Fe Reader

Fe Reader is a local-first PDF workflow platform focused on privacy, verification, metadata transparency, automation safety and cross-platform native integration.

The repository is currently a technical preview implementation checkpoint. It contains a headless Rust core, executable Wave 0 contracts, platform automation contracts, release-evidence tooling, package manifests and an Astro/Starlight documentation site. It is not yet a production PDF application or a published app-store package.

Status

• Current release line: 0.1.0-preview.1
• Rust crate API version: 0.1.0
• Documentation: https://edithatogo.github.io/fe-reader/
• Repository: https://github.com/edithatogo/fe-reader
• Releases and package status: https://github.com/edithatogo/fe-reader/releases
• License: Apache-2.0 OR MIT

Architecture

Fe Reader keeps the pure document/workflow core separate from UI, platform, renderer, plugin, AI and automation adapters.

fe_reader_core
  pure document/workflow core
  no UI, no platform, no renderer, no AI, no MCP, no plugin runtime

adapters
  rendering, platform, app integrations, MCP, plugins, web, native shell

All write-capable flows must use:

OperationIntent -> PatchPlan -> Review/Policy -> Apply -> Verify -> AuditReceipt

Automation surfaces such as MCP, COM, AppleScript, D-Bus, Android intents, iOS App Intents, browser extensions and plugins are read-only or plan-only by default. Mutation requires document hash matching, policy approval, review and audit evidence.

What Works Today

• Rust workspace builds and tests.
• fe-reader doctor reports core/pdf/security identities and stays within the registry claim boundary in docs/pdf-parity-registry.md.
• fe-reader inspect fixtures/minimal/minimal.pdf --json emits a read-only intent, patch plan and PDF summary. See docs/pdf-parity-registry.md.
• An unsigned local macOS preview bundle can be built and launched with ./script/build_and_run.sh.
• The launcher also writes a local preview snapshot to /tmp/fe-reader-native-preview.png when verification mode is used.
• Core mutation contracts, transaction journaling and audit receipts have tests.
• Platform/mobile automation contracts are checked for read-only or plan-only behavior.
• Release-readiness workflows emit SBOM, provenance, signing-readiness and release evidence.
• Platform CI covers Linux container, macOS, Windows, Android emulator and iOS simulator target checks.

Quick Start

cargo metadata --format-version=1
cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo test --workspace --all-targets
cargo run -p fe_reader_cli -- doctor
cargo run -p fe_reader_cli -- inspect fixtures/minimal/minimal.pdf --json # See docs/pdf-parity-registry.md for the claim boundary for inspect/read.
python3 scripts/validate_schemas.py
bash scripts/wave0_bootstrap_check.sh

For platform-specific checks:

bash scripts/linux_container_smoke.sh
bash scripts/android_emulator_smoke.sh

The Android emulator script requires Android SDK command-line tools locally: adb, sdkmanager, avdmanager and emulator.

Packages And Registries

Packaging manifests are present for the intended registries, but publishing is gated on signed artifacts, release evidence and registry credentials.

Surface	Registry or channel	Status
Rust crates	crates.io	crate manifests exist; publishing deferred
Native .NET wrapper	NuGet	preview package metadata exists; publishing deferred
Windows	winget, Chocolatey, Scoop, MSIX/MSI/NSIS	manifests/checklists exist; publishing deferred
macOS	Homebrew Cask, DMG, Mac App Store	signed and notarized DMG evidence required before public registry publication
Linux	Flatpak, Snap, AUR, distro packages, AppImage	manifests/checklists exist; publishing deferred
Android	Google Play, F-Droid evaluation	checklist and emulator CI exist; publishing deferred
iOS	TestFlight, App Store	checklist and simulator target CI exist; publishing deferred

Package registry links become authoritative only after the first signed preview artifacts are published. Until then, GitHub Releases are the canonical release index.

Stable desktop release instructions live in docs/stable-desktop-release.md. A desktop release should publish platform artifacts, SHA256SUMS, signatures, release notes and the GitHub Actions release-evidence bundle before registry or homepage claims are treated as authoritative.

Stable reader readiness is tracked separately in docs/stable-reader-readiness.md and validated by scripts/stable_reader_readiness_check.py. The usable stable bleeding-edge PDF reader contract is documented in docs/usable-stable-bleeding-edge-pdf-reader-contract.md. The macOS public-quality signed/notarized launch contract is documented in docs/macos-public-quality-signed-notarized-launch-contract.md. The Windows/Linux beta installers contract is documented in docs/windows-linux-beta-installers-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/windows_linux_beta_installers_check.py. The exhaustive PDF parity taxonomy and contracts are documented in docs/exhaustive-pdf-parity-taxonomy-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/exhaustive_pdf_parity_taxonomy_check.py. The corpus/oracle evidence factory is documented in docs/corpus-oracle-evidence-factory-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/corpus_oracle_evidence_factory_check.py. The reader/render/search/accessibility parity contract is documented in docs/reader-render-search-accessibility-parity-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/reader_render_search_accessibility_parity_check.py. The professional workflow parity contract is documented in docs/professional-workflow-parity-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/professional_workflow_parity_check.py. The advanced PDF family parity contract is documented in docs/advanced-pdf-family-parity-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/advanced_pdf_family_parity_check.py. The marketing claim governance contract is documented in docs/marketing-claim-governance-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/marketing_claim_governance_check.py. The stable release cutover and registries contract is documented in docs/stable-release-cutover-registries-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/stable_release_cutover_registries_check.py. The v2 roadmap implementation foundation contract is documented in docs/v2-roadmap-implementation-foundation-contract.md. The contract is enforced by scripts/v2_roadmap_implementation_foundation_check.py.

Marketing readiness levels and claim boundaries are documented in docs/marketing-readiness.md and validated by scripts/marketing_claim_evidence_governance_check.py.

The v2 roadmap foundation is documented in docs/v2-roadmap-foundation.md and validated by scripts/advanced_roadmap_check.py.

Desktop distribution gates are documented in docs/desktop-distribution-publication.md, with machine-readable state in packaging/registry-status.yaml and packaging/desktop-distribution.yaml.

Launch QA is summarized by:

python3 scripts/launch_qa_check.py

Known launch limitations and support routes are documented in docs/launch-limitations-support.md, SUPPORT.md and SECURITY.md.

Post-launch PDF capability claims are governed by the exhaustive parity registry in docs/pdf-parity-registry.md and the nested baseline matrix in docs/pdf-baseline-parity-matrix.md. Run python3 scripts/pdf_parity_registry_check.py before expanding public PDF capability claims.

Run python3 scripts/stable_reader_readiness_check.py before broad marketing claims about the reader baseline.

Mobile public launch readiness is tracked separately behind the mobile_public_launch feature gate in docs/mobile-public-launch-readiness.md. Run python3 scripts/mobile_public_launch_check.py before changing Android or iOS publishing status.

Optional local ML/RAG work remains disabled by default behind the frontier_intelligence_preview feature gate. Governance lives in docs/frontier-intelligence-governance.md; run python3 scripts/frontier_intelligence_governance_check.py before changing frontier intelligence defaults or promotion criteria.

Opt-in collaboration and sync remains disabled by default behind the opt_in_collaboration_sync feature gate. Governance lives in docs/opt-in-collaboration-sync.md; run python3 scripts/opt_in_collaboration_sync_check.py before changing collaboration defaults, provider behavior or support-bundle exclusions.

Rendering and GPU performance promotion remains disabled by default behind the rendering_performance_promotion feature gate. Governance lives in docs/rendering-performance-promotion.md; run python3 scripts/rendering_performance_promotion_check.py before expanding rendering, GPU or performance claims.

SDK, plugin, workflow-pack and marketplace expansion remains disabled by default behind the ecosystem_integrations_marketplace feature gate. Governance lives in docs/ecosystem-integrations-marketplace.md; run python3 scripts/ecosystem_integrations_marketplace_check.py before expanding ecosystem publication claims.

Documentation

The docs site lives in docs-site/ and uses Astro with Starlight:

cd docs-site
npm ci
npm run build

Architecture, contracts and release-governance docs are under docs/, contracts/ and schemas/.

Contributing

Read CONTRIBUTING.md, AGENTS.md, docs/v9-coding-agent-start-here.md and contracts/README.md before opening implementation work.

Contributions must preserve the core/adapters boundary, include tests or evidence, and update compatibility/versioning notes when public contracts change.

Security

See SECURITY.md. Do not attach private PDFs, document text, credentials, support bundles or exploit fixtures to public issues.

Citation

Use CITATION.cff for citation metadata.