iOpenPod 2.0.4__tar.gz → 2.0.6__tar.gz

iopenpod-2.0.6/CONTEXT.md

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+# iOpenPod Context
+
+## Purpose
+
+iOpenPod is a cross-platform desktop application for managing filesystem-accessible
+iPods without iTunes. The long-term product will browse and edit an iPod library,
+plan and apply media synchronization, preserve device-specific database behavior,
+and protect removable media from unsafe writes.
+
+iOpenPod 2.0 is a deliberate rebuild of the Original iOpenPod. There is no reduced
+"first usable version" that defines the product's final scope. Development may be
+incremental, but it continues toward feature parity with the Original iOpenPod and
+then beyond it.
+
+## Current stage
+
+Microsoft Store installs now check for application updates at launch and expose
+progress and an Update now action through the status bar. Installation waits for
+unsaved Library Drafts and running workflows to be resolved, then hands consent and
+package replacement to Windows. Install Channel detection and typed Update Backends
+also route standalone GitHub releases through signed metadata and an independent
+portable helper or Sparkle on macOS. The public trust key and repository signing
+secret are configured for future releases; existing downloads still need a manual
+bootstrap upgrade. Store eligibility and a full signed-release A-to-B upgrade still
+require native release validation. See [Application updates](docs/app-updates.md)
+and ADR-0105.
+Settings > About also shows the detected Install Channel beside the version and
+offers a manual check using the same update workflow. Other channels are identified
+where runtime evidence permits. Mac App Store, Flatpak and Snap remain managed by
+their installation source. See ADR-0109 for standalone trust and recovery policy.
+Installed Python packages also check PyPI. **Update now** stages a compatible,
+non-yanked stable wheel; **Restart to install** protects pending work, closes the
+app, upgrades that same Python environment, verifies the runtime and relaunches.
+Standard UV tool installs upgrade through UV's tool manager. Editable checkouts
+are excluded. Customized UV tools, pipx, locked, externally managed and read-only
+environments retain manual update guidance. See ADR-0113 for package
+identity, ownership and failure limits; Python package replacement has no automatic
+rollback.
+
+Startup checks media tools and offers a skippable setup popup for missing FFmpeg,
+FFprobe, or fpcalc. Settings > Media Tools shows tool and FFmpeg encoder status,
+with setup offered when a tool is missing. Installation is explicitly user-directed
+through WinGet, architecture-specific Homebrew, or supported Linux
+package managers, with progress and subsequent executable verification. Tools stay
+outside the app distribution; fpcalc remains optional. See
+[Media-tool setup](docs/media-tools.md) and ADR-0103 for platform prerequisites.
+
+Scrobbling now submits committed iPod music plays to Last.fm and ListenBrainz from
+Maintenance or an optional Sync step. Account-specific Host receipts prevent
+normal retries from replaying accepted listens; pending submissions survive Sync
+removals. Credentials use the native OS keyring. The iPod's aggregate playback
+counters remain evidence rather than per-service delivery state. See
+[Scrobbling](docs/scrobbling.md) and ADR-0101 for timestamp estimates and limits.
+Last.fm dates older than its backdating window are moved to the current day for
+submission, with original evidence retained separately while pending (ADR-0102).
+
+iPodDB also provides lossless typed readers/writers for firmware Preferences and
+binary iTunesPrefs. They expose documented device and iTunes settings while
+retaining Unknown Data. Model-specific fields require explicit caller assertions;
+layout recognition remains separate from Device Identity. Companion plist modeling
+and physical preferences editing remain separate work.
+Library dates now use a captured Device Time Context: historical city rules or an
+explicit fixed-offset fallback, UTC-only release/purchase fields, and local Mac
+conversion for Photo dates. Preferences are checked again before publication;
+ambiguous dates remain unavailable and losslessly retained. See ADR-0098 and
+[the time contract](docs/ipod-time.md).
+Settings now includes a read-only iPod Preferences tab. Device selection captures
+both binary preference files through Storage and publishes display summaries with
+the Active iPod; switching or disconnecting clears the previous device's values.
+See [the Preferences contract](docs/ipod-preferences.md) and ADR-0097.
+
+iOpenPod 2.0 is in its foundation and binary-format implementation stage. Current
+binary-format work includes definition-driven, lossless parser/writer foundations
+for iTunesDB, ArtworkDB, and PhotosDB. PhotosDB exposes the on-device Photo Database
+as a root-typed artifact over the evidenced ArtworkDB-format nested Chunk and MHOD
+layouts. Every database artifact uses the same mandatory, header-typed Chunk
+Definition contract, one root-typed Database Definition, and the same shared
+structural reader/writer path. These
+foundations remain subject to review as broader application workflows establish
+their stable public interfaces. The repository also contains an architecture draft
+and exploratory application settings and database-definition code whose public
+interfaces and internal layout are not yet settled. Treat
+`docs/source_architecture.md` as the target direction and untested source as evidence
+and experimentation, not as completed implementation.
+
+This stage prioritizes shared language, documented decisions, a reproducible Python
+environment, consistent verification tools, and careful implementation of the iPod
+database formats as device-writing workflows become available.
+
+Storage now has a generic mounted-volume and Filesystem Session foundation with
+native snapshot discovery for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a virtual-volume test
+adapter. It can also return generic SCSI VPD and Host property observations from an
+identity-bound Physical Device without interpreting them as iPod facts. Its current
+macOS adapter correlates each `diskutil` BSD whole-disk identity with generic USB
+identifiers from IOKit before the Application Layer interprets that evidence. Its
+mutation surface includes verified single-file operations, recoverable trash, and
+ordered multi-file Storage Transactions with retained originals and durable Operation
+Journals. Transactions validate unchanged dependencies, stage verified content,
+publish writes before removals, and support explicit restoration after reconnecting.
+Storage now also performs user-directed native safe removal through Windows Plug and
+Play, macOS Disk Arbitration's `diskutil` client, and Linux UDisks2. It never forces
+an unmount, preserves native refusal details, and models an unmounted-but-not-ejected
+partial result by expiring the Connection Generation. Incoming-media planning/import
+and event-driven connection monitoring remain prerequisites for general Sync and
+destructive maintenance workflows. See ADR-0029 and ADR-0060.
+
+The Application Layer now coordinates device discovery and selection through
+`DeviceCoordinator`. It reads identity metadata and iTunesDB snapshots only through
+Storage, translates generic Host observations into Device Evidence, asks Device
+Registry to identify each Device Candidate, gives already-read database bytes to
+iPodDB, and owns one Active iPod Filesystem Session. Discovery never writes. When the
+Application Layer builds a discovery snapshot, only mounted Volumes containing the
+`iPod_Control` marker become Device Candidates; ordinary removable media stays a
+Storage observation and never reaches the Device Picker. When the user selects an
+exactly identified iPod, a narrow metadata-reconciliation workflow
+can atomically repair SysInfo, SysInfoExtended, and the version-1
+iOpenPodSysInfoAuthority record on a write-safe Volume before the Library is loaded.
+The repair is verified, flushed, idempotent, and does not authorize Sync or any
+destructive workflow.
+SysInfo and SysInfoExtended remain optional metadata, never the sole required
+source of device knowledge. Signing can use current hardware evidence directly,
+and every SQLite-capable profile can use the built-in Library projection without
+device-supplied postprocess commands. See ADR-0115.
+`DeviceController` runs discovery and selection outside the Qt GUI thread and
+publishes immutable results to the shared library models. If a previous Volume
+Identity is saved, startup makes one background discovery pass to restore that iPod.
+On Windows, macOS, and Linux, opening the Device Picker starts discovery immediately
+and repeats it two seconds after each pass while the picker stays open. Closing it
+stops further picker passes. Searching feedback stays inside the picker, and
+unchanged observations preserve the Active iPod and Library Draft. Native
+event-driven connection monitoring remains separate future work. See ADR-0069 and
+ADR-0071. After a successful selection, it stores the selected Volume Identity in
+global settings. Discovery automatically restores that choice only when exactly one
+matching Device Candidate is ready; the connection-scoped Device Candidate ID is
+never persisted.
+The GUI first opens a modal folder dialog that stages Host Media Library folders and
+their recursive, per-media-type scan settings. Accepting the dialog persists that
+configuration in global settings, starts a cancellable background Host Media Scan,
+and opens the full-window Sync Workspace for scan progress, media selection, and
+Review. The scan covers audio, video, Photos, and Playlists and projects the result
+through the common Library Snapshot API,
+calculates and caches bounded raw Chromaprint fingerprints for Host Tracks and
+SHA-256 content fingerprints for Host Photos, discovers embedded or common
+folder-level Track artwork for lazy source-validated display, and
+explicitly reviews Playlist references outside the selected media catalog, including
+excluded media types and subfolders. M3U/M3U8, PLS, XSPF, WPL, and ASX/WAX/WVX
+documents use bounded Storage reads; only explicitly accepted local audio/video
+references can extend the scan, through identity-checked private Storage captures.
+Network references, nested Playlists, links, and XML entity declarations cannot
+expand access. Host file and folder-artwork churn during scanning is retained as a
+diagnostic instead of failing the best-effort scan; Sync revalidates current source
+facts before writing. See ADR-0074 and ADR-0082. On completion,
+the workspace presents a read-only, source-isolated Host browser made from the same
+Album, collection, Track, Playlist, Photo, and media-category pages as the iPod
+browser. The normal sidebar stays iPod-focused, and the Active iPod Library Draft is
+never replaced. See ADR-0063, ADR-0064, and ADR-0067.
+The main Library browser also accepts dropped Host folders, audio, video, Photos,
+and Playlist files while an Active iPod is available. A drop-zone overlay marks
+accepted drags; each folder opens the shared folder settings to choose recursion
+and audio, video, Photo, and Playlist scanning. Drops enter the
+same Sync Workspace with temporary sources and leave saved media-folder settings
+unchanged. Individual files do not scan sibling media, and Playlist references
+outside the dropped selection retain their explicit review step. Settings,
+Backups, Podcasts management, Synesthesia, and the Sync Workspace reject these drops.
+When an Active iPod is available, the pre-Sync workflow next runs an iPod Media Scan.
+It reads a checksummed Library Sync Helper from
+`iPod_Control/iOpenPod/library-sync-helper.json`, reuses entries whose persistent
+identity and cheap device-file facts still match, and fingerprints only missing or
+stale Tracks and full-resolution Photos. Newly discovered media gets no invented Sync
+history; Sync Details are written only after a successful Sync commit. The
+helper remains matching evidence rather than Library or mutation authority. The
+pre-Review scan does not persist it; successful Sync publishes its new provenance
+after the verified Library commit. The Application Layer then
+prepares an immutable Sync Plan for Tracks and full-resolution Photos. Proven Host
+path relationships are considered before unique content identities; current Host
+size and modification time are compared with the Host facts recorded by a successful
+prior Sync. With unchanged Host file facts, current iPod Track details are compared
+with the committed Sync Details tag fingerprint; a difference prompts a targeted
+Host reread before the plan is finalized. Artwork is checked independently so a
+changed folder cover can also produce Update. Cached Acoustic Fingerprints decide
+whether media must be replaced, accepting their bounded and encoding-insensitive
+comparison. Tag and artwork updates retain existing payloads, with one verified
+file-tag rewrite for lyrics and optional Rockbox tags. Unchanged covers retain
+their iTHMB bytes. Legacy caches migrate without media rereads. When acoustic
+evidence is unavailable, changed Host file facts conservatively need replacement.
+Separate Host and iPod tag baselines prevent normalization from causing repeated
+Updates. Photos retain the file-fact Update rule. See ADR-0120. The
+initial comparison classifies Host-only media as Add and iPod-only media as Remove,
+while missing or ambiguous identities remain Needs attention. The Select Media stage
+defaults correlated Host items on and Host-only items off, supports aggregate Album
+and collection selection,
+and can group grid items as Selected, Mixed, or Deselected. Opening an Album or
+collection card in Select Media replaces the browser with a full detail page,
+including artwork, metadata, bulk selection, and the shared Track table with its
+own search. Back returns to the retained browser; these Sync pages have no split
+Track pane. The global **iPod Library View Mode** setting also offers this shared
+presentation in the iPod browser as **Whole Page Table**, without Sync Selection
+controls. **Split Table** remains its default. Changes apply immediately and are
+saved across restarts. See ADR-0072. Review derives an
+immutable selected Sync Plan in collapsible change groups; iPod-only removal
+candidates start unchecked. Review can exclude individual actions or whole groups
+without changing desired Host membership. Sync Selected validates that plan, checks
+required media tools, prepares compatible media on the Host, and builds an isolated
+Library Draft. Failed independent items are reported and excluded while successful
+items can still commit. The verified Library and media publish through Storage;
+successful Sync Details follow the commit. Cancellation and interrupted publication
+have explicit cleanup/recovery results. See ADR-0065 through ADR-0067, ADR-0070,
+and ADR-0076.
+Interrupted Sync recovery is a choice for the selected iPod: restore the previous
+Library or explicitly keep current contents after a warning about incomplete
+changes. Recovery and cleanup are discovered from device journals, never persisted
+as Host settings. Declining restoration retains recovery copies and leaves media
+and databases untouched; unrelated iPods remain usable. Successful Library saves
+automatically clean their committed recovery files; Sync does so after attempting
+its Library Sync Helper update. Selection also cleans matching completed
+transactions after checking all journals for unfinished recovery. Discovery stays
+read-only, and foreign or declined journals remain untouched. Only actual cleanup
+failures require a cleanup warning and retry. See ADR-0089 and ADR-0093.
+Host tag interpretation now shares native ID3, MP4, Vorbis/APE, ASF, and FFprobe
+aliases across scanning and import. Media classification, TV and Podcast fields,
+lyrics, sorting, advisory, and normalization metadata survive Scan Cache v9.
+See [Host tag coverage](docs/host-media-tags.md) and ADR-0099 for precedence and limits.
+
+Optional acoustic analysis no longer gates readable Host media or explicit Adds.
+Sync checks media tools only for incoming Tracks and preserves committed Host-path
+provenance independently of Acoustic Fingerprints in Library Sync Helper v4.
+Embedded artwork uses seekable reads, including for large audiobooks. Successful
+FFprobe output remains usable with incidental metadata diagnostics. Preparation
+reports all concurrent Tracks with separate phase progress measured from FFmpeg's
+output time and speed, and groups repeated informational conversion notices.
+Device selection immediately commits captured Play Counts, iTunesStats,
+PlayCounts.plist, and On-The-Go Playlists before exposing the Active iPod. The
+verified Storage Transaction archives consumed files as inactive `.bak` companions
+and removes the active inputs. iPodDB itself retains original source bytes and
+performs no file I/O. Discovery and explicit recovery reloads remain read-only
+with respect to playback evidence. Invalid evidence or a failed commit stops
+selection; no pending projected Library is published. Unsupported
+positional data retains the conservative preservation/remapping policy. See
+[the sidecar contract](docs/playback-sidecars.md) and ADR-0100.
+Oversized Photo containers become bounded PNG stills, with separate Host and iPod
+content digests. Publication verification and automatic recovery report their
+current files; verified restoration cleanup retries do not repeat media reads.
+macOS AppleDouble companions are excluded from artwork dependencies, and cleanup
+tolerates entries already removed by filesystem metadata maintenance.
+See ADR-0084 through ADR-0087 and `docs/sync-workflow-audit-2026-09-26.md`.
+Compressed iTunesCDB and SQLite-backed iPod Library variants are selected from the
+identified Device Profile. iPodDB unwraps and reproduces CDB framing and treats the
+CDB as the sole readable Library authority. It generates all five SQLite databases
+and the Locations checksum book from the checked CDB snapshot and supports HASH58,
+HASH72, and HASHAB finalization. Selection neither requires nor reads SQLite
+companions. When a CDB change is prepared, the Application Layer captures the
+current companion paths as write preconditions and publishes the CDB, the complete
+replacement SQLite set, and compatibility iTunesDB truncation in one recoverable
+Storage Transaction. See ADR-0061.
+Nano 5 now follows Original iOpenPod's HASH72 signing for both iTunesCDB and the
+Locations Checksum Book. Preparation can recover missing HashInfo material from a
+verified retained database or checksum book, while selection still uses only CDB
+for Library state. See ADR-0122.
+Recognized Device Profiles now include typed artwork formats and packaged product
+images. Selection optionally loads ArtworkDB metadata, while visible album covers
+are read from iTHMB ranges and decoded lazily through a generation-scoped,
+memory-bounded artwork pipeline. Missing or malformed artwork falls back to the
+deterministic placeholder without making an otherwise valid iPod Library unusable.
+Known cover-capable Device Profiles also provide the creation policy for a first
+ArtworkDB, so an empty Artwork directory needs no template database or additional
+format files. Profiles without native cover support receive an iOpenPod-only
+`F1060` representation for browsing; this does not claim firmware album-art
+support. Preparation writes every native or application-only layout, preserves
+retained variants, and supports older reverse Track links. See ADR-0033 and
+ADR-0118.
+With Rockbox Metadata Support enabled, Sync and ordinary Library saves embed
+changed metadata and artwork in media files. Metadata-only edits preserve embedded
+covers; artwork removal clears them. Non-cover profiles use a 120x120 grayscale
+JPEG; this file-tag copy is separate from the iOpenPod-only ArtworkDB representation.
+When preparing new cover artwork, conflicting retained MHIF image sizes are
+corrected automatically when the Device Profile, retained image metadata, and
+captured thumbnail ranges establish the correct size. Unverifiable conflicts
+still block preparation; reads and unrelated edits remain lossless. Corrections
+use the existing recoverable Storage Transaction without an additional prompt.
+For F1061, consistent retained images select either 55 or 56 stored rows for
+new artwork and lazy decoding. See ADR-0111 and ADR-0121.
+
+Selection also loads an optional `Photos/Photo Database` into the common Library
+Snapshot as an immutable Photo Library. The Application Layer can request a Photo
+thumbnail lazily by semantic Photo identity and Device Profile format; Storage reads
+only the validated range beneath `Photos/`. Malformed optional PhotosDB metadata is
+reported without making an otherwise usable iPod Library unavailable.
+
+The Photos route is a three-pane browser with Photo Albums on the left, the shared
+virtualized Library card grid in the center, and a read-only Photo inspector on the
+right. Selecting a Photo loads only its visible device representation through a
+generation-scoped, byte-bounded worker cache. The inspector can request an exact
+format copy and offers a Full res chip when the semantic Photo retains an original.
+That original is read through Storage and downsampled before entering the display
+cache. The inspector shows grouped semantic metadata without receiving a PhotosDB
+Chunk, Mount Point, or Filesystem Session. Selected Photos export to a chosen Host
+folder; Photo Albums and All Photos export into a uniquely named child folder. Readable
+full-resolution files are copied byte-for-byte through Storage. Every exported Photo
+gets its own folder containing that original when available and an ordinary JPEG for
+each retained, supported iTHMB format. Exports never replace existing Host files,
+run outside the GUI thread, and can be cancelled safely between files. See ADR-0054,
+ADR-0055, and ADR-0056. The selected-Photo context menu also opens one Manage Albums
+dialog. Its collection-card grid previews up to four Photos per retained user Photo
+Album and overlays a large circular membership checkbox. Single and bulk membership
+toggles are Library Draft edits persisted through the shared automatic or manual
+review/save workflow. Dragging selected Photos from the grid onto
+a user Photo Album in the sidebar adds only missing memberships through that same
+draft workflow. Existing memberships remain unchanged; All Photos, stale drags, and
+locked workspaces reject drops. The same context menu opens a revision-bound
+Photo metadata editor for rating, original date, and taken date. Mixed values remain
+unchanged unless the user edits that field, and a multi-Photo apply publishes one
+atomic Library Draft revision. See ADR-0053 and ADR-0057.
+
+Library Snapshots now use a common immutable Track contract that is constructed by
+both iPod and Host Media Library Sources and can support future remote sources. iPod database translation
+and lossless documents remain inside iPodDB; GUI and application models consume
+semantic values rather than database flags or Chunk trees. Optional iPod Track
+Details retain diagnostic values without requiring other sources to invent them.
+See `docs/library-contract.md` and ADR-0019.
+
+Library Snapshots also contain semantic Playlists, Smart Playlists, nested Playlist
+Folders, and the name read from an unambiguous Master Playlist. The browser uses
+saved membership and a sidebar hierarchy, while creation and editing operate on
+internal Library Drafts. Editors use ordinary editing labels. The global
+**Draft all changes** setting defaults to off: Library edits are automatically
+prepared, accepted, and saved through the existing verified Storage Transaction,
+and the sidebar hides Review Changes. On restores Review Changes and manual Save
+to iPod. Turning it off also applies pending changes. Failed or blocked attempts
+retain the draft and open diagnostics without repeatedly retrying that revision.
+See ADR-0073. The internal workspace contracts from ADR-0020 and ADR-0026 remain.
+Typed Playlist Sort Orders and per-occurrence Playlist
+Positions are parsed, shown, edited, recalculated, and written through the same
+lossless path. Applying changed Smart Playlist rules also updates saved matching
+Tracks. Regular Playlists accept Track drags; folders retain nested
+organization. The firmware-maintained Podcasts Playlist remains in the Library
+Snapshot and Library Workspace for reconciliation but is omitted from the sidebar
+tree. Unsaved drafts clear when the Active iPod changes or the application closes.
+See ADR-0020 and ADR-0022 for hierarchy and editor behavior.
+
+The Library Workspace retains Photos and Photo Albums in that same desired snapshot.
+Retained Photo rating/dates and retained user Photo Album names, membership,
+slideshow settings, and music Track references use the existing source-bound Library
+Draft, review, preparation, and safe-save contract. The Photos header can create an
+empty user Photo Album using the selected Device Profile's explicit MHBA type policy;
+the new album uses the same automatic or manual safe-save policy. User Photo Album
+deletion requires explicit omission intent. Selected Photos can also be omitted from
+the Photo Library and every Photo Album as one reversible draft edit. Preparation
+removes their MHII/MHIA references, while Save recoverably removes only unshared
+full-resolution files beneath `Photos/Full Resolution` after PhotosDB publication.
+Unused ranges in shared iTHMB files are retained. Sync can now create or replace
+Photos with a captured original and every supported Device Profile thumbnail
+format, including a first Photo Database where the profile declares its creation
+policy. It preserves original image bytes, applies rotation and fitting to viewing
+copies, and removes only fully unreferenced obsolete Photo files after publication.
+Direct arbitrary Master Photo Album edits and deletion remain blocked. See
+ADR-0053, ADR-0058, ADR-0059, and ADR-0076.
+
+Library Draft preparation now compares complete desired snapshots with retained
+Database Documents, maintains supported Track/Playlist/Photo/artwork relationships,
+and
+returns verified bytes and structured diagnostics. Preparation runs in the
+background and rejects stale or cancelled results. With Draft all changes on,
+Review Changes labels success Prepared for review and Save to iPod requires manual
+acceptance; with it off, acceptance is automatic. Both modes commit verified
+metadata, device-name, Playlist, Photo, artwork, and Track-removal changes through a
+captured Storage Transaction with retained originals and a recovery journal. General Sync stays
+disabled. Missing device-bound signing material, unsupported ArtworkDB signatures,
+pending positional sidecars, and ambiguous affected structures block preparation.
+See ADR-0021, ADR-0022, ADR-0061, and `docs/library-writing.md`.
+Preparation requests capture source and workspace revisions together. Read-only
+developer inspection exposes changes, requirements, observed stages, output
+fingerprints, and diagnostics without exposing private document bindings or granting
+save authority. See ADR-0023.
+Semantic resolution now accounts for requested edits and generated consequences
+before reconciliation. Explicit field ownership, independent browse-index checks,
+and the existing review's resolved-value inspection strengthen that workflow without
+changing the editing or saving scope. See ADR-0025.
+Library Drafts also accept explicit media replacement intent when projected
+metadata stays unchanged. Preparation validates the supplied media, verifies native
+codec output, and returns captured file dependencies. Application replacement
+capture and publication remain unfinished. See ADR-0034.
+
+The Track context action can now turn a complete saved Music Album into one
+Chaptered Track. It copies source media through Storage, encodes and checks one
+Host output in the background, and stages that output with source omissions in one
+reversible Library Draft revision. The ordinary Library save publishes the new
+media and database before recoverably removing unshared originals. See ADR-0095.
+
+Lyrics edits now require verified text embedded in the media file as well as the
+iTunesDB presence flag. The Application Layer prepares focused lyric-tag updates;
+Storage publishes them with the database in one recoverable transaction. This is
+independent of optional full metadata writing for Rockbox compatibility. Rockbox-
+enabled Sync also embeds captured Track artwork in prepared media files; non-cover
+devices use an optimized grayscale JPEG fitting within 120x120 pixels. Unrelated
+edits preserve file-only lyrics, and incoming music reads embedded lyrics into its
+draft. Preparation exceeding the whole-media memory budget uses private Host disk
+staging, preserving complete media and lyrics without a warning for normal overflow.
+Sync Add/Update preparation prefers nonempty lyrics in the captured Host file
+over older reviewed text and publishes matching media tags and iTunesDB text.
+This applies with Rockbox Metadata Support on or off. Sync does not inspect
+unchanged iPod media for lyric differences.
+See ADR-0075 and `docs/research/itunesdb-lyrics.md`.
+
+Artwork capture, generated artwork, and Photo batches also use private Host disk
+staging when preparation memory budgets are reached. Large valid batches continue
+while retaining complete content, independent
+verification, and recoverable publication. See ADR-0117.
+
+Backup Snapshots use Backup Archive format v4, continuing the Original iOpenPod v2
+and v3 format sequence, with lossless
+Device Paths, serial-first Backup Identifiers, checksummed catalogs, and deduplicated
+Host content. A known product or transport serial identifies the iPod; otherwise a
+hashed Volume Identity supplies a best-effort fallback rather than blocking backup or
+restore. Capture hashes new and changed files during their single Device-to-Host
+stream, reuses previously verified content when path, size, and modified time still
+match, and finishes with a metadata-only tree rescan. Original iOpenPod backup formats
+v2 and v3 enter only through a read-only Legacy Backup Import to v4. Restore is
+authorized separately from archive location, first creates a forced Host safety
+snapshot, and executes as one bounded, journaled Storage Transaction whose recovery
+material remains in that Host archive. Verified completion, pre-mutation failure,
+incomplete restore, and durability pending are distinct user-visible outcomes. Backup
+and restore remain independent of Sync and other application workflows. Capture
+blocks Application Layer device writes and Active iPod changes while allowing
+foreground reads such as browsing, artwork, export, and playback; Restore remains
+exclusive. An Original archive whose serial key matches the Active iPod is assigned
+that iPod's native Backup Identifier and Archive Key, preventing imported and native
+snapshots from splitting into separate sidebar devices; unmatched and explicitly
+unstable imports retain their stricter legacy authorization. See ADR-0039, ADR-0040,
+ADR-0041, and ADR-0062.
+
+The Podcasts browser now projects a typed Podcast Snapshot from versioned
+subscriptions, independent Listening History, refreshed RSS/Atom metadata, and the
+current Active iPod's Podcast Tracks. Existing device Podcasts are recovered into
+subscriptions automatically; enclosure-based reconciliation exposes current
+on-device membership immediately, while listened state survives later Track removal
+or unsubscription. The GUI can search Apple's public directory, add direct RSS
+feeds, immediately refresh a show when it is opened, mark episodes listened or
+unlistened, and play Tracks already on the iPod. Its All Podcasts view combines
+every subscription's Episodes newest-first while retaining each Episode's source
+identity; it is a runtime projection, not another persisted Podcast Subscription.
+Device files use
+fingerprint-checked Storage writes under
+`iPod_Control/iOpenPod/Podcasts`. Podcast Episodes can be added or removed manually,
+and per-show Sync settings select and retain Episodes during ordinary Sync or the
+Sync Podcast and Sync Podcasts actions. These operations refresh feeds, preserve
+Listening History, prepare compatible media on the Host, and publish through the
+shared verified Library and Storage Transaction workflow. Failed feed refreshes
+leave that show's media unchanged. Publisher covers use the shared ArtworkDB and
+thumbnail preparation; Podcast Sync also fills missing covers on retained Episodes
+without downloading their media again. Episode slots are an automatic filling target;
+manual additions may exceed it. Episode count alone never authorizes removal.
+Both Newest and Next clear by listened state or time on the iPod. Newest replaces
+only clear-eligible Episodes with newer publications. Next starts after the furthest listened
+publication, or with the oldest available Episode when no listened publication is
+known. Replace waits for successful one-for-one replacement, including above the
+target; Remove clears eligible Episodes even without replacements.
+Listening History retains publication chronology and separate automatic-clear
+exclusions. These exclusions prevent automatic re-addition without marking an
+unlistened Episode listened; explicit additions bypass them. Pre-Sync reconciliation
+saves observed history, while new exclusions commit in the same verified Storage
+Transaction as successful media and Library removals. Subscription and Listening
+History documents encode version 2 at their existing paths and still read version 1.
+See ADR-0037 and ADR-0091.
+
+The Library Workspace now holds Track metadata, the device name, Playlists, and
+Photos in one session draft. Sidebar naming, shared Track and collection context
+menus, and
+a manual metadata editor apply explicit changes to this draft. Normalize Tags scans
+the Library in the background using Original iOpenPod's grouping and sorting rules,
+previews the results, and applies them only on request. A shared, debounced background
+scan keeps the Normalize Tags Sidebar badge current with the number of suggested
+tag-field edits. Opening or closing the preview reuses that scan; applying changes,
+editing, locking, or switching the Active iPod invalidates old results. Mixed metadata, stale
+dialogs, and cancelled scans cannot silently overwrite current edits. The save
+workflow now stages artwork, Track removals, and full-resolution Photo removals
+alongside database changes. Shared context menus can remove Tracks as reversible
+draft edits; the Photos context menu stages confirmed Photo deletions through the
+same workflow;
+the Track metadata editor can choose, orient, square-crop, replace, clear, or
+consolidate its selection onto one existing cover and submits that intent atomically
+with metadata. Its consolidation grid combines byte-identical decoded artwork.
+Application callers can also supply bounded artwork pixels. Backend music import
+inspects supplied compatible songs, extracts embedded covers, and adds a reversible
+draft for the existing review/save workflow. Music import has no GUI entry point,
+file picker, or progress dialog. Application media replacement remains unfinished.
+The Track context menu can also reclassify retained
+audio or video as a Podcast without replacing its media; the existing review/save
+path writes its firmware classification, playback flags, presentation fields, and
+Podcasts Playlist consequences. The metadata editor's Media type selector also
+reclassifies retained audio or video within its current media family, including
+Movie to TV Show, atomically with explicit metadata and artwork edits. Mixed and
+retained compound classifications stay unchanged until selected for replacement.
+Podcasts and videos always use Remember position and Skip when shuffling in
+application imports, edits, and prepared Library Drafts. Save and Sync repair
+retained Tracks with those flags off. Audio and video Podcasts also enable the
+native Podcast Now Playing marker. Merely loading an iPod preserves its raw
+database state. See ADR-0026, ADR-0030, ADR-0032, ADR-0036, ADR-0088, and ADR-0092.
+
+The application can now inspect real incoming audio/video files through FFprobe
+over a temporary Host snapshot captured by Storage. Typed Media Inspection preserves
+all streams, embedded-picture dispositions, exact rational timing, chapters, and
+tags independently of Library classification. Inspection has cancellation, process
+and output limits, and content fingerprints. Music import applies a bounded audio
+compatibility policy and maps observed facts into native codec fields. The same
+reviewed transaction stages the song, thumbnails, ArtworkDB, and iTunesDB before
+publication. Sync preparation accepts Host-native path spelling, chooses marked-
+default or first-probe-order streams from multi-stream video, and scopes encoder
+options to the selected FFmpeg encoder while reporting those choices as warnings.
+Exact gapless analysis, conversion, the Sync engine, video import, and document
+inspection such as PDF/EPUB remain future work. See ADR-0031, ADR-0032, and ADR-0083.
+
+Playback is an Application Layer workflow behind a typed, replaceable Playback
+Backend. `PlaybackController` owns runtime Queue, History, current Track, and
+transport policy; the GUI only sends intents and renders reported state. The
+production backend adapts Qt Multimedia. It receives a seekable Playback Source
+rather than a Mount Point or Host path, and each source range is read through the
+Active iPod's identity-bound Filesystem Session. A changed Active iPod, Connection
+Generation, or media-file identity fails closed. Queue, History, volume, and
+transport state remain runtime-only. Monotonic Playback Attempt identities correlate
+backend events with the active start so delayed decoder events cannot mutate a
+successor Track. An optional System Media Session sits above that controller and is
+independent of the Playback Backend. The macOS and Windows adapters publish Track
+metadata, timeline, state, and lazily loaded album artwork through their native media
+surfaces and route media commands back through the controller. Artwork remains bounded
+RGB888 data until each native adapter converts and caches it. Linux publishes the
+same fail-open contract through MPRIS on the desktop session bus.
+
+The Library setting **Double click shortcut** applies immediately to Track tables,
+Album cards, and collection grids and lists and persists across restarts. **Add to
+queue** remains the default. **Play next** places the selection atop the Playback
+Queue. **Play now** starts the first selected Track and places the remainder atop
+the Queue. **Edit** opens the metadata editor for the selection. Selections retain
+visible order and Playlist occurrences; explicit queue buttons keep their own
+actions.
+
+The Player's Queue/History/Lyrics slideout displays read-only lyrics for the
+current Track. Known Library text appears immediately. When the Lyrics tab is
+visible, a background worker checks that Track's embedded media tags through the
+same identity-bound Playback Source. Nonempty file text wins for display unless
+an explicit Library Draft lyrics edit exists. Reads are bounded, obsolete results
+are discarded, and missing or unreadable tags fall back to Library text without
+interrupting playback. The single-Track metadata editor also reads that file's
+lyrics lazily. Viewing lyrics does not create a draft or device write.
+
+Synesthesia is entered from the Player while a Track is current; it has no sidebar
+entry or separate page controls. The Playback Controller and Playback Backend
+remain the only owners of audio and transport, so playback continues while
+Synesthesia analyzes the current Playback Entry and prepares the next entry while
+the page is active. Preparation follows the Player's Queue and forward History,
+retains at most one upcoming result in memory, and is promoted when that entry
+becomes current. Leaving the page releases both analyses. The Qt-facing Synesthesia
+Controller opens a separate,
+identity-bound Playback Source, materializes its encoded bytes only in an
+application-owned temporary Host file, runs one Job at a time outside the GUI
+thread, rejects stale completion, and always removes that temporary copy. It
+publishes one ephemeral, calibrated Track Analysis with absolute and relative
+energy, rhythm, spectrum, timbre, harmony, spatial evidence, structural Sections,
+musical events, and typed Sources behind one sampling interface with explicit
+confidence and provenance. The Field Conductor preserves energy, spectrum, rhythm,
+harmony, stereo space, Sources, and Section development as independent typed Field
+Forcing.
+
+The frontend Scene Director derives a presentation-only Mood Signature and directs
+twelve procedural visual Scenes across Sections and bounded subspans. Scene changes
+follow Section boundaries with a two-second minimum hold, grouping only shorter
+Sections. Long Sections retain subspans of at most 22 seconds. Recent Scenes have a
+cooldown, with
+extra spacing for Solar Bloom and radial compositions;
+contours, crystal shards, braided currents, and falling signals expand the visual
+vocabulary. Scene-specific gains change which shared particle, comet, filament, and
+event systems are visible. Particle density and comet visibility build gradually
+with activity, leaving room for musical peaks. Each residence also receives Scene
+Motion for directional travel, orbit, depth,
+waveform deformation, parallax, and world scale. Inside each residence the Scene
+Director composes establishing, tracking, orbital, inspection, fly-through, and
+reveal Camera Shots from interval summaries, upper-transient evidence, and sparse
+event density. The renderer projects both the
+procedural composition and shared three-dimensional field through that directed
+pose, while feedback advects retained light along the journey and erodes during
+meaningful camera travel. Transitions and nearby editorial edit points are
+deterministic and music-weighted rather than a random preset timer or beat-pulsed
+lens. The graphics-only page observes the Playback Controller's current position
+and playing state. Pause freezes the simulation; an explicit Player seek begins a
+new Transport Epoch, preserves live field state, clears view-dependent feedback,
+and does not replay a skipped event backlog. A Synesthesia Preview follows
+the current Playback Entry immediately without reading audio. When Track Analysis
+finishes, the renderer aligns with the Player clock and blends its forcing and
+Scene direction into the existing field without resetting GPU state. The analysis
+backend remains independent of transport and presentation policy, and no
+Track-derived evidence, stems, simulation state, or feedback is persisted. See
+ADR-0042, ADR-0045, ADR-0046, ADR-0047, ADR-0048, ADR-0049, ADR-0050, ADR-0051,
+ADR-0068, ADR-0077, ADR-0078, `docs/synesthesia_backend.md`, and
+`docs/synesthesia_visual_direction.md`.
+
+With **Manage iPod drive appearance** enabled (the default), selecting a writable
+iPod also derives desktop names and model icons from its saved
+Master Playlist name and Device Profile. Renames update portable Windows, GVfs,
+KDE, and macOS icon companions through the Library's recoverable save workflow.
+Storage updates native volume labels and the macOS custom icon flag after file
+publication. Native limitations are reported without undoing a saved Library name;
+filesystem label limits never change the full iPod name. Turning this global setting
+off preserves custom companions, icons, native labels, and Finder flags across
+selection and saved renames. See ADR-0090 and
+`docs/volume-presentation.md` for platform limits and verification status.
+
+## Product and compatibility target
+
+- The Original iOpenPod is the behavioral and research baseline. Its code,
+  documentation, tests, fixtures, and accumulated format knowledge are evidence for
+  iOpenPod 2.0, not a runtime dependency or an architecture that must be copied.
+- The release target is Windows, macOS, and Linux.
+- The standard native macOS candidate targets 12.3 or later on Apple Silicon and
+  Intel with platform-specific Qt and numerical dependencies. Build selection and
+  binary deployment checks enforce that target; execution on macOS 12.3 on both
+  architectures remains an acceptance gate. See ADR-0094 and `docs/packaging.md`.
+- Planned store channels are the Mac App Store, Microsoft Store, Flatpak/Flathub,
+  and Snap. Native packaging candidates are available; store publication remains
+  gated on signing, sandbox-compatible Storage access, user-installed media-tool
+  integration, and installed-package acceptance. FFmpeg/FFprobe and Chromaprint's
+  fpcalc executables are installed separately by the user; Qt's playback libraries
+  remain bundled. See `docs/packaging.md`, ADR-0079, and ADR-0081.
+- The release target includes filesystem-accessible iPod families supported by the
+  Original iOpenPod: full-size iPod generations 1 through 5.5, iPod Classic, iPod
+  Mini, and iPod Nano across their supported generations. iPod touch and iPod
+  shuffle are outside this target.
+- iOpenPod ships as one application and one distribution. Device Registry, iPodDB,
+  and Storage are internal packages, not separately released products.
+- Development and automated testing use captured database fixtures, virtual device
+  volumes, and knowledge from the Original iOpenPod instead of writing to a physical
+  iPod as part of routine verification.
+
+## System boundaries
+
+| Boundary | Responsibility | Must not own |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| **Storage** | Safe, cross-platform access to devices, volumes, filesystems, and removable-media operations | iPod identity, database formats, application workflows, or GUI behavior |
+| **Device Registry** | Identification and capability descriptions for known iPod models | OS discovery, mounting, filesystem mutation, database parsing, or GUI behavior |
+| **iPodDB** | Parsing, representing, validating, and serializing iPod database formats | Device persistence, application workflows, or GUI behavior |
+| **iOpenPod** | Application orchestration, state, services, and GUI behavior | Platform filesystem implementations or duplicated database-format knowledge |
+
+The intended dependency direction is:
+
+```text
+iOpenPod ──> Device Registry
+         ├─> iPodDB
+         └─> Storage
+```
+
+Storage, Device Registry, and iPodDB do not depend on iOpenPod. iOpenPod coordinates
+them through narrow interfaces.
+
+## Application operating model
+
+- Storage may discover multiple connected iPods, but the user chooses one in the
+  Device Picker and iOpenPod loads only that Active iPod.
+- Only one Active iPod exists in the application at a time. Selecting another iPod
+  ends the previous Filesystem Session and begins a new Connection Generation.
+- Sync is primarily Host-to-iPod: the Host Media Library supplies the media and most
+  metadata used to update the iPod Library.
+- iPod-to-Host behavior is also supported. This includes Back Sync of ratings and
+  other supported metadata, exporting iPod-only tracks, and exporting images.
+- Long-running work occurs outside the GUI thread, reports progress, and supports
+  cancellation where stopping is safe. The exact worker mechanism is not yet fixed.
+- If the Active iPod disconnects, iOpenPod invalidates its Filesystem Session and
+  stops issuing operations. It cannot guarantee rollback while the Volume is absent;
+  it must report that the operation may be incomplete and require a new selection or
+  reconnection before continuing.
+
+## Data locations
+
+- The Host Media Library remains in the folders selected and owned by the user.
+- iPod media and databases remain on the Active iPod and are accessed only through a
+  Filesystem Session.
+- Global settings, logs, caches, and temporary files use the standard application
+  locations for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Global settings are one typed JSON file;
+  Storage resolves its Host location and atomically persists its bytes while
+  iOpenPod owns the settings schema. iOpenPod 2.0 uses `settings-v2.json`; it does
+  not read or rewrite the Original iOpenPod's `settings.json` file in the same Host
+  directory.
+- Global settings remember the previously selected iPod by stable Volume Identity.
+  This behavior has no separate visible preference.
+- Sync recovery records and retained originals stay on the iPod. They are
+  operational data and do not belong in global settings.
+- Backup Snapshots use the configured backup location, with a platform-appropriate
+  application data location as the default.
+- Device-specific settings intended to travel with an iPod are associated with its
+  stable Device Identity and stored in an application-owned Device Path on that iPod.
+  iOpenPod coordinates their access through Storage. Podcast Subscriptions and
+  Listening History use separate version-2 JSON documents under
+  `iPod_Control/iOpenPod/Podcasts/`, retaining the existing `-v1.json` filenames and
+  backward reads of version 1; other settings retain their own formats.
+
+## Core device workflow
+
+1. Storage detects removable Physical Devices and their Volumes.
+2. iOpenPod keeps Volumes containing `iPod_Control`, reads device metadata, and
+   requests identity-bound Host observations.
+3. iOpenPod passes normalized Device Evidence to Device Registry.
+4. Device Registry returns an Identification Result and, when exact, a Device
+   Profile with Device Capabilities.
+5. The GUI presents Device Candidates in the Device Picker.
+6. The user selects one candidate as the Active iPod, or iOpenPod restores the
+   previous selection when exactly one ready candidate has the remembered Volume
+   Identity.
+7. On a write-safe Volume, iOpenPod analyzes, atomically repairs, and verifies stale
+   or missing identity metadata; read-only Volumes remain loadable with an issue.
+8. iOpenPod opens a read-only Filesystem Session through Storage.
+9. iOpenPod reads database bytes through Storage and gives them to iPodDB.
+10. iPodDB parses and retains lossless Database Documents in the iPod Library Source,
+    then publishes a common immutable Library Snapshot.
+11. The Application Layer exposes that snapshot and application state to the GUI.
+
+For review, iOpenPod submits a Library Draft and asks iPodDB to prepare supported
+semantic changes against its retained Database Documents. Typed Chunk Selections
+and the matching writers remain the one lossless path. Future physical Sync will
+use a Storage Transaction to stage, verify, and commit the resulting filesystem
+changes. Constructing, editing, or preparing a Library Snapshot does not authorize
+or perform device writes.
+
+Backup Snapshots are a standalone, user-controlled protection. The implemented
+backup and restore workflow does not participate in Sync, Library save, or any other
+device workflow; those operations retain their own Storage safety requirements.
+
+## Safety invariants
+
+- A Mount Point is a temporary location, not a Device Identity.
+- A Filesystem Session becomes invalid when its connection ends.
+- Device-facing paths are relative, root-bound, and traversal-safe.
+- iPodDB returns or consumes data and bytes; it does not mutate device files.
+- Parsing and serializing an unchanged database must reproduce its original bytes
+  exactly, including unknown fields, unknown Chunks, ordering, and padding.
+- Unknown database data is expected and preserved. It is not treated as corruption
+  merely because iPodDB does not understand it.
+- Destructive operations are planned, validated, journaled, verified, and made
+  recoverable where practical.
+- Obsolete files are removed only after replacement data has been verified.
+
+## Development constraints
+
+- iOpenPod uses GPL-3.0-or-later, with free distribution and optional donations.
+  Releases must preserve third-party notices and provide corresponding source;
+  store compatibility remains a separate release requirement. See ADR-0080 and
+  `docs/licensing.md`.
+- Python 3.12 is the only supported development runtime.
+- UV manages Python, the environment, dependencies, the lockfile, and commands.
+- VS Code and Codex Desktop are the development surfaces.
+- Ruff, Mypy, Pytest, and Rumdl provide formatting, linting, type checking, and
+  testing from one UV-managed environment.
+- `pyproject.toml`, `.editorconfig`, and `.vscode/` keep terminal and editor behavior
+  consistent across development machines.
+- Branded names retain their established capitalization where practical, including
+  iOpenPod, iPodDB, iTunesDB, ArtworkDB, and iPod. Generic Python package and module
+  names use normal lowercase conventions.
+
+## Documentation map
+
+- `GLOSSARY.md` defines canonical terms.
+- `docs/source_architecture.md` describes the detailed target architecture.
+- `docs/ipoddb-editing.md` defines the sole typed parse/edit/write workflow.
+- `docs/adr/` records durable decisions.
+- `docs/agents/` configures agent-oriented engineering workflows.
+- `.scratch/` holds private, uncommitted plans and work items.
+
+## Open questions
+
+- What is the smallest stable public interface for each boundary?
+- Which existing exploratory modules should be retained, rewritten, or removed?
+- Which Original iOpenPod behaviors should be migrated together as complete vertical
+  workflows, and in what order?
+
+These questions are intentionally unresolved. Resolve them through focused design
+work and ADRs before reorganizing the source tree.