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Catalyst is an Electron desktop app with a React renderer and a Node.js main process. The renderer handles the interface; the main process owns the filesystem, Java processes, backup workers, network downloads, Modrinth integration, ngrok tunnels, and update checks.

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Runtime flow

1

Renderer calls the preload API

Pages call methods exposed on window.context, such as createServer, startServer, listServerFiles, or installModrinthProject.
2

Preload forwards through IPC

The preload bridge maps each method to ipcRenderer.invoke(...) or subscribes to events such as console output, server status, backup progress, and ngrok URL changes.
3

Main process performs the work

The Electron main process validates input, touches disk, starts Java, downloads content, creates archives, or manages ngrok.
4

Renderer receives state updates

The UI refreshes server records, console lines, stats, backup progress, analytics, and tunnel URLs from IPC responses and events.

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Main data paths

Catalyst stores mutable data under Electron’s userData directory:
See Data storage for the full layout.

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Safety boundaries

Renderer sandbox

The window runs with contextIsolation and sandbox enabled. The renderer does not get raw Node.js access.

Safe file paths

File operations resolve paths inside a server root and reject traversal, absolute paths, and unsafe names.

Zip import checks

Imported archives need a manifest, are size limited, and are protected against zip-slip paths.

Confirmed AI actions

The AI assistant can propose changes, but server commands and file/property writes require confirmation.