The workspace
Desktop app
A native window for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The backend starts with the app and binds to loopback.
Window modes
| Mode | What you see |
|---|---|
| App window | Brompter itself: list, thread, terminal, browser, files, composer. Default size 1280×820. |
| Overlay | Your local app in a frame, with Brompter on top. |
| Floating | Only the chat bar — a frameless chip, always on top. Drag it over any window. |
| Docked | A narrow chip pinned to the right edge of your screen, vertically centred. Open it for a compact chat panel in that same spot. |
Settings → Desktop stores the launch default. The mode control (panels icon, labeled next to the floating chip) changes the current session and leaves that default alone. Overlay, Floating, and Docked open on the chat bar or edge chip; expand the thread from the chip when you need it.
Tray
The shell registers a tray icon so a frameless window still has a home in the taskbar. Left-click toggles visibility. The menu can show, hide, or quit. Quitting stops the bundled backend instead of leaving it running.
How it starts
The shell launches the backend beside the window, waits for a handshake file in the app data directory, and gives the UI a loopback URL and a bearer token. Screenshots go through the shell so they work even when the preview is another origin. You do not copy that token anywhere; the window receives it over IPC.