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Strategic Development Approach

Foundation → MVP → PoCs → Feature Groups. Tasks ordered for fastest path to running system.

Foundation Roadmap

Build the foundational system infrastructure that enables all AICO functionality. Tasks are ordered by dependency and criticality to get a running system as quickly as possible.

Phase 1: Minimal Running System

Basic Service Layer

  • Python Service: FastAPI-based backend service with basic project structure
  • Configuration System: Simple YAML/JSON config with environment variables
  • Logging Framework: Basic structured logging (console + file)
  • Health Monitoring: Simple health check endpoint
  • API Gateway: Basic REST endpoints for frontend communication

Basic Flutter Foundation

  • Project Structure: Standard Flutter project with basic folder organization
  • State Management: Simple Provider setup for app-wide state
  • Navigation: Basic navigation (can upgrade to Go Router later)
  • Theme System: Basic Material 3 theme with dark/light mode
  • API Client: Simple HTTP client with error handling

Minimal Message Bus

  • ZeroMQ Setup: Core pub/sub message bus implementation
  • Basic Topics: Essential topics (system., chat., ui.*)
  • Message Envelope: Simple JSON message format
  • Message Routing: Basic topic-based routing

Basic Data Layer

  • libSQL Setup: Modern SQLite fork for local database (encryption can come later)
  • Basic Schema: Minimal tables for system state and config
  • Migration System: Simple schema versioning

Basic Security Layer

  • Master Password Setup: Require user to set a master password on first run. Never store the password—use it transiently for key derivation only. Derived keys stored securely for automatic service authentication.
  • Unified Key Management: Implement AICOKeyManager class supporting three scenarios: initial setup (interactive), user authentication (interactive), and service startup (automatic). Uses Argon2id-based key derivation from user master password with platform-native secure storage.
  • Persistent Service Authentication: Backend services can restart automatically without user password re-entry. Master key retrieved from secure storage (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service) on service startup, enabling zero-effort security for non-technical users.
  • Database Encryption Setup: Implement application-level encryption using database-native features (SQLCipher for libSQL, DuckDB encryption, RocksDB EncryptedEnv). All data at rest is encrypted by default with optimal performance.
  • File Encryption Wrapper: Create EncryptedFile wrapper class using AES-256-GCM for files without native encryption support (configs, logs, ChromaDB files). Drop-in replacement for Python's open() function.
  • Database Key Derivation: Extend AICOKeyManager with derive_database_key() and derive_file_encryption_key() methods for purpose-specific key generation from master key.
  • Access Control Skeleton: Add a basic access control mechanism (deny by default, allow for core system processes only). All access is explicit, with a foundation for future ABAC/RBAC policies.

Phase 2: Core Infrastructure

Enhanced Message Bus

  • Topic Hierarchy: Full topic structure (emotion., personality., agency.*)
  • Schema Validation: JSON Schema validation for message types
  • Error Handling: Message delivery guarantees and error recovery

Task Scheduler Component

  • Background Scheduler: Implement task scheduler for zero-maintenance operations (log cleanup, key rotation, health checks)
  • Cron-like Scheduling: Support for periodic tasks with configurable intervals
  • Task Registry: Plugin system for registering scheduled tasks from different subsystems
  • Failure Recovery: Automatic retry logic and error handling for scheduled tasks
  • Performance: Optimize for 1000+ messages/second with <100ms latency

Service Layer Enhancement

  • Service Management: Windows Service / Linux daemon / macOS LaunchAgent
  • Graceful Shutdown: Clean service restart without data loss
  • WebSocket Support: Real-time bidirectional communication

Data Layer Enhancement

  • libSQL Encryption: Enable built-in database encryption
  • Vector Store: ChromaDB integration for embeddings and similarity search
  • Analytical Engine: DuckDB integration for complex analytical queries
  • Full Schema: Complete database schema for memory, personality, system data
  • Backup/Restore: Data backup and recovery mechanisms
  • Privacy Controls: Data encryption and access controls

Flutter Enhancement

  • Go Router: Upgrade to declarative routing and deep linking
  • Responsive Design: Adaptive layouts for desktop, tablet, mobile
  • Platform Integration: Windows/macOS/Linux specific integrations
  • WebSocket Client: Real-time communication with backend
  • Request/Response Models: Typed data models for API communication
  • Error Handling: Standardized error handling and user feedback
  • Caching: Local caching for offline functionality

Phase 3: Advanced Infrastructure

API Gateway Advanced Features

  • Rate Limiting: Advanced token bucket rate limiting with per-client quotas
  • Admin Endpoint Separation: Secure admin interface with role-based access control
  • Federation Support: Device-to-device communication for multi-device sync
  • gRPC Protocol Support: High-performance binary protocol adapter
  • Protocol Buffer Schemas: Unified message schemas across all protocols
  • Transport Negotiation: Automatic fallback between ZeroMQ IPC, WebSocket, REST
  • Security Middleware: Request sanitization, XSS protection, input validation
  • Connection Pooling: Efficient resource management for high-throughput scenarios

Resource Management

  • Resource Monitor: CPU, memory, battery, and system load tracking
  • Job Scheduler: Task queue with priority scheduling
  • Resource Policies: Configurable limits and throttling rules
  • Background Processing: Pause/resume capabilities for non-critical tasks
  • Battery Awareness: Reduced processing on battery power
  • User Activity Detection: Idle detection for opportunistic processing
  • RocksDB Integration: Optional high-performance key-value store for caching

Plugin System

  • Plugin Manager: Hot-loading/unloading with sandboxed execution
  • Permission System: Topic-based access control for plugins
  • Resource Monitoring: CPU/memory limits and monitoring for plugins
  • Plugin API: Standardized plugin interface and lifecycle hooks
  • Configuration Validation: Plugin config schema validation
  • Isolation: Process/thread isolation for plugin execution
  • Lifecycle Management: Support 10+ concurrent plugins

WebView Avatar Integration

  • WebView Widget: Flutter WebView setup for avatar rendering
  • JavaScript Bridge: Bidirectional communication channels
  • Three.js Foundation: Basic 3D scene setup with camera and lighting
  • Ready Player Me: Avatar loading and customization pipeline
  • TalkingHead.js: Lip-sync and facial expression integration
  • Performance Optimization: WebView memory management

Phase 4: Production Readiness

Security & Privacy

  • Authentication: Basic user authentication system
  • Authorization: Role-based access control
  • Data Encryption: End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
  • Secure Communication: TLS for all network communication
  • Privacy Controls: Granular consent management

Update System

  • Update Orchestrator: Centralized update management
  • Delta Updates: Efficient incremental updates
  • Signature Verification: Cryptographic update verification
  • Rollback Capability: Automatic rollback on update failure
  • Background Updates: Non-disruptive update installation
  • Version Management: Multiple version support
  • Update Scheduling: User-controlled update timing
  • Coordinated Updates: Sequential frontend/backend updates

Module Foundations

  • Module Base Classes: Standard module interface and lifecycle
  • Message Subscription: Standardized topic subscription
  • Module Configuration: YAML/JSON configuration with validation
  • Module Health Checks: Health monitoring per module
  • Module Isolation: Error isolation to prevent cascade failures
  • Module Registry: Dynamic module discovery and dependencies

Phase 5: Development & Deployment

Build System

  • Flutter Build: Cross-platform build configuration
  • Python Packaging: Backend service packaging with dependencies
  • Asset Management: Avatar models, voices, and other assets
  • Environment Management: Development, staging, production configs
  • Dependency Management: Lock files and reproducible builds
  • Cross-Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux build targets

CI/CD Pipeline

  • GitHub Actions: Automated testing and building
  • Code Quality: Linting, formatting, and static analysis
  • Security Scanning: Dependency vulnerability scanning
  • Automated Testing: Full test suite execution on every commit
  • Build Artifacts: Automated packaging and artifact generation
  • Release Management: Semantic versioning and release automation

Testing & Quality

  • Unit Tests: Core functionality unit tests
  • Integration Tests: Cross-component communication tests
  • End-to-End Tests: Full system workflow tests
  • Performance Tests: Load and stress testing
  • Security Tests: Vulnerability and penetration testing
  • Code Coverage: >80% test coverage requirement

Monitoring & Observability

  • Metrics Collection: System performance and health metrics
  • Error Tracking: Exception capture and reporting
  • Performance Monitoring: Latency and throughput tracking
  • Resource Usage: CPU, memory, and disk monitoring
  • Alert System: Automated alerts for system issues
  • Dashboard: Real-time system status dashboard

Architecture Validation

Integration Tests

  • Message Bus Load: 1000+ messages/second throughput
  • Plugin Lifecycle: Loading/unloading 10+ concurrent plugins
  • Service Restart: Graceful restart without data loss
  • Cross-Component: End-to-end communication validation
  • Error Recovery: Fault tolerance and recovery testing
  • Performance: Sub-100ms message latency validation

Performance Benchmarks

  • Message Latency: < 100ms end-to-end message processing
  • Plugin Startup: < 2s plugin initialization time
  • Memory Growth: < 10MB/day memory leak detection
  • CPU Usage: < 5% idle system resource usage
  • Startup Time: < 10s full system initialization
  • Response Time: < 3s LLM response generation

Foundation Complete When

Core Functionality

  • Message bus handles 1000+ messages/second with < 100ms latency
  • Plugin system supports 10+ concurrent plugins with isolation
  • Core services restart gracefully without data loss
  • Development environment setup < 5 minutes
  • All components work offline by default

Developer Experience

  • Complete test suite with >80% code coverage
  • Automated CI/CD pipeline with quality gates
  • Comprehensive documentation with examples
  • Plugin SDK with sample plugins
  • Performance monitoring and debugging tools

System Integration

  • Flutter app communicates with backend via REST/WebSocket
  • Avatar system renders in WebView with real-time updates
  • Message bus routes messages between all core modules
  • Resource monitor enforces CPU/memory/battery policies
  • Plugin system supports hot-loading with proper isolation
  • Update system coordinates frontend/backend updates
  • Encrypted local storage with backup/restore
  • Cross-platform deployment (Windows/macOS/Linux)

Architecture Compliance

  • Message-Driven: All module communication via ZeroMQ pub/sub
  • Modular Design: Independent modules with clear boundaries
  • Loose Coupling: Modules only depend on message contracts
  • Local-First: All core functionality works offline
  • Privacy-First: Encryption and consent management operational
  • Agency-Ready: Infrastructure supports autonomous behavior

See MVP Roadmap for the first user-facing companion features.