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README.md

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+# xtlite — a lightweight, modular DAW
+
+`xtlite` is a new, energyXT-inspired digital audio workstation project. It is not a clone and contains no energyXT source code or assets.
+
+## Design decisions
+
+- **Modular engine first:** sequencer, instruments, effects, mixers and I/O are nodes in one processing graph.
+- **C core:** project model, graph, DSP and audio engine are implemented in C.
+- **FLTK/C++ GUI:** C++ is confined to the graphical interface and calls the core through a C API.
+- **Linux first:** keep backend-specific details behind an interface.
+- **Small increments:** build and test each milestone before adding features.
+
+## Current status
+
+This repository is a starter scaffold, not a production DAW. It currently provides:
+- a small C library/API;
+- a minimal graph model with validation and topological ordering;
+- a gain processor and offline audio-block processing;
+- a C unit test;
+- an optional FLTK GUI shell;
+- architecture, format, GUI, roadmap, and decision documents.
+
+Real audio-device integration, recording, MIDI, plugin hosting, project persistence, and the actual sequencer UI are not implemented yet.
+
+## Build
+
+Requirements: a C compiler, a C++ compiler, GNU Make, and `pkg-config`. FLTK is optional for the core and tests.
+
+```sh
+make
+make test
+```
+
+Build the optional FLTK GUI if FLTK is installed:
+
+```sh
+make gui
+```
+
+Run the GUI:
+
+```sh
+./build/xtlite
+```
+
+The current GUI is only a shell and does not yet produce sound. The core's offline graph test is the first executable audio-processing milestone.
+
+Clean generated files:
+
+```sh
+make clean
+```
+
+## Suggested first agent task
+
+Read `AGENT.md` and `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`. Inspect the existing implementation, run `make test`, and report gaps before adding the next feature. Do not jump directly to plugin hosting or a full sequencer.
+
+## License
+
+The project is scaffolded under the MIT License; see `LICENSE`. Review the licenses of any future dependencies before distribution.