Loki/docs/architecture.md

Loki Architecture

Objective

Expose local Chrome tab state as provider-owned, typed service state for CultMesh/Eve consumers while keeping Chrome installation easy for the operator.

Current Mechanism

The Chrome extension observes tab metadata with explicit Chrome permissions and posts reports to Loki's localhost ingest endpoint. On explicit operator command from the popup, it can capture the active tab's visible page text, headings, links, and visible form controls for Codex-assisted navigation. On command, it also uses chrome.debugger to attach to debuggable tabs, probe Chrome Debugger Protocol domains, and detach. Chrome can also expose DevTools metadata on 127.0.0.1:{port} when started with --remote-debugging-port. Loki normalizes these sources into one snapshot and writes typed witness documents from that state.

flowchart LR
  Extension["Chrome extension"] --> Ingest["extension ingest"]
  Snapshot["active page snapshot"] --> Ingest
  Debugger["chrome.debugger sweep"] --> Ingest
  Chrome["Chrome CDP endpoint"] --> Observe["observe CDP"]
  Config["Loki config"] --> Ingest
  Config --> Observe
  Ingest --> Combine["combined snapshot"]
  Observe --> Combine
  Combine --> Snapshot["chrome_snapshot.cc"]
  Combine --> Debug["chrome_debug_probe.cc"]
  Snapshot --> Provider["provider_advertisement.cc"]
  Snapshot --> Surface["eve_surface.cc"]

Invariants

• CDP reachability is observed state, not assumed capability.
• Extension reachability is observed state, not assumed capability.
• Debug sweeps are explicit observations, not continuous hidden attachment.
• Page snapshots are explicit active-tab observations, not continuous page surveillance.
• Chrome owns page reality; Loki owns only the observation snapshot.
• .cc witnesses are the durable local state surface.
• Eve/CultUI output is derived from the same snapshot as the witness.
• No renderer or dashboard can override the daemon's observation state.

Intended Change Path

1. Add CultCacheTS-backed binary .cc persistence behind the current writer.
2. Add CultNet/CultMesh publication of the same documents.
3. Add command handling only through gamecult.eve.command.v1.
4. Add operator-approved screenshot capture.

Command Boundary

Loki currently advertises no executable tab commands. Page snapshot capture is extension-owned and popup-triggered: the operator clicks once, the extension captures the active tab, posts the typed observation, and detaches. A future daemon-originated command path still needs an explicit command document, audit log, origin, target tab id, and denial path before it should act.