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To determine if you have a portable or normal (Desktop) installation of ComfyUI, you need to examine several key characteristics related to its installation, file structure, and how it's launched.

According to www.iAsk.Ai - Ask AI:

The primary indicators for distinguishing between a portable and a normal (Desktop) ComfyUI installation are the presence of an embedded Python environment, the method of launching the application, and the location of its core files and dependencies.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you identify your ComfyUI installation type:

1. Check for an Embedded Python Environment

A key feature of ComfyUI Portable is that it includes an independent, embedded Python environment within its directory. This means all necessary Python files, dependencies, and configurations are self-contained within the ComfyUI folder itself [1] [3].

  • Portable: If your ComfyUI folder contains a python_embeded or similar directory with Python executables and libraries, it's likely a portable version [1].
  • Desktop/Normal: A Desktop installation typically relies on a system-wide Python installation or a separate virtual environment managed by the installer, rather than having Python embedded directly within the ComfyUI application folder [2] [5].

2. Examine the Launch Method

How you start ComfyUI can also reveal its installation type.

  • Portable: Portable versions are usually launched by double-clicking batch files like run_nvidia_gpu.bat or run_cpu.bat located directly in the ComfyUI root directory [1]. These scripts handle setting up the environment and starting the application.
  • Desktop/Normal: A Desktop installation often provides a desktop shortcut, a Start menu entry (on Windows), or an application icon (on macOS) that launches the program through an installer-managed executable [2] [5]. The first launch of a Desktop version might also involve an initialization setup process, including selecting GPU mode and installation locations [5].

3. Inspect the File Structure and Location

The organization and location of files are strong indicators.

  • Portable: The entire ComfyUI Portable installation, including Python, dependencies, custom nodes, and models, is typically self-contained within a single, movable folder [2]. This folder can often be run directly from an external drive [2]. You might find an extra_model_paths.yaml.example file in the root directory, which you would rename to extra_model_paths.yaml to configure external model paths [1].
  • Desktop/Normal: A Desktop installation integrates more deeply with the operating system. Its core files might be spread across standard application directories, and user-specific configurations and logs might be found in locations like C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\ComfyUI on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/ComfyUI on macOS [5]. While it also uses a models folder, its overall structure is designed for a more integrated system experience rather than complete self-containment [2].

4. Consider the Installation Process

The initial setup experience differs significantly.

  • Portable: No formal installation process is required. You simply download a compressed archive, extract it, and run the appropriate batch file [1] [2].
  • Desktop/Normal: This version involves an installer or a precompiled executable that guides you through a setup process, often including options for automatic updates and system integration [2] [5].

5. Check for Update Mechanisms

How the software receives updates can also be a clue.

  • Portable: Updates for the portable version are typically manual, often involving running batch commands in an update folder or downloading a new version [1] [2].
  • Desktop/Normal: ComfyUI Desktop often supports automatic updates, prompting you when new versions are available or allowing you to check for updates through its menu [2] [5].

By evaluating these aspects, you can accurately determine whether your ComfyUI setup is a portable or a normal (Desktop) installation.

Authoritative Sources

  1. ComfyUI Portable Windows Installation. docs.comfy.org↩
  2. ComfyUI Portable vs Desktop Guide. neurocanvas.net↩
  3. ComfyUI GitHub Repository. github.com↩
  4. Install Comfy UI Locally. stablediffusiontutorials.com↩
  5. ComfyUI Desktop Installation Guide. comfyui-wiki.com↩

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Follow-Up

Yes, whether you have to activate a venv (virtual environment) environment has significant relevance in determining if you have a portable or normal installation of ComfyUI.

Here's why, thinking through it step-by-step:

  1. Understanding venv: A venv is a self-contained directory that holds a Python installation for a specific project, along with all its dependencies. When you "activate" a venv, your shell's environment variables are temporarily modified so that commands like python and pip point to the Python interpreter and package manager within that specific venv, rather than the system-wide Python installation. This prevents conflicts between different projects' dependencies.
  1. ComfyUI Portable Installation:
    • Characteristic: A key feature of ComfyUI Portable is that it includes an embedded Python environment directly within its installation directory (e.g., in a folder named python_embeded or similar).[1]
    • Relevance to venv: Because the Python environment is embedded and self-contained within the ComfyUI portable folder, you typically do not need to manually activate a separate venv. The batch files (e.g., run_nvidia_gpu.bat) or scripts provided with the portable version are designed to automatically use this embedded Python interpreter without requiring a prior venv activation step from the user.[1] The scripts themselves handle setting up the correct path to the embedded Python.
  1. ComfyUI Normal (Desktop) Installation:
    • Characteristic: A normal or Desktop installation often relies on a system-wide Python installation or a separately managed virtual environment that you might have created for ComfyUI or other Python projects.[2]
    • Relevance to venv: If you installed ComfyUI by cloning its GitHub repository and then manually installing dependencies, or if you're managing multiple Python projects, you might have been instructed to create and activate a venv before running ComfyUI's main script (e.g., python main.py).[4] Activating the venv ensures that ComfyUI uses the specific Python version and libraries installed within that virtual environment, preventing conflicts with other Python installations on your system.

Conclusion:

  • If you find yourself needing to manually activate a venv (e.g., by running source venv/bin/activate on Linux/macOS or .\venv\Scripts\activate on Windows) before launching ComfyUI, it strongly suggests you have a normal (Desktop) installation that relies on a separate Python environment.
  • If you can simply double-click a batch file (like run_nvidia_gpu.bat) or execute a script that directly starts ComfyUI without any prior venv activation step, it's a strong indicator of a portable installation that uses its own embedded Python environment.

According to www.iAsk.Ai - Ask AI: The necessity of activating a venv environment is a strong indicator of a normal (Desktop) ComfyUI installation, as portable versions typically include an embedded Python environment that is automatically utilized by their launch scripts.

Authoritative Sources

  1. ComfyUI Portable Windows Installation. docs.comfy.org↩
  2. ComfyUI Portable vs Desktop Guide. neurocanvas.net↩
  3. ComfyUI GitHub Repository. github.com↩
  4. Install Comfy UI Locally. stablediffusiontutorials.com↩
  5. ComfyUI Desktop Installation Guide. comfyui-wiki.com↩