guideXOS Server Desktop and UI
Purpose: describe what the current Server branch shows about the desktop environment, compositor, icons, and shell behavior.
Two UI paths are visible in the repo
The Server repo has both a hosted compositor path and a bare-metal desktop path. The hosted side is centered on
compositor.cpp, desktop_service.cpp, and server.cpp. The bare-metal side is centered on
kernel/core/desktop.cpp and kernel/core/kernel_apps.cpp. That means the desktop story is real today,
but it is not powered by one single identical implementation in every runtime.
Current status: visible desktop work exists in both hosted and bare-metal paths.
Known gaps: full parity between those paths is not yet proven across every feature.
Back to /Wiki/Server
Hosted compositor and window-management work from the current Server screenshots.
Desktop feature matrix
| Feature | Hosted compositor / test harness | Bare-metal desktop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window manager and compositor | Implemented | Partial | Hosted compositor is explicit in compositor.cpp. Bare-metal has kernel compositor and framebuffer desktop code, but not every hosted behavior is proven identical. |
| Taskbar and start menu | Implemented | Partial | Hosted code clearly includes taskbar, start menu, selection state, pinned/recent app lists, and taskbar cycling. |
| Desktop icons and shortcuts | Implemented | Partial | Hosted compositor includes desktop items, selection rectangles, drag state, and shortcut target handling. Bare-metal desktop also launches items, but via different code paths. |
| File Explorer / file manager | Implemented | Implemented | Built-in metadata and kernel app registration both include FileExplorer / Files. |
| Navigator browser | Implemented | Implemented | Built-in metadata marks Navigator available in both hosted and bare-metal paths. |
| Right-click menus | Implemented | Not Yet Verified | right_click_menu.cpp is clear hosted-side evidence; equivalent bare-metal parity is not proven by the inspected files. |
| Fonts, icon theme, wallpaper | Implemented | Partial | Hosted code includes icon theme manager, wallpaper registry, image renderer, and font work; bare-metal desktop includes font, wallpaper, and icon-theme integration but parity is still evolving. |
Hosted compositor highlights
- Resizable windows and z-order handling
- Snap preview and drag/resize state
- Start menu selection and "All Programs" lists
- Desktop icon selection, drag, and shortcut opening
- Taskbar app cycling and show-desktop state
- Wallpaper, icon-theme, and VNC integration hooks
Bare-metal UI highlights
- Framebuffer-rendered desktop
- Kernel compositor and kernel app launching
- Shell and desktop integration for Files, Notepad, TaskManager, DisplayOptions, Trash, DiskManager, and Navigator
- Wallpaper pack handoff through boot-time ramdisk support