openhuman/gitbooks/developing/architecture/tauri-shell.md

description, icon

description	icon
The desktop host (`app/src-tauri/`) - Tauri v2 + WebView, IPC, embedded core lifecycle, core bridge.	desktop

Tauri shell (app/src-tauri/)

The desktop host for OpenHuman: Tauri v2 + WebView, IPC commands, window management, and bridging to the embedded openhuman-core Rust runtime (core JSON-RPC). It does not duplicate the full domain stack; that lives in the repo-root Rust crate (openhuman_core, src/main.rs).

Responsibilities

1. Web UI. Load the Vite build from app/dist (or dev server on port 1420).
2. IPC. Expose an explicit set of Tauri commands (see Commands).
3. Core lifecycle. Run the core JSON-RPC server as an in-process tokio task (core_process.rs) and hand the renderer its URL/bearer via core_rpc_url / core_rpc_token.
4. Provider webviews. Host embedded CEF child webviews for channel providers (webview_accounts/, per-provider scanners) and their CDP plumbing (cdp/).
5. Window + tray. Desktop window behavior (main, mascot, notch, overlay windows) and system tray (see lib.rs).

Core process model

app/package.json core:stage is intentionally a no-op kept for script compatibility. The desktop app links the core in-process, so local builds no longer need a staged openhuman-core-* sidecar under app/src-tauri/binaries/.

Stuck process recovery

Normal app quit runs teardown from RunEvent::ExitRequested: child webviews are closed before CEF shutdown, the embedded core's cancellation token is triggered, and the final process sweep sends SIGTERM to direct children before escalating holdouts with SIGKILL after a short grace period. Sweep summaries are logged as [app] sweep: term=N kill=M total=K; any nonzero kill count is a warning and means a child ignored graceful shutdown.

On macOS, hard exits (Force Quit, SIGKILL, renderer crash) can skip normal teardown. The next launch runs startup recovery before CEF cache preflight: it lists OpenHuman processes whose executable path belongs to the launching .app/Contents, skips the current process, sends SIGTERM, waits briefly, then SIGKILLs stragglers that still match the same pid+command. Logs use the [startup-recovery] prefix.

Startup recovery skips when OPENHUMAN_CORE_REUSE_EXISTING=1 is set (so manual CLI-core reuse still works) and when the CEF SingletonLock is held by a live process (so the normal second-instance path can fail without killing the already-running app). The Tauri command process_diagnostics_list_owned returns the currently owned process list; the macOS implementation is bundle-scoped, Linux/Windows currently return empty.

Tauri shell architecture (app/src-tauri/)

Overview

The app/src-tauri crate (Rust package OpenHuman, binary OpenHuman) is a desktop-only host. It embeds the React UI, registers plugins (deep link, opener, OS, notifications, autostart, updater), manages the main window and tray, and runs the core JSON-RPC server in-process.

Non-desktop targets fail at compile time (compile_error! in lib.rs).

Directory layout (actual)

app/src-tauri/src/ is a flat set of modules (no commands/ or utils/ subtree). Key modules:

app/src-tauri/src/
├── lib.rs                  # `run()`, tray/menu, plugins, `generate_handler!`, most window/update/lifecycle commands
├── main.rs                 # Binary entry
├── core_process.rs         # CoreProcessHandle — embedded core server task, RPC token, port conflict handling
├── core_rpc.rs             # Auth helpers + `relay_http_rpc` host-side HTTP relay
├── cdp/                    # Chrome DevTools Protocol plumbing for child webviews
├── cef_preflight.rs / cef_profile.rs / cef_singleton_wait.rs / cef_stale_reap.rs   # CEF cache/profile management
├── webview_accounts/       # Embedded provider account webviews (open/close/bounds/notifications)
├── webview_apis/           # WS bridge for webview-side APIs
├── discord_scanner/ … whatsapp_scanner/ …   # Per-provider scanners (slack, telegram, wechat,
│                                            # gmessages, imessage, meet, …) driving CDP
├── meet_audio/ meet_call/ meet_video/       # Google Meet call window + media capture
├── fake_camera/            # Virtual camera support
├── screen_capture/         # Screen share picker sessions (getDisplayMedia shim backend)
├── mascot_native_window.rs / notch_window.rs / window_state.rs
├── dictation_hotkeys.rs / ptt_hotkeys.rs / ptt_overlay.rs / companion_commands.rs
├── native_notifications/ notification_settings/
├── artifact_commands.rs    # Artifact export (save dialog / Downloads)
├── workspace_paths.rs      # Safe workspace-relative file open/reveal/preview
├── app_update.rs           # Updater support (commands live in lib.rs)
├── loopback_oauth.rs       # Localhost OAuth redirect listener
├── claude_code.rs          # Claude Code login launch
├── mcp_commands.rs         # MCP client helpers
├── file_logging.rs         # Log file sink + logs-folder commands
├── process_recovery.rs / process_kill.rs / local_data_reset.rs
├── deep_link_ipc.rs / deep_link_ipc_windows.rs / deep_link_registration_check.rs
└── stderr_panic_hook.rs / reset_reboot_schedule.rs

There is no src-tauri/src/services/session_service.rs in this tree; session semantics are handled in the web layer + backend + core as applicable.

Data flow: UI → core

React (fetch)
    → POST http://127.0.0.1:<port>/rpc   (URL from `core_rpc_url`,
                                          bearer from `core_rpc_token`)
        → embedded openhuman core server (tokio task in this process)

The renderer talks to the local core directly over HTTP — app/src/services/coreRpcClient.ts invokes core_rpc_url / core_rpc_token once, then issues plain fetch() calls. The relay_http_rpc Tauri command is a host-side fallback used only when the RPC URL is not a trustworthy origin for the secure tauri://localhost webview (e.g. a self-hosted runtime on a LAN IP, blocked as mixed content — #3865): the Rust host performs the POST with reqwest and mirrors status + body back verbatim.

CoreProcessHandle in core_process.rs owns the embedded server task (started via openhuman_core::core::jsonrpc::run_server_embedded_with_ready with a per-launch random bearer token) and handles stale-listener/port-conflict recovery.

Window and tray behavior

• The shell creates a tray icon at startup (RunEvent::Ready) and wires actions to open the main window or quit. Tray setup is skipped on Linux packaged runs (GTK panic).
• Hide-to-tray is implemented in the RunEvent::WindowEvent { CloseRequested } handlers in lib.rs, not as IPC commands: macOS hides the whole app (AppHandle::hide(), #2049), Windows hides the top-level Chrome_WidgetWin_1 frame via EnumWindows + SW_HIDE (#1607).
• On macOS RunEvent::Reopen (Dock click) restores and focuses the main window.

Bundled resources

tauri.conf.json bundles ../../src/openhuman/agent/prompts and recipes/**/* so prompt markdown and provider recipes ship with the app.

Related

• IPC surface: see the Commands section below
• HTTP bridge: see the Core bridge & helpers section below
• Rust domains (implementation): repo root src/openhuman/, src/core/

Tauri IPC commands (app/src-tauri)

All commands are registered in app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs inside tauri::generate_handler![...] — that list is the authoritative reference. The major families:

Core RPC & diagnostics

Command	Purpose
core_rpc_url	Return the local core JSON-RPC URL (http://127.0.0.1:<port>/rpc)
core_rpc_token	Return the per-launch bearer token for the embedded core
relay_http_rpc	Host-side JSON-RPC POST ({ url, token?, body } → { status, body }) for self-hosted runtimes the webview cannot fetch (mixed content, #3865)
overlay_parent_rpc_url	RPC URL inherited from a parent process (overlay windows), from OPENHUMAN_CORE_RPC_URL
process_diagnostics_list_owned	List OpenHuman processes owned by this app bundle (macOS; empty elsewhere)

Use app/src/services/coreRpcClient.ts (callCoreRpc) from the frontend.

Core & app lifecycle

Command	Purpose
start_core_process / restart_core_process	Start / restart the embedded core server task
recover_port_conflict / force_quit_port_owner	Resolve a foreign listener on the core port
reset_local_data	Wipe local app data (local_data_reset.rs)
app_quit / restart_app	Quit or relaunch the app
get_active_user_id	Read the active user id
schedule_cef_profile_purge	Schedule a CEF profile purge for a user

Updates

check_core_update / apply_core_update (embedded core) and check_app_update / download_app_update / install_app_update / apply_app_update (desktop app, via the updater plugin).

Hotkeys (dictation, PTT, companion)

Command	Purpose
register_dictation_hotkey / unregister_dictation_hotkey	Global dictation shortcuts (dictation_hotkeys.rs)
register_ptt_hotkey / unregister_ptt_hotkey / show_ptt_overlay	Push-to-talk — see the PTT section below
register_companion_hotkey / unregister_companion_hotkey / companion_activate	Companion window hotkey + activation (companion_commands.rs)

Provider webviews (webview_accounts::*)

Lifecycle and layout of embedded CEF account webviews: webview_account_open / _prewarm / _close / _purge / _bounds / _reveal / _hide / _show, webview_set_focused_account, webview_recipe_event, plus webview-notification controls (webview_notification_permission_state / _permission_request / _set_dnd / _mute_account / _get_bypass_prefs).

Notifications

notification_settings_get / notification_settings_set (persisted settings) and native_notifications::notification_permission_state / notification_permission_request / show_native_notification (OS-level).

Window management

Command	Purpose
activate_main_window	Show + focus the main window
mascot_window_show / mascot_window_hide	Toggle the mascot native window
notch_window_show / notch_window_hide	Toggle the notch window
meet_call_open_window / meet_call_close_window	Open/close the Meet call window (meet_call/)

Hide-to-tray / reopen behavior is not an IPC command — it lives in the RunEvent handlers in lib.rs (see Window and tray behavior).

Artifacts, logs, MCP, OAuth

Command	Purpose
save_artifact_via_dialog / download_artifact_to_downloads	Export an artifact via Save-As dialog or straight to Downloads (artifact_commands.rs)
reveal_logs_folder / logs_folder_path	Open / return the file-logging folder (file_logging.rs)
mcp_resolve_binary_path / mcp_open_client_config	MCP client helpers (mcp_commands.rs)
start_loopback_oauth_listener / stop_loopback_oauth_listener	Localhost OAuth redirect listener (loopback_oauth.rs)
claude_code_login_launch	Launch the Claude Code login flow (claude_code.rs)

Screen share picker (CEF / macOS)

From screen_capture/mod.rs. Backs the in-page getDisplayMedia shim in webview_accounts/runtime.js. Session-gated: the shim must open a session with a live user gesture before enumeration / thumbnail captures succeed. See issue #713 (picker UX) + #812 (session gating).

Command	Purpose
screen_share_begin_session	Open a 30s session from an account webview, after a navigator.userActivation.isActive gesture. Returns { token, sources }. Rate-limited to 10/minute per account.
screen_share_thumbnail	Capture a single source's thumbnail as base64 PNG. Requires a live token and an id that the session was issued for. macOS only; other platforms return an error.
screen_share_finalize_session	Close the session. Called by the shim on Share or Cancel; safe to call with an unknown/expired token (no-op).

Workspace file links

From workspace_paths.rs (closes #1402). These commands accept workspace-relative paths only. The shell resolves each path against the active OpenHuman workspace, canonicalizes the target, and rejects traversal, absolute paths, URI-like prefixes, and symlink escapes before opening or reading anything.

Command	Purpose
open_workspace_path	Open an existing workspace file or directory with the OS default app.
reveal_workspace_path	Reveal an existing workspace file or directory in the OS file manager.
preview_workspace_text	Read a capped UTF-8 text preview from an existing workspace file.
resolve_workspace_absolute_path	Resolve a workspace-relative path to its validated absolute path.

Push-to-talk (PTT) hotkey + overlay

Registered in lib.rs (ptt_hotkeys.rs + ptt_overlay.rs). These commands manage the global push-to-talk shortcut and the floating overlay window.

Command	Signature	Purpose
register_ptt_hotkey	(shortcut: String) -> Result<(), String>	Register (or re-register) a global hotkey for push-to-talk. Emits Tauri events ptt://start { session_id } (key pressed) and ptt://stop { session_id } (key released). Returns an error string if the shortcut conflicts with dictation or if the OS rejects it (e.g. Wayland, Accessibility permission required on macOS).
unregister_ptt_hotkey	() -> Result<(), String>	Unregister the current PTT hotkey and tear down the overlay window.
show_ptt_overlay	(active: bool, session_id: u64) -> ()	Show (active: true) or hide (active: false) the floating PTT overlay window. The window is focus-stealing-free (focus: false). Called by PttHotkeyManager.tsx via app/src/utils/tauriCommands/ptt.ts.

Event flow: register_ptt_hotkey wires the OS hotkey to fire ptt://start / ptt://stop Tauri events that PttHotkeyManager.tsx subscribes to via @tauri-apps/api/event. The manager forwards them into the pttService state machine which drives the audio capture → transcribe → chat-send pipeline.

Conflict detection: register_ptt_hotkey checks for overlap with the active dictation shortcuts before registering. If a conflict is detected it returns "ConflictsWithDictation(<shortcut>)" without registering anything, and the settings panel surfaces this as pttSettings.errorConflictsWithDictation.

Synthetic input main-thread executor (native registry, not invoke)

Registered in lib.rs at startup under the event-bus native-request method computer.input_on_main_thread (INPUT_ON_MAIN_THREAD_METHOD, defined in openhuman_core::openhuman::tools::computer::main_thread). This is not a @tauri-apps/api invoke command. It is an in-process native request the core dispatches to the shell so synthetic input runs on the real app main thread.

Why: enigo's macOS keyboard-layout lookup (TSMGetInputSourceProperty) traps (_dispatch_assert_queue_fail / EXC_BREAKPOINT) and crashes the CEF host when called off the main thread. The mouse / keyboard tools therefore never call enigo on their tokio worker; they build a closure and dispatch it here, where the shell runs it via AppHandle::run_on_main_thread.

Field	Shape
Method	computer.input_on_main_thread
Request	MainThreadInputOp { run: Box<dyn FnOnce() -> Result<String, String> + Send> } (passed by value)
Response	Result<String, String>: Ok(message) on success, Err(reason) on failure
Availability	Desktop only. Headless / CLI builds register no executor; the core call then returns a clean Err.

Removed / not present

The following do not exist in the current generate_handler! list: greet, core_rpc_relay (superseded by direct fetch + relay_http_rpc), ai_get_config / ai_refresh_config / write_ai_config_file, show_window / hide_window / toggle_window / minimize_window / maximize_window / close_window, the openhuman_* daemon/service helpers, exchange_token, get_auth_state, socket_connect, start_telegram_login. Authentication and sockets are handled in the React app and core process, not via these IPC names.

Example: core RPC

import { callCoreRpc } from "../services/coreRpcClient"; // app/src/services/coreRpcClient.ts

// Direct HTTP to the embedded core (URL + bearer resolved via
// `core_rpc_url` / `core_rpc_token` under the hood):
const result = await callCoreRpc({
  method: "your.rpc.method",
  params: { foo: "bar" },
});

---

See app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs (generate_handler!) for the authoritative list.

Core bridge & helpers (app/src-tauri)

The Tauri crate does not embed a duplicate Socket.io server or Telegram client; it focuses on in-process core lifecycle and the thin HTTP/auth glue around the core's JSON-RPC surface.

CoreProcessHandle (core_process.rs)

• Runs the core's HTTP/JSON-RPC server as a tokio task inside the Tauri host via openhuman_core::core::jsonrpc::run_server_embedded_with_ready — no sidecar binary.
• Generates a per-launch 256-bit hex bearer token (generate_rpc_token) and hands it to the embedded server; the renderer reads it via the core_rpc_token command.
• Stale-listener policy (#1130): if the core port is already occupied, probes whether the listener is an old OpenHuman core (terminate + respawn) or something foreign (surface the conflict). OPENHUMAN_CORE_REUSE_EXISTING=1 opts back into attach-to-existing for debugging.
• Managed as Tauri state in lib.rs (app.manage(core_handle)).

core_rpc (core_rpc.rs)

• Shared auth helpers for host-side calls to the local core (URL from OPENHUMAN_CORE_RPC_URL or the default port; bearer from core_process::current_rpc_token).
• relay_http_rpc Tauri command: host-side reqwest POST for self-hosted runtimes on non-trustworthy origins (see Core RPC & diagnostics).