cairoshell/cairoshell
Cairo is a customizable, intuitive desktop environment for Windows. observed · 2026-08-28
Health v2 · maintenance only
72/100
- Activity 98
- Release rhythm 24
- Longevity 100
How is this computed?
round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-03. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.
- gap_med: 189
- age_days: 6079
- days_rel: 294
- days_push: 12
- n_releases_24m: 2
Adoption not part of the score
3360 stars · 271 forks observed · 2026-08-28
What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded
Cairo is a customizable, open-source desktop environment (shell replacement) for Windows, offering an alternative taskbar, programs menu, dynamic desktop, and folder stacks. It is written in C# using WPF and supports Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 11.
Use cases
- replace the windows taskbar with a customizable one
- organize applications into a categorized programs menu
- browse files directly from the desktop
- get quick access to frequently used folders
- give windows a more modern or mac-like desktop experience
- improve productivity with a better window switcher
When to choose
- you want a full alternative desktop shell on Windows
- you dislike the default Windows taskbar and start menu
- you want drag-and-drop app organization and desktop folder navigation
When to avoid
- you only need a start menu replacement rather than a full shell
- you are not on Windows
- you need a minimal tool that does not replace the system shell
Facets
application · maturity active
gui developer-tools desktop-applications developer-tools windows windows desktop-environment shell-replacement taskbar app-launcher wpf csharp desktop
2 sources
- readme: https://github.com/cairoshell/cairoshell · fetched 2026-08-28 · 58b0ef6dec0e
- homepage: http://cairodesktop.com/ · fetched 2026-08-29 · b894219f670f
Member repositories
| Repository | Role | Health v2 |
|---|---|---|
| cairoshell/cairoshell | main | 72 |
For agents
markdown · JSON · MCP: product_card(name="cairoshell/cairoshell")
Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem