Note

We believe in shipping early and often. Now that we're using co(lab) to build all of Blackboard's projects internally including Electrobun and co(lab) itself we decided to open source it and make the Developer Preview available for download for early feedback.

Important

Some of the listed features are in early development, and our FTU and onboarding could use some love. We invite the brave to download the developer preview as we prep for v1 and give us feedback on how co(lab) could best help you do your best deep work

Co(lab)

A hybrid web browser + local code editor for deep work.

Co(lab) combines a powerful code editor with an integrated browser. At Blackboard Technologies we think about startups night and day. Co(lab) is our flagship product, built with Electrobun, and we hope to make it the ultimate startup building environment.

Features

• Unified Development Environment: Local code editor powered by Monaco and Bun combined with a tinkerer's web browser in the same window, multi-tab, multi-pane.
• Web Browser: Open Chromium or Webkit tabs. Isolate your online accounts in their own workspaces. Smart bookmarks and easy to edit preload scripts for customizing your browsing experience.
• A new way to folder: Files and Folders are a primary concept. Arrange projects, notes, git repos, and bookmarks the way you actually use them.
• Git Integration: Visual git interface with staging, commits, and branch management
• Plugin Architecture: Extensible system for custom functionality for the ultimate browsing, coding, and tightly integrated workflows.
• Privacy-First Analytics: Optional, opt-in analytics.

Installation

Download

Visit blackboard.sh/colab/ to download the latest release for your platform. (Currently shipping Mac ARM only).

Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/blackboardsh/colab.git
cd colab

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Build and run
bun run dev

Development

Co(lab) is built with Electrobun, a modern alternative to Electron.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Bun runtime

Development Setup

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start development server
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build:stable

Project Structure

• src/main/ - Main process code
• src/renderers/ - Renderer process UI
• src/shared/ - Shared utilities and types
• scripts/ - Build and deployment scripts

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details.

Areas for Contribution

• Plugin development and architecture
• UI/UX improvements
• Performance optimizations
• Documentation and examples
• Testing and quality assurance

Roadmap

• Plugin Ecosystem: Extensible architecture for community plugins
• Cloud Sync: Optional settings and project synchronization
• Team Collaboration: Real-time collaborative editing features
• AI Integration: Code completion and assistance features

Technology

Co(lab) is powered by:

• Electrobun: Modern desktop app framework
• SolidJS: Reactive UI library
• Monaco Editor: VS Code's editor engine
• TypeScript: Type-safe development

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Support

• Website: blackboard.sh/colab/
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussion: Discord

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Co(lab) is developed by Blackboard Technologies Inc.