rigdoctor/docs/DECISIONS.md

# 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 <PAT>`. 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:<token>@…/rigdoctor.git@<tag>"` 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).
*Milestone policy (pre-1.0):* **0.0.x** = early development; **0.1.0** = first complete,
installable, self-updating release (reached 2026-05-21); **0.x.0** = each later milestone
(AMD/Intel, unattended logger auto-start, session sharing…); **1.0.0** = broadly stable
(multi-vendor/distro, no major caveats). PATCH (`0.x.PATCH`) for fixes/small changes. *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.

### D21 — Versioning rules & automation — *DECIDED 2026-05-21*
The next version is **determined by the Conventional Commit types** since the last release
(D20), so it can be auto-computed instead of guessed:
- `fix:` / `perf:` → bump **PATCH**.
- `feat:` → bump **MINOR** (pre-1.0: `0.MINOR.0`).
- breaking (`feat!:` / `BREAKING CHANGE:`) → pre-1.0: bump **MINOR** (not major); post-1.0: MAJOR.
- `docs:` / `chore:` / `refactor:` / `ci:` / `test:` / `style:` alone → **PATCH** (no feature release).
- Milestone overrides by hand are allowed (e.g., jumping to `1.0.0`); see the milestone policy in D19.

*Automation:* `git-cliff --bumped-version` computes the next version from history;
`packaging/bump.sh` writes it into `__init__.py` + `pyproject.toml`. Rules live in
`cliff.toml [bump]` (pre-1.0: `breaking_always_bump_major = false`).

### D22 — Limited live apply of fixes (M6) — *DECIDED 2026-05-22; realizes the D9 milestone*
D9 deferred auto-applying fixes to "a deliberate later milestone, gated behind explicit user
consent." That milestone lands here, **scoped tightly to stay safe**:
- **Only runtime-reversible settings** are applyable from the gaming-environment report (M6):
  **CPU governor, NVIDIA persistence mode, PCIe ASPM policy, vm.swappiness, Transparent
  HugePages.** Each takes effect immediately, needs **no reboot**, and reverts on reboot.
- **How:** a dropdown of the live options + an Apply button per finding (`core/fixes.py`).
  Applying runs a **single pkexec-elevated command** (one auth prompt); the chosen value is
  validated against the live options first; writes target **sysfs/procfs or `nvidia-smi`** —
  never the GRUB cmdline or a persistent config file.
- **Still suggestion-only** (the read-only stance holds for these): GRUB-based `pcie_aspm=off`,
  CPU **mitigations** changes (security-sensitive, need a reboot), and the shader-cache env var.
- Everything remains **CLI-discoverable** (`rigdoctor gameenv` still prints the exact commands);
  the apply UI is an additive convenience in the GUI, not the only path. Installing optional
  tools (GameMode/MangoHud/cpupower) reuses the M9 installer and is likewise one-click.

### D23 — Session sharing scoped to a shared terminal only — *DECIDED 2026-05-22; amends D16*
D16's escalating ladder (export → read-only stats view → terminal) is **cut down to just the
shared terminal.** Rationale: the terminal is the only mode the owner wants; the stats view
duplicated what the GUI already shows and added surface area. Concretely:
- **Removed:** the read-only stats view + its HTTP server (`core/share.py`, `rigdoctor share
  serve`) and the (never-built) bundle export. The `share` CLI command is gone.
- **Kept & finished:** the relay **shared terminal** (host PTY of `$SHELL`) — now color-rendered
  (preserves fish/ls/git theming), full-screen-able, with the guest read-only unless the host
  ticks "Allow the guest to type" (the D9 consent exception). Account-gated by the Gitea token.

## Open

None currently — all tracked decisions (D1–D23) 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`).
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