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sideline/README.md
David Gwilliam 0f7203e4e0 feat: enable C&C, compact mise tasks, update docs
- Cherry-pick C&C support (ntfy poller for commands, response handling)
- Compact mise.toml with native dependency chaining
- Update AGENTS.md with C&C documentation
- Update README.md with display modes and C&C usage
2026-03-15 21:55:26 -07:00

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# MAINLINE
> *Digital consciousness stream. Matrix aesthetic · THX-1138 hue.*
A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with a white-hot → deep green gradient. Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages. Live messages can be pushed to the display over [ntfy.sh](https://ntfy.sh).
---
## Using
### Run
```bash
python3 mainline.py # news stream
python3 mainline.py --poetry # literary consciousness mode
python3 mainline.py -p # same
python3 mainline.py --firehose # dense rapid-fire headline mode
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
python3 mainline.py --font-index 1 # select face index within a collection
```
Or with uv:
```bash
uv run mainline.py
```
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
All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
| Constant | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `HEADLINE_LIMIT` | `1000` | Total headlines per session |
| `FEED_TIMEOUT` | `10` | Per-feed HTTP timeout (seconds) |
| `MIC_THRESHOLD_DB` | `50` | dB floor above which glitches spike |
| `NTFY_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh JSON stream for messages |
| `NTFY_CC_CMD_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh topic for C&C commands |
| `NTFY_CC_RESP_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh topic for C&C responses |
| `NTFY_RECONNECT_DELAY` | `5` | Seconds before reconnecting after dropped SSE |
| `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` | `30` | How long an ntfy message holds the screen |
| `FONT_DIR` | `fonts/` | Folder scanned for `.otf`, `.ttf`, `.ttc` files |
| `FONT_PATH` | first file in `FONT_DIR` | Active display font |
| `FONT_PICKER` | `True` | Show interactive font picker at boot |
| `FONT_SZ` | `60` | Font render size (affects block density) |
| `RENDER_H` | `8` | Terminal rows per headline line |
| `SSAA` | `4` | Super-sampling factor |
| `SCROLL_DUR` | `5.625` | Seconds per headline |
| `FRAME_DT` | `0.05` | Frame interval in seconds (20 FPS) |
| `FIREHOSE_H` | `12` | Firehose zone height (terminal rows) |
| `GRAD_SPEED` | `0.08` | Gradient sweep speed |
### Display Modes
Mainline supports multiple display backends:
- **Terminal** (`--display terminal`): ANSI terminal output (default)
- **WebSocket** (`--display websocket`): Stream to web browser clients
- **Both** (`--display both`): Terminal + WebSocket simultaneously
WebSocket mode serves a web client at http://localhost:8766 with ANSI color support and fullscreen mode.
### Feeds
~25 sources across four categories: **Science & Technology**, **Economics & Business**, **World & Politics**, **Culture & Ideas**. Add or swap feeds in `engine/sources.py``FEEDS`.
**Poetry mode** pulls from Project Gutenberg: Whitman, Dickinson, Thoreau, Emerson. Sources are in `engine/sources.py``POETRY_SOURCES`.
### Fonts
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.
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.
To push a message:
```bash
curl -d "Body text" -H "Title: Alert title" https://ntfy.sh/your_topic
```
---
## Internals
### How it works
- 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
```
engine/
__init__.py package marker
app.py main(), font picker TUI, boot sequence, C&C poller
config.py constants, CLI flags, glyph tables
sources.py FEEDS, POETRY_SOURCES, language/script maps
terminal.py ANSI codes, tw/th, type_out, boot_ln
filter.py HTML stripping, content filter
translate.py Google Translate wrapper + region detection
render.py OTF → half-block pipeline (SSAA, gradient)
effects/ plugin architecture for visual effects
controller.py handles /effects commands
chain.py effect pipeline chaining
registry.py effect registration and lookup
performance.py performance monitoring
fetch.py RSS/Gutenberg fetching + cache
ntfy.py NtfyPoller — standalone, zero internal deps
mic.py MicMonitor — standalone, graceful fallback
scroll.py stream() frame loop + message rendering
viewport.py terminal dimension tracking
frame.py scroll step calculation, timing
layers.py ticker zone, firehose, message overlay
eventbus.py thread-safe event publishing
events.py event types and definitions
controller.py coordinates ntfy/mic monitoring
emitters.py background emitters
types.py type definitions
display.py Display protocol (Terminal, WebSocket, Multi)
websocket_display.py WebSocket server for browser clients
```
---
## Development
### Setup
Requires Python 3.10+ and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/).
```bash
uv sync # minimal (no mic)
uv sync --all-extras # with mic support
uv sync --all-extras --group dev # full dev environment
```
### Tasks
With [mise](https://mise.jdx.dev/):
```bash
mise run test # run test suite
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 # 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
```bash
uv run pytest
uv run pytest --cov=engine --cov-report=term-missing
```
### Linting
```bash
uv run ruff check engine/ mainline.py
uv run ruff format engine/ mainline.py
```
Pre-commit hooks run lint automatically via `hk`.
---
## Roadmap
### Performance
- Concurrent feed fetching with ThreadPoolExecutor
- Background feed refresh daemon
- Translation pre-fetch during boot
### Graphics
- Matrix rain katakana underlay
- CRT scanline simulation
- Sixel/iTerm2 inline images
- Parallax secondary column
### Cyberpunk Vibes
- 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)
---
*Python 3.10+. Primary display font is user-selectable via bundled `fonts/` picker.*