# Aether Native Electron App - V3 Architecture (2026)

## 1. Overview
The Aether Native App serves as the OS-level bridge for the SvelteKit frontend. It enables functionality that is normally restricted by browser sandboxing, such as local filesystem management, hardware telemetry, and direct control of third-party presentation software (PowerPoint, Keynote, LibreOffice).

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## 2. The Three-Layer Architecture

### 2.1 The Engine (`electron_native.js`)
*   **Process:** Main Process (Node.js)
*   **Role:** Performs the actual OS-level operations.
*   **Key Responsibilities:**
    *   Executing shell commands via `child_process`.
    *   Managing the permanent Hashed Cache (`file_cache/`).
    *   Performing atomic "Safe Handover" copies to the operational `temp/` directory.
    *   Resolving global path placeholders like `[home]` and `[tmp]`.

### 2.2 The Bridge (`preload.js`)
*   **Process:** Preload Script
*   **Role:** The security gatekeeper.
*   **Key Responsibilities:**
    *   Uses Electron's `contextBridge` to securely expose specific Main Process functions to the UI.
    *   Exposes the `window.aetherNative` object.
    *   Ensures that only whitelisted IPC channels can be triggered by the renderer.

### 2.3 The Messenger (`electron_relay.ts`)
*   **Process:** Renderer Process (SvelteKit)
*   **Role:** The TypeScript API used by Svelte components.
*   **Key Responsibilities:**
    *   Detecting if the app is running in "Native Mode".
    *   Providing a clean, typed interface for native calls.
    *   Implementing "Smart Fallbacks" (e.g., resolving placeholders UI-side if the bridge is outdated).

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## 3. Core Lifecycle

1.  **Seed Phase:** The Electron shell reads `~/seed.json` to identify the device.
2.  **Hydration Phase:** The shell authenticates with the Aether V3 API to pull device-specific settings (room assignment, sync timers).
3.  **Injection Phase:** The shell injects the **JWT (Auth Token)** and **Native Config** into the SvelteKit environment.
4.  **Observation Phase:** `LauncherBackgroundSync.svelte` force-hydrates absolute OS paths (Home/Tmp) into the global `ae_loc` store for immediate use.

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## 4. Native Tool Library (`window.aetherNative`)

### File & Cache Management
- `check_cache({hash})`: Verify if a file exists in the hidden hashed storage.
- `download_to_cache({url, hash})`: Secure background download using the native API key.
- `launch_from_cache({hash, filename})`: **Safe Handover** — copies from cache to temp with the original name and triggers the launcher.

### OS Execution (The "Actuators")
- `launch_presentation({path, app})`: Intelligent application selection.
    - **Linux:** Triggers `libreoffice --impress`.
    - **macOS:** Triggers AppleScript for Keynote/PowerPoint.
- `run_cmd({cmd})`: Executes raw shell commands with automatic `[home]` and `[tmp]` resolution.
- `kill_processes([names])`: Force-closes presentation apps to clean the podium between sessions.

### System Metadata
- `get_device_info()`: Provides OS version, CPU/RAM stats, and absolute system paths.

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## 5. Path Placeholder System
To maintain cross-platform compatibility, the system uses a placeholder syntax for all paths:
- `[home]`: Resolves to the user's home directory (e.g., `/home/scott` or `/Users/scott`).
- `[tmp]`: Resolves to the system temporary directory.

**Resolution Logic:** All native handlers utilize a global regex (`/\[home\]/g`) to ensure these are converted to absolute paths before any disk or shell operation occurs.