CodeThing (Electron + Vite + Bun)

CodeThing is a desktop shell for coding agents. This first implementation is:

1. Codex-first: connects to codex app-server and streams turn/item events.
2. Provider-ready: renderer speaks a provider abstraction so Claude Code can plug in later.
3. Typed end-to-end: contracts validate payloads at preload/main boundaries.

Workspace layout

• /apps/desktop: Electron main + preload process, includes provider and Codex session managers.
• /apps/renderer: React + Vite UI for session control, conversation, and protocol event stream.
• /packages/contracts: shared Zod schemas + TypeScript types for IPC and provider events.

Codex prerequisites

• Install Codex CLI so codex is on your PATH.
• Authenticate Codex before running CodeThing (for example via API key or ChatGPT auth supported by Codex).
• CodeThing starts the server via codex app-server per session.

Security and boundary model

• nodeIntegration: false
• contextIsolation: true
• sandbox: true
• Renderer talks only to window.nativeApi exposed by preload.
• Preload and main both validate inputs using shared Zod schemas.

Scripts

• bun run dev: starts contract build/watch, renderer dev server, and Electron process.
• bun run build: builds contracts, renderer, and desktop bundles through Turbo.
• bun run typecheck: strict TypeScript checks for all packages.
• bun run test: runs workspace tests.

CI quality gates

• .github/workflows/ci.yml runs bun run lint, bun run typecheck, and bun run test on pull requests and pushes to main.

Optional:

• ELECTRON_RENDERER_PORT=5180 bun run dev if 5173 is already in use.

Provider architecture

The renderer now depends on nativeApi.providers.*:

1. startSession
2. sendTurn
3. interruptTurn
4. stopSession
5. listSessions
6. onEvent

Codex is the only implemented provider right now. claudeCode is reserved in contracts/UI but returns a not-implemented error in main-process dispatch.