archy/docs/research/mac-desktop.md

Mac Desktop App Research — AIUI

Overview

Two approaches for shipping AIUI as a Mac desktop app: Tauri v2 (Rust-based, system WebView) vs Electron (Chromium-based).

Tauri v2 (Recommended)

Released stable October 2024. Uses OS-native WebView (WKWebView on macOS). The Vue 3 + Vite frontend runs inside the WebView unchanged. JS calls into Rust via typed IPC bridge.

Binary Size: 2–8 MB installer (no bundled runtime) Memory Usage: ~30–40 MB idle Startup Time: < 500ms

Menu Bar App Pattern (Raycast-style)

Fully supported via tauri-plugin-positioner + tray + window APIs. Frameless popover window anchored to tray icon with decorations: false, skip_taskbar: true. Community examples exist (ahkohd/tauri-macos-menubar-app-example v2-popover branch).

Global Hotkey

Built-in via @tauri-apps/plugin-global-shortcut. Register accelerators (e.g., CmdOrCtrl+Space) that fire even when background/minimized. First-class plugin.

System Tray

First-class support. AppHandle::tray() with native menus and click event handling from Rust or frontend.

Auto-Update

@tauri-apps/plugin-updater — signed updates required (Ed25519 keypair). Host a static JSON endpoint with version metadata and signed artifact URLs.

macOS Code Signing / Notarization

Automated via Tauri CLI environment variables (APPLE_CERTIFICATE, APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY, APPLE_ID, APPLE_TEAM_ID). Notarization adds ~2–5 min per build.

Build Pipeline

• Prerequisites: Rust toolchain + Xcode CLI tools
• First build: 5–15 min (Cargo compiles Rust deps)
• Incremental builds: Fast with caching
• Config: tauri.conf.json + Cargo.toml
• Complexity: Medium-High (Rust requirement is the barrier)

Mobile Support

Tauri v2 has first-class iOS/Android support in the same codebase (WKWebView on iOS, Android System WebView on Android). HMR extends to physical devices. This is a genuine differentiator — Electron is desktop-only.

Electron

Mature since 2013. Bundles full Chromium + Node.js runtime. Used by VS Code, Slack, Discord, Obsidian.

Binary Size: 80–150 MB installer Memory Usage: 200–350 MB idle Startup Time: 1–2s

Menu Bar App

Well-established via menubar npm package. Creates BrowserWindow positioned below tray icon, manages show/hide on tray click. Very mature.

Global Hotkey

globalShortcut module in Electron core. System-wide even when hidden.

System Tray

Tray class in Electron core with context menus and click events.

Auto-Update

electron-updater (S3/GitHub Releases) or update.electronjs.org (free for open-source).

macOS Code Signing / Notarization

Via @electron/osx-sign + @electron/notarize, integrated into electron-builder / Electron Forge.

Build Pipeline

• Prerequisites: Node.js only — no additional runtimes
• Build tools: electron-vite for Vue 3 + Vite integration
• Build times: 2–5 min (no Rust compilation) + 2–5 min notarization
• Complexity: Medium (main/renderer process split requires understanding)

Comparison

Dimension	Tauri v2	Electron
Installer size	2–8 MB	80–150 MB
Idle RAM	30–40 MB	200–350 MB
Startup time	< 500ms	1–2s
Menu bar app	Supported	Supported
Global hotkey	Built-in plugin	Built-in API
System tray	Built-in	Built-in
Auto-update	Built-in (signed)	electron-updater
New language	Rust	None (JS/TS)
iOS/Android	Yes (same codebase)	No
WebView	WKWebView (varies by OS)	Chromium (pinned, consistent)
Ecosystem maturity	Growing fast	Very mature
Security model	Capability-based, opt-in	Opt-out, manual discipline
Debug tools	Safari Web Inspector	Chrome DevTools

Recommendation

Tauri v2 is the stronger choice for AIUI:

1. Memory advantage is decisive. Users running local LLMs or managing API streaming need resources for the AI workload, not the shell. 30 MB vs 300 MB matters.
2. Menu bar pattern fits naturally for a chat/AI assistant (Raycast-style quick invoke).
3. iOS/Android support from the same codebase aligns with AIUI's multi-surface vision.
4. Capability-based security is appropriate for handling API keys and sensitive chat data.
5. Binary size matters — 5 MB download vs 120 MB affects distribution trust.

Concrete Next Steps

1. Scaffold Tauri v2 project: npm create tauri-app@latest with Vite template
2. Point dev server to existing packages/app Vite config
3. Implement tray icon + menu bar popover window
4. Register global hotkey (e.g., Cmd+Shift+Space) to invoke chat
5. Write Rust commands for: file I/O, tray management, updater config
6. Set up macOS code signing + notarization pipeline
7. Distribute via Homebrew cask or direct download
8. Evaluate Tauri mobile targets for iOS/Android convergence