ComfyUI/PREINSTALL_ENHANCEMENTS_PLAN.md

Preinstall Enhancements PR

Overview

This PR contains enhancements to the ComfyUI startup script (run_comfyui.bat) that improve the user experience for Windows users by automatically checking dependencies, detecting virtual environments, and offering to install missing packages.

Changes Included

Files Changed

• run_comfyui.bat - Enhanced batch file with:
  • UTF-8 encoding support for proper Unicode display
  • Comprehensive dependency checking (critical and optional)
  • Virtual environment detection and warnings
  • CUDA PyTorch auto-installation with progress bars
  • User-friendly error messages and troubleshooting tips
  • ASCII art banner with "Comfy" text
• create_shortcut.ps1 - PowerShell script for desktop shortcut creation

Key Features

1. Automated Dependency Checking: Checks all critical Python dependencies before launching
2. CUDA PyTorch Detection: Automatically detects CPU-only PyTorch and offers to install CUDA version
3. Progress Bars: Shows progress during pip installations
4. User-Friendly Prompts: Clear, interactive prompts for installation options
5. Error Handling: Detailed error messages with troubleshooting steps

PR Status

• Branch: preinstall-enhancements
• Base: master
• Status: Ready for PR submission
• Commits: 2 commits (run_comfyui.bat enhancements, create_shortcut.ps1)

Testing Recommendations

1. Test in clean environment with no dependencies
2. Test with missing critical dependencies
3. Test with missing optional dependencies
4. Test CPU-only PyTorch detection and installation
5. Test virtual environment detection
6. Test error handling scenarios

Notes

• All changes are backward compatible
• No breaking changes to existing functionality
• Works with both system Python and virtual environments