# The desktop app

> What a window, the main process and its helpers each do, and the sockets the app listens on.

Source: https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/desktop-app/

The desktop app is one program. Each window draws a workspace. One main process does the rest:
it keeps your settings and workspaces, and starts the helpers that run your agents and reach
your other devices.

![Diagram: Inside the desktop app](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/images/desktop-processes.svg)

- **Window** ↔ **main process**: the app's own messages (IPC). A window draws the canvas, tiles and views. It opens no file and no connection itself.
- **hive ctl, programs** → main process: `drive.sock`, with a token. See [The hive command](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/hive-cli/).
- **Browser tab** → main process: a WebSocket on 127.0.0.1. See [Open the app in a browser tab](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/browser-tab/).
- Main process ↔ **background process**: a local socket. See [Terminals and the background process](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/background-process/).
- Main process ↔ **hive-net**: a local socket. See [Devices and hive-net](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/how-devices-connect/).
- Close every window: the background process keeps your terminals and agents running.

## Windows and workspaces [#windows-and-workspaces]

Each window shows one workspace. Open a second window for a second project; both share the one
main process and the one background process. The main process saves each workspace's layout as
you change it, and each window's size and place. Where: [Data and where it is stored](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/data-and-storage/).

## Plugins in a window [#plugins-in-a-window]

A window runs views, widgets and tools, each in a different place. What each can reach:
[Trust, permissions and privacy](https://hivemind.griiken.com/guide/security-and-privacy/).

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