Bind staging Docker to 18088 so portproxy can own 8088.

.gitea/workflows/registry-build-deploy.yml

@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 #   DEPLOY_SECRETS_DIR   absolute path on runner, e.g. C:/dyolink/secrets
 #
 # Optional:
-#   STAGING_HTTP_PORT    host port for nginx (default 8088)
+#   STAGING_HTTP_PORT    public port (default 8088) — Windows portproxy listens here
+#   STAGING_LOCAL_PORT   Docker bind on 127.0.0.1 (default 18088) — must not equal 8088 if portproxy owns 8088
 #   CLONE_HOST           git clone host when runner = Gitea host → 127.0.0.1:3000
 #
 # Same Windows PC runs Gitea + runner + deploy:
@@ -162,11 +163,14 @@ jobs:
           }
           $stagingPort = '${{ vars.STAGING_HTTP_PORT }}'.Trim()
           if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($stagingPort)) { $stagingPort = '8088' }
+          $localPort = '${{ vars.STAGING_LOCAL_PORT }}'.Trim()
+          if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($localPort)) { $localPort = '18088' }
           $imageTag = "${{ needs.build-and-push.outputs.image_tag }}"
           $lines = @(
             "REGISTRY_PREFIX=${{ vars.REGISTRY_HOST }}/${{ vars.REGISTRY_OWNER }}",
             "IMAGE_TAG=$imageTag",
             "STAGING_HTTP_PORT=$stagingPort",
+            "STAGING_LOCAL_PORT=$localPort",
             "DEPLOY_SECRETS_DIR=$SD"
           )
           Set-Location infrastructure

infrastructure/STAGING-DEPLOY.md

@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ Rules:
 | `PUBLIC_BASE_URL` | `http://178.131.50.201:8088` | How **users** open staging in a browser (public IP OK) |
 | `DEPLOY_SECRETS_DIR` | `C:/dyolink/secrets` | Forward slashes OK on Windows |
 | `CLONE_HOST` | `127.0.0.1:3000` | Git clone (runs on Windows host, not inside Docker VM) |
-| `STAGING_HTTP_PORT` | `8088` | Optional (8088 is default) |
+| `STAGING_HTTP_PORT` | `8088` | Public port (router + portproxy). Optional. |
+| `STAGING_LOCAL_PORT` | `18088` | Docker bind on `127.0.0.1`. Must not be `8088` if portproxy already uses 8088. |
 
 **Naming note:** Gitea rejects variable names starting with `GITEA_` or `GITHUB_`. Use `CLONE_HOST`, not `GITEA_CLONE_URL`.
 
@@ -167,18 +168,22 @@ New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Dyolink Staging 8088" -Direction Inbound -Prot
 
 ### 7. External access on Windows + Docker Desktop (portproxy)
 
-Gitea on **:3000** runs natively on Windows and is reachable from your Mac. Staging **:8088** runs in **Docker Desktop** — `127.0.0.1:8088` works on the PC, but `http://<public-ip>:8088` from another machine may get **Empty reply from server** unless you forward the port.
+Gitea on **:3000** runs natively on Windows. Staging nginx binds **127.0.0.1:18088** (not 8088). Windows **portproxy** then maps public **8088 → 18088**. Do **not** bind Docker on 8088 — portproxy already owns that port (`bind: access permissions` if you try).
 
-Compose binds nginx to **127.0.0.1:8088** only. After deploy, run **once** in **PowerShell as Administrator**:
+Run **once** in **PowerShell as Administrator** (replace the old 8088→8088 rule if you had one):
 
 ```powershell
-netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=8088 connectaddress=127.0.0.1 connectport=8088
+netsh interface portproxy delete v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=8088
+netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=8088 connectaddress=127.0.0.1 connectport=18088
 netsh interface portproxy show all
+Start-Service iphlpsvc
+Set-Service iphlpsvc -StartupType Automatic
 ```
 
 Verify on the server:
 
 ```powershell
+curl http://127.0.0.1:18088/health
 curl http://127.0.0.1:8088/health
 ```
 
@@ -277,7 +282,8 @@ On the Windows host, from repo `infrastructure/`:
 | `Missing database.staging.env` | Check `DEPLOY_SECRETS_DIR` path and file names |
 | `docker login` denied | Token needs package permissions; check username/secret |
 | Git clone fails in workflow | Set `CLONE_HOST=127.0.0.1:3000` |
-| Port 8088 unreachable from Mac / empty reply | Docker Desktop: run **portproxy** (§7). `127.0.0.1:8088/health` must work on Windows first. |
+| Port 8088 bind forbidden / access permissions | Portproxy already owns 8088. Bind Docker to `18088` and point portproxy **8088 → 127.0.0.1:18088**. |
+| Port 8088 unreachable from Mac / empty reply | Docker Desktop: run **portproxy** (§7). `127.0.0.1:18088/health` must work on Windows first. |
 | Backend restart loop | JWT secrets still placeholder; fix `backend.staging.env` |
 | Backend DB auth error | `DATABASE_URL` password ≠ `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` |
 | `dumb-init docker-entrypoint.sh: No such file or directory` | Windows CRLF in shell scripts — fixed in Dockerfiles (rebuild images). |

infrastructure/deploy.registry.env.example

@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ REGISTRY_PREFIX=178.131.50.201:3000/yourgiteauser
 # Short git SHA from CI, or "latest" after a manual pull of :latest
 IMAGE_TAG=latest
 
-# Host port published for nginx (URL = http://<your-ip>:<this-port>)
+# Public URL port (router + Windows portproxy listen here)
 STAGING_HTTP_PORT=8088
+# Docker nginx bind on localhost only (must differ from 8088 when portproxy owns 8088)
+STAGING_LOCAL_PORT=18088
 
 # Absolute path on the server where database.staging.env and backend.staging.env live.
 # Use forward slashes on Windows. Same path as Gitea Actions variable DEPLOY_SECRETS_DIR.

infrastructure/docker-compose.registry.yml

@@ -91,8 +91,9 @@ services:
       frontend:
         condition: service_healthy
     ports:
-      # Localhost only — Docker Desktop on Windows often breaks 0.0.0.0; use netsh portproxy for LAN/public (see STAGING-DEPLOY.md).
+      # Bind a private localhost port — Windows portproxy already owns public 8088.
-      - "127.0.0.1:${STAGING_HTTP_PORT:-8088}:80"
+      # See STAGING-DEPLOY.md §7: portproxy 0.0.0.0:8088 → 127.0.0.1:18088
+      - "127.0.0.1:${STAGING_LOCAL_PORT:-18088}:80"
     volumes:
       - ./nginx/http-only.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf:ro
       - ./logs/nginx-staging:/var/log/nginx

infrastructure/docker-compose.staging.yml

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ services:
       frontend:
         condition: service_healthy
     ports:
-      - "127.0.0.1:${STAGING_HTTP_PORT:-8088}:80"
+      - "127.0.0.1:${STAGING_LOCAL_PORT:-18088}:80"
     volumes:
       - ./nginx/http-only.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf:ro
       - ./logs/nginx-staging:/var/log/nginx