles.

Main Window UX Polish:

• Fixed process CPU/RAM calculations to show system-relative percentages (not per-core).
• Removed padding between navigation tabs for a cleaner look.
• Eliminated animated gradients for better performance on low-end hardware.
• Stripped unnecessary descriptive texts – 50% smaller UI elements, 200% more information density.

NEW: Floating System Monitor Widget:

• Always-on-top overlay in top-right corner (outside main window).
• Real-time CPU/RAM/GPU usage with color-coded alerts.
• Draggable, minimizable, frameless design.
• Runs independently – launch from Navigation menu → "Floating Monitor".
• Perfect for multitasking, addressing gaps in tools like HWMonitor.

Codebase Cleanup:

• Removed deprecated fan dashboard versions (ai, pro, ultra).
• Consolidated to single fan_dashboard.py – 3 files deleted, ~100KB saved.
• Purged all pycache and .pyc files.
• Fixed broken imports after cleanup.

Watch the quick UI transformation video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzqVhGgsIfM

Known Issues / Roadmap

Menu buttons are placeholders for upcoming features: Health Reports, Optimization Dashboard, System Cleanup.
Next: Local AI inference (Ollama/LM Studio in v2.0 Q2 2026), full production-ready in 2026.

Feedback: Open issues on GitHub or DM on X (@hck_lab)

Marcin Firmuga | HCK_Labs
Website: https://huckler2003.github.io/PC_Workman_HCK/
Medium: https://medium.com/@firmuga.marcin.s/
X: @hck_lab

PC Workman - v1.5.7 my pre-perfecto

Core Features

### My PC
Main system overview module.
Displays key hardware and system information.
2D PC Case simulation with components info, including PSU.

### Optimization Options
Advanced system optimization features.
Includes more than basic service disabling.
Designed for improving overall system performance and cleanup.
Planned: 15–17 user-selectable actions executed automatically on system startup.
Advanced Cooling Dashboard
Monitoring and control panel for temperatures and fans.
Displays real-time statistics.

### Supports fan control settings including:
PWM mode
Maximum fan speed
Minimum fan speed
Fan-related configuration parameters
Background Operation
Application is approximately 96% ready for continuous background execution.

### Current known issue:
Random application shutdown when exiting Minimal Mode.
Fix postponed due to ongoing work on JSON-based data persistence structure.
Planned to be resolved in the next update.
<img width="8

30" height="346" alt="2_mainpc" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/93e7f2ef-6826-4b62-a5cd-db5ca85c50db" />

*prototype* PC_Workman_HCK v1.0.6 – Real-Time Core & UI

Version 1.0.6 introduces the first fully functional prototype of PC_Workman_HCK — a modular real-time system monitor developed under the HCK_Labs engineering initiative.

This update focuses on major improvements to the user interface, data collection, and visualization pipeline, ensuring stable and accurate tracking of hardware resources in real time.

Key additions:
• Enhanced live UI built with Tkinter + Matplotlib.
• Real-time CPU, GPU, and RAM tracking via psutil and GPUtil.
• Continuous background scheduler and data logger (per-second and per-minute averages).
• Process analytics with user/system categorization.
• Automatic component registry with unique HCK identifiers for all modules.

Known limitations:
• Minor process classification inconsistencies.
• Time axis still uses raw timestamps.
• 1H data view requires ~60 seconds before the first data point appears.

Next milestone:
Guardian Update (v1.0.7) — introducing the next evolution of PC_Workman:
an intelligent “System Guardian” capable of detecting abnormal activity, monitoring resource behavior, and providing live insights into system health and process performance.

Developed by: Marcin “HCK” Firmuga
Lab: HCK_Labs / Educational Engineering Repository
Date: November 08, 2025

Full Changelog: https://github.com/HuckleR2003/PC_Workman_HCK/commits/Version

Full Changelog: https://github.com/HuckleR2003/PC_Workman_HCK/commits/PC_Workman-HCK

PC_Workman 1.3.3 - hck_GPT Meets Performance

PC_Workman 1.3.3 - "Intelligence Meets Performance"

Major Features

### Introducing hck_GPT Assistant
The AI-powered assistant that actually understands your system.

Service Mode (Now Available)

• Context-aware diagnostic wizards that ask the right questions
• Smart service management: "Do you use Bluetooth? Printer? Let me optimize that for you."
• Safe rollback for every change - because we've all disabled "something unnecessary" and regretted it
• Clear warnings and transparent actions - no hidden modifications

ML/AI Mode (Coming in v1.4.0)

• Real-time bottleneck detection: "Your CPU throttles on this game while GPU sits at 60%"
• Usage pattern analysis: "14 hours of Battlefield this week? That i5 needs a break 😄"
• Personalized recommendations based on actual behavior, not generic tips

⚡ Easy Boost Options

One-click performance mode done right.

• Gaming/Boost toggle with full transparency
• See exactly what's being disabled - services, background processes, priorities
• Instant rollback if something breaks
• No "trust me bro" magic - everything documented and reversible

🎨 UX Overhaul

Because diagnostic tools don't have to look like exploits from 2010 forums.

• Modern typography and visual hierarchy
• Improved color schemes and contrast
• Smoother animations and transitions
• Better readability across all panels

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Technical Improvements

• Enhanced modular architecture for AI integration
• Optimized background scheduler performance
• Improved process detection and categorization
• Better error handling in diagnostic wizards
• Foundation for ML/AI mode data pipeline

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What's Next?

v1.4.0 will bring the full ML/AI Mode:

• Real-time performance analysis engine
• Pattern recognition for usage habits
• Smart recommendations based on hardware profiles
• Contextual humor and personality in responses

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Installation

git clone https://github.com/HuckleR2003/PC_Workman_HCK.git
cd PC_Workman_HCK
pip install -r requirements.txt
python startup.py

Requirements: Python 3.9+, psutil, gputil, matplotlib

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Feedback Welcome

This is an educational project exploring AI integration in system diagnostics. If you have ideas, find bugs, or want to contribute - open an issue or PR!

Special thanks to everyone who provided feedback on v1.0.6. Your input shaped this release.

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Part of [HCK_Labs](https://github.com/HuckleR2003/HCK_Labs) - AI & System Engineering R&D

v_1.1

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