Gabriel Kaszewski
1ac9dde347
- Updated Cargo.toml to include a new k-launcher crate and reorganized workspace members. - Introduced a README.md file detailing the project philosophy, architecture, and technical specifications. - Implemented a new Kernel struct in k-launcher-kernel for managing plugins and search functionality. - Created a Plugin trait for plugins to implement, allowing for asynchronous search operations. - Developed k-launcher-ui with an Iced-based UI for user interaction, including search input and result display. - Added AppsPlugin and CalcPlugin to handle application launching and basic calculations, respectively. - Established a theme module for UI styling, focusing on an Aero aesthetic. - Removed unnecessary main.rs files from plugin crates, streamlining the project structure.
57 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
57 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
# K-Launcher
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K-Launcher is a lightweight, GPU-accelerated command palette for Linux (Wayland/X11), macOS, and Windows. It reimagines the "Spotlight" experience through the lens of Frutiger Aero—focusing on gloss, glass, and skeuomorphism—powered by a non-blocking, multi-threaded Rust kernel.
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## Core Philosophy
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- Zero Webview: No Chromium, no Electron. Every pixel is rendered via WGPU (Iced) for sub-5ms input-to-render latency.
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- Async-First: Search queries never block the UI. If the file-searcher is indexing, the calculator still feels instant.
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- The "Aero" Standard: Deep support for Gaussian blur (via Layer Shell), linear gradients, and high-gloss textures.
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## High-Level Architecture
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We are utilizing a "Hub-and-Spoke" model within a Cargo Workspace. The k-launcher-kernel acts as the central hub, dispatching user input to various "Spokes" (Plugins).
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### The Crate Hierarchy
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| Crate | Responsibility | Key Dependencies |
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| -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
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| **`k-launcher`** | The entry-point binary. Glues everything together. | `k-launcher-ui`, `k-launcher-kernel` |
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| **`k-launcher-ui`** | The Iced-based view layer. Handles animations/theming. | `iced`, `lyon` (for vector paths) |
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| **`k-launcher-kernel`** | The "Brain." Manages state, history, and plugin dispatch. | `tokio`, `tracing` |
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| **`k-launcher-os-bridge`** | OS-specific windowing (Layer Shell for Wayland, Win32). | `iced_layershell`, `raw-window-handle` |
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| **`plugins/*`** | Individual features (Calc, Files, Apps, Web). | `plugin-api` (Shared traits) |
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## Data & Communication Flow
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K-Launcher operates on an Event loop.
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```
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sequenceDiagram
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participant User
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participant UI as k-launcher-ui
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participant Kernel as k-launcher-kernel
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participant Plugins as plugin-file-search
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User->>UI: Types "p"
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UI->>Kernel: QueryUpdate("p")
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par Parallel Search
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Kernel->>Plugins: async search("p")
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Plugins-->>Kernel: List<SearchResult>
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end
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Kernel->>UI: NewResults(Vec)
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UI-->>User: Render Glass Result List
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```
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## Technical Specifications
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To ensure "Plug and Play" capability, all features must implement the `Plugin` trait. This allows the user to swap the default `file-searcher` for something like `fzf` or `plocate` without recompiling the UI.
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To achieve the 2000s aesthetic without a browser:
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- Background Blur: On Wayland, we request blur through the org_kde_kwin_blur or fractional-scale protocols.
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- Shaders: We will use Iced’s canvas to draw glossy "shine" overlays that respond to mouse hovering.
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- Icons: We will prefer .svg and .png with high-depth shadows over flat icon fonts.
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