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Open-VCS / repository
A modern, extensible cross-platform VCS client built with Rust, Tauri, and TypeScript. OpenVCS focuses on performance, customisation, and developer-first workflows. Git is supported first, with a long-term architecture designed for multiple VCS backends, theming, and a full plugin ecosystem.
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This score does not audit code, security, maintainers, documentation quality, or suitability. Verify the repository and its current documentation before adoption.
OpenVCS is a desktop version control client focused on speed, clarity, and customisation.
The client itself stays VCS-agnostic. It provides the desktop shell, core framework, plugin runtime, and base UI; VCS support, themes, UI changes, and additional product features are provided by plugins. A single plugin can provide any combination of these capabilities. The first major release ships with the openvcs.git plugin so Git workflows can stabilise before other VCS support is explored.
[!IMPORTANT] OpenVCS is in early development. Features, APIs, packaging, plugin behaviour, and UI details may change while the core Git workflow stabilises.
| Area | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Git plugin | Active | Built-in openvcs.git plugin using system Git execution |
| Linux AppImage | Active | Primary distribution target |
| Windows builds | Supported | Build support exists; reliability will continue improving |
| macOS builds | Not planned | Community interest may influence this later |
| Flatpak | Test build | Released from stable builds, but provided as experimental/test-only |
| Themes | Early | Themes are plugins and can change application styling |
Selected from shared topics, language and repository description—not editorial ratings.
Aurora-Link-Org /
🚀 A high-performance, extensible, and modern terminal emulator built with Rust, Tauri, and React. Features an API-driven plugin architecture (WASM/Lua).
56/100 health| Plugins | Early | Plugins can add, remove, or modify UI, themes, VCSs, and features |
| Multi-VCS | Planned | Future VCS support should arrive through plugins |
OpenVCS desktop builds are distributed through GitHub Releases.
| Build | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Latest stable release | Most users | Recommended default download |
| Pre-release / nightly | Testing upcoming changes | May contain regressions or incomplete features |
| Source archive | Reviewing release source | Use the repository directly for development |
Download the latest AppImage from GitHub Releases, make it executable, and run it directly:
chmod +x OpenVCS-*.AppImage
./OpenVCS-*.AppImage
The AppImage can be stored anywhere. No installation step is required.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Download | Get the latest AppImage asset from GitHub Releases |
| Allow execution | Run chmod +x OpenVCS-*.AppImage |
| Launch | Run ./OpenVCS-*.AppImage |
| Update | Download a newer AppImage from GitHub Releases and replace the old file |
Download the Windows installer from GitHub Releases and run it like a standard desktop application installer.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Download | Open the latest GitHub Release and download the Windows installer asset |
| Install | Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts |
| Launch | Start OpenVCS from the Start menu or desktop shortcut |
| Update | Download the newer Windows installer from GitHub Releases and run it again |
| Uninstall | Remove OpenVCS from Windows Settings → Apps, or use the provided uninstall entry |
If Windows SmartScreen warns about the installer, verify that the file came from the official GitHub Release before choosing whether to continue.
For development builds, clone the repository and run OpenVCS through Tauri:
git clone https://github.com/Open-VCS/OpenVCS.git
cd OpenVCS
npm --prefix Frontend install
cd Backend
cargo tauri dev
Flatpak packaging lives in the sibling Open-VCS/flathub repo. Stable-channel Flatpak builds may be published, but they are provided as experimental test builds rather than a recommended install path.
[!NOTE] Desktop builds currently continue to use the legacy shared
OpenVCSconfiguration and plugin directories.
| Channel | Intended use | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| Stable | General use and manual testing | Most reliable available build |
| Beta | Previewing upcoming release work | May contain regressions |
| Nightly | Testing latest development changes | Experimental |
OpenVCS keeps the README short. The full feature list lives in docs/Features.md.
Highlights:
[!NOTE] The interface is still evolving while the core workflows stabilise. The settings modal includes an on-by-default commit-summary restriction toggle that caps the commit title box at 72 characters.
OpenVCS is a plugin-first desktop framework. The client provides the application shell, core services, plugin host, and base UI. VCS integrations, themes, UI customisations, and additional features are supplied by plugins.
Plugin capabilities are composable rather than split into strict plugin types. A single plugin can add themes, modify UI, provide a VCS integration, add workflows, or combine those responsibilities.
The client should remain VCS-agnostic: Git is supported by the built-in openvcs.git plugin, not by hard-coding Git as the application's core model.
flowchart LR
Shell[Desktop shell<br/>Tauri] --> UI[Base UI<br/>TypeScript + Vite]
Shell --> Backend[Core framework<br/>Rust services]
Backend --> Host[Plugin host<br/>JSON-RPC over stdio]
Host --> Git[openvcs.git<br/>Git workflows]
Host --> PluginA[Plugin A<br/>themes + UI changes]
Host --> PluginB[Plugin B<br/>VCS + workflows]
Host --> PluginC[Plugin C<br/>mixed capabilities]
Host -. future .-> OtherVcs[Future plugins<br/>Mercurial / SVN / Perforce / Fossil]
| Layer | Technology | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop shell | Tauri | Windowing, app lifecycle, frontend/backend bridge |
| Base UI | TypeScript + Vite | Core interface, interaction patterns, and plugin surfaces |
| Core framework | Rust | Native services, filesystem access, process execution |
| Plugin host | Rust + Node.js | Load npm/local plugins and communicate over JSON-RPC stdio |
| Plugins | npm / local path | Add any mix of VCS support, themes, UI changes, and features |
.
├── Backend/ # Rust + Tauri backend, native logic, and app entry point
├── Frontend/ # TypeScript + Vite frontend
├── docs/ # UX, plugin, architecture, and packaging documentation
├── scripts/ # Build and plugin-materialisation helpers
├── Cargo.toml # Rust workspace manifest
├── Justfile # Common build/test/fix commands
├── LICENSE
└── README.md
| Principle | Direction |
|---|---|
| VCS agnostic core | The client framework should not assume Git or any other VCS as the core model. |
| Everything is a plugin | VCS providers, themes, UI changes, and extra workflows should be delivered by plugins. |
| Composable capabilities | A plugin can provide one capability or many; themes, UI, VCSs, and features are not separate plugin classes. |
| Extensible UI | Plugins can add, remove, or modify UI without requiring a fork of the client. |
| Themes are plugins | Themes are plugin capabilities and can change styles, presentation, and visual assets. |
| Visible operations | VCS commands and logs should be inspectable rather than hidden behind vague pro |