Aether Native Launcher (Electron)

The Aether Native Launcher is a specialized Electron-based shell for the Aether Platform. It provides a secure bridge between the SvelteKit web UI and the local operating system, enabling features restricted by browser sandboxing.

🚀 Overview

This application serves as the "Native Mode" runtime for Aether podiums and devices. It handles:

• Local File Orchestration: Managed cache for presentation files (PPTx, Keynote, PDF).
• Automation: Specialized AppleScript handlers for PowerPoint and Keynote.
• Hardware Telemetry: Direct access to CPU, RAM, and Network interface data.
• Remote Control: Slide navigation and application control via WebSocket intents.

⚙️ Configuration

The application requires a seed.json file to identify the device and connect to the Aether API.

1. Seed Configuration

Location: ~/seed.json (user's home directory — external to the app bundle by design)

This file is intentionally kept outside the application bundle so it can be edited per-device without re-signing or repackaging the app. On macOS this is /Users/<username>/seed.json.

Create/edit ~/seed.json:

{
  "event_device_id": "YOUR_DEVICE_ID",
  "aether_api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
  "primary_api_base_url": "https://api.yourdomain.com",
  "backup_api_base_url": null
}

Note: The event_device_id and aether_api_key values come from the Aether admin panel (Events → Devices). Each physical device gets its own record and key.

2. Development Setup

npm install
npm start        # Compiles TypeScript (tsc) then launches Electron

3. File Cache Layout

Presentation files are cached locally under hash_prefix_length-char subdirectories (default: 2):

[local_file_cache_path]/
  4a/
    4a228ef8ac1a...sha256hash...file
  1d/
    1d720916a831...sha256hash...file

Important: hash_prefix_length must be consistent. If it changes, files in old directories become orphaned and will be re-downloaded. The default is 2 and should not be changed unless explicitly coordinated across all devices.

🌉 The Native Bridge (aetherNative)

The bridge is exposed to the renderer via contextBridge. It can be accessed in the web UI via window.aetherNative.

Core Methods

Method	Description
list_tools()	Returns a JSON manifest of all available native functions.
launch_presentation({path, app})	Launches a presentation with auto-focus and slideshow start.
control_presentation({app, action})	Sends next, prev, start, or stop to active decks.
open_folder(path)	Opens a local directory in the OS file explorer.
get_device_info()	Returns hardware metadata (RAM, IPs, Hostname).

Example Usage (UI Relay)

import * as native from '$lib/electron/electron_relay';

// Launch a file from local cache
await native.launch_presentation({ 
    path: '[tmp]/my_deck.pptx', 
    app: 'powerpoint' 
});

// Navigate slides
await native.control_presentation({ 
    app: 'powerpoint', 
    action: 'next' 
});

🛠️ Development

• Preload: Logic defined in src/preload/index.ts.
• Handlers: OS-level logic in src/main/shell_handlers.ts and src/main/file_handlers.ts.
• Types: Shared TypeScript interfaces in src/shared/types.ts.