A spatial desktop IDE with an infinite canvas for code, terminals, browsers, and git.
Current source version: v0.2.18
Cate is an Electron desktop app for arranging development tools in freeform space. You can mix floating canvas panels with docked tabs and splits, detach panels into separate windows, and keep multiple workspaces synced across sessions.
- Infinite canvas + docking — arrange panels spatially, or dock them into tabs and splits
- Multi-workspace sessions — keep several projects open and restore them on restart
- Detached windows — pull panels or full dock layouts into separate windows
- Code editing — Monaco-powered editor panels with diff support
- Native terminals — xterm.js +
node-pty, rooted in the active workspace - Browser panels — embedded web previews with hardened webview settings
- Explorer + search — git-aware file tree, live filesystem watching, and project search
- Source control — stage/unstage, branch management, worktrees, commit history, and diff views
- Agent setup — bootstrap Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini, Cursor, and OpenCode configs, plus manage MCP servers
- Layouts and commands — command palette, saved layouts, workspace export/import, global search, and keyboard shortcuts
- Desktop polish — auto-save/session restore, optional native macOS window tabs, and update checks
This repository currently targets v0.2.18.
| Platform | Formats | Link |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | DMG, ZIP (arm64, x64) |
Latest release |
| Windows | NSIS installer, ZIP (x64) |
Latest release |
| Linux | AppImage, DEB, tar.gz (x64) |
Latest release |
macOS note: release builds are configured for hardened runtime and notarization. Unsigned local or test builds may still require:
xattr -cr /Applications/Cate.app
- Node.js 20 or 22 LTS (see
.nvmrc). Node 23+ is not supported;node-ptyhas no prebuilds and native compilation will fail. - npm >= 9
- Python 3 and a C++ compiler (for
node-ptynative module)- macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (
xcode-select --install) - Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt install build-essential python3 - Fedora/RHEL:
sudo dnf install @development-tools gcc-c++ make python3 - Arch:
sudo pacman -S base-devel python - Windows: windows-build-tools
- macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (
git clone https://github.com/0-AI-UG/cate.git
cd cate
npm installnpm run devThis starts the Electron app with hot reload via electron-vite.
npm run typecheck
npm testFor the Electron smoke test harness:
npm run test:smoke:electronnpm run buildnpm run package
# or target one platform:
npm run package:mac
npm run package:win
npm run package:linuxPackaged binaries will be in the release/ directory.
Cate uses a context-isolated preload bridge, workspace-scoped filesystem access, hardened browser panels, and a safer update fallback that opens the GitHub release page when a verified installer path is unavailable. See docs/packaging-security.md for the current macOS entitlement notes.
src/
├── main/ # Electron main process — IPC, security, updater, workspace lifecycle
├── preload/ # Context-isolated bridge exposed to the renderer
├── renderer/ # React app
│ ├── canvas/ # Infinite canvas rendering and state
│ ├── docking/ # Tabs, splits, detached dock windows, drag/drop
│ ├── panels/ # Editor, terminal, browser, git, explorer, project panels
│ ├── sidebar/ # Workspaces, explorer, source control, agent setup, usage
│ ├── settings/ # App settings UI
│ ├── shells/ # Main, panel, and dock window shells
│ └── stores/ # Zustand state management
└── shared/ # IPC channel definitions and shared types
- Electron 41 for the desktop shell
- React 18 for the UI
- Zustand for state management
- Monaco Editor for code editing
- xterm.js + node-pty for terminals
- simple-git for source control operations
- electron-updater for release checks
- Tailwind CSS for styling
- electron-vite for bundling
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.