OP here --

I could build an extension for the UI vs a Tauri app, and it could help you install the CLI if you don't have it. Would that meet your needs?

That said, the fidelity of OS-level daemon can't really be replicated from within an app process.

Some use cases are better served by a system-wide process, I agree, but when I think source code, I think VSCodium. It is about configuration and starting/stopping. I don't mind the browser based web UI, but I do mind having to babysit one more (albeit super useful) tool. I'd rather have it as a VSCodium extension that would AUTOMATICALLY start when I load a workspace, configure the watched directory from that workspace, and stop when I close the workspace. So instead of me spending my attention on babysitting UNF, through VSCodium, UNF would just follow me wherever I go with zero configuration needed.

You really shouldn't need to babysit UNF. It feels like git.

One install, one init, and then it just works. It shouldn't stop across restarts or crashes.

Well, if I have 10 different projects across 10 different drives, then, yes, I would need to babysit it. Furthermore, I wouldn't want it run it 24/7, but only when the files are actually going to be changed.

Thanks for the feedback. Didn't really consider folks may want a transient mode which shuts off after session completion, e.g. no edits in X timeframe. Interesting idea.