Pixel Labdeveloper docs

Design record · 2026-10-closed-source

Intent: Pixel Lab as a closed-source project#

Author: J. Law Cordova (owner). Status: draft.

Problem#

In the owner's words:

Moving the GitHub project, this project, into a closed source project. So you might want to remove the GitHub pages and transfer the help section in-app instead.

Pixel Lab's repository is public today, and its developer docs are published to anyone as a GitHub Pages site (../2026-10-dev-docs/intent.md). The repo was made public only so that site could be hosted (the Pages plan didn't support a private repo). The owner wants the project closed source.

Proposed outcome#

  • The project is closed source: the repository is private.
  • The GitHub Pages docs site is removed.
  • Help moves into the app: what a user needs to know is readable inside Pixel Lab instead of on a public site.

Affected users and systems#

  • The repository and its visibility.
  • The developer docs site and its publishing.
  • The owner in the app, who gets a help section.
  • The site repo, which depends on Pixel Lab today (and, once the Rust engine lands, runs its program in CI: ../2026-10-rust-engine/intent.md).
  • Releases and how the owner installs Pixel Lab.

Constraints#

  • No secrets or personal data anywhere, as now.
  • VoiceOver labels, visible focus and Reduce Motion on the help in the app.
  • No new dependencies without asking.

Open questions#

  • What happens to the developer docs (architecture, contributing, testing): kept as files in the private repo, dropped, or moved into the app's help too?
  • Which help belongs in the app: the README's tour and shortcuts, the command reference, MCP setup?
  • How does the site repo get Pixel Lab once it's private, for its build and its pixellab pin?
  • Are the GitHub Releases (the DMG and zip) also private, or published somewhere else?
  • Does the history stay as it is, or does the project start fresh?