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

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Architecture of the Tauri desktop host — process model, window management, sidecar.	code-branch

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 relays JSON-RPC to the separately built openhuman core binary.

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

Directory layout (actual)

app/src-tauri/src/
├── lib.rs                 # `run()`, tray/menu actions, plugins, `generate_handler!`, core startup
├── main.rs                # Binary entry
├── core_process.rs        # CoreProcessHandle, spawn/monitor openhuman sidecar
├── core_rpc.rs            # HTTP client to core JSON-RPC
├── commands/
│   ├── mod.rs             # Re-exports
│   ├── core_relay.rs      # `core_rpc_relay`, service-managed core bootstrap
│   ├── openhuman.rs       # Daemon host config, systemd-style service helpers
│   └── window.rs          # show/hide/minimize/close window
└── utils/
    ├── mod.rs
    └── dev_paths.rs       # Resolve bundled AI prompts paths

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 (invoke)
    → core_rpc_relay { method, params, serviceManaged? }
        → core_rpc::call HTTP POST to OPENHUMAN_CORE_RPC_URL
            → openhuman binary (src/bin/openhuman.rs → core_server)

CoreProcessHandle in core_process.rs starts or waits for the sidecar; commands/core_relay.rs optionally ensures a service-managed core is running before relaying.

Window and tray behavior

• The shell creates a tray icon at startup and wires actions to open the main window or quit.
• In daemon mode (daemon / --daemon), the main window is hidden on launch and can be reopened from tray actions.
• On macOS RunEvent::Reopen also restores and focuses the main window.
• Windows and Linux use the same tray actions (Open OpenHuman, Quit), with desktop-environment-specific tray rendering differences on some Linux setups.

Bundled resources

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

Related

• IPC surface: Commands
• HTTP bridge: Core bridge
• Rust domains (implementation): repo root src/openhuman/, src/core_server/