Nestra

Nestra is an upcoming cross‑platform desktop application that lets you run web apps (PWA / regular web pages) as if they were native desktop applications. Think of having first‑class, isolated, launchable “apps” for services that don’t ship official Linux (or desktop) clients—such as WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams—while keeping a single lightweight core.

Status: Early design / pre‑alpha. Core implementation is in progress. Community feedback, ideas, and early contributions are welcome.

Vision

Provide a unified launcher and runtime that:

• Registers multiple web apps ("Nestra apps") with distinct names, icons, notification preferences, and window behaviors.
• Offers both a multi‑app hub (launch Nestra with no arguments) and single‑app direct launch (nestra --app <id>), behaving like a real native app window.
• Delivers native desktop affordances: tray icon, system notifications, auto‑launch, per‑app cache control, offline mode (future), basic theming, and controlled reload.
• Makes adding a new app as simple as providing a URL and optional metadata.

High‑Level Features (Planned)

Area	Planned Capabilities
App Registry	Create, edit, remove web app entries with ID, name, URL, icon, category, tags.
Launch Modes	Hub UI listing all apps OR direct single‑app window via CLI flag.
Web Engine	Embedded WebView (Flutter webview / platform view abstraction).
Isolation	Per‑app cookies/cache (configurable); quick “Clear cache” action.
Reload	Manual reload + optional auto‑reload on network regain.
Tray Integration	Global tray with quick app switch, reload, mute notifications, quit.
Notifications	Native system notifications; future hook to intercept / enhance push (subject to platform limitations).
Auto‑Start	Optional enable at OS login (Linux systemd / autostart, Windows Registry/Startup, macOS LaunchAgent).
Theming	Light/dark mode + follow system.
Shortcuts	Generate desktop/menu launcher entries per app.
Security	Content sandboxing defaults, configurable permission prompts (camera / mic / notifications).
Updates	Auto‑update channel (future) + change log surfacing.
Extensibility	Plugin API (exploration phase).

App icon

The project includes a vector app icon that reflects Nestra’s mission: a stylized “N” with an orbital ring, symbolizing running web apps as first‑class desktop citizens.

• Source: assets/branding/nestra_icon.svg
• Packaged via pubspec.yaml assets

Generating platform icons (optional):

• Linux: supply .png sizes under linux/runner/resources (48, 64, 128, 256). Many DEs use the app’s .desktop entry icon.
• macOS: add an .icns to the Xcode asset catalog under macos/Runner/Assets.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset.
• Windows: update the .ico in windows/runner/Runner.rc.

You can export the SVG to sizes: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024.

Export icons automatically:

• Run the Dart script to export PNGs from the SVG:
  • dart run tool/export_icons.dart
  • Outputs to build/icons/nestra/<size>.png

Create Linux desktop entries:

• Hub (Nestra): uses nestra.desktop under ~/.local/share/applications.
• Per app: generates entries like nestra-<id>.desktop with Exec=nestra --app <id>.

Quick Start (Developer Preview)

Prerequisites (Linux example):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y libayatana-appindicator3-dev libnotify-dev

Clone and run (Flutter stable recommended):

git clone https://github.com/dip-develop/nestra.git
cd nestra
flutter pub get
flutter run -d linux   # or windows / macos when enabled

Until feature implementation lands, the app will run as a minimal Flutter shell.

Command Line (Design Draft)

nestra                      # Open hub (list of registered apps)
nestra --app <id>           # Launch a specific app in standalone window
nestra --register <url> \
			 --name "My Chat" \
			 --icon /path/icon.png
nestra --list               # Output registered app metadata (JSON)
nestra --clear-cache <id>   # Wipe cache/storage for one app
nestra --reset              # Factory reset (after confirmation)

Configuration (Planned)

• Config file: ~/.config/nestra/config.json (platform‑appropriate path abstraction) containing global settings.
• App definitions: ~/.config/nestra/apps/*.json one file per app.
• Icons cached under: ~/.cache/nestra/icons/.
• Environment overrides (example):
  • NESTRA_DATA_DIR=/custom/path
  • NESTRA_LOG_LEVEL=debug

Architecture Overview (Work in Progress)

Clean Architecture + SOLID:

• Presentation: Flutter widgets + BLoC (state management) + localization (ARB, Flutter gen-l10n).
• Application / Use Cases: Stateless interactors encapsulating business actions (register app, list apps, etc.).
• Domain: Entities (AppDefinition), value objects, repository abstractions.
• Infrastructure: Repository implementations (currently in-memory), future JSON/SQLite persistence & platform services.
• Core: Dependency injection (get_it + injectable), configuration, logging.
• Platform Integration: WebView wrapper, tray, auto-start, notifications via thin, swappable adapters.

Dependency Injection: GetIt container initialized early (codegen with injectable planned; manual bootstrap pre‑alpha).

State Management: flutter_bloc for unidirectional data flow & testability.

Localization: ARB files in lib/l10n/ (English default). Add new language by creating app_<locale>.arb.

Roadmap

See ROADMAP.md for a living roadmap with milestones.

Contributing

We welcome contributions of all kinds: code, design feedback, docs, issue triage, localization, and testing. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines (branch strategy, commit conventions, PR review process) and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md for community standards.

Quick checklist:

1. Open (or find) an issue describing the change.
2. Fork → create a feature branch (feat/short-name).
3. Keep commits atomic; follow conventional commits style (feat: add tray mute toggle).
4. Add/update docs as needed.
5. Ensure formatting & static analysis pass (flutter format, dart analyze).
6. Open a PR; link the issue; fill out the PR template.

Security

If you discover a vulnerability or privacy concern, DO NOT open a public issue. Instead, follow the instructions in SECURITY.md to report it responsibly.

Governance

Project stewardship is led by DIP Dev. See GOVERNANCE.md for roles (Maintainers, Contributors) and decision process.

Licensing

This project is released under the MIT License (see LICENSE). You are free to use it in commercial and open source projects, with attribution & license inclusion.

Trademark & Third‑Party Notice

“WhatsApp”, “Microsoft Teams”, and all other third‑party product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Nestra is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by those parties.

Why Another Wrapper Tool?

Existing solutions often either (a) focus on a single app, (b) are electron‑heavy, or (c) don’t cleanly separate multiple web apps with lightweight isolation. Nestra aims for a clean architecture, low overhead, and a straightforward UX for managing many apps at once.

FAQ (Early Draft)

Q: Will it support mobile? No—desktop focus only. Q: Will it intercept proprietary push notifications? Only within platform & legal constraints; many web push flows rely on service workers which we’ll integrate via the underlying WebView where available. Q: Can I export/import my app list? Planned via JSON bundle. Q: Offline mode? Future: optional caching / manifest packaging per app.

Development

Formatting & Lints:

dart format .
dart analyze

Run tests:

flutter test

Generate localization (usually automatic on build):

flutter gen-l10n

DI code generation (future when annotations introduced):

dart run build_runner build --delete-conflicting-outputs

Community & Feedback

• Issues: Feature requests, bugs, questions.
• Discussions (future): Architecture debates, plugin ideas, UX sketches.
• Roadmap proposals: Open an issue tagged proposal.

Attribution

Copyright (c) 2025 DIP Dev.

Citation

If you reference Nestra in academic or technical material, see CITATION.cff.

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Made with care by DIP Dev and the community. Contributions welcome!