xtc/README.md
2026-10-26 22:51:25 +01:00

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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.