# RigDoctor — Decisions & Open Questions Format: each item is **OPEN** (needs a call) or **DECIDED** (with date + rationale). Decisions D1–D19 are settled (D1–D15 on 2026-05-21); the original open questions are kept below with their resolutions so the reasoning is traceable. No tracked decisions are currently open. ## Decided ### D1 — Project name — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **RigDoctor.** Confirmed as the final name (repo, package, and CLI command `rigdoctor`). Alternatives (RigWatch, GameDoc, Penguin Pit Crew, LGD) dropped. ### D2 — Language / runtime — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Python 3 + Qt (PySide6).** - *Why Python:* fastest AI-assisted development (largest codegen corpus) and a perfect fit for the real workload — parsing `nvidia-smi`/sysfs/`journalctl`, CSV/JSON, subprocess. - *Why Qt/PySide6:* one toolkit covers **both** the desktop GUI and the system-tray applet. - *Layering that preserves "low overhead":* the **core engine, CLI, and crash-logger daemon stay stdlib-only** (no hard deps, tiny footprint); **only the GUI and tray modules pull in PySide6**. This maps cleanly onto the modular installer — a headless/server user never installs Qt. - *Trade-off accepted:* the GUI carries a Qt runtime dependency (not a single static binary). Mitigated by shipping a `.deb` that declares `python3` + `python3-pyside6` (see D8). ### D3 — Distro priority order — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Ubuntu first**, by an explicit margin. Debian comes along for free via `apt`. Arch (`pacman`) / Fedora (`dnf`) / openSUSE (`zypper`) are best-effort later. The package-manager and distro abstraction stays in the design so other distros can be added, but all primary development, testing, and packaging target Ubuntu. ### D4 — GPU vendor priority — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **NVIDIA first.** It's the seed hardware (RTX 3070) and the source of the motivating crash. AMD and Intel come later behind the vendor abstraction; nothing should hard-code NVIDIA in a way that blocks them. ### D5 — MVP scope — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **M1 + M3 + M4 (the *Essential* bundle), NVIDIA-only.** This was the first build target — it captures the seed crash and explains the logs before any installer, multi-vendor, etc. work. *(The MVP was built CLI-first; per D17 the GUI is now the primary interface going forward — the CLI keeps full parity.)* ### D6 — Crash-logger trigger model — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Let the user choose.** All three modes are supported and selectable (installer + config): 1. **Always-on** `systemd --user` service. 2. **Game-launch-triggered** (auto-start when a game/Steam session starts, stop after). 3. **Manual** (CLI command, or the tray applet's "start recording" button). *Still open:* the exact game-launch detection mechanism — see D12. ### D7 — Stress / repro module — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Out of scope. Module M7 is dropped.** RigDoctor will not build or bundle stress/load generators. Users who want to reproduce load can run existing tools (gpu-burn, vkmark, stress-ng) themselves alongside the logger. ### D8 — Distribution / packaging — *DECIDED 2026-05-21; revised 2026-05-21 (see D18)* **Primary: a user-local install** (pipx/venv or a versioned bundle under `~/.local`, owned by the user) so the app can **self-update from the public Gitea releases with no root** (D18). A **`.deb` remains an optional** system-install channel for users who prefer it (updated via apt). *Why the revision:* the repo is public and we want frictionless, GUI-first self-updates, which a root-owned system package can't apply silently. The interactive installer (M9) layers module selection on top of either channel. AUR / Flatpak / COPR still later, if warranted. ### D9 — Scope of action (read-only vs apply-fixes) — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Read-only + suggestions.** RigDoctor diagnoses, monitors, and **suggests** actions in plain language (with the exact command where possible), but does **not** apply changes itself in this stage. Auto-applying fixes (governor, power profile, etc.) is a deliberate later milestone, gated behind explicit user consent when it lands. ### D10 — GUI is a first-class deliverable — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* The app must run **three ways**: (a) **CLI-only / headless** (full functionality from the terminal, works over SSH), (b) a **desktop GUI**, and (c) a **system-tray / top-menu-bar applet** with quick actions. This supersedes the original "terminal-first, GUI maybe later" non-goal. GUI and tray are separate optional modules over the shared core engine. ### D11 — Tray / menu-bar applet — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* A small always-available applet in the Linux top menu bar (system tray / StatusNotifierItem, via Qt's `QSystemTrayIcon`; on Ubuntu/GNOME this surfaces through the AppIndicator extension). Provides quick actions and at-a-glance status. *Still open:* the exact set of quick actions/indicators — see D13. ### D12 — Game-launch detection mechanism — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Layered approach, no root** (logger stays a `systemd --user` service): 1. **Wrapper (precise, primary):** `rigdoctor wrap %command%` for per-game Steam launch options, plus an installer helper that registers RigDoctor as a **global Steam compatibility tool** (covers all Proton games without per-game edits). The same wrapper field works in Lutris/Heroic. Deterministic start/stop, knows the title, needs no watcher daemon. *Build first.* 2. **Zero-config watcher (fallback):** low-frequency poll of Steam's `RunningAppID` (`~/.steam/registry.vdf`) plus a `/proc` heuristic for non-Steam launchers, for users who won't edit launch options. *Build later.* 3. **GameMode (opportunistic):** if Feral `gamemoded` is present, use its D-Bus `GameRegistered`/`GameUnregistered` signals (via `gdbus`/`busctl` — no Python dbus dep). - *Explicitly rejected:* root-only kernel mechanisms (proc-connector netlink `PROC_EVENTS`, eBPF) — they'd force the logger to run as root. - *Phasing:* wrapper ships with the game-launch trigger mode (Phase 4); watcher + GameMode follow. ### D13 — Tray / menu-bar applet: actions & indicators — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Live readouts (from M1) + a Run Diagnostic action.** - **At-a-glance live data** shown inline in the tray dropdown, refreshed periodically: **CPU temp, GPU temp, memory used/total** (e.g. "14 GB / 32 GB"). A status dot (normal / throttling / alert) is proposed alongside. - **Run Diagnostic** — the primary action. Launches the **guided diagnostic session** (SPEC §4): prompts *which game to focus on*, starts a focused log collection for that game's session (M3, scoped via the D12 game detection), then scans/analyzes (M4) and presents the findings. - **Supporting actions (proposed minimal set):** Open dashboard (M10), Start/Stop recording (manual trigger), Snapshot now, Quit. ### D14 — Final installer module list & bundles — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Use the current `MODULES.md` catalog and bundles as final.** Modules: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M9, M10, M11 (M7 dropped). Bundles: Essential / Monitoring / Diagnostics / Desktop UI (+ Custom). No further additions planned for v1. ### D15 — Distro package-name mapping → apt-only — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* *What it was:* RigDoctor's optional modules need a few system packages (smartmontools, lm-sensors, dmidecode, python3-pyside6, AppIndicator). The same tool is named differently per distro (e.g. `lm-sensors` on apt vs `lm_sensors` on pacman/dnf; Qt is `python3-pyside6` on apt). Supporting multiple distros would require a table mapping each logical dependency to the right package name per package manager. *Decision:* **apt-only.** We maintain package names for **Ubuntu/apt only** and do **not** build or maintain mappings for other package managers. A thin seam is left in the design so another package manager *could* be added later, but multi-distro support is **not** a planned deliverable. Revisit only if Ubuntu-only proves too narrow. ### D16 — Session sharing / remote assist (M12) — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* Build a **session-sharing / remote-assist** capability (new module **M12**) so a user (A) can let a helper (B) inspect their machine. **Full ladder, built in order:** 1. **Diagnostic bundle export** — `share export` packages inventory (M5) + recent capture log (M3) + a report into one file A sends to B; B opens it in RigDoctor. One-way, no live connection. Safest; build first. 2. **Live read-only view** — a small local server serving the live dashboard + logs read-only, reached over a **user-chosen tunnel** (Tailscale / cloudflared / SSH reverse tunnel — *no RigDoctor-hosted relay*, to keep the no-telemetry promise). Token-gated, short TTL, A approves and can kill instantly. No terminal. 3. **Gated interactive terminal** — wrap an existing trusted tool (`tmate`/`sshx`) rather than rolling our own; **read-only link by default**, read-write requires explicit per-session consent. This is a deliberate, consent-gated exception to the read-only stance (D9) — it's full machine access and must be treated as such. *Cross-cutting principles:* explicit per-session consent; ephemeral, revocable tokens; clear permission escalation (view ≠ shell); no mandatory central relay; session audit log. *Note:* this adds M12 on top of the "final" list from D14; the catalog is updated accordingly. ### D17 — GUI-first interface emphasis — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* The **desktop GUI (M10) is the primary, default interface** for end users — it's the more user-friendly way in, and **every capability** (recording, reports, status, …) must be reachable from it. This **supersedes the earlier "CLI-first / terminal-first" framing** (updates D5 and the SPEC wording). - *The CLI is not removed:* it keeps **full functionality** for headless / SSH / server / scripting use, and it's the engine the background daemon runs on. - *No change to layering (D2):* the core, CLI, and daemon stay **stdlib-only** and must run without Qt. "GUI-first" is about emphasis and front-end parity, not dropping headless support. ### D18 — Auto-update (M13) — *PLANNED 2026-05-21; mechanism revised 2026-05-21* RigDoctor should **check for a newer version on launch and self-update** (new module **M13**). **Mechanism (revised): user-local, no-root self-update over authenticated HTTP (token).** *Why revised:* the Gitea instance requires sign-in for **all** anonymous access (repo page, releases feed, raw, API all 303/403 anonymously), so the original "public HTTP" plan can't work. Updates are therefore **gated to people with an account on the Gitea server**, which is desirable — access control is delegated to Gitea. - *Auth:* each user creates a **Personal Access Token** (scope `read:repository`); RigDoctor stores it at `~/.config/rigdoctor/token` (mode 0600) or reads `RIGDOCTOR_TOKEN`. Requests send `Authorization: token `. Finer access = repo visibility/collaborators on Gitea. - *Check:* `GET /api/v1/repos/jessey/rigdoctor/releases/latest` with the token; compare tags. - *Apply:* `pip install --upgrade "git+https://oauth2:@…/rigdoctor.git@"` into the user-local venv, then restart (incl. the daemon). No root. - *States surfaced:* no-token → "connect to update server"; auth error → "access denied"; newer → "Update to v…"; else "up-to-date". - *Original (now-superseded) plan was anonymous public HTTP:* - *Install model (D8 revised):* primary install is **user-local** (`~/.local`), so the running app can replace its own files and update with **no apt, no root, no password prompt**. - *Check:* on launch, query the **public Gitea releases API** (`/api/v1/repos/jessey/rigdoctor/releases/latest`) over HTTPS; compare to the running version. - *Apply:* download the new release bundle, **verify checksum/signature**, stage it (e.g. `~/.local/share/rigdoctor/versions/x.y.z`), swap a symlink atomically, then restart (including the `systemd --user` daemon). - *GUI-first (D17):* a non-intrusive "update available" prompt + one-click apply; `rigdoctor update` in the CLI. - *Security:* HTTPS only; verify checksum/signature before swapping; never run unverified code. - *Privacy (no telemetry):* version-check only — no tracking; auto-check is opt-out-able. - *`.deb` users:* the optional `.deb` channel updates via apt instead; auto-update targets the user-local install. - *Caveat (to confirm before building):* the Gitea instance currently **requires sign-in for API calls** (`"Only signed in user is allowed to call APIs."`), so anonymous version checks need the instance/repo set to allow anonymous access — or a separate public version endpoint (e.g. a static file or a mirror). ### D19 — Versioning & changelog — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Track a version number on every change.** SemVer-style `MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH` (pre-1.0: bump PATCH for ordinary changes, MINOR for larger milestones). `__version__` (`rigdoctor/__init__.py`) and `pyproject.toml` are the single source of truth and **must match the git release tag** so the auto-updater (D18) can compare versions. Every change updates `CHANGELOG.md` — now generated from **Conventional Commits** via git-cliff (see D20). *Note:* an early placeholder `0.1.0` was corrected to follow the released **0.0.x** line — first release was **V0.0.1**; current is **0.0.2**. ### D20 — Automated changelog & release notes — *DECIDED 2026-05-21* **Release notes are generated from our changes, surfaced in the auto-updater.** - *Release body:* CI sets each Gitea release's `body` from the matching `CHANGELOG.md` section (was a hardcoded "Automated release for…"). The updater fetches the release `body` and shows **"What's new"** — a dialog before applying (GUI) and in `rigdoctor update` (CLI). - *Generation:* adopt **Conventional Commits** (`feat:`/`fix:`/`docs:`/`chore:` …) and **git-cliff** (`cliff.toml`, `packaging/changelog.sh`) to generate `CHANGELOG.md` from commit history. Refines D19's "hand-write CHANGELOG" to "generate it from conventional commits"; `__version__`/`pyproject.toml`/tag still the source of truth for the version. - *CI does not auto-commit the changelog* (avoids push loops) — it's regenerated by the dev via the script when cutting a version; CI only reads the section for the release body. ## Open None currently — all tracked decisions (D1–D20) are resolved. New questions will be added here as they arise. Remaining detail to flesh out during build: the tray's supporting-action set (D13), per-module apt package names, M12's tunnel/token specifics, and M13's update mechanism (APT repo vs. self-installed `.deb`).