# ZoneGaze Matrix Manual

This manual covers the Matrix host experience: how the shell works, how plugins are installed or
opened, and where to continue into plugin-specific manuals.

## What You Open

On Mac and Android, users open ZoneGaze Matrix first. Matrix owns the host window, dashboard,
runtime status surfaces, plugin marketplace, and settings hub. Individual plugins then open inside
that shell.

Platform-specific installation and launch steps live in the [platform application guides](../platforms/README.md).

## Main Host Surfaces

- `Dashboard`: host-level status and the default landing surface.
- `Ports`: running runtimes and local service visibility.
- `Plugin`: install, open, and manage available plugins.
- `Settings`: shared host settings plus joined plugin settings where applicable.
- Plugin tabs: full plugin-owned workspaces such as Flow, Chat, Whispr, Joplin, Code, Open Design,
  Social Studio, Open Design, or Exo.

## Typical User Flow

1. Install or open ZoneGaze Matrix.
2. Start or attach any needed local runtime from the dashboard or ports surface.
3. Open `Plugin` and install or launch the products you need.
4. Use each plugin inside the Matrix shell.
5. Return to Dashboard, Ports, or Settings when you need host-level control.

## Plugin Quick Guide

- Flow: project board, task worktrees, agent sessions, Git review, and orchestration.
- Chat: workspace-scoped AI chat surface.
- Whispr: dictation, transcription, history, and quick capture.
- Joplin: notes and knowledge workspace.
- Git: device Git setup and repository status/history.
- ZoneGaze Code: Matrix-owned IDE surface.
- ZoneGaze Research: shared Deep Research and reusable evidence artifacts, used through Chat and
  future plugin handoffs rather than opened as its own tab.
- ZoneGaze Social Studio: modular social-media workflow workspace for ingest, research, planning,
  publishing, analytics, and automation.
- Open Design: upstream design workspace mounted in Matrix.
- Exo: upstream local AI cluster dashboard mounted in Matrix.

See the full [plugin catalog](../plugins/README.md) for owner docs and source boundaries.
Use the [plugin coordination guide](../plugins/plugin-coordination.md) when you want to know
which plugins work best together and which combinations are still future-facing.

## Plugin Manuals And Owner Docs

- Flow: [Flow manual](software-manual.md)
- Flow features: [Feature catalog](../features/feature-catalog.md)
- Plugin boundaries: [Plugins](../plugins/README.md)
- Cross-plugin usage: [Matrix plugin coordination](../plugins/plugin-coordination.md)
- Marketing and sales: [Business docs](../business/README.md)
- Host/plugin architecture: [Matrix plugin architecture](../architecture/matrix-plugin-architecture.md)

## Troubleshooting Path

- General help and support routing: [Help center](../help/README.md)
- Host install and launch issues: [Platform guides](../platforms/README.md)
- General usage issues: [Troubleshooting](../user/troubleshooting.md)
- Developer/runtime issues: [Operations runbook](../operations/runbook.md)
