php leaf serve fails to start server on Windows (non-concurrent mode)

[ZeeshanX4]

Bug Description
When running php leaf serve on Windows without Vite/Redis/Jobs detected, the server fails to start. The command displays "Happy gardening 🍁" but the server never actually runs, and localhost:5500 returns ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED.

Root Cause
In vendor/leafs/mvc-core/src/Commands/ServeCommand.php at line
$this->writeln(shell_exec($this->buildPhpServerCommand()) ?? "");

The problem: shell_exec() is designed for commands that complete and return output. When used with php -S (a long-running blocking process), it either:

Blocks indefinitely waiting for the process to finish (which never happens btw)
On Windows, starts the process and immediately terminates it when shell_exec() returns

This is why the server appears to start but isn't actually running.

Why Concurrent Mode Works
When Vite/Redis/Jobs are detected, the command uses:
sprout()->process("npx concurrently...")->run();

This properly handles long-running processes and streams output in real-time.

Steps to Reproduce
Install fresh Leaf MVC on Windows
Don't install Vite/Redis/Jobs (so concurrent mode isn't triggered)
Run php leaf serve
See "Happy gardening 🍁" message
Try to access http://localhost:5500
Get ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

Workaround
Use native PHP server directly:

php -S localhost:8000 -t public

Suggested Fix
Replace shell_exec() with proper process execution that keeps the process alive

Environment
OS: Windows 11
PHP Version: 8.2.29
Leaf MVC: v4.7.1
leafs/mvc-core: v4.7.1

Additional Context
This issue only affects Windows. On Linux/Mac, the behavior may be different due to how shell_exec() handles process spawning. There are issues with Laravel herd as well when the app env is in local or testing, only production works