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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/open-pencil/open-pencil/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The OpenPencil desktop app is built with Tauri v2. You need Rust, Bun, and platform-specific build tools installed before building.

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Prerequisites

Install the required tools:
  1. Rust — Install from rustup.rs
  2. Bun — JavaScript runtime and package manager
  3. Platform-specific dependencies — See Platform Requirements
Verify installations: 
rustc --version
bun --version

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Development

Run the desktop app in development mode with hot reload: 
bun run tauri dev
This will:
  1. Start the Vite dev server at http://localhost:1420
  2. Compile the Rust backend
  3. Launch the native window with hot reload enabled
Changes to Vue components and TypeScript files trigger instant updates without restarting the app.

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Production Build

Build a production-ready executable: 
bun run tauri build
This will:
  1. Run bun run build to create the production frontend bundle
  2. Compile the Rust backend in release mode
  3. Generate a platform-specific installer/package
Build artifacts are saved to desktop/target/release/bundle/.

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Platform-Specific Builds

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macOS Universal Binary

Build a universal binary that runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon: 
bun run tauri build --target universal-apple-darwin
This creates a single .app bundle that works on all macOS architectures.

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Windows ARM64

Build for Windows ARM64 devices: 
bun run tauri build --target aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
Requires the ARM64 Rust toolchain: 
rustup target add aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

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Linux Cross-Compilation

Cross-compiling to other platforms requires their respective toolchains. For production builds targeting multiple platforms, use CI (GitHub Actions) — see .github/workflows/build.yml.

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Build Configuration

Key configuration files:
  • desktop/tauri.conf.json — Tauri app config (window size, bundle settings, permissions)
  • desktop/Cargo.toml — Rust dependencies and binary configuration
  • desktop/build.rs — Build-time Rust code generation
  • package.json — Scripts for tauri CLI commands

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Build Scripts

Available npm scripts (defined in package.json):
CommandDescription
bun run tauri devDev mode with hot reload
bun run tauri buildProduction build
bun run tauri build --target <target>Build for specific target

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Bundle Output

After building, you’ll find:
  • macOS — .app bundle and .dmg installer in desktop/target/release/bundle/macos/ and desktop/target/release/bundle/dmg/
  • Windows — .exe installer and .msi in desktop/target/release/bundle/nsis/ and desktop/target/release/bundle/msi/
  • Linux — .deb, .AppImage, and/or .rpm in desktop/target/release/bundle/deb/, desktop/target/release/bundle/appimage/, etc.

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Code Signing

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macOS

The build is configured to use the signing identity specified in desktop/tauri.conf.json: 
"macOS": {
  "signingIdentity": "Developer ID Application: ..."
}
To sign your own builds, replace with your Apple Developer certificate name or remove for unsigned builds.

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Windows

Windows code signing requires an Azure certificate. Configure via environment variables or Tauri’s signing configuration. Unsigned builds will show a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning on first launch.

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CI Builds

The project includes GitHub Actions workflows that build for all platforms:
  • Triggered by v* tags (e.g., v0.6.0)
  • Builds 5 targets: macOS (universal), Windows (x64 + ARM64), Linux (x64)
  • Creates a draft GitHub Release with all binaries
  • Publishes npm packages with provenance
See AGENTS.md and .github/workflows/build.yml for CI details.

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Troubleshooting

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”Internal error” when saving files

File system permissions are missing or misconfigured. Check desktop/tauri.conf.json and ensure the save path is whitelisted.

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Build fails with linker errors

Missing platform dependencies. See Platform Requirements and ensure all system libraries are installed.

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WebView2 not found (Windows)

Windows 10 (1803+) and Windows 11 include WebView2 by default. On older systems, download from Microsoft.

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Rust toolchain issues

Ensure you’re using the correct default toolchain: 
# macOS/Linux
rustup default stable

# Windows
rustup default stable-msvc