01 / The problem
Freedom can become friction.
A deeply customized desktop needs to remain understandable: where to switch windows, which monitor a control affects, when a layout is editable, and how to return to the familiar Windows desktop.
Native desktop software / Design + engineering
Aether UI
A desktop that feels personal. An Ubuntu-inspired Windows experience with clearer window navigation, flexible panels and a studio for making the workspace your own.
- Role
- Independent design & development, with AI-assisted iteration
- Stack
- C++20, Win32, Direct2D, DirectWrite
- Status
- Working preview / active development
Built, not just a composition
Real tools, in your own style.
Aether Terminal runs real shells with coordinated fonts, colors and backgrounds. Eleven focused Desktop Studio sections bring tools, typography, panel styles, widgets and presets together.
This is an actual application capture. The project remains a preview; validation is scoped to the tested Windows desktop and documented scenarios.
02 / Interaction direction
Borrow familiar patterns, make the behavior explicit.
Ubuntu/GNOME and Seelen UI informed the navigation and customization direction. Aether implements its own native C++ surfaces: a fullscreen Activities overview, grouped window previews, monitor filters and workspace organization.
03 / Personalization
More than rounded corners.
- Separate fonts for different UI parts and wallpaper-derived colors.
- Independent top-bar and dock styles with draggable bar modules.
- Six coordinated presets with explicit Apply and conflict-aware Undo.
- Eight curated icon packs, local import and native-icon fallback.
04 / Editing affordances
Keep everyday use steady.
Widgets start locked. Editing exposes grid snapping and resize grips. Lost-button/capture cancellation and Escape restore unfinished gestures. Native rounded clipping follows the selected radius and resized window bounds.
Wallpaper scenes now distinguish physical monitor changes from usable-work-area changes, avoiding scene resets when a dock reveals itself.
05 / Native implementation
Work with Windows, preserve a way back.
Win32 provides windowing and desktop integration; Direct2D and DirectWrite render the interface. Explorer stays running. Optional taskbar hiding uses a separate recovery process, a five-second lease and an emergency restore shortcut. Automatic recovery preserves the startup preference, and Studio offers an explicit Resume action.
06 / Resource discipline
Measure the real process.
A 16.07-second post-test observation measured 0.0972% machine CPU and 113.14 MiB average private memory across the root and verified direct helpers. Input was uncontrolled; DWM, GPU and processes entirely between samples were excluded. This is not an idle or long-duration benchmark.
Animation pauses under reduced motion, battery or monitor coverage rules. Icon previews request visible rows rather than loading every pack into view at once.
A coordinated native toolset
A real terminal. A personal workspace.
PowerShell, Command Prompt and installed WSL distributions run through Windows ConPTY. Ten stock designs pair a readable palette with quiet static artwork; local images, monospace fonts, cursor styles and tint make each session personal. Applying a design keeps the shell running.
These are captures of the native running terminal with an owned test shell. Stock themes are original Aether interpretations informed by GNOME Terminal, Dracula, Nord, Catppuccin, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, Solarized, One Dark and SynthWave. Research sources and terminal limits.
Settings architecture
Put each decision in one place.
Eleven focused sections separate colors, wallpapers, fonts, bar styling, displays, pinned apps, icons, Windows integration, Terminal, widgets and recovery. The sidebar adapts to short windows. Native accessibility checks verify that visible interactive controls do not overlap.
Native integration
Coordinate the tools without replacing Explorer.
Aether Files browses local folders, while optional Windows theme and accent sync coordinates supported applications. Per-app frame rules and owned Windows Terminal fragments preserve existing defaults. A journal restores the values Aether owns.
Local Windows validation
Separate passing checks from unfinished work.
- Clean Visual Studio 2022 x64 Release and Debug builds.
- Latest complete Release and Debug Windows suites each passed 58/58. Native taskbar recovery passed across runs; intermittent wallpaper-paint readiness remains open.
- All six real preset Apply/Undo cycles passed in both builds.
- Independent recovery fixtures check original taskbar composition, visibility, full native state and monitor work areas.
These are recorded local results, not independent usability research or a guarantee across every Windows configuration.
What still needs work
A clear preview boundary.
Complex terminal glyphs, IME, full xterm emulation and terminal screen-reader support remain unfinished. Aether Files currently browses and opens local files; mutation and network browsing remain open. Broader Windows-version, mixed-DPI, GPU and long-duration testing remain open. Final taskbar and shutdown results are recorded in the linked validation report.
Read validation details ↗Designing behavior as well as appearance.
This project connects visual systems, native rendering, multi-monitor state, explicit editing modes, recovery and measured resource use in a working desktop application.
View Aether UI on GitHub ↗Icon artwork is credited to its upstream projects. Sources and license notices accompany the bundled assets and the icons visible in this capture.