launch: Allow creating desktop panels

Now users can use mappings or remote control to popup new desktop panels
on Wayland in addition to new desktop windows.

Fixes #8549

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 0.42.0 [future]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
+- launch: Allow creating desktop panels such as those created by the :doc:`panel kitten </kittens/panel>` (:iss:`8459`)
+
 - Allow configuring the mouse unhide behavior when using :opt:`mouse_hide_wait` (:pull:`8508`)
 
 - diff kitten: Add half page and full page scroll vim-like bindings (:pull:`8514`)
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - panel kitten: Allow specifying panel size in pixels in addition to cells
 
+
 0.41.1 [2025-04-03]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

glfw/wl_window.c

@@ -1446,6 +1446,9 @@ void _glfwPlatformDestroyWindow(_GLFWwindow* window)
     if (window->wl.xdg.surface)
         xdg_surface_destroy(window->wl.xdg.surface);
 
+    if (window->wl.layer_shell.zwlr_layer_surface_v1)
+        zwlr_layer_surface_v1_destroy(window->wl.layer_shell.zwlr_layer_surface_v1);
+
     if (window->wl.surface)
         wl_surface_destroy(window->wl.surface);
 

kitty/boss.py

@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@
     get_options,
     get_os_window_size,
     global_font_size,
+    is_layer_shell_supported,
     last_focused_os_window_id,
     mark_os_window_for_close,
     monitor_pid,
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@
 from .session import Session, create_sessions, get_os_window_sizing_data
 from .shaders import load_shader_programs
 from .tabs import SpecialWindow, SpecialWindowInstance, Tab, TabDict, TabManager
-from .types import _T, AsyncResponse, SingleInstanceData, WindowSystemMouseEvent, ac
+from .types import _T, AsyncResponse, LayerShellConfig, SingleInstanceData, WindowSystemMouseEvent, ac
 from .typing import PopenType, TypedDict
 from .utils import (
     cleanup_ssh_control_masters,
@@ -455,6 +456,18 @@ def add_os_window(
         self.os_window_map[os_window_id] = tm
         return os_window_id
 
+    def add_os_panel(self, cfg: LayerShellConfig, wclass: str | None = appname, wname: str | None = appname) -> int:
+        if is_macos or not is_wayland() or not is_layer_shell_supported():
+            raise RuntimeError('Creating desktop panels is not supported on this platform')
+        wclass = wclass or appname
+        wname = wname or appname
+        size_data = get_os_window_sizing_data(get_options(), None)
+        os_window_id = create_os_window(
+            initial_window_size_func(size_data, {}), lambda *a: None, appname, wname, wclass, None, layer_shell_config=cfg)
+        tm = TabManager(os_window_id, self.args, wclass, wname, None)
+        self.os_window_map[os_window_id] = tm
+        return os_window_id
+
     def list_os_windows(
         self, self_window: Window | None = None,
         tab_filter: Callable[[Tab], bool] | None = None,

kitty/launch.py

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from .fast_data_types import add_timer, get_boss, get_options, get_os_window_title, patch_color_profiles
 from .options.utils import env as parse_env
 from .tabs import Tab, TabManager
-from .types import OverlayType, run_once
+from .types import LayerShellConfig, OverlayType, run_once
 from .utils import get_editor, log_error, resolve_custom_file, which
 from .window import CwdRequest, CwdRequestType, Watchers, Window
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def options_spec() -> str:
 --type
 type=choices
 default=window
-choices=window,tab,os-window,overlay,overlay-main,background,clipboard,primary
+choices=window,tab,os-window,os-panel,overlay,overlay-main,background,clipboard,primary
 Where to launch the child process:
 
 :code:`window`
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@ def options_spec() -> str:
     These two are meant to work with :option:`--stdin-source <launch --stdin-source>` to copy
     data to the :italic:`system clipboard` or :italic:`primary selection`.
 
+:code:`os-panel`
+    Similar to :code:`os-window`, except that it creates the new OS Window as a desktop panel.
+    Only works on platforms that support this, such as Wayand compositors that support the layer
+    shell protocol. Use the :option:`kitten @ launch --os-panel` option to configure the panel.
+
 #placeholder_for_formatting#
 
 
@@ -378,6 +383,15 @@ def options_spec() -> str:
 Relative paths are resolved relative to the :ref:`kitty config directory
 <confloc>`. Global watchers for all windows can be specified with
 :opt:`watcher` in :file:`kitty.conf`.
+
+
+--os-panel
+type=list
+Options to control the creation of desktop panels. Takes the same settings
+as the :doc:`panel kitten </kittens/panel>`. Can be specified multiple times.
+For example, to create a desktop panel at the bottom of the screen two lines high::
+
+    launch --type os-panel --os-panel lines=2 --os-panel edge=bottom sh -c "echo; echo; echo hello; sleep 5s"
 """
 
 
@@ -402,15 +416,25 @@ def get_env(opts: LaunchCLIOptions, active_child: Child | None = None, base_env:
     return env
 
 
+def layer_shell_config_from_panel_opts(panel_opts: Iterable[str]) -> LayerShellConfig:
+    from kittens.panel.main import layer_shell_config, parse_panel_args
+    args = [('' if x.startswith('--') else '--') + x for x in panel_opts]
+    opts, _ = parse_panel_args(args)
+    return layer_shell_config(opts)
+
+
 def tab_for_window(boss: Boss, opts: LaunchCLIOptions, target_tab: Tab | None, next_to: Window | None) -> Tab:
 
     def create_tab(tm: TabManager | None = None) -> Tab:
         if tm is None:
-            oswid = boss.add_os_window(
-                wclass=opts.os_window_class,
-                wname=opts.os_window_name,
-                window_state=opts.os_window_state,
-                override_title=opts.os_window_title or None)
+            if opts.type == 'os-panel':
+                oswid = boss.add_os_panel(layer_shell_config_from_panel_opts(opts.os_panel), opts.os_window_class, opts.os_window_name)
+            else:
+                oswid = boss.add_os_window(
+                    wclass=opts.os_window_class,
+                    wname=opts.os_window_name,
+                    window_state=opts.os_window_state,
+                    override_title=opts.os_window_title or None)
             tm = boss.os_window_map[oswid]
         tab = tm.new_tab(empty_tab=True, location=opts.location)
         if opts.tab_title:
@@ -424,7 +448,7 @@ def create_tab(tm: TabManager | None = None) -> Tab:
         if target_tab is not None:
             tm = target_tab.tab_manager_ref() or tm
         tab = create_tab(tm)
-    elif opts.type == 'os-window':
+    elif opts.type in ('os-window', 'os-panel'):
         tab = create_tab()
     else:
         if target_tab is not None:

kitty/rc/launch.py

@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ class Launch(RemoteCommand):
     cwd/str: Working directory for the new window
     env/list.str: List of environment variables of the form NAME=VALUE
     var/list.str: List of user variables of the form NAME=VALUE
+    os_panel/list.str: List of panel settings
     tab_title/str: Title for the new tab
-    type/choices.window.tab.os-window.overlay.overlay-main.background.clipboard.primary: The type of window to open
+    type/choices.window.tab.os-window.os-panel.overlay.overlay-main.background.clipboard.primary: The type of window to open
     keep_focus/bool: Boolean indicating whether the current window should retain focus or not
     copy_colors/bool: Boolean indicating whether to copy the colors from the current window
     copy_cmdline/bool: Boolean indicating whether to copy the cmdline from the current window