PI-Desktop Plugins
Home/Build a plugin.

For builders

Build a plugin.

PI-Desktop plugins are small, versioned packages that add tools, panels, skills and workflows to a local workspace.

01

Start from a template

Copy the practical workspace summary template or the smallest Hello example.

02

Request only what you need

Permissions are reviewed by users and should be kept as narrow as possible.

03

Pack and publish

Build a .piplug package, rebuild the catalog, then open a pull request.

Quick start

git clone https://github.com/<you>/pi-desktop-plugins.git
cd pi-desktop-plugins
cp -R plugins/demo.workspace-summary plugins/my.plugin-id

# edit manifest.json, main.js and README.md
python3 scripts/pack_plugin.py plugins/my.plugin-id
python3 scripts/rebuild_catalog.py

What makes a good plugin?

  • Clear README explaining what the plugin does and what it can access.
  • Semantic versioning and a short changelog for every published version.
  • A minimum permission set with plain-language safety notes.
  • Localized panel titles when a plugin provides a UI panel.

Submit to the catalog

Follow the full contribution checklist in the repository. Once merged, the raw catalog and package become available to PI-Desktop users.

Read CONTRIBUTING.md

Local verification

Load the development plugin in PI-Desktop, confirm its commands and panels, inspect the permission behavior, then test the packaged .piplug artifact before opening a pull request.

The official catalog is intentionally source-first: read the manifest and README before installing.