desktoplevel

Desktoplevel is an open‑source software framework that enables developers to create and manage overlay interfaces on modern desktop operating systems. It was first released in 2019 by a team of independent programmers who sought to streamline the integration of floating widgets, notification panels, and productivity tools into the existing desktop environment. The project is distributed under the MIT license and encourages contributions through a public GitHub repository.

At its core, Desktoplevel provides a lightweight API that abstracts the underlying windowing system, allowing applications to register overlay components that remain on top of all other windows without taking focus. The framework supports both compositing managers and traditional window managers, making it compatible with popular desktop environments such as GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and Windows. Developers can specify constraints for position, sizing, and behaviour, and the framework ensures that overlays do not interfere with normal window interaction.

Key features of Desktoplevel include a declarative configuration file, dynamic reloading of overlay definitions, and a safety mechanism that prevents overlay collisions. It also offers a small runtime daemon that handles event listening and rendering, thereby reducing the resource footprint of individual widgets. The API is written in C and exposes bindings for Python, JavaScript, and Rust, making it accessible to a wide range of developers.

Since its introduction, Desktoplevel has been adopted by a handful of productivity applications, such as rapid note‑taking tools and real‑time file‑watch utilities. The community surrounding the project regularly publishes tutorials and example overlay projects, and the development roadmap emphasizes support for touch‑screen interfaces and accessibility features.

In summary, Desktoplevel is a modular overlay management system that simplifies the creation of persistent, non‑intrusive desktop interfaces while maintaining compatibility with a variety of desktop environments.