refactor: update engine management in dashboard to allow background operation and prevent closure on UI exit

Author: AsieduDevelopmentHub

dashboard/lib/main.dart

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/providers/settings_provider.dart';
 import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/navigation/dashboard_navigation.dart';
 import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/screens/dashboard_screen.dart';
 import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/services/desktop_notification_service.dart';
-import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/services/engine_bundled_launcher.dart';
 import 'package:sentracore_dashboard/theme/app_theme.dart';
 
 Future<void> main() async {
@@ -143,9 +142,8 @@ class SentraCoreApp extends StatefulWidget {
 class _SentraCoreAppState extends State<SentraCoreApp> {
   @override
   void dispose() {
-    // Allow the app to stop the engine on close (owned process only).
-    // Users can still kill the process externally; we auto-restart on next launch.
-    EngineBundledLauncher.stopOwnedEngine();
+    // Do not stop the engine when the dashboard closes.
+    // The engine is designed to run in the background and should survive UI restarts.
     super.dispose();
   }
 

installer/sentracore.iss

@@ -34,12 +34,13 @@ Name: "{group}\Uninstall SentraCore"; Filename: "{uninstallexe}"
 Name: "desktopicon"; Description: "Create a &desktop shortcut"; GroupDescription: "Additional icons:"
 
 [Registry]
-; Always run engine on user login (background)
-Root: HKCU; Subkey: "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"; ValueType: string; ValueName: "SentraCoreEngine"; ValueData: """{app}\SentraCoreEngine.exe"""
+; Always run engine on user login (hidden).
+; Running the engine exe directly from HKCU\Run can flash a console window; use PowerShell to start it hidden.
+Root: HKCU; Subkey: "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"; ValueType: string; ValueName: "SentraCoreEngine"; ValueData: """{sys}\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe"" -NoProfile -WindowStyle Hidden -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command ""Start-Process -FilePath '{app}\SentraCoreEngine.exe' -WindowStyle Hidden"""
 
 [Run]
 ; Always start engine after install (background)
-Filename: "{app}\SentraCoreEngine.exe"; Flags: nowait postinstall runhidden
+Filename: "{app}\SentraCoreEngine.exe"; Flags: nowait runhidden
 ; Optionally launch the dashboard
 Filename: "{app}\sentracore_dashboard.exe"; Description: "Launch SentraCore Dashboard"; Flags: nowait postinstall