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Panes

Panes is a per-machine background agent that launches applications on the specific physical monitors you assign them to, every boot — and keeps them there through reboots, monitor power-off, re-cabling, port changes, and GPU-driver reinstalls. You configure it from a local web UI showing a to-scale, pannable canvas of your physical display layout.

The problem it solves​

Windows has no supported "start this process on monitor 2." Window managers only reposition already-open windows; signage platforms only run their own player. And Windows display indices (\\.\DISPLAY1) renumber on reboot with a panel off, a cable swap, or a driver update — so position-remembering tools put the wrong app on the wrong screen.

Panes fixes this with three ideas:

  • EDID-based stable hardware identity — a monitor is matched by its EDID (manufacturer, product, serial), not by an OS index that renumbers.
  • Launch as a first-class primitive — Panes starts the app on the right screen; it doesn't just move a window you already opened.
  • A watchdog — anything that dies is restarted; anything on the wrong screen is re-placed.

Who it's for​

Kiosk, signage, and control-room operators running unattended Windows (and Linux/X11) boxes with 2–8 displays. Also handy for desktop power users who want a fixed launch-and-arrange layout.

Core objects​

  • Monitor layout canvas — drag to-scale display nodes to match the physical arrangement.
  • Commands — per monitor: a preset (Chrome/Edge kiosk or generic application), executable, args (with {{monitor.*}} template vars), placement, startup toggle, and watchdog.

Next steps​