AO Desktop Dev

Run the Electron application from the current checkout and verify it in the native window. Keep the dev daemon, renderer, Electron preload, and selected data mode explicit so the user never reviews a mock or stale build by accident.

Choose the data mode

Ask only when the request does not make the desired data source clear.

• Use isolated mode by default for implementation and destructive testing. Electron uses port 3002, ~/.ao/dev/running.json, ~/.ao/dev/data, and ~/.ao/dev/electron.
• Use real-data mode only when the user explicitly asks to see this machine's actual AO projects or sessions. Start the checkout's dev daemon on the isolated dev port/run file while pointing AO_DATA_DIR at the real AO data directory. This is a separate daemon process using real data; do not describe it as the installed app's daemon.
• Never try to attach an unpackaged Electron app directly to a packaged daemon from another checkout. The supervisor intentionally rejects daemon identity mismatches.
• Warn before actions in real-data mode that create, terminate, rename, or otherwise mutate sessions. Merely opening and inspecting the UI is expected.
• Real-data mode reads the same database as the installed app, and only one daemon can own a data directory. Quit the packaged app first: while its daemon runs, the dev daemon waits for the data-dir lock (9 x AO_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT + 18s, 108s by default) and then exits with code 75. The dev window is marked with an Agent Orchestrator (dev) title, an orange-badged DEV dock icon, and an in-app dev badge, verify those markers before acting.

Preflight