Skip to content

EHRS Desktop Application Development & Windows Cross-Compilation Setup Using Tauri v2

Greeshma Kanukunta requested to merge feature/tauri-desktop-setup into develop

Project Overview

The EHRS Desktop Application project involved converting the existing EHRS web platform into a professional cross-platform desktop application using:

  • Tauri v2
  • React + Vite + TypeScript
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Docker

The primary objective was to create a stable native desktop experience for Ubuntu Linux while also enabling Windows cross-compilation support from the same Ubuntu development environment without disturbing the Linux workflow.

Existing Architecture

Frontend

  • React
  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS

Backend

  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Docker
  • JWT Authentication

Final Architecture

Tauri Desktop Application
            ↓
React + Vite Frontend
            ↓
FastAPI Backend APIs
            ↓
PostgreSQL Database

Developer Responsibility

👨‍💻 Sole Developer — Full Stack Desktop Application Development

Frontend & Desktop Integration

  • Tauri v2 setup
  • Ubuntu desktop integration
  • React + Vite integration
  • Desktop UI optimization
  • Native desktop notifications
  • File upload/download support
  • Packaging and distribution
  • Windows cross-compilation support

Backend Integration

  • FastAPI API integration
  • JWT authentication handling
  • PostgreSQL connectivity
  • Docker environment setup
  • Session management

Ubuntu Desktop Application Development

DAY 1 — Tauri Setup & Backend Integration

Tasks

  • Installed Rust and Tauri dependencies on Ubuntu
  • Initialized Tauri v2 project
  • Integrated React + Vite frontend with Tauri
  • Configured desktop application window
  • Ran FastAPI backend using Docker
  • Connected frontend to backend APIs
  • Verified API communication

Output

✅ EHRS frontend launches as Ubuntu desktop application

✅ Backend APIs connected successfully

DAY 2 — Authentication & Core Features

Tasks

  • Implemented login screen
  • Configured JWT authentication flow
  • Added protected routes
  • Enabled persistent user sessions
  • Implemented desktop notifications
  • Secured API communication

Output

✅ Secure authentication system functioning

✅ Desktop application communicates securely with backend

DAY 3 — Desktop Optimization & Native Features

Tasks

  • Optimized layouts for desktop usage
  • Improved window sizing and responsiveness
  • Added Ubuntu/Linux application icons
  • Implemented file upload/download functionality
  • Added export support
  • Improved application performance

Output

✅ Desktop-optimized EHRS workflow

✅ Native Ubuntu desktop functionality integrated

DAY 4 — Packaging, Testing & Final Release

Packaging

Generated Ubuntu application packages:

  • .AppImage
  • .deb

Testing

  • Login testing
  • API integration testing
  • File handling testing
  • Ubuntu compatibility testing

Final Polish

  • Fixed UI and functional bugs
  • Generated production build
  • Prepared project documentation

Output

✅ Production-ready EHRS Ubuntu Desktop MVP

Windows Cross-Compilation Setup (Ubuntu → Windows)

Objective

Added Windows cross-compilation support to the same:

feature/tauri-desktop-setup

branch while ensuring the existing Ubuntu/Linux setup remained stable and untouched.

The implementation allows building Windows binaries (.exe) directly from Ubuntu Linux.

Windows Cross-Compilation Setup

Step 1 — Install Windows Rust Target

rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-gnu

Step 2 — Install MinGW Compiler

sudo apt update

sudo apt install gcc-mingw-w64

Step 3 — Verify MinGW Installation

x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc --version

Step 4 — Configure Windows Target

Created:

src-tauri/.cargo/config.toml

Configuration

[target.x86_64-pc-windows-gnu]
linker = "x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc"

rustflags = [
  "-Clink-arg=-Wl,--exclude-all-symbols"
]

Technical Issues Resolved

Export Ordinal Limit Error

Error

export ordinal too large: 94420

Solution

Applied:

-Wl,--exclude-all-symbols

to reduce exported symbol count during Windows linking.

Cargo Metadata & Workspace Errors

Error

failed to run 'cargo metadata'
No such file or directory (os error 2)

Cause

Tauri commands were executed inside:

src-tauri

instead of the frontend root directory.

Solution

Always run Tauri commands from:

ehrs-frontend-vite

package.json Script Fix

Correct Configuration

"scripts": {
  "dev": "vite",
  "build": "vite build",
  "preview": "vite preview",
  "tauri": "bunx tauri"
}

Cargo Environment Fix

Solution

source $HOME/.cargo/env

Persisted environment:

echo 'source $HOME/.cargo/env' >> ~/.bashrc

Cargo Optimization

File

src-tauri/Cargo.toml

Added

[profile.release]
panic = "abort"

Benefits

  • Reduced binary size
  • Improved Windows linking stability

Final Workflow Commands

Backend

cd ~/ehrsbackend/ehrs-fastapi

docker compose up --build

Frontend

Go to Frontend Root

cd ~/ehrsfrontend/ehrs-frontend-vite

Install Dependencies

bun install

Load Rust Environment

source $HOME/.cargo/env

Linux Workflow

Run Ubuntu Desktop App

bun run tauri dev

Build Ubuntu Desktop App

bun run tauri build

Generated Outputs

src-tauri/target/release/bundle/

Contains:

  • .AppImage
  • .deb

Windows Workflow

Build Windows Desktop Application

bun run tauri build -- --target x86_64-pc-windows-gnu

Generated Output

src-tauri/target/x86_64-pc-windows-gnu/release/

Contains:

  • .exe
  • Windows binaries

Linux Stability Assurance

The Windows setup was implemented in a way that:

✅ Does NOT disturb Ubuntu/Linux workflow

✅ Does NOT affect backend APIs

✅ Keeps Linux development stable

✅ Allows Linux and Windows support in the same branch

Final Deliverables

Ubuntu Deliverables

✅ Ubuntu Desktop Application

✅ FastAPI Backend Integration

✅ PostgreSQL Integration

✅ Secure JWT Authentication

✅ Native Desktop Notifications

✅ File Upload/Download Support

✅ .AppImage Package

✅ .deb Package

Windows Deliverables

✅ Windows Cross-Compilation Support

✅ Windows .exe Build Support

✅ Shared Cross-Platform Codebase

Final Tech Stack

Desktop

  • Tauri v2

Frontend

  • React
  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Bun

Backend

  • FastAPI

Database

  • PostgreSQL

Containerization

  • Docker

Conclusion

Successfully transformed the EHRS web platform into a professional cross-platform desktop application with:

  • Stable Ubuntu desktop support
  • Windows cross-compilation support
  • Integrated FastAPI backend
  • PostgreSQL connectivity
  • Native desktop functionality
  • Secure authentication workflow

while maintaining Linux workflow stability within the same development branch.

Issue Closes: #341

Edited by Greeshma Kanukunta

Merge request reports