Inspiration Features Matrix

Cross-reference of recurring TUI patterns across the inspiration set. The rightmost column captures the current take on whether the pattern is aspirational for KN-86 — ✅ adopt, 🟡 partial / adapt, 🔍 evaluate further, ❌ skip.

Symbols: ✓ = pattern present, — = not present / not applicable, ▲ = framework (powers other entries), ◆ = historical archetype / precedent, ■ = concept image (not a shipped product).

Column abbreviations in the wide UX table: PD PulseDeck · Gl Gloomberb · NW NetWatch · Go Golazo · Pk Perkins · BA BAE · Cw Cowsay · OT OpenTUI · Zk Zork · Vh Vehicle TUI Concept.

UX patterns (contemporary inspiration set)

Pattern	PD	Gl	NW	Go	Pk	BA	Cw	OT	Zk	Vh	KN-86 aspirational?
Keyboard-first command model	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	—	▲	◆	■	✅ Already foundational (31-key, TERM-context)
Single-key layout/focus cycling	✓	—	—	✓	—	—	—	▲	—	—	✅ Worth a dedicated key on cart surfaces
Mnemonic command bar (3–4 char codes)	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 Strong fit with TERM key; pilot first
Numbered-tab top-level navigation	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Phone numpad maps cleanly
Labeled-bracket bottom nav bar	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	✅ Reference pattern for Row 24
Persistent top status strip (Row-0 style)	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	✅ Reference pattern for Row 0
In-band keystroke legend (footer hints)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	✅ Pair with Row 24 nav-bar pattern
Explanation panel under focused row	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	🟡 Adopt for settings-style surfaces
Master/detail two-pane layout	—	✓	✓	✓	—	✓	—	▲	—	✓	✅ Adopt as a screen-design baseline
Dense multi-pane dashboard	—	✓	✓	—	—	—	—	▲	—	✓	🟡 Useful for Bare Deck Terminal; cart-specific
Workspace-level tab strip (^1 / ^2)	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🔍 Park for now
Tiling window management	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	❌ Single-cart focus; gridlock concept only
Plugin / extension architecture	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	▲	—	—	❌ Cart capability model is the equivalent
First-class theme system (multiple)	✓	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 Adapt as aesthetic modes (mono amber, not palette)
Live theme switching via one key	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 If theme system happens, one-key cycle is right
Persistent session state	✓	✓	✓	—	—	✓	—	—	◆	—	✅ Already in Universal Deck State (ADR-0011)
Audio visualizers (spectrum / scope)	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ CIPHER-LINE is the natural home
Sparklines / heatmaps / Gantt	—	✓	✓	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Box-drawing + braille make this cheap
Box-drawn map / spatial glyph	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	🟡 Faction / dispatch geography cart surfaces
Sub-cell rendering (braille glyphs)	—	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Sanction as escape hatch (own ADR)
In-app help overlay (?)	—	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	◆	—	✅ Strong runtime-internal candidate
Filter / search bar (/)	—	—	✓	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 Tiny grammar on Row 24 — list surfaces
Audition / commit split	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 Cart preview before insert; mission preview
Undo (u)	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	◆	—	🟡 Worth in nEmacs / REPL; not universal
Graceful capability degradation	✓	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Promote to runtime doctrine
Compact-screen / too-small protection	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Mirror for emulator below 80×25
Self-update affordance	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	🟡 Already in update-system; lift UX presentation
Big-glyph headline identity object	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Press Start 2P at native 12×24
Event timeline with glyph markers	—	—	✓	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Mission event log, dispatch history
Horizontal A-vs-B stat bars	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	—	✅ Reputation / faction surfaces
Inline [ON]/[OFF] toggle status	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	🟡 CP437 brackets handle this trivially
Strong visual metaphor as IA	✓ (deck)	✓ (terminal)	—	✓ (scoreline)	—	—	—	—	◆ (Empire)	■ (dashboard)	✅ Already committed (Deckline)
Fixed-envelope hardware-product UI	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	■	✅ This is KN-86
ASCII speech-bubble / box-art callouts	—	—	—	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	🟡 Sanction as a glyph primitive
Image → ASCII import	—	—	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	🔍 Authoring tool, not runtime
Incident bundle / state-snapshot export	—	—	✓	—	—	—	—	—	◆ (save file)	—	🔍 Park; share story v2
Flexbox layout on text grid	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	▲	—	—	🟡 NoshAPI flex primitive — author win
Tree-sitter / inline syntax highlighting	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	▲	—	—	🔍 nEmacs / REPL candidate
Diff component	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	▲	—	—	🔍 nEmacs commit affordance
Timeline animation API	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	▲	—	—	🟡 Compare to existing clip-system
Cross-language C-ABI core	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	▲	◆ (Z-machine)	—	✅ NoshAPI already is this

Architectural / historical patterns (Zork-centric)

The Zork stack contributes architectural patterns that don’t map cleanly to the UX-flavored rows above. Calling them out separately:

Pattern	Zork	KN-86 aspirational?
Lisp-family authoring language	◆ (MDL / Muddle)	✅ Already adopted (ADR-0001, KEC Lisp)
Portable, memory-disciplined runtime	◆ (Z-machine)	✅ Adopted as a tree-walking interpreter (ADR-0004, Fe) — portable across desktop + Pi; the bytecode-VM form is deferred
AOT compile high-level → bytecode for distribution	◆	◐ Deferred — carts ship Lisp source in the .kn86 container today; AOT bytecode is parked (ADR-0006 / ADR-0004 2026-06-14 amendments)
Cartridge / box / “feelies” as part of the work	◆	✅ Already committed (ADR-0019 cart shell + sled + label)
Imperative text parser (verb-noun-prep-noun)	◆	🟡 Pair with TERM-key / nEmacs REPL; narrative-cart template
Universal meta-command verb set (SAVE/LOOK/INVENTORY)	◆	🟡 Promote to firmware-level deck-wide verbs
Atmospheric 2nd-person / present-tense / dry voice	◆ (“…likely to be eaten by a grue”)	✅ Tone reference for CIPHER voice style guide
Classification stamps on cart label (KIND/TONE/LEVEL)	◆ (FORMAT/GENRE/DIFFICULTY)	🟡 Three-stamp label pattern on cart sled
Disambiguation prompts on ambiguous parser input	◆ (“which sword?”)	🟡 If imperative parser ships, this is the bar
Persistent world / NPC state across sessions	◆	✅ Already in Universal Deck State + per-cart save (ADR-0011, ADR-0019)

Reading the matrix

• Zork (and the Z-machine) is the architectural archetype — sparsely populated in the contemporary UX rows (it’s a 1980 parser game), but every cell it touches is a load-bearing structural decision KN-86 has already made (KEC Lisp, Fe VM, .kn86 container, cart shell). The lower table is where its real density shows.
• PulseDeck is the densest “directly applicable” column — strong metaphor, theme system, visualizers, layout cycling, resilience patterns, persistent state. The closest north star for the deck identity.
• NetWatch is the densest runtime UX doctrine column — numbered-tab navigation, graceful degradation, theme cycling, sparklines, “useful in 5 seconds.” Aligns tightly with the Bare Deck Terminal brief.
• Gloomberb dominates the dense dashboard + command bar axis. Strongest single fit is the mnemonic command bar paired with TERM key.
• Golazo owns master/detail + headline object. Worth lifting as a screen-design baseline.
• Perkins is single-point but high-value: braille rendering and the ? help overlay.
• BAE and Cowsay are philosophy / single-primitive notes.
• OpenTUI is the framework reference — not a substrate candidate (see opentui.md for why), but its component inventory and flexbox approach are worth borrowing piecemeal.
• Vehicle TUI Concept is the only entry that’s a fixed-envelope hardware-product UI (everything else lives inside a terminal emulator). Sparsely populated in the table as a whole, but every cell it touches is a Row 0 / Row 24 / chrome-discipline pattern KN-86 should treat as the reference. The Row-0 status strip, Row-24 bracketed nav bar, in-band keystroke legend, and explanation-panel-under-focused-row are the four borrowable patterns it adds that aren’t well-represented elsewhere.

Patterns I’d promote to spec / ADR work

In rough priority order:

1. Cite Zork / Z-machine as prior art in ADR-0001 and ADR-0004 background sections — one paragraph each. Costs nothing; anchors the Lisp-authoring + bytecode-VM lineage explicitly (Zork).
2. Universal ? help overlay as a runtime-internal feature (Perkins, with HELP precedent from Zork).
3. Numbered-tab navigation on the Bare Deck Terminal, mapped to the phone numpad (NetWatch).
4. Braille sub-cell rendering sanctioned as an escape hatch in character-set.md — possibly its own short ADR (Perkins).
5. Graceful degradation elevated to a runtime doctrine, applied uniformly to cart-absent / coprocessor-absent / battery-low / microSD-absent cases (NetWatch, PulseDeck).
6. Compact-screen protection for the desktop emulator — refuse to draw below the canonical grid (PulseDeck).
7. Mnemonic command bar entered through TERM key — 3–4-char codes, in-band legend (Gloomberb).
8. Big-glyph headline identity object as a screen-design pattern in screen-design-rules.md (Golazo).
9. Audio visualizer on CIPHER-LINE as a Bare Deck SYS-tab affordance and an optional cart surface (PulseDeck).
10. Master/detail two-pane layout as a sanctioned baseline alongside the Row 0 / 1–23 / 24 contract (Golazo).
11. Theme system as aesthetic modes — not colors. Cycle key, persisted in nosh-config.toml (NetWatch, PulseDeck).
12. CIPHER voice style guide cites Zork failure-state prose as the tone target (Zork).
13. Imperative-parser narrative-cart authoring template — Zork-style verb-noun dispatch as a sanctioned cartridge-authoring kit on top of KEC Lisp (Zork). Scope question, not a near-term commit.
14. Three-stamp cart label classification (CART KIND / TONE / STANDARD LEVEL) on the cart sled, callback to Infocom’s box stamps (Zork).
15. Firmware-level universal verb set — SAVE, LOOK, INVENTORY, SCORE accepted on the TERM line regardless of loaded cart (Zork).
16. Row 24 nav-bar spec — bracketed-label nav row ([ HOME ] [ SYS ] [ MISSIONS ] [ TERM ]) with optional leading glyph, as the reference contract for what Row 24 looks like across surfaces (Vehicle TUI Concept).
17. In-band keystroke legend pattern — when a surface is keystroke-driven, print the bindings in the surface, not behind a ? overlay (Vehicle TUI Concept).
18. Explanation panel under focused-list-row — sub-3-row footprint, self-teaching settings surfaces (Vehicle TUI Concept).
19. Pane header convention — pick :: NAME vs. ─[ NAME ]─ vs. ALL-CAPS centered, and commit. The inspiration set fragments here; KN-86 should pick one (Gloomberb favors :: NAME; Vehicle TUI uses centered-caps).

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Batch 3 — feature-axis matrix

A second, complementary matrix oriented around feature axes the prompt called out (keyboard model, theme system, layout/panes, visualizers, plugin/extensibility, persistence), with one row per Batch-3 contemporary TUI app and a final column for the KN-86 aspirational verdict.

Reads orthogonally to the project-rows × pattern-cols table above: where that one tells you which projects exhibit a pattern, this one tells you what each Batch-3 project does on each feature axis.

Project	Keyboard model	Theme system	Layout / panes	Visualizers	Plugin / extensibility	Persistence	KN-86 aspirational?
rs-pug	Keyboard-driven; commands + nav keys	5 JSON themes (dark, light, nord, gruvbox, mono) — human-editable	Multi-pane library / queue / now-playing	—	Lua plugins	SQLite library	✅ JSON-themes + Lua-as-desktop-tooling-extension; ❌ SQLite on device (per-cart save model differs)
audium	One-key-per-action; all keys remappable	15 themes + live preview + transparency	Player + library + LRC overlay	— (LRC lyrics, not audio viz)	—	Plain-JSON portable library	✅ One-key ethos, live-preview theme picker, JSON portability; transparency is terminal-emulator-only
cliamp	Winamp-style controls; keyboard-first	Player chrome themed	Winamp-tribute layout	Real spectrum + multiband EQ	Lua plugins	— (provider-list-driven, not local library focus)	✅ Spectrum visualizer in-band; Lua-as-desktop-tooling; Winamp-homage commitment
AetherTune	Fully remappable keybinds; ? overlay; S settings	8 themes incl. CRT default + live preview	Station browser + log + health + visualizer	Real FFT 16-band @ ~94fps + CAVA gravity falloff; fallback simulator	— (config-driven only)	JSON (favorites, history, keybinds, themes)	✅ FFT pipeline is the CIPHER-LINE reference; CRT-default identity; remappable keybinds; graceful viz fallback
octoscope	Number-key tabs (1–6) + tab/shift+tab + searchable lists	7 themes incl. phosphor (CRT green) and amber (CRT amber) + live cycle	Tabbed auto-refresh + drill-in detail	— (live “change pulse” border flash, not spectrum)	— (config-driven only)	Background fetch cache; rate-limit aware	✅ amber theme is direct lineage citation; tabbed-dashboard pattern for Bare Deck Terminal; change-pulse for live data arrival
l123	Slash menu (/), : menu, 13-mode indicator, first-char input rule, full F-key workflow, Ctrl-Break universal abort, Alt-F4 undo, F1 context help	dos theme ships; green and amber CRT stretch	Three-line control panel + grid + R3.4a WYSIWYG icon panel	Graphs (F10 full-screen); Unicode bar + line; SVG/PNG save	Macros: {BRANCH}, {IF}, {LET}, \0 autoexec, Alt-F5 learn	.xlsx round-trip; .WK3 read; macro learn-mode persistence	✅ Reference for the entire interaction model; mode indicator; first-char rule; F-key workflow; authenticity-contract discipline
4TRK	Music-workstation key layout (per-track step entry, etc.)	Many themes + theme editor; CRT effects layer	Tracker step grid + synth panels + FX strip; dual screen modes (studio 640 / classic 320)	Audio output is the device’s own output	—	(DAW project format)	✅ Theme editor pattern, dual-mode toggle (analog to ADR-0014 F1’s glyph treatment); deep CRT effects

Reading the Batch-3 matrix

• AetherTune is the clearest “all six axes present, all done well” project. Strongest single Batch-3 reference for an end-to-end TUI runtime architecture.
• l123 is off-the-charts on the keyboard-model axis and carries unique value on the macro-as-plugin axis (in a way the music players don’t).
• octoscope is the strongest theme-axis reference because of the direct phosphor / amber CRT-theme naming lineage to KN-86’s color story.
• rs-pug + cliamp are independent confirmations of “Lua as the extension language” for TUI apps — useful pattern for KN-86 desktop tooling, not for the on-device runtime.
• audium’s JSON-portable-library + remappable-everything is the strongest single persistence + flexibility lesson.
• 4TRK isn’t quite TUI (it’s a graphical music workstation), but it earns its row by being the strongest aesthetic-and-theming reference outside the TUI corpus.

Batch-3-derived patterns to promote (extends the Batch-1/2 promote list above)

20. Real FFT visualizer pipeline for the CIPHER-LINE OLED, modeled on AetherTune (16-band, ~94 fps, CAVA-style gravity falloff, automatic sensitivity), driven by Pico-2 PSG output. (Cross-references promote-list item 9.)
21. CRT boot + power-off animations as KN-86 identity branding, modeled on AetherTune.
22. Slash-menu (TERM-key) universal command surface modeled on l123 — first-letter descent, Esc back, no chords. (Refines promote-list item 7 — l123 supersedes Gloomberb as the citation.)
23. Live mode indicator in Row 0 or Row 24 — modeled on l123’s 13-mode display.
24. First-character input rule for the TERM-line context-free input — modeled on l123.
25. Authenticity contract for the KN-86 runtime, written in docs/software/runtime/ and backed by acceptance transcripts under kn86-emulator/tests/. Direct citation of l123’s discipline.
26. Named-aesthetic-mode roster AMBER / AMBER / CIPHER with picker + editor on the SYS tab — AMBER cites octoscope’s amber CRT theme directly; mechanism cites AetherTune (live preview) + 4TRK (theme editor) + audium (15-themes order of magnitude).
27. Live “change pulse” border flash on data arrival — modeled on octoscope. CIPHER tab border flashes when a new CIPHER fragment lands; mission-board border flashes when a new contract becomes available.
28. Tabbed auto-refresh dashboard for the Bare Deck Terminal, modeled on octoscope + NetWatch.
29. Image rendering technique documented in NoshAPI — halfblock-▀-with-fg-bg-color per asciinator on the desktop emulator; shade-mode rendering on the device.
30. Lua-as-desktop-tooling-extension-language for cart authoring helpers, emulator debug overlays, etc. Modeled on rs-pug + cliamp.
31. Human-editable JSON / TOML / plaintext throughout for all user-facing persistence. No binary blobs where text suffices. Modeled on audium + AetherTune.
32. src/ui/ module isolation from data sources behind a stable trait (AetherTune + l123). Engine-agnostic UI; UI-agnostic engine.

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Batch 4 — feature-axis matrix (research references)

A third matrix oriented around the Batch 4 axes — the implementation-technique dimensions of the build. Each row is a Batch-4 project; columns are the axes the build brief recommends decisions on: rendering core / widgets / scriptability / interaction model / data fetching / aesthetic-effect / runtime pattern / KN-86 aspirational verdict.

Reads complementary to the Batch-3 matrix above: where that one captured user-facing UX axes, this one captures implementation-layer axes.

Column abbreviations: Render = rendering-core contribution; Widgets = widget-inventory contribution; Script = embedded-language / scripting; Interact = interaction-model lesson; Fetch = data-fetching / async / HTTP; Effect = signature aesthetic effect; Pattern = runtime-design-pattern reference.

Project	Render	Widgets	Script	Interact	Fetch	Effect	Pattern	KN-86 aspirational?
termui	Channel events on termbox-go	Catalog: BarChart, Gauge, Sparkline, Plot, Table, Tabs, Paragraph, List, Tree, braille Canvas	—	—	—	—	Grid layout	✅ Widget catalog → NoshAPI inventory
blessed-contrib	—	+ Donut, LCD display, rolling log, world map, picture viewer; CAROUSEL layout	—	—	—	—	Carousel auto-rotation	✅ Carousel for Bare Deck Terminal idle state; LCD display for big-glyph identity
tuibox	UI → Screen → Box hierarchy; pure-ANSI single-header C; dirty-bit cache	—	—	Mouse-driven, event-loop	—	—	Dirty Flag pattern	✅ Dirty-bit render cache as nOSh primitive; C-core fallback path
cl-termbox2	Lisp ↔ C FFI bridge	—	Lisp bindings to cell renderer	—	—	—	FFI surface design	✅ Structural validation of ADR-0001 + ADR-0005
mop	termbox-go	—	—	Terse single-key bindings; filter-expression DSL on Row 24	—	Row-shading	—	✅ Filter-expression confirmation (with NetWatch); single-key ergonomics
nba-go	Node	—	—	Subcommand+flag CLI design; compare-with-winner-highlight	API fetch + parse + render	—	Async data pipeline	🟡 Compare/highlight as cart pattern; subcommand CLI for desktop tooling
worldmonitor	Web (Tauri 2)	—	—	Command-bar verb model (fly LON DXB); situational-awareness dashboard	500+ feeds, cross-stream correlation	—	6-variants-from-one-codebase	🟡 Command-bar verbs; local-AI-via-Ollama posture for desktop tooling
mal	—	—	Canonical 11-step Lisp build curriculum across 89 host languages; self-hosting	—	—	—	TCO, macros, try/catch as language gates	✅ Direct cite for ADR-0001 / ADR-0004 / ADR-0005; SDK-tutorial scaffold
BuildYourOwnLisp	—	—	C-specific Lisp implementation in <1000 lines + mpc parser combinators	—	—	—	—	✅ Fallback path reference for Fe-replacement; mpc useful for any DSL parsing
xiki	Emacs buffer	—	Ruby-backed expansion engine	Expandable-command tree; live-menu interaction	—	—	Tree-as-navigation	✅ REPL surface adopts Xiki-style expandable text as default interaction
EXWM	Emacs + xelb	—	Elisp	Keyboard-driven WM; one environment; shared keymap; tiling + workspaces	—	—	—	✅ Universal-verb-set commitment; keyboard-as-product doctrine
webmacs	Qt WebEngine	—	Python customization	Emacs keybindings on non-text app; link hints; live docs	Browser-native	—	—	✅ Link-hint single-character labels on every actionable item
writeroom-mode	Emacs	—	Elisp	Focus / zen / distraction-free mode	—	—	Hooks on enter/leave	✅ Focus mode as v0.1 ship-list item
emacs-request	—	—	Elisp callbacks	—	Async HTTP; pluggable backends (curl / pure); JSON/XML/text parsers	—	Service Locator	✅ NoshAPI async-HTTP primitive shape
history.el	Emacs	—	Elisp	Non-destructive nav history; doubly-linked list w/ sliding index; smart-skip stale	—	—	Linked-list pattern	✅ v0.1 runtime affordance; BACK/FORWARD in universal verb set
pallet	—	—	Elisp / Cask	—	—	—	Manifest-as-source-of-truth	🟡 Plugin-manifest pattern for desktop tooling only
BOOTSTRA.386	—	—	—	—	—	DOS WIMP theme + configurable ANSI-art boot/flyby animation	—	✅ v0.1 boot animation aesthetic commitment
NES.css	—	—	—	—	—	8-bit NES palette; Press Start 2P typography (validates ADR-0014)	—	✅ Press Start 2P prior-art citation
no-more-secrets	—	—	—	—	—	Sneakers-style decryption reveal animation	—	✅ NoshAPI reveal-text primitive (reimplemented — GPL)
loopy	Web Canvas	—	—	—	—	Hand-drawn / playful aesthetic; animated causal-loop simulation	Signal-flow-around-graph	🟡 Playful-cart aesthetic exception; future causal-loop cart possibility
terrain	—	—	—	—	—	—	Priority-queue erosion; Voronoi terrain; label placement	🔍 Park for hypothetical map / exploration cart
Game Programming Patterns	—	—	—	—	—	—	Game Loop, Update, Command, Observer, State, Dirty Flag, Object Pool, Service Locator, Subclass Sandbox, Type Object	✅ Cite by name in runtime architecture spec
Roro	—	—	C# / Roslyn macros	RPA macro recording	—	—	Recorded-action-replay	🟡 Macro-record/replay v0.2+ REPL affordance
terminals-are-sexy	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	🔍 Reference / appendix

Batch-4-derived patterns to promote (extends items 1-32 above)

33. Carousel idle-state for the Bare Deck Terminal — auto-rotating tab carousel, configurable interval + disable in nosh-config.toml (blessed-contrib).
34. NoshAPI widget catalog matching termui + blessed-contrib inventory: sparkline, gauge, plot, table, tabs, braille canvas, LCD display, rolling log, donut. Plus carousel as the layout primitive for auto-rotating views.
35. UI → Screen → Box hierarchy with per-box dirty bit as the nOSh render-pipeline structure (tuibox). Aligns with Game Programming Patterns’ Dirty Flag.
36. Mal as direct prior-art citation in ADR-0001 / ADR-0004 / ADR-0005 background sections (mal).
37. Cl-termbox2 as structural validation reference for ADR-0001 + ADR-0005 — proof that the embedded-Lisp + C-cell-renderer + FFI bridge architecture composes into a working TUI (cl-termbox2).
38. Universal verb set commitment — TERM-line verbs SAVE, LOOK, INVENTORY, SCORE, BACK, FORWARD are deck-wide commitments, available in every cart, not redefinable per cart (EXWM shared-keymap lesson). Refines item 15.
39. Link-hint single-character labels on every actionable item on every surface; user types the label to act (webmacs).
40. Xiki-style expandable command tree as the REPL’s default interaction model — typed verbs expand in place, results expand further on demand, navigation is tree traversal (xiki).
41. Non-destructive navigation history with doubly-linked list + sliding index pointer; BACK/FORWARD traverse without losing entries; stale entries auto-skipped (history.el). v0.1 ship-list item.
42. Focus / zen mode as a v0.1 ship-list item — single keystroke, hide chrome rows, narrow content area, center horizontally, dim (don’t silence) CIPHER-LINE (writeroom-mode).
43. Async HTTP primitive in NoshAPI with emacs-request-shaped API (:on-success / :on-error callbacks, pluggable curl vs. pure-runtime backend) (emacs-request).
44. Boot animation as v0.1 ship-list confirmed — AetherTune is the runtime mechanism reference; BOOTSTRA.386 is the aesthetic commitment reference. AMBER + Press Start 2P + CP437 ANSI-art flyby. Configurable speed, once_per_session, disable.
45. NoshAPI reveal-text primitive for Sneakers-style decryption reveal animation (no-more-secrets, reimplemented — GPL prevents vendoring).
46. Pallet-style plugin manifest for desktop tooling around KN-86 (cart-authoring helpers, emulator debug-overlay extensions). Hand-editable TOML, manifest-as-source-of-truth, one-directional sync (pallet).
47. Filter-expression on Row 24 for list surfaces — small query DSL evaluated in the cart’s KEC Lisp scope (mop + NetWatch — two witnesses). Composes with item 4 (NetWatch filter DSL) by formalizing the syntax.
48. Compare-with-winner-highlight pattern in ui-patterns.md for any A-vs-B view; intensity-delta-as-semantic on monochrome amber (nba-go).
49. Game Programming Patterns cited by name in docs/software/runtime/ architecture writing — Game Loop, Update Method, Command, Observer, State, Dirty Flag, Object Pool, Service Locator, Subclass Sandbox, Type Object (Game Programming Patterns).
50. Macro-record / Learn mode as v0.2+ REPL affordance (Roro RPA lineage + l123 Alt-F5 LEARN).

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Batch 5 — keyboard / hardware-decision matrix

Batch 5 is a decision-recording batch rather than an exploration batch — the matrix below is correspondingly compact. Each row is a Batch-5 reference; the rightmost column captures whether it lands in the build path (prototype/), the archived knowledge layer (research/), or the aesthetic / shell reference layer (inspiration/).

Reference	Role	Build-path placement	KN-86 disposition
Ferris Sweep — holykeebs	The decided keyboard — 34-key split, RP2040, hotswap, low-profile choc	prototype/	✅ Build path. Order from holykeebs as soldered kit.
holykeebs Buyer’s Guide	The BOM checklist — configuration matrix decisions for the Sweep order	prototype/	✅ Decisions captured; checklist to confirm at order time.
GOLEM hub	Master custom-keyboard knowledge index + vintage-terminal-keyboard gallery	research/	🟡 Custom-build content archived; vintage-terminal gallery actively used for legend/typography
GOLEM plate manufacturing	DXF/KLE pipeline + plate-material facts	research/	❌ Archived — Sweep ships with plates
GOLEM KMK firmware guide	KMK + KB2040 walkthrough w/ NeoPixel diagnostic codes	research/	🟡 Not the firmware path (using QMK+Vial); NeoPixel-status-LED idea + workflow-UX contrast carry forward
KMK firmware repo	The KMK firmware project itself; limited life support	research/	❌ Fallback reference only; QMK + Vial is the chosen firmware path
universal60plate	Free downloadable 60% plate DXF — example artifact	research/	❌ Archived reference; KN-86 not building a 60% keyboard
Adamow cyberdeck STL	Tactical-cyberpunk silhouette STL reference	inspiration/	✅ Shell aesthetic reference — combined with QRPπ template informs the Pelican bezel design
TechNIK cyberdeck STL	Alternate-silhouette STL — different hinge / screen-mount	inspiration/	✅ Second-silhouette reference; triangulates the design space with Adamow
Stream Deck macropad STL (Dante)	Auxiliary macropad form-factor	inspiration/	🔍 Optional v2+ accessory; outside the canonical deck scope

Batch-5-derived patterns to promote (extends items 1-50 above)

51. Ferris Sweep as the keyboard — supersedes the ADR-0024 custom-31-key preferred path. Triggers spec PRs to align Canonical Hardware Specification + ADR-0024 (Ferris Sweep).
52. 34-key Sweep + QMK layers ↔ 14-FN + 16-numpad + 1-TERM canonical-functions mapping — design work to scope. The phone-layout numpad cluster from ADR-0016 doesn’t survive split geometry literally; spirit needs translation. (Ferris Sweep.)
53. Firmware = QMK + Vial on the holykeebs RP2040 (not KMK, not custom). (Sweep + KMK life-support caveat.)
54. Single NeoPixel deck-status LED with documented amber-friendly color vocabulary as a small v0.1 hardware affordance (KMK NeoPixel diagnostic codes lineage, KN-86 vocabulary downstream).
55. Pelican-1170 bezel design triangulated from Adamow + TechNIK + QRPπ — three reference points (one close-template, two broader-silhouette) inform the bezel insert design.
56. GOLEM vintage-terminal-keyboard gallery as legend/typography reference alongside ADR-0022’s locked legend manifest — Reuters ‘85, Tatung ‘84, IBM 5155 Model F, Kaypro 10, Epson HX-20/40, DEC LK-201 (GOLEM gallery).
57. Optional auxiliary macropad accessory for v2+ — 6-12 keys, USB HID, QMK firmware, key legends in Press Start 2P + CP437 to match the canonical deck typography (Dante macropad).

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Batch 6 — ASCII effect grammar + Sweep hardware reinforcement

Two threads — the screen (ASCII rendering) and the board (Sweep case + keycaps).

Batch 6 — ASCII Effect Spec defaults (verbatim from ../effect/ascii-effects.md)

Setting	KN-86 default	Source
numCols	150 (carts at full-width use 80)	react-video-ascii midpoint, sized for AMBER readability on the 80×25 grid
charMode	shape	react-video-ascii default; preserves edge detail on monochrome amber
chars	default 72-char ramp	react-video-ascii verbatim
brightness	1.0	baseline; AMBER aesthetic mode sets absolute intensity
saturation	0.0	KN-86 is monochrome
bgOpacity	0.3	low; text-on-black look
cropFocus	center	default crop anchor
mouseEffect style	brighten (trailLen=15, brightness=2.0, radius=0.08, duration=1.0)	react-video-ascii defaults
clickEffect style	ripple (speed=3.0, brightness=1.1, duration=1.0)	react-video-ascii defaults
revealEffect style	random (duration=0.4)	react-video-ascii defaults

Batch 6 — keycap option matrix

The hotswap PCB on the Sweep PCB makes keycap swap a no-tools operation; the matrix records both options:

Keycap option	Pros	Cons	KN-86 disposition
MBK low-profile (canonical)	Commercial supply via holykeebs; uniform visual surface; ships with the order; matches existing canonical commitment	Flat profile means every key feels the same; pinky-column keys see same cap shape as index-column	✅ Canonical v0.1 commitment
Sculpted Choc (mugika9)	Per-row contour improves ergonomics on the 34-key layout; reduces finger travel; better typing accuracy after muscle memory builds	3D-print quality dependent (SLA strongly preferred); slightly busier visual surface; have to print + finish ourselves	🟡 Documented alternative for operator post-build swap

Batch-6-derived patterns to promote (extends items 1-57)

58. ASCII-effect grammar shipped in v0.1 — default ramp, charMode: shape, three event types (hover, click, reveal), NoshAPI primitives per the ASCII Effect Spec. (react-video-ascii + libcaca.)
59. Unified (reveal ...) NoshAPI primitive — covers both per-cell character-flicker reveal (no-more-secrets) and ramp-by-position reveal (react-video-ascii) under one surface with a :style flag. Refines item 45 from Batch 4.
60. ASCII rendering performance budget measured during hardware bring-up; expected 15-30 Hz full-screen on Pi Zero 2 W. Document the realistic cap. (libcaca CPU pipeline.)
61. Sweep enclosure decision tracked — print Bubbleology’s v2 case unmodified, or merge it with the Pelican-1170 bezel as a single printed part per Sweep half. Deferred to bezel-design bring-up. (Bubbleology Sweep v2 case.)
62. Keycap-swap path via hotswap PCB is sanctioned — MBK canonical for v0.1; operators swap to sculpted Choc (or anything Choc-compatible) post-build with no firmware or spec change required. (mugika9 sculpted Choc + Sweep hotswap.)
63. Single project-wide ASCII visual language — every cart, every surface, every animation uses the same default ramp + charMode + interaction-event grammar unless explicitly overridden. (ASCII Effect Spec doctrine.)

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Batch 8 — Deckline-core promote-to-spec matrix

The largest capture (49 production TUIs) yields the longest promote-to-spec list. Drawn from the two dedicated synthesis docs — ../synthesis-batch8.md §5 (the Deckline-core 10) and ../synthesis-batch8-architecture.md (library shortlist + A4 primitives + libuv) — plus the KN-90T Toneline buildable feature set. Canon throughout: 128×75 + 128×150 half-block per ADR-0027 (the superseded 80×25 references in pre-ratification entries are recast at the current grid). Each row cross-references its source project(s); the matrix below continues the running promote-item numbering from item 63.

Deckline-core (synthesis-batch8 §5) — UI catalog / single-color / ambient / LISP

#	Promote-to-spec item	Source project(s)	Lands in
64	(draw-sparkline …) primitive — the logradar recipe (▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ramp, 24 buckets / 2-min rolling window, soft-cap at 3× non-zero mean, newest bucket bolded)	logradar, cava, astroterm	NoshAPI catalog (ADR-0005)
65	(status-glyph …) primitive — distinct glyph per state (● ◐ ✖ ○), frame-cycle to animate; never a colored dot	logradar, BrogueCE, visidata	NoshAPI catalog
66	Table primitive — pinned header + scrolling body + frozen columns (f<n>) + bottom : command line + mode/counts status strip	csvlens, sc-im, visidata, sheetsui	NoshAPI catalog + ui-patterns.md
67	Ambient / screensaver mode — idle-timer (reuse power-idle path) + scene roster + Deck-State (cipher_seed) seeding + (reveal :radial)/(unreveal :radial) lifecycle exit, under the 20 fps cap so idle lowers draw	neo, astroterm, cbonsai	orchestration.md + a small ADR if it touches Universal Deck State
68	(draw-framebuffer) as sugar over (half-block-set) — sprite-from-bytes blit into the 128×150 half-block canvas (cart-usable 128×146); Fe-side library, not a new FFI surface	browsh, php-gameboy, mapscii	ADR-0027 half-block helper library
69	Namespace NoshAPI by domain (cell/*, deck/*, mission/*, audio/*, cipher/*) rather than ~30 flat builtins — more discoverable, more stable across versions	micro (namespaced Lua import)	ADR-0005 revision
70	Cart-facing “query language” = Fe expressions, not a bespoke DSL — every filter reduces to a predicate over a row: (filter (lambda (row) …) rows); skip the parser/AST entirely	csvlens, loglens-core, visidata	lisp-paradigm.md
71	Tree-browser widget = s-expression browser — CAR enter / BACK out / CDR next / TAB collapse; one implementation serves reader-mode content and nEmacs structural editing	hackernews-TUI, bookokrat, mc	ui-patterns.md + ADR-0008
72	Single-color rule set — design as if color never existed, then add three orthogonal channels back (glyph=identity, inversion=selection/focus/hazard, density-ramp=magnitude) + three supporting channels (border-weight, leading-glyph column, frame-tick glyph-cycle)	BrogueCE, logradar, durdraw	screen-design-rules.md
73	Zoom-as-row-semantics — let the operator trade range against detail by changing what each row means (30/15/5/1 min, etc.), not by adding rows; a cross-surface density tool on the 75-row grid	chronos	ui-patterns.md

Architecture (synthesis-batch8-architecture) — library shortlist + A4 + A5

#	Promote-to-spec item	Source project(s)	Lands in
74	Adopt the cavacore core/render split by name — pure render-agnostic C core (mission board, economy, phase chain, Deck State, CIPHER, Fe VM) under thin swappable backends; the constrained Fe cell API is the cavacore seam	cava (cavacore)	runtime architecture spec (the boundary ADR-0027 defines)
75	Borrow no TUI library beyond termbox2; own the implementation — the shortlist verdict: every higher-level library fights the bespoke-screen + constrained-FFI model, drags in C++/Rust/Node, or duplicates termbox2 + a thin Fe UI lib	tui-library-shortlist, ink	confirms ADR-0027 (no re-open)
76	Optional internal “Lisp-native Ink” Fe UI library — borrow exactly three Ink patterns (box-composition layout combinators → integer cell rects; focus management consuming the pre-classified on-key events; component-level memoization to avoid re-running render lambdas). Never import React/yoga/a reconciler	ink, ink-web	optional Fe UI library (convenience, not substrate)
77	Row 74 action-bar spec modeled on ink-ui status-bar — inverse-bold key badges (inverse video is the one “second color” a monochrome display gets free); badge composition, hint-group spacing, overflow truncation at 128 cols. nOSh chrome, not cart-facing	ink-web (ink-ui)	bare-deck-terminal.md + repl.md Row-74 advertisement
78	(draw-keyboard …) primitive (PROPOSAL — warrants a future ADR) — renders the Ferris Sweep 34-key split + function-block legend on the 128×75 grid with :highlight/:pressed states (inversion, never a second hue); read-only chrome for in-band keymap discovery, SYS keyboard-test, tutorials. Legend referenced to ADR-0022/0031, not restated	typeinc	dedicated ADR or scoped ADR-0005 amendment
79	libuv = pattern-only, do not link — termbox2 already owns the loop; the networking half is unused, the realtime half is on the Pico 2, and a worker pool breaks Fe’s single-threaded arena. Take the single-loop/typed-event-sources pattern; hold a bounded worker pool in reserve	libuv	confirms the existing tb_poll_event + frame-timer model

KN-90T Toneline (sister-product) — buildable feature set from the Batch 8 audio cluster

Promotes into the Toneline concept doc, not the KN-86 runtime, but logged here for cross-reference because the audio entries are shared corpus.

#	Promote-to-spec item	Source project(s)	Lands in
80	The sequencer language IS KEC Lisp — phrase = list, song = list-of-lists, LAMBDA defines a reusable phrase, transforms are the standard list library (reverse/rotate/shuffle/repeat); terse line-style prompt and nEmacs s-expression are two front-ends over one representation	line	kn90t-toneline.md §1
81	Single-color audio visualization — eighth-block ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ spectrum (8× sub-cell vertical), cavacore DSP/render split, band-array exposed as a NoshAPI primitive for cart-drawn visualizers, peak-hold gravity fall-off	cava	kn90t-toneline.md §2
82	Single-color UI component kit — piano strip (sounding note inverts), linear slider, rotary dial, waveform-with-playhead (time-domain complement to the spectrum)	upiano, valveFM, asak	kn90t-toneline.md §3
83	Recording + shell scaffolding — mode-selector splash front door, record→monitor→save loop, numeric view-switching (1–7), one-line Row-0 transport bar, library-vs-queue separation, toggle-able queue panel + list-edit undo/redo	asak, cmus, waves	kn90t-toneline.md §4–§5
84	LINK port = Ableton-Link-style shared-beat sync — derive all phrase timing from a shared beat/quantum so instances stay phase-locked; the blueprint for the fiction’s two-Tonelines-jamming LINK port	line	kn90t-toneline.md §6

A companion typing-game cart concept (ghost-competitor race mode) also surfaced from typing-game-cli, paired with the (draw-keyboard) widget from typeinc (item 78) — parked as a cart-concept, not a near-term spec commit.