Track full Mac-on-Linux realization workstream for sourceos-shell rollout

[mdheller]

Summary

Track the full Mac-on-Linux realization workstream required to deliver the agreed SourceOS shell UX on Linux with Mac-like ergonomics, launcher behavior, shortcut semantics, GTK integration, and desktop polish.

This issue is the umbrella tracker for the Linux realization side of that work. Product/runtime code still belongs in the planned SourceOS-Linux/sourceos-shell repo, but the Linux-facing realization surfaces belong here.

Why this belongs here

source-os is the Linux realization home for SourceOS control-plane and host integration work. The Mac-on-Linux effort is fundamentally a Linux realization problem composed of keyboard, shell, desktop, toolkit, launcher, and service-graph integration surfaces.

Existing repo clues inside the org

The connected ecosystem already contains relevant Mac-on-Linux substrate repos or forks, including:

• SociOS-Linux/kinto — Mac-style shortcut keys and remapping on Linux
• SociOS-Linux/gtk-mac-integration — GTK/mac integration surface
• SociOS-Linux/gtk-osx — GTK/macOS-oriented integration layer
• SociOS-Linux/albert — temporary launcher bridge surface
• SociOS-Linux/nautilus, gnome-shell, mutter, gsettings-desktop-schemas, shortcut-overlay — desktop/shell substrate surfaces

These repos are not the canonical runtime home for the shell, but they are relevant references or realization substrates.

Workstreams

1. Keyboard / shortcut equivalence

• Mac-style shortcut semantics
• terminal vs GUI differences
• no-redundant-search command palette behavior
• migration path from bridge mode to shell-native mode

2. Launcher / search equivalence

• apps/files/web routing
• Linux-native file search provider selection
• explicit search-provider config and tests
• bridge retirement path

3. GTK / desktop integration

• global menu / menu-bar behavior where feasible
• window controls/titlebar conventions
• file-manager affordances and preview behavior
• desktop entry / shell integration

4. Runtime service graph

• shell
• router
• pdf-secure
• docd
• target grouping and eventual real package paths

5. Profile / host realization

• linux-dev, candidate, stable wiring
• service graph checks
• desktop integration checks

Acceptance criteria

• umbrella Mac-on-Linux realization workstreams are explicitly documented here
• keyboard, launcher, GTK, runtime, and profile work are tracked as distinct sub-lanes
• follow-on Linux realization PRs can reference this issue as the umbrella tracker
• the boundary with SourceOS-Linux/sourceos-shell remains explicit

Proposed owner

@mdheller

[mdheller]

Sub-lane breakout for the Mac-on-Linux realization program:

• Mac-on-Linux: implement keyboard and shortcut equivalence lane for sourceos-shell #78 — keyboard and shortcut equivalence lane
• Mac-on-Linux: implement GTK and desktop-integration lane for sourceos-shell #79 — GTK and desktop-integration lane
• Mac-on-Linux: implement launcher and search-equivalence lane for sourceos-shell #80 — launcher and search-equivalence lane
• Mac-on-Linux: implement profile and host-realization lane for sourceos-shell #81 — profile and host-realization lane

These sit alongside the already-open implementation anchors:

• Track Albert Phase-1 launcher bridge for sourceos-shell rollout #16 — temporary Albert bridge tracking
• Create SourceOS-Linux/sourceos-shell repo and seed initial shell scaffold #17 — create the missing SourceOS-Linux/sourceos-shell product/runtime repo

This keeps the Linux realization program decomposed into trackable lanes while preserving the repo boundary: runtime/product code belongs in the future sourceos-shell repo, and Linux-facing realization work belongs here.