# Catlx Electron Shell > Handles the CATLX Electron OS Shell: an OS-layer interface (not a normal app window), the multi-window window roles (main, HUD overlay, command palette, notification toasts, focus mode), the Ctrl+Space command palette with fuse.js fuzzy search, multi-window persistence, the always-on tray runtime, typed IPC security via contextBridge, and workspace persistence. Use when the user asks about the CATLX shell, windows, HUD, command palette, tray, IPC security, or workspace restoration. - Skill: `samraddhashrivastavatech/catlx-electron-shell-2` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add samraddhashrivastavatech/catlx-electron-shell-2` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/samraddhashrivastavatech/catlx-electron-shell-2/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Security - Author: SAMRADDHASHRIVASTAVATECH (https://skillmd.com/u/samraddhashrivastavatech) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/samraddhashrivastavatech/catlx-electron-shell-2 --- # CATLX — Electron OS Shell This skill owns the **visual manifestation of the CATLX runtime**: an OS-layer interface that renders at multiple z-levels and integrates with the OS at the tray, notification, and global-hotkey levels. > Canonical detail: `../../knowledge/references/electron-shell.md`. Load on demand. --- ## Purpose Provide the human-facing surface — windows, overlays, palette, tray, notifications — while keeping renderers separated from Node.js via a secure typed IPC bridge, and persisting workspace state across restarts. ## When to activate - User asks about the CATLX shell, windows/HUD/palette/tray, or how the GUI works. - Configuring window roles, the command palette, or workspace persistence. - Understanding IPC security or shell startup/restore. ## What this skill handles 1. **Desktop shell architecture** — Electron (Chromium + Node.js) with multiple browser windows in distinct roles: Main Window (dashboard, workflow manager, memory explorer, settings; resizable; closable to tray), HUD Overlay (topmost, transparent, click-through), Command Palette (modal), Notification Toasts (taskbar popups), Focus Mode Panel (auto-hiding sidebar). 2. **Command Palette** (Ctrl+Space) — centered search bar with real-time fuzzy search across all commands, installed workflows, recent voice commands, open files, settings toggles; powered by a **fuse.js** index rebuilt every 30 s. 3. **Multi-window system** — multiple simultaneous Electron windows for multi-monitor productivity; each can show a module panel, workflow trace, or memory explorer; persisted across restarts. 4. **Tray runtime** — the last-resort interface; tray process stays active with all windows closed; menu: quick commands, subsystem status, open main/palette, emergency controls (stop all workflows, enter safe mode, quit). 5. **IPC security** — typed IPC bridge (`contextBridge`); renderers cannot call Node.js APIs directly; only validated, main-process-dispatched typed IPC methods; prevents injected renderer JS (e.g. from browser automation) from reaching Node.js. 6. **Workspace persistence** — Workspace Serializer runs every 60 s and on shutdown; serializes window layout, panels, filters/search, pinned workflows, preferences, and in-progress manual workflows; restores within 500 ms of first render. ## Requirements / constraints - **GUI mode by tier** (`cli` / `minimal_hud` / `full_electron`) from the CapabilityMap. - **R6 (single access point) and R5 (least privilege):** IPC bridge is typed and validated; renderers are sandboxed from Node.js. - Windows Notification Center + tray integration; HUD on T0 is disabled (tray tooltip instead). ## Canonical knowledge it reads `../../knowledge/references/electron-shell.md` · `../../knowledge/rules/windows-rules.md` · `../../knowledge/references/data-registries.md` · `../../knowledge/references/hardware-adaptation.md`. ## Delegation - **GUI mode / HUD tier** → delegate to `catlx-hardware-adaptation` (`skill({ name: "catlx-hardware-adaptation" })`). - **Observability dashboard panel** → delegate to `catlx-telemetry` (`skill({ name: "catlx-telemetry" })`). - **Memory explorer panel** → delegate to `catlx-memory` (`skill({ name: "catlx-memory" })`). - **Live GUI events via WebSocket bus** → delegate to `catlx-capability-routing` (`skill({ name: "catlx-capability-routing" })`). - **HUD overlay behavior for desktop control** → delegate to `catlx-desktop-control` (`skill({ name: "catlx-desktop-control" })`). ## Edge cases & warnings - **T0:** GUI dashboard/HUD replaced by CLI/tray tooltip; do not start the full Electron GUI. - **Full-screen apps:** HUD auto-hides; notifications batch. - **IPC safety:** never expose arbitrary Node.js APIs through the bridge; inject only validated typed methods. - **Workspace restore:** use the serializer snapshot; if a snapshot from an abnormal shutdown exists, offer restore (see recovery). ## Component lifecycle policy (reuse → install → adapt → create) **NEVER create a new component as the default.** Before building/creating anything (a sub-skill, dependency, reference, workflow, helper, adapter, or template), check, in order: 1. **Reuse** an existing local component (resolve aliases/equivalent capabilities first) — reuse, don't rebuild. 2. **Use** an already-registered component from the registry. 3. **Install** a suitable existing, trusted, supported component → validate → register → connect to the graph → use. 4. **Adapt** an existing compatible component via a small persistent adapter/wrapper instead of re-creating it. 5. **Create only as last resort** — then make it permanent immediately: stable id, canonical location, register, add to the capability index + dependency graph, add provenance, use, and allow future reuse. 6. Never reorganise/recreate already-generated components (no `Skill X 2` / `new` / `temp` variants); extend the existing one. Never create a second competing knowledge source; connect back to the canonical `knowledge/` layer. Promote any reusable artifact out of `/tmp`/scratch into the permanent ecosystem. > Full policy: `../../knowledge/rules/component-lifecycle.md`. ## Source / provenance - **Source:** PART XII §12.1–12.7 (shell as OS-layer interface, desktop shell architecture, command palette, multi-window, tray runtime, IPC security, workspace persistence). - **Inferred/adapted:** Windows tray/notification integration; HUD is Electron (Windows-compatible).