Ripperdoc Desktop

A Claude Code desktop GUI application - 1:1 replica of OpenAI Codex Desktop, powered by Claude Code Agent SDK.

Overview

Ripperdoc Desktop wraps the Claude Code CLI into a native desktop experience, providing a rich GUI for interacting with Claude's coding agent capabilities. Built with the same architecture as OpenAI's Codex Desktop (Electron + Node.js), but leveraging the Claude Code Agent SDK as the AI backend.

Technology Stack

Component	Technology	Notes
Desktop Framework	Electron 32+	Same as Codex Desktop
Frontend	React 18 + TypeScript	UI rendering
Terminal	xterm.js + node-pty	Embedded terminal
Styling	Tailwind CSS	Dark theme matching Codex
Database	LevelDB (classic-level) + SQLite	Session/chat persistence
AI Backend	Claude Code Agent SDK	Claude Code CLI integration
Auto-update	electron-updater	Cross-platform updates
Build	electron-builder	Multi-platform packaging

Architecture

ripperdoc-desktop/
├── src/
│   ├── main/               # Electron main process
│   │   ├── main.ts         # Entry point, window management
│   │   ├── ipc/            # IPC handlers
│   │   ├── claude/         # Claude Code Agent SDK integration
│   │   └── store/          # Persistent storage
│   ├── renderer/           # React frontend (Vite)
│   │   ├── components/     # UI components
│   │   ├── hooks/          # React hooks
│   │   ├── styles/         # CSS/Tailwind
│   │   └── utils/          # Helpers
│   ├── preload/            # Electron preload bridge
│   └── claude-sdk/         # Claude SDK wrapper
├── resources/              # Icons, skills, configs
├── scripts/                # Build scripts
└── dist/                   # Compiled output

Features (Matching Codex Desktop)

• Agent Chat Panel - Interactive conversation with Claude coding agent
• Embedded Terminal - Full PTY terminal with xterm.js for command output
• Session Management - Create, resume, and manage coding sessions
• File Diff View - View code changes proposed by Claude
• Skill System - Built-in skills and custom skill support
• MCP Integration - Model Context Protocol for tool extensibility
• Multi-language - i18n support (lproj-style localization)
• Auto-update - Seamless updates via electron-updater

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• npm 10+
• Platform-specific build tools for native modules

Setup

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Development mode
npm run dev

# Build
npm run build

# Package for current platform
npm run package

Development Mode

The app runs with hot-reload during development:

• Main process: TypeScript watch mode
• Renderer: Vite dev server with HMR

Claude Code Agent SDK Integration

Ripperdoc uses the Claude Code Agent SDK to spawn and communicate with the Claude Code CLI. This provides:

1. Streaming responses - Real-time token streaming from Claude
2. Tool execution - File operations, terminal commands, code editing
3. Session persistence - Resume conversations across app restarts
4. Permission management - Granular control over agent capabilities

Building

# Windows
npm run package:win

# macOS
npm run package:mac

# Linux
npm run package:linux

License

MIT