carl-control-panel 1.0.8

Context Augmentation & Reinforcement Layer - Desktop control panel for Claude Code

CARL Control Panel

A desktop settings UI for managing CARL (Context Augmentation & Reinforcement Layer) configuration.

Note: This is an optional addon. CARL works fully without this tool - it just makes managing settings easier.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ must be installed
  • Windows: Download from python.org (check "Add to PATH")
  • macOS: brew install python3
  • Linux: sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Quick Start

Windows

Double-click launcher.pyw

Dependencies install automatically on first run.

macOS / Linux

python3 launcher-mac.py

Build Standalone App

Windows:

build.bat
# Creates: dist/CARL Control Panel.exe

macOS:

./build-mac.sh
# Creates: dist/CARL Control Panel.app

Architecture

carl-control-panel/
├── launcher.pyw      # Desktop launcher (splash, tray, pywebview)
├── launcher-mac.py   # Mac/Linux launcher
├── app.py            # Flask server (REST API)
├── api/              # Python API modules
├── templates/        # Jinja2 HTML templates
├── static/           # CSS/JS assets
├── hooks/            # Bundled CARL hooks
└── assets/           # Icons (optional)

The app uses a Flask + pywebview architecture:

• app.py - Flask server providing REST API endpoints
• launcher.pyw - Desktop launcher with splash screen and system tray
• Frontend connects via HTTP to http://localhost:5050

Features

• Multi-workspace support - Manage multiple CARL installations
• Toggle management - DEVMODE, GLOBAL_STATE, domain states, etc.
• Session overrides - Per-session toggle overrides
• Hooks management - Install and wire CARL hooks
• System tray - Minimize to tray, quick access

Development

Run Flask server directly for development:

python app.py
# Server runs at http://localhost:5050

Run with pywebview (full desktop experience):

python launcher.pyw  # Windows
python3 launcher-mac.py  # Mac/Linux

Troubleshooting

"No CARL installation found"

• Make sure you have a .carl/manifest file in your workspace
• Use "Initialize CARL" to create one

PyWebView issues on Linux

• Install GTK: sudo apt install python3-gi gir1.2-webkit2-4.0

Server won't start

• Check server.log for errors
• Ensure port 5050 is available

License

Part of the CARL system. MIT License.