The Pangolin desktop is a captivating and innovative shell that serves as the heart of dahliaOS. Written in Dart with Flutter, Pangolin provides a unique interface complemented by its window manager, Utopia. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to develop and test Pangolin on your local machine, from installation to execution.
Getting Started
Before diving into development, ensure you have all the necessary tools at your disposal. Here’s how you can get set up:
Step 1: Install Development Tools
- Install Flutter
- Pick your preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE). We recommend using VSCode for its efficiency and flexibility!
- If using VSCode, consider adding Dart and Flutter extensions to enhance your development experience. For other IDEs, make sure to explore suitable plugins.
Step 2: Run Pangolin
Once your development tools are in place, you can run Pangolin on any platform supported by Flutter. However, it’s advisable to run it on Linux since some features are tailor-made for this environment. To run Pangolin, execute the following command:
make run target=linux
Here’s a quick list of targets you can use:
- linux
- windows
- macos
One of the advantages of using Flutter is its hot reloading feature, which allows you to see changes in real-time without needing to restart the application!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
As with any development process, challenges may arise. Here are some common issues you might encounter along with troubleshooting tips:
- Installation Hiccups: If you encounter issues while installing Flutter or your chosen IDE, double-check the installation guides for any missing steps.
- Running Pangolin on Unsupported Platforms: If you’re trying to run Pangolin on a non-Linux platform and it doesn’t work as expected, remember that certain features might be Linux-exclusive. In such cases, switching to a Linux environment is your best bet.
- Hot Reload Not Functioning: If you are not able to see changes made during development, ensure that your Flutter environment is correctly set up and running.
For a deeper engagement and support from fellow developers, consider joining discussions and channels related to Pangolin. For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.
Conclusion
With these steps, you’re now on your way to creating and testing the Pangolin desktop shell. This innovative piece of technology is not only exciting to work with but also vital for the ongoing development and evolution of dahliaOS.
At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

