294 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
294 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
<h1 align="center">deskify</h1>
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<p align="center">
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<b>Turn websites into first-class Linux desktop applications with Rust, Tauri, and the system WebView.</b><br>
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Build native-feeling, standalone web app wrappers with CLI-first Linux integration.
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</p>
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<p align="center">
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/OS-Linux-blue?style=flat-square" alt="Linux only" />
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Language-Rust-orange?style=flat-square" alt="Written in Rust" />
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Powered_by-Tauri_v2-grey?style=flat-square" alt="Tauri v2" />
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<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Status-Alpha-yellow?style=flat-square" alt="Alpha status" />
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</p>
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<p align="center">
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<img src="docs/assets/chat-kde.png" alt="Deskify app window running chat.com on KDE Plasma" width="49%" />
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<img src="docs/assets/chat-launcher-kde.png" alt="Deskify app visible in KDE launcher" width="49%" />
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</p>
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<p align="center">
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<img src="docs/assets/deskify-list-terminal.png" alt="deskify list terminal output" width="80%" />
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</p>
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<p align="center"><sub>Screenshots: KDE Plasma on Arch Linux (alpha MVP workflow).</sub></p>
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---
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## Why Deskify Exists
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Web apps are now core tools, but Linux desktops still treat them like second-class citizens.
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- Electron-based wrappers solve distribution, but often at high RAM/disk cost.
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- PWAs help in some browsers, but desktop integration is inconsistent across environments.
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- The original [Nativefier](https://github.com/nativefier/nativefier) proved the need, but it is now unmaintained.
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`deskify` takes a Linux-first approach: it turns a website into a native-feeling desktop app using [Tauri](https://tauri.app/) and the system webview (for example `webkit2gtk`) instead of bundling a full browser engine per app.
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## Problem Fit (Why Deskify vs. Other Approaches)
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Deskify is optimized for Linux users who want native desktop integration and CLI-friendly automation for web apps, without shipping a bundled browser runtime per app.
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The comparison below is intentionally rough and practical (not benchmark marketing). It describes tradeoffs, not winners in every category.
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| Approach | Runtime model | Desktop integration | Automation / scripting | Isolation / sandbox | Setup complexity | Offline capability |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| Electron / Nativefier | Bundled Chromium per app | Good | Low to medium | Per-app process, app-bundled runtime | Easy to medium | Depends on the site |
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| PWA | Browser runtime | Limited / browser-dependent | Low | Shared browser context | Very easy | Depends on browser + site |
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| Flatpak web app models | Sandbox-oriented runtime model | Good | Limited | Strong sandbox model | Medium | Depends on runtime + site |
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| **Deskify** | System WebView | Native (`.desktop`, icons, WMClass) | **High (CLI-first)** | Medium (shared system WebView security model) | Medium (Tauri prerequisites) | Depends on the site |
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### Deskify Focus (Today)
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Deskify focuses on:
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- system-native Linux desktop integration
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- minimal runtime overhead by relying on the system WebView
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- automation-friendly CLI workflows
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- straightforward local install/remove lifecycle management
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Deskify intentionally does not aim to:
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- replace full browser sandbox products
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- provide a cross-platform abstraction layer
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- ship bundled browser runtimes per generated app
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## How Deskify Works Today (Alpha / MVP)
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`deskify` is ready for public use and testing as an **early MVP**, but it is **not production-hardened yet**.
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- **Platform scope:** Linux only
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- **Current architecture:** one generated Tauri wrapper project per app
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- **Build model:** `deskify` compiles the wrapper locally on your machine
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- **Why this MVP design:** simpler debugging, isolated failures, low contributor complexity
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- **Tradeoff:** build time and distro-specific setup issues become user-facing
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- **Test coverage:** currently limited (core behavior is implemented, automated coverage is growing)
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### MVP Architecture (Today)
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```mermaid
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flowchart TD
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A[deskify CLI] --> B[Generate temporary Tauri wrapper project]
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B --> C[Fetch or copy icon]
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C --> D[Write tauri.conf.json + source files]
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D --> E[Run cargo tauri build locally]
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E --> F[Install binary to local executable dir]
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F --> G[Install icon + .desktop entry]
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G --> H[Launch from Linux app menu]
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```
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### Known Limitations
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- Requires Tauri/Linux system dependencies to be installed locally before `deskify build`
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- Generated app build success can vary by distro/system setup (WebKitGTK/Tauri prerequisites)
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- No official cross-platform support (Windows/macOS) yet
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- GitHub Releases / binary automation for `deskify` itself may lag behind source updates during early MVP
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## Where Deskify Is Going
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Deskify aims to make web applications **first-class Linux desktop applications**.
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Planned evolution (direction, not promise):
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- Shared runtime model for multiple apps
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- Per-app config and icon installs without full rebuilds
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- Stronger Linux desktop integration (deployment, automation, kiosk/admin workflows)
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- Better distro compatibility guidance and troubleshooting
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The current per-app build approach is intentional for the MVP. The goal is to keep it simple now while making the longer-term direction visible.
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### Planned Evolution (Concept)
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```mermaid
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flowchart TD
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A[deskify CLI] --> B[deskify runtime binary]
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A --> C[App config files]
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A --> D[Icons + .desktop entries]
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C --> E[apps/chatgpt.json]
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C --> F[apps/netflix.json]
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B --> G[Load app config at launch]
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G --> H[Open site in system webview]
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D --> I[Linux app menu integration]
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```
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## Why Not Just Use Flatpak Web Apps / PWAs / Electron?
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The table above covers the technical tradeoffs in more detail. In practice, `deskify` is most useful when you want:
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- a CLI-first workflow for repeatable installs and automation
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- Linux-native desktop integration (`.desktop`, icons, window class behavior)
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- a system-WebView-based runtime model instead of shipping a bundled browser per app
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### Key Features
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- **System-WebView Runtime Model:** Generated wrappers stay small because Deskify relies on the system WebView instead of bundling a browser runtime per app.
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- **Automatic Icon Fetching:** Scrapes high-quality 128x128 favicons automatically using the Google Favicon API.
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- **XDG-Compliant System Integration:** Safely creates `.desktop` entries in `~/.local/share/applications` and manages application icons in `~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/`.
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- **Wayland/X11 Ready:** Perfectly binds `StartupWMClass` to ensure your DE groups the app exactly to its custom icon (no generic gear icons in GNOME/KDE taskbars).
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- **Kiosk / Fullscreen Mode:** Pin applications perfectly as dashboards.
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- **User-Agent Spoofing:** Trick picky sites (like WhatsApp Web) into working within the webview.
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- **Clean App Management:** Effortlessly list and remove created apps without leaving orphaned files behind.
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---
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## 🚀 Installation
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### 1. System Dependencies
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Because `deskify` compiles Tauri applications natively on your machine, you need the standard Tauri prerequisites installed before using it.
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On **Ubuntu / Debian**:
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```bash
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sudo apt update
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sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev \
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build-essential \
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curl \
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wget \
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file \
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libssl-dev \
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libgtk-3-dev \
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libayatana-appindicator3-dev \
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librsvg2-dev
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```
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On **Arch Linux / Manjaro**:
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```bash
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sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk-4.1 \
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base-devel \
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curl \
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wget \
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file \
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openssl \
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appmenu-gtk-module \
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gtk3 \
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libappindicator-gtk3 \
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librsvg \
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libvips
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```
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*(For Fedora or other distros, refer to the [Tauri Prerequisites Guide](https://v2.tauri.app/start/prerequisites/).)*
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### 2. Rust & Tauri CLI
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You'll need the Rust compiler and the Tauri CLI to compile the generated apps.
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```bash
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# Ensure Rust is installed
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curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
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# Install Tauri-CLI globally
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cargo install tauri-cli --version "^2.0.0"
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```
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### 3. Install deskify
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Clone the repository and install it directly via Cargo:
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/spalencsar/deskify.git
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cd deskify
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cargo install --path .
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```
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---
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## 🛠️ Usage
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### Creating an App (`build`)
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The `build` subcommand requires a `--url` and a `--name`.
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```bash
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deskify build --url "https://chatgpt.com" --name "ChatGPT"
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```
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Once the build finishes, `ChatGPT` will instantly appear in your system Application Launcher (e.g., Rofi, Wofi, GNOME Dash).
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`deskify` derives a safe internal ID from the app name (for example, `ChatGPT` becomes `chatgpt`).
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#### Advanced Build Options
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```bash
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deskify build \
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--url "https://netflix.com" \
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--name "Netflix" \
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--fullscreen \
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--no-decorations \
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--user-agent "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Chrome/120.0.0.0 Safari/537.36" \
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--dark-mode \
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--width 1280 \
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--height 720
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```
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* `--icon <PATH>`: Provide a custom PNG icon instead of auto-downloading one.
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* `--fullscreen`: Starts the app in Kiosk mode.
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* `--no-decorations`: Disables native window decorations (frameless window; useful for dashboards/kiosk setups).
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* `--user-agent <UA>`: Useful to bypass webview restrictions on certain platforms.
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* `--dark-mode`: Forces the Tauri webview into a dark theme.
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* `--width <PX>` / `--height <PX>`: Sets the startup resolution.
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### Managing Apps (`list` & `remove`)
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You can view all applications generated by `deskify`:
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```bash
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deskify list
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```
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*Output:*
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```text
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Installed Deskify Apps:
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- ChatGPT (Internal ID: chatgpt)
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- Netflix (Internal ID: netflix)
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```
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To entirely uninstall an app (including the binary, desktop entry, and icons):
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```bash
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deskify remove chatgpt
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```
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`remove` expects this **internal ID** (sanitized lowercase letters, numbers, `-`), not the display name.
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---
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## 🧪 Manual Smoke Test Checklist (Before a Public Release)
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```bash
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deskify build --url "https://example.com" --name "Example"
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deskify list
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deskify remove example
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```
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Also test invalid IDs:
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```bash
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deskify remove ../foo
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deskify remove FooBar
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```
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Expected: clean validation error and no unintended file deletion.
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---
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## 🏷️ Versioning & GitHub Releases (MVP)
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- Recommended tag format during MVP: `v0.1.0-alpha.N`
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- Start with **source-first** releases (repository + tags)
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- Add automated binary releases later via GitHub Actions
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For the current public alpha, use `v0.1.0-alpha.2` (and continue with `v0.1.0-alpha.N` for follow-up releases).
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---
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## 📦 Open Source Acknowledgements
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`deskify` is built on the shoulders of giants. It leverages the following fantastic open-source projects:
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* **[Tauri](https://tauri.app/)** - The core framework driving the native wrap.
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* **[Clap](https://crates.io/crates/clap)** - Command-Line Argument Parser for Rust.
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* **[Anyhow](https://crates.io/crates/anyhow)** - Excellent error handling context.
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* **[Ureq](https://crates.io/crates/ureq)** - Minimalist sync HTTP request library (used for icon fetching).
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* **[Directories](https://crates.io/crates/directories)** - Abstractions for standard OS directories (XDG Base Dirs).
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## 📝 License
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This project is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
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