How Wendy works
Understand targets, app configuration, and the build and deploy loop.
Start with the quickstart if you have not run an app yet.
Wendy in 60 seconds
YOUR DEVELOPMENT MACHINE
Wendy CLI / editor
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| build, run, debug
v
YOUR TARGET
WendyOS, or an existing machine with Wendy Agent
Your app
Camera / GPU / GPIO / ROS 2
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| optional enrollment
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Wendy Cloud: fleet management and remote deployment| Name | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wendy CLI | The wendy tool on your development machine. |
| WendyOS | Wendy's Linux OS for supported hardware and the simulator. It includes the agent. |
| Wendy Agent | Runs on the target and manages your apps. Install it on an existing Linux or supported Mac machine. |
| Wendy Cloud | Optional remote access and fleet management. |
wendy.json | Your app's configuration, including its target platform and hardware permissions. |
Your development machine and your target
The CLI runs on your development machine. A target is the machine that runs your app. WendyOS includes Wendy Agent; existing Linux and supported Mac machines can run the agent without replacing their OS. A simulator is a local VM running WendyOS.
wendy run selects a target, detects the project, builds for that target, uploads the result, starts the app, and attaches logs. Use wendy run --watch to repeat that loop when source files change.
Linux targets run containers. Mac targets run native macOS apps. ESP32 uses Wendy Lite and has a separate native firmware workflow.
App configuration
wendy.json names your app, chooses its platform, and declares the capabilities it needs. Entitlements grant access to hardware and other resources. A simulator can exercise the software deployment path but does not provide physical hardware access.
Optional cloud management
You can develop locally without enrolling in Wendy Cloud. Cloud adds remote access and fleet management when you need to deploy beyond your local network.