andrew
4321209e92
Introduces a dedicated layer-shell `WindowChromeSurface` that renders macOS-style traffic-light controls over the focused Sway window titlebar, replacing the old top-bar window controls. Adds theme tokens and a reusable `TrafficLightButton` component, updates shell QML/CMake wiring, and adjusts Sway titlebar padding/title format so window titles do not overlap the overlay. Window tracking was extended with focused-window geometry/deco/fullscreen properties plus backend refresh support so the chrome follows window movement and state changes in near real time.
NebulaOS
A Linux desktop environment built around a custom compositor, shell, and service stack.
Structure
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
core/nebula-core |
Core runtime and platform APIs (growing) |
core/applications |
Installed .desktop discovery and launching |
core/windows |
Window and workspace management (WindowService) |
compositor/ |
Compositor configuration (Sway is temporary) |
shells/ |
Desktop and future Bigscreen shells |
packages/ |
Shared UI (Nebula.UI), icons, API, and design tokens |
services/ |
System services (audio, network, bluetooth, power, accounts) |
session/ |
Session manager and desktop entry |
packaging/ |
Distribution packaging (Ubuntu) |
branding/ |
Boot assets, wallpapers, and sounds |
scripts/ |
Development helpers (including the VMware shell wrapper) |
Shells
Nebula Desktop 0.2 is a C++20 Qt Quick/QML Wayland shell using LayerShellQt. It is floating-first: ordinary applications open as independently movable windows. See shells/desktop/.
Nebula Bigscreen is planned as a separate Qt Quick/QML shell with a controller-first interaction model, sharing Nebula.UI, Nebula.Applications, and Nebula.Windows.
Standalone Nebula applications may still use React/Tauri where that is a better fit. The operating-system shell does not.
An archived React desktop prototype lives in shells/desktop/prototype-react/ as a design reference only.
Current stack
Ubuntu
↓
Wayland
↓
Sway temporary compositor / window manager
↓
Nebula Shell Qt Quick/QML via LayerShellQt
Window management is abstracted:
Nebula QML
↓
WindowService
↓
Sway IPC backend now
Nebula compositor later
↓
Sway
/ \
Wayland app XWayland app
Applications and games render on their own Wayland/XWayland paths. They are not composited inside QML.
Sway currently provides temporary window decorations (title bar and border) so windows can be identified, dragged, and resized. Custom Nebula window chrome is later work.
Getting started (development VM)
cd shells/desktop/shell
rm -rf build
cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
Then, from the repository root:
sh compositor/sway/dev/run-sway-vm.sh
or:
sway -c compositor/sway/nebula-sway.conf
The VMware wrapper sets QT_QUICK_BACKEND=software. Production nebula-shell does not. Details: shells/desktop/README.md and compositor/README.md.
The Qt shell must be compiled on Linux (the Ubuntu NebulaOS VM). It will not build on Windows.