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Uncle Tallest edited this page Mar 11, 2026 · 2 revisions

native-claude-client Roadmap

Last Updated: 2026-03-09
Current Phase: Planning → v0.1 MVP Development
Timeline: March 2026 - January 2027 (10 months to v1.0)

Vision

Build a native Linux GTK4/Wayland client for Claude that goes beyond chat - an agentic development environment with multi-session contexts, review-first git workflows, and unified limit tracking.

Timeline Overview

2026 Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   2027 Jan
     |------ v0.1 MVP (6 months) ------|
                                       |--- v0.2 ---|
                                                    |--- v0.3 ---|
                                                                 |- v1.0 -|

Current: Planning Phase (Mar 2026)

v0.1 MVP — Single-Session Foundation

Timeline: March - August 2026 (6 months)
Status: 🎯 Planning
Goal: Working single-session agentic client with basic diff viewer

Core Features

✅ Must Have:

  • GTK4 native window (Wayland-ready)
  • Single conversation pane with Claude
  • API integration (auth via Desktop tokens)
  • Markdown rendering for responses
  • Basic diff viewer (read-only: see what files Claude touched)
  • Limit tracking display (integrate unified-limit-monitor)
  • Session persistence (save/restore conversation on app close/open)

❌ Explicitly NOT in MVP:

  • Multiple simultaneous sessions
  • Interactive git staging/commits
  • Branch switching
  • Advanced UI polish (functional over beautiful)
  • Plugin system

Development Phases

Phase 1: Research & Foundation (Month 1-2)

  • Locate Claude Desktop auth token files
  • Test API authentication with found tokens
  • Set up Python project structure (pyproject.toml, dependencies)
  • Create basic GTK4 window skeleton
  • Document findings in research/ directory

Phase 2: Core UI (Month 2-3)

  • Implement conversation input area
  • Implement conversation output area with scrolling
  • Add markdown rendering (code blocks, formatting)
  • Basic error handling and user feedback

Phase 3: Features (Month 3-5)

  • Integrate Anthropic Messages API
  • Build diff viewer component (read-only file comparison)
  • Integrate unified-limit-monitor data (display usage)
  • Implement session persistence (JSON storage)
  • Handle token refresh/expiration

Phase 4: Refinement (Month 5-6)

  • Bug fixing from manual testing
  • Documentation (README, setup guide, architecture)
  • Performance optimization
  • v0.1 release preparation

Success Criteria

  • Application launches on Wayland without XWayland
  • Can authenticate with Claude API using Desktop tokens
  • Conversation works: send message, receive response
  • Markdown renders correctly (code, lists, formatting)
  • Diff viewer shows files Claude modified
  • Limit usage displays accurately
  • Session persists across app restarts
  • No crashes during normal usage

v0.2 Multi-Session — Parallel Contexts

Timeline: September - October 2026 (2 months)
Status: 📋 Planned
Goal: Multiple parallel Claude sessions in one window

Core Features

  • Tabbed or paned session interface (design decision needed)
  • Session context switcher (quick navigation between tasks)
  • Per-session limit tracking (usage breakdown per session)
  • Session isolation (independent conversation histories)
  • Session labeling (name sessions by branch/task/purpose)

Design Questions

See Discussion: Window Layout for active exploration of tabs vs panes vs hybrid approach.

v0.3 Git Integration — Review-First Workflow

Timeline: November - December 2026 (2 months)
Status: 📋 Planned
Goal: Review-first git workflow integrated into UI

Core Features

  • Interactive diff staging (select which hunks to stage)
  • Commit message composer (write commits in-app)
  • Branch switcher UI (change branches without terminal)
  • Git status visualization (see modified/staged/committed)
  • Pre-commit review flow (review → stage → commit → push)

Integration Level (TBD)

Option A: Full git client (all operations)
Option B: Review-focused (diff/stage/commit, no merging) — Recommended
Option C: Minimal (enhanced diff + commit editor only)

Decision pending design session exploration.

v1.0 Full Release — Production Ready

Timeline: January 2027 (1 month)
Status: 💭 Vision
Goal: Polished, production-ready agentic development environment

Core Features

  • GNOME HIG compliance (full polish pass)
  • Plugin architecture (extensibility for community)
  • Complete user documentation
  • Developer guide for plugin authors
  • Stable plugin API (semantic versioning commitment)

Future Possibilities (v1.1+)

Not committed, ideas for exploration:

  • Remote collaboration (shared sessions?)
  • Voice input integration
  • Advanced tool use visualization
  • Multi-monitor support
  • Theming system
  • Desktop notifications
  • System tray enhancements
  • Session templates
  • Export/import workflows

These will be evaluated based on community feedback, usage patterns, and maintenance burden.

Design Principles

These guide all development decisions:

  1. Native first - Truly native Linux experience, not web wrapper
  2. Developer-focused - Solve developer-specific pain points
  3. Review-first - See what's happening before it happens
  4. Transparent - Clear visibility into usage, limits, operations
  5. Respectful - No tracking, no telemetry, user data stays local
  6. Extensible - Plugin architecture enables community innovation
  7. Maintainable - Simple over clever, documented over magic

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to get involved.

Current needs:

  • Testing on different distros
  • Feedback on design decisions (see Discussions)
  • Documentation improvements

Future needs (after v0.1):

  • Feature implementation
  • Plugin development (v1.0+)
  • Translation support

See also:

This roadmap is a living document and will evolve based on what we learn during development.

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