Piston.web, standalone user interface for steem is searching for alpha testers.

So, we can install it on Windows. We need python 3.5, Visual Studio 2015, OpenSSL and git for that.

1. Install python from python.org

• Select appropriate version for you windows architecture (64 or 32)
• Сheck "Add python to to enviromoment variables" and "Precompile standard library"

2. Install Visual Studio 2015 community from microsoft

• select C++ and python tools

3. Install WinOpenSSL from slproweb.com

• Select appropriate version for you windows architecture (64 or 32)
• Do not take the light version, it does not contain needed library

4. Prepare and build scrypt python module

Download and unzip scrypt module from bitbucket. Enter to directory (mhallin-py-scrypt-119842611360 in my case) and open with you preferred text editor (notepad work) file

setup.py

We need specify exact path's to openssl library and header files we have installed early. Search string sys.platform.startswith('win32'): and edit it accordingly OpenSSL installed directory:
(In my case it will be c:\Python35\OpenSSL-Win64\lib and c:\Python35\OpenSSL-Win64\include

elif sys.platform.startswith('win32'):
    define_macros = [('inline', '__inline')]
>    library_dirs = ['c:\OpenSSL-Win64\lib']
    libraries = ['libeay32', 'advapi32']
>    includes = ['c:\OpenSSL-Win64\include', 'scrypt-windows-stubs/include']

• Symbol ">" is just marking lines to change, do not enter it.

After that enter the directory scrypt-1.1.6\lib\scryptenc\ and find file

scryptenc_cpuperf.c

Search for #ifdef _WIN32 and append before and after "if" block:

>#ifdef HAVE_STRUCT_TIMESPEC
#ifdef _WIN32
struct timespec {
       time_t tv_sec;
       long tv_nsec;
};
#endif
>#endif

Return to directory with setup.py (mhallin-py-scrypt-119842611360) and install it.

For running commands in particular directory I'm using FAR manager, you can use you preffered file manager, or even cmd.exe, but typing all the directories with "cd" command can be tedious.

python setup.py build
python setup.py install

5. Install Git from git-for-windows

Git has many options, feel free to change it, if you know what you doing. I'm select next adjustment:

• Checkout as-is, commit as-is
• Use Windows default console window
• uncheck Enable Git Credential Manager

After installing it would be good to put path to git.exe in enviromoment variables. Open properties of "My computer", select "advanced system settings" and "enviromoment variables". In that windows create (or edit if it exists) variable PATH with value c:\Python35\Git\mingw64\bin (that for my case, adjust it with you Git directory). Values in PATH variable separated by ";".

So, now we can get piston repository and build it.

git clone https://github.com/xeroc/piston
cd piston
git checkout feature/standalone-web
python setup.py build
python setup.py install --user
pip install -r requirements-web.txt

6. Run: piston web

It prompt for password (twice) for new wallet. Generate (with pwgen for example) and enter.

Piston tells us to install some websocket module for perfomance, eventlet or gevent, but with this modules posting is not working, so do not install them.

Open piston.web in browser http://127.0.0.1:5054/

• unlock you wallet if you see icon of closed lock
• Click Wallet
• Put in section Import (any) Private Key you private key (it can be obtain on http://steemit.com/@YouUserName/permissions in "POSTING" line, when you click "Show private key")
• Select you account in Account link

Done! You can browse, upvote, look at you funds, post and all that stuff. (Well, this is alpha version, so not all will be just fine.)

Also, you can use piston for command line action, look at the piston docs