Desktop and web
CrossXCloud has two surfaces. You build infrastructure in the desktop app, and you manage organizations and projects in CrossXWeb, the browser companion. A secure handoff connects them.
The split
Section titled “The split”| Surface | Runs where | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrossXCloud desktop app | Native desktop window | Build infrastructure: edit the canvas, Plan, Apply, browse history. Accepts and uses cloud credentials. | Manage orgs and projects. |
| CrossXWeb | Browser | Manage orgs and projects, view a project’s infrastructure as a read-only canvas. | Edit infrastructure. Hold cloud credentials. Make provider calls. |
The boundary is deliberate. The desktop app is the only surface that ever touches your cloud credentials, because it is the only surface that can run on a machine you control. The browser never holds credentials and never makes a provider call.
The desktop handoff
Section titled “The desktop handoff”You start in CrossXWeb. Create an organization and a project there. Then use the “Open in Desktop” action on a project. CrossXWeb issues a short-lived signed deep-link and the OS opens the CrossXCloud desktop app, navigated to that project.
The deep-link carries enough context to know which org and project you opened, plus a short-lived token that lets the desktop app authenticate. You do not need to sign in again in the desktop app. The token is short-lived, which keeps the attack surface small.
sequenceDiagram
participant User
participant Web as CrossXWeb (browser)
participant OS
participant Desktop as CrossXCloud (desktop)
participant Cloud as Cloud Provider
User->>Web: Create org and project
User->>Web: Click "Open in Desktop"
Web->>OS: Deep-link with short-lived JWT
OS->>Desktop: Open app, navigate to project
Desktop->>Cloud: Read live infrastructure
User->>Desktop: Edit canvas, Plan, Apply
Desktop->>Cloud: Apply changes
Desktop->>Web: Write desired state to shared data
Web->>User: Read-only canvas shows latest state
See Organizations and projects for the everyday walkthrough.
What flows back to the web
Section titled “What flows back to the web”When you Plan and Apply in the desktop app, the resulting desired state is written to your project’s shared data. CrossXWeb’s read-only canvas reads that state, so anyone looking at the project in the browser sees the latest applied infrastructure.
The browser view is not a live mirror of your cloud. It is the latest committed desired state from the desktop app.
Why two surfaces
Section titled “Why two surfaces”The desktop app needs to be on a machine you trust, because it holds your credentials. The browser is where you do organization and project management that should be reachable from anywhere and shareable with a team.
Keeping them separate means the credential-bearing surface never has to be a website, and the team-facing surface never has to hold credentials.
- Organizations and projects for the everyday flow.
- Security and the vault for where credentials live.
- Your first canvas for what to do after the handoff.