python3 mainline.py --refresh # force re-fetch (bypass cache)
python3 mainline.py --display websocket # web browser display only
python3 mainline.py --display both # terminal + web browser
python3 mainline.py --no-font-picker # skip interactive font picker
python3 mainline.py --font-file path.otf # use a specific font file
python3 mainline.py --font-dir ~/fonts # scan a different font folder
@@ -28,7 +29,20 @@ Or with uv:
uv run mainline.py
```
First run bootstraps a local `.mainline_venv/` and installs deps (`feedparser`, `Pillow`, `sounddevice`, `numpy`). Subsequent runs start immediately, loading from cache. With uv, run `uv sync` or`uv sync --all-extras`(includes mic support) instead.
First run bootstraps dependencies. Use`uv sync --all-extras`for mic support.
### Command & Control (C&C)
Control mainline remotely using `cmdline.py`:
```bash
uv run cmdline.py # Interactive TUI
uv run cmdline.py /effects list # List all effects
uv run cmdline.py /effects stats # Show performance stats
uv run cmdline.py -w /effects stats # Watch mode (auto-refresh)
```
Commands are sent via ntfy.sh topics - useful for controlling a daemonized mainline instance.
### Config
@@ -39,20 +53,31 @@ All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
| `HEADLINE_LIMIT` | `1000` | Total headlines per session |
WebSocket mode serves a web client at http://localhost:8766 with ANSI color support and fullscreen mode.
### Feeds
@@ -62,15 +87,15 @@ All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
### Fonts
A `fonts/` directory is bundled with demo faces (AgorTechnoDemo, AlphatronDemo, CSBishopDrawn, CubaTechnologyDemo, CyberformDemo, KATA, Microbots, ModernSpaceDemo, Neoform, Pixel Sparta, RaceHugoDemo, Resond, Robocops, Synthetix, Xeonic, and others). On startup, an interactive picker lists all discovered faces with a live half-block preview rendered at your configured size.
A `fonts/` directory is bundled with demo faces. On startup, an interactive picker lists all discovered faces with a live half-block preview.
Navigation: `↑`/`↓` or `j`/`k` to move, `Enter` or `q` to select. The selected face persists for that session.
Navigation: `↑`/`↓` or `j`/`k` to move, `Enter` or `q` to select.
To add your own fonts, drop `.otf`, `.ttf`, or `.ttc` files into `fonts/` (or point `--font-dir` at any other folder). Font collections (`.ttc`, multi-face `.otf`) are enumerated face-by-face.
To add your own fonts, drop `.otf`, `.ttf`, or `.ttc` files into `fonts/`.
### ntfy.sh
Mainline polls a configurable ntfy.sh topic in the background. When a message arrives, the scroll pauses and the message renders full-screen for `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` seconds, then the stream resumes.
Mainline polls a configurable ntfy.sh topic in the background. When a message arrives, the scroll pauses and the message renders full-screen.
Update `NTFY_TOPIC` in `engine/config.py` to point at your own topic.
---
## Internals
### How it works
- On launch, the font picker scans `fonts/` and presents a live-rendered TUI for face selection; `--no-font-picker` skips directly to stream
- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup (sports and vapid content stripped); results are cached to `.mainline_cache_news.json` / `.mainline_cache_poetry.json` for fast restarts
- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow with 4× SSAA into half-block characters (`▀▄█ `) at the configured font size
- The ticker uses a sweeping white-hot → deep green gradient; ntfy messages use a complementary white-hot → magenta/maroon gradient to distinguish them visually
- Subject-region detection runs a regex pass on each headline; matches trigger a Google Translate call and font swap to the appropriate script (CJK, Arabic, Devanagari, etc.) using macOS system fonts
- The mic stream runs in a background thread, feeding RMS dB into the glitch probability calculation each frame
- The viewport scrolls through a virtual canvas of pre-rendered blocks; fade zones at top and bottom dissolve characters probabilistically
- An ntfy.sh SSE stream runs in a background thread; incoming messages interrupt the scroll and render full-screen until dismissed or expired
- On launch, the font picker scans `fonts/` and presents a live-rendered TUI for face selection
- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup; results are cached for fast restarts
- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow with 4× SSAA into half-block characters
- The ticker uses a sweeping white-hot → deep green gradient
- Subject-region detection triggers Google Translate and font swap for non-Latin scripts
- The mic stream runs in a background thread, feeding RMS dB into glitch probability
- The viewport scrolls through pre-rendered blocks with fade zones
- An ntfy.sh SSE stream runs in a background thread for messages and C&C commands
### Architecture
`mainline.py` is a thin entrypoint (venv bootstrap → `engine.app.main()`). All logic lives in the `engine/` package:
```
engine/
__init__.py package marker
app.py main(), font picker TUI, boot sequence, signal handler
app.py main(), font picker TUI, boot sequence, C&C poller
websocket_display.py WebSocket server for browser clients
```
`ntfy.py` and `mic.py` have zero internal dependencies and can be imported by any other visualizer.
---
## Extending
`ntfy.py` and `mic.py` are fully standalone and designed to be reused by any terminal visualizer. `engine.render` is the importable rendering pipeline for non-terminal targets.
excess=mic.excess# dB above threshold, clamped to 0
db=mic.db# raw RMS dB level
```
Dependencies: `sounddevice`, `numpy` — both optional; degrades gracefully if unavailable.
### Render pipeline
`engine.render` exposes the OTF → raster pipeline independently of the terminal scroll loop. The planned `serve.py` extension will import it directly to pre-render headlines as 1-bit bitmaps for an ESP32 thin client:
```python
# planned — serve.py does not yet exist
fromengine.renderimportrender_line,big_wrap
fromengine.fetchimportfetch_all
headlines=fetch_all()
forhinheadlines:
rows=big_wrap(h.text,font,width=800)# list of half-block rows
# threshold to 1-bit, pack bytes, serve over HTTP
```
See `Mainline Renderer + ntfy Message Queue for ESP32.md` for the full server + thin client architecture.
---
## Development
@@ -190,7 +161,7 @@ Requires Python 3.10+ and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/).
```bash
uv sync # minimal (no mic)
uv sync --all-extras # with mic support (sounddevice + numpy)
uv sync --all-extras # with mic support
uv sync --all-extras --group dev # full dev environment
```
@@ -204,15 +175,19 @@ mise run test-cov # run with coverage report
mise run lint # ruff check
mise run lint-fix # ruff check --fix
mise run format # ruff format
mise run run # uv run mainline.py
mise run run-poetry# uv run mainline.py --poetry
mise run run-firehose # uv run mainline.py --firehose
mise run run# terminal display
mise run run-websocket # web display only
mise run run-both # terminal + web
mise run run-client # both + open browser
mise run cmd # C&C command interface
mise run cmd-stats # watch effects stats
mise run topics-init # initialize ntfy topics
```
### Testing
Tests live in `tests/` and cover `config`, `filter`, `mic`, `ntfy`, `sources`, and `terminal`.
```bash
uv run pytest
uv run pytest --cov=engine --cov-report=term-missing
@@ -232,28 +207,23 @@ Pre-commit hooks run lint automatically via `hk`.
## Roadmap
### Performance
-**Concurrent feed fetching** — startup currently blocks sequentially on ~25 HTTP requests; `concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor` would cut load time to the slowest single feed
-**Background refresh** — re-fetch feeds in a daemon thread so a long session stays current without restart
-**Translation pre-fetch** — run translate calls concurrently during the boot sequence rather than on first render
- Concurrent feed fetching with ThreadPoolExecutor
- Background feed refresh daemon
- Translation pre-fetch during boot
### Graphics
-**Matrix rain underlay** — katakana column rain rendered at low opacity beneath the scrolling blocks as a background layer
-**CRT simulation** — subtle dim scanlines every N rows, occasional brightness ripple across the full screen
-**Sixel / iTerm2 inline images** — bypass half-blocks entirely and stream actual bitmap frames for true resolution; would require a capable terminal
-**Parallax secondary column** — a second, dimmer, faster-scrolling stream of ambient text at reduced opacity on one side
- Matrix rain katakana underlay
- CRT scanline simulation
- Sixel/iTerm2 inline images
- Parallax secondary column
### Cyberpunk Vibes
-**Keyword watch list** — highlight or strobe any headline matching tracked terms (names, topics, tickers)
-**Breaking interrupt** — full-screen flash + synthesized blip when a high-priority keyword hits
-**Live data overlay** — secondary ticker strip at screen edge: BTC price, ISS position, geomagnetic index
-**Theme switcher** — `--amber` (phosphor), `--ice` (electric cyan), `--red` (alert state) palette modes via CLI flag
-**Persona modes** — `--surveillance`, `--oracle`, `--underground` as feed presets with matching color themes and boot copy
- **Synthesized audio** — short static bursts tied to glitch events, independent of mic input
### Extensibility
- **serve.py** — HTTP server that imports `engine.render` and `engine.fetch` directly to stream 1-bit bitmaps to an ESP32 display
- **Rust port** — `ntfy.py` and `render.py` are the natural first targets; clear module boundaries make incremental porting viable
- Keyword watch list with strobe effects
- Breaking interrupt with synthesized audio
- Live data overlay (BTC, ISS position)
- Theme switcher (amber, ice, red)
- Persona modes (surveillance, oracle, underground)
---
*macOS only (script/system font paths for translation are hardcoded). Primary display font is user-selectable via the bundled `fonts/` picker. Python 3.10+.*
*Python 3.10+. Primary display font is user-selectable via bundled `fonts/` picker.*
ci="mise run topics-init && uv sync --group dev && uv run pytest --cov=engine --cov-report=term-missing --cov-report=xml"
ci-lint="uv run ruff check engine/ mainline.py"
ci={run="mise run topics-init && mise run lint && mise run test-cov",depends=["topics-init","lint","test-cov"]}
# =====================
# Git Hooks (via hk)
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