Architecture

Overall architecture

Where the crate map, the turn flows, the house rules and the big decisions are written down.

The map and the rules are one file at the root of the repository, ARCHITECTURE.md. It changes in the same pull request as the thing it describes, so it is read there rather than copied here. It has:

  • what Niles is, what it is not, and its design principles
  • the crate map: a Cargo workspace of about 36 crates, with niles-bin the only binary
  • how a voice turn, a chat turn and an automation flow through those crates
  • how an add-on is found through the add-on library
  • the 27 house rules every change keeps, each with its reason
  • the big decisions and what was rejected
  • the security notes: artifact pages, exposing Niles to the internet, the sign-in allowlist and the plugin trust model

On this site, Voice loop follows a command through the tiers and the system prompt, and the feature manifest lists everything Niles does. How a single piece works, and why, is in its crate's doc comments.

Security and privacy

Signing in, the API key, what each person keeps to themselves, and what leaves the house.

Voice loop

How a command moves through Tier 0, the fast model and the optional Tier 2, and how the system prompt is built.