Building Kenichi Desktop in Visual Studio 2022

While typical web development often happens in VS Code, Visual Studio 2022 is a powerhouse for systems programming. Since Kenichi Desktop is built with Tauri (which relies on Rust and C++ build tools), using the full Visual Studio IDE can provide a robust environment for managing the backend dependencies.

Here is how to set up, compile, and run the project from scratch.

1. Prerequisites

Before opening the project, ensure you have the following installed:

1. Visual Studio 2022 (Community, Pro, or Enterprise)
   • Workload Required: “Desktop development with C++” (This installs the MSVC linker required by Rust).
2. Node.js (LTS version recommended)
3. Rust: Install via rustup.rs.

2. Opening the Project

Visual Studio 2022 supports “Open Folder” mode, which is perfect for mixed-language projects like Tauri.

1. Launch Visual Studio 2022.
2. Select “Open a local folder”.
3. Navigate to the project root: d:\Code\Antigravity\design_concepts\Kenichi Desktop.
4. Click Select Folder.

VS 2022 will load the file structure in the Solution Explorer (Folder View).

3. Configuration & Dependencies

Open the Integrated Terminal in Visual Studio via View > Terminal (or Ctrl + ).

Run the following commands to install the frontend dependencies:

npm install

This will read package.json and install libraries like React, Tailwind, and the Tauri CLI.

4. Running the Application

To run the application in “Development Mode” (Simultaneous Frontend + Backend hot reload):

In the Terminal, run:

npm run tauri dev

What happens next?

1. Vite starts the frontend server (typically localhost:1420).
2. Cargo (Rust package manager) opens src-tauri and compiles the Rust backend.
   • Note: The first compilation might take a few minutes as it compiles all crates.
3. Once compiled, the Kenichi Desktop window will launch.

5. Troubleshooting Common Issues

”Linker ‘link.exe’ not found”

• Cause: You installed Rust but didn’t install the C++ Build Tools.
• Fix: Open Visual Studio Installer, modify your VS 2022 installation, and ensure “Desktop development with C++” is checked. Then reinstall Rust (or run rustup update) to pick up the toolchain.

”Webview2Loader.dll not found”

• Cause: Missing Webview2 runtime (rare on Windows 11).
• Fix: Install the “Evergreen Bootstrapper” from Microsoft.

Powershell Scripts Disabled (npm error)

• Error: File ...\npm.ps1 cannot be loaded. The file ... is not digitally signed.
• Cause: The default PowerShell execution policy restricts scripts.
• Fix: Run this command in the Developer PowerShell (or Admin PowerShell):

  Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

  Type A (Yes to All) if prompted.

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Now you’re ready to debug the Rust backend or edit the React frontend directly within Visual Studio 2022!