UnitDesk - Desktop Monitoring Widgets

UnitDesk is a modular, customizable desktop widget framework for Windows that provides real-time system monitoring. It uses Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) to create lightweight, transparent widgets that sit directly on your desktop.

Features

• Multiple Widget Types:

  • System Info Widget (CPU, RAM, GPU usage)
  • Disk Space Monitoring
  • Clock and Date Display
  • Easily extensible for custom widgets

• System Tray Integration:

  • Manage widgets directly from the Windows system tray icon
  • Open, close, or exit the application from the tray menu
  • Tray menu always reflects the current widget state in real time

• Widget State Persistence:

  • Remembers which widgets you had open or closed at your last session
  • On restart, only your previously open widgets are restored
  • Works automatically, no setup required

• Desktop Integration:

  • Widgets sit directly on the desktop background
  • Semi-transparent, non-intrusive design
  • Stay-on-top capability

• User-Friendly:

  • Drag and drop positioning
  • Position memory between sessions
  • Reset to default position option
  • Simple close button for each widget

• Performance Monitoring:

  • Real-time CPU usage tracking
  • RAM usage monitoring
  • GPU load and memory usage for NVIDIA and AMD cards
  • Disk space monitoring for all drives

Technology Stack

• Framework: .NET 8.0 with WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)
• Language: C#
• Hardware Monitoring: LibreHardwareMonitor
• Serialization: System.Text.Json
• Windows Integration: Win32 API via P/Invoke

Architecture

UnitDesk is built with a modular, extensible architecture following SOLID principles:

Core Components

1. Widget Framework:

   • BaseWidget: Abstract base class for all widgets
   • WidgetManager: Singleton service that handles widget creation and lifecycle
   • WidgetConfiguration: Configuration system for widget settings

2. Utility Services:

   • HardwareMonitor: System hardware monitoring (CPU, RAM, GPU)
   • DiskMonitor: Disk space monitoring
   • WidgetStorageService: Persistence of widget settings
   • DesktopIntegration: Desktop background integration via Win32 API

Design Approach

• Modular Design: Each component has a single responsibility
• Extensibility: Easy to add new widget types
• Dependency Injection: Services are injected into widgets
• Error Handling: Robust exception handling throughout
• Resource Management: Proper cleanup with IDisposable implementation

Installation

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11
• .NET 8.0 Runtime
• Visual Studio 2022 (for development)

Setup

1. Clone the repository or download the release
2. Build the solution using Visual Studio or .NET CLI
3. Run the application (UnitDesk.exe)

Automated Windows Installer

• Each push to the repository triggers a GitHub Actions workflow that:
  • Builds the app for Windows (self-contained, no .NET runtime needed)
  • Packages the app into a Windows installer (UnitDeskSetup.exe) using Inno Setup
  • Uploads the installer as a downloadable artifact on the Actions page
• You can always get the latest installer from the GitHub Actions tab.

Usage

Running the Application

When you start UnitDesk, three default widgets will appear on your desktop:

• System Info Widget (CPU, RAM, GPU stats)
• Disk Info Widget (Drive space information)
• Clock Widget (Time and date)

Widget Controls

Each widget has the following controls:

• Drag Area: Click and drag anywhere on the widget to reposition
• Reset Button (⟲): Click to reset widget to its default position
• Close Button (✕): Click to close the widget

Configuration

Widget settings are stored in: %APPDATA%\UnitDesk\

• Individual widget positions: widget-id.json
• Widget configurations: widgets.json

Extending with Custom Widgets

To create a new widget type:

1. Create a new XAML file and code-behind class in the Widgets folder
2. Inherit from BaseWidget
3. Implement the required abstract methods:
   • InitializeWidget()
   • StartDataUpdates()
4. Add your widget to App.xaml.cs or the widget configuration

Example:

// In App.xaml.cs
WidgetManager.Instance.CreateWidget<YourCustomWidget>("your-widget-id");

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• LibreHardwareMonitor for hardware monitoring capabilities