Tech Stack
VS Code with a medium project uses 500 MB to 1.5 GB RAM across three Chromium processes. One extension event handler that never resolves freezes everything on that thread.Mountain runs native Rust and Tauri. Echo runs every background task on a work-stealing thread pool. The editor thread never blocks.
Porting your extension library to a new editor is weeks of work you should never have to do.Cocoon mirrors the full VS Code API surface via Effect-TS fibers. Install an extension and it works. Not mostly works. Unchanged.
VS Code Promises cannot be interrupted, raced, or run in parallel. A hung async operation in one extension stalls every other on that event loop.Effect-TS fibers can be interrupted, raced, and run concurrently across CPU cores. Bugs that reach production in VS Code never compile in Land.
Building native apps for three operating systems used to mean three rendering engines, three toolchains, and three deployment pipelines.Tauri uses the OS's own WebView on each platform. One Rust codebase compiles to native macOS, Windows, and Linux. No bundled Chromium.
VS Code's Restart to Update prompt kills every open terminal, unsaved diff, and in-progress language server.Air pre-downloads and PGP-verifies the next version while you work. The update stages between sessions. The next launch opens on the new version with no prompt.
Most open source editors have license clauses that restrict commercial use, require attribution, or forbid forking the UI.The entire Land codebase is CC0 public domain. Use it, fork it, ship it, build commercial products on top of it. No attribution required. No compliance headaches.
Elements
Roadmap
Elements
Roadmap
Rust daemon with Daemon, Downloader, Updates, Security, Indexing, Authentication, Resilience, and HealthCheck modules
Runs after the editor closes
Downloads the next release, verifies its PGP signature, and stages it on disk
Indexes the workspace for instant search
The next launch opens on the new version with no prompt
Background Daemon - Silent Updater - Workspace Indexer
Node.js sidecar that intercepts require and import at the module resolver level
Routes every VS Code API call through a complete Effect-TS service layer
No patches applied to extensions
Install any extension from the marketplace and it runs unchanged
Extension Host - Full VS Code API - Effect-TS Fiber Shim
Pure abstract core shared by every Land element
Defines typed Effect-TS effects, composable service traits, and reusable building blocks
Contains no concrete implementations
Mock any trait and test any element without a running window, webview, or sidecar
Shared Foundation - Abstract Traits - Zero Concrete Implementation
Lock-free concurrency runtime built on crossbeam-deque
Every task runs inside a supervised worker pool
No fire-and-forget spawns — graceful startup and shutdown are guaranteed
Heavy indexing and analysis run across all CPU cores without blocking the editor thread
Work-Stealing Scheduler - crossbeam-deque - Supervised Worker Pool
Runs extensions compiled to WebAssembly inside Wasmtime
Configurable per-extension resource limits and capability-based security grants
Supports gRPC, IPC, and WASM transport channels
An extension can only access what you explicitly permit
WASM Sandbox - Wasmtime Runtime - Capability-Based Isolation
Drives build pipelines for the entire Land ecosystem
Embedded Rhai scripting handles flexible per-element build logic
TOML and JSON5 configurations are validated at compile time
Same commit always produces the same artifact — no environment-dependent output
Build Orchestrator - Embedded Rhai Scripting - TOML/JSON5 Config
Creates a sandboxed DNS zone that resolves every *.editor.land hostname to 127.0.0.1
All Land inter-service traffic flows through this local layer
No Land service hostname is resolvable on the public internet
Clean network boundary between the editor and external traffic
Local DNS Sandbox - *.editor.land Resolution - Network Boundary
Handles windows, file I/O, child processes, and extension IPC via Rust and Tauri
Responds in microseconds where Electron takes milliseconds
Opens hidden until Sky signals ready — panels render with data on first paint
Authentication tokens live in the OS keychain, never written to disk
Native Rust Backend - Tauri - Replaces Electron Main Process
Processes TypeScript from VS Code, Land, and the Rest compiler into fully bundled artifacts
A plugin-routed architecture handles each source type on its own dedicated path
Every bundle is deterministic — same commit always produces the same checksum-verified output
Compilation Pipeline - Plugin-Routed - Deterministic Checksum
OXC-powered TypeScript compiler written in Rust
100% compatible output at 2-3x the speed of esbuild
Zero Node.js overhead in the compilation path
Source map support via OXC transformer is in active development
TypeScript Compiler - OXC - Rust-Native - 2-3x esbuild Speed
Packages and selects the exact Node.js sidecar binary at compile time based on the target triple
Supports aarch64-apple-darwin, x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, and four additional platforms
Cocoon always receives the binary that matches the host exactly
No runtime detection, no fallback chains
Binary Distributor - Compile-Time Target Triple Selection - Per-Platform Node.js
Every panel, sidebar, and tab bar is an Astro component
Status bar items surface through VS Code's native status bar mechanism
Three workbench layouts: full desktop, embedded, and minimal
Tauri reloads Sky instantly on any component change — no full restart required
Visual UI Layer - Astro Components - Three Workbench Layouts
Every inter-process service interface starts as a .proto file
Generated Rust and TypeScript stubs are the only way Land processes communicate
Typed at the wire, typed at the call site, verified at compile time
Refactor a message field and every consumer breaks loudly instead of silently
gRPC Backbone - Contract-First - .proto Definitions
TypeScript re-implementation of the VS Code Workbench: panels, sidebars, activity bar
Every service is a composable Effect-TS Layer — file dialogs, clipboard, configuration, output channels
Native OS calls via Tauri
No Electron IPC proxy, no renderer-to-main roundtrip
VS Code Workbench Reimplemented - Effect-TS Layers - Native OS API
Manages caching, offline support, and dynamic CSS imports for the editor shell
Auth tokens are AES-GCM encrypted and stored in memory
Every outbound request is HMAC-signed
Tokens refresh automatically — the shell stays functional when the network drops
Service Worker - Offline Cache - AES-GCM Auth - HMAC Request Signing
Universal Binary: Apple Silicon and Intel
64-bit (x64)
DEB, RPM, AppImage
