Add Nostr Feed Manager: Rust backend with Electron + React GUI

- Rust library (nostr-manager-backend) with CLI and JSON-lines IPC serve mode: profiles, publishing with per-relay reports, relays, settings, vault storage and legacy-vault migration - Electron + React + TypeScript desktop GUI using the same backend over stdio IPC - Vitest suite with a fake backend speaking the real protocol - electron-builder linux packaging; README with build and usage instructions
2026-08-03 16:05:59 -05:00 · 2026-08-03 16:05:59 -05:00 · 7e3bac345c
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+# Nostr Feed Manager
+
+A friendly Linux desktop application for managing Nostr profiles and publishing text notes.
+
+It pairs a Rust core (the same library behind the original command-line tool) with a polished
+Electron + React interface. All Nostr logic — key generation, signing, relay communication —
+runs in the Rust backend, which the GUI talks to over a JSON-lines IPC channel.
+
+## Features
+
+- Create and switch between Nostr profiles (`npub` addresses)
+- Publish short text notes to the Nostr network
+- Per-relay publish reports: you always know where a note was accepted
+- Add, remove, enable/disable, and test relays
+- Light / dark / system theme, configurable publish confirmation and key shortening
+- Back up your vault from the UI
+- Honest about security: the vault is stored in plaintext (as in the original CLI), readable
+  only by your user account; this is clearly disclosed in the app
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+┌──────────────────────────┐        JSON-lines over stdio        ┌──────────────────────────┐
+│  Electron (React) GUI    │  ────────────────────────────────▶  │  Rust backend            │
+│  - React + TypeScript    │     {"id":1,"method":"publish_note",│  - nostr-sdk 0.40        │
+│  - renders in app://      │      "params":{"content":"..."}}   │  - vault / keys / signing │
+│  - never sees secret keys │  ◀────────────────────────────────  │  - relay communication   │
+└──────────────────────────┘    {"id":1,"status":"ok","data":…}  └──────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+- `src/` — the Rust library (`nostr-manager-backend`). Exposes the same functionality as a
+  command-line binary and as a long-running `serve` process.
+- `frontend/electron/` — the Electron main and preload scripts. The main process spawns the
+  Rust backend and correlates requests by `id`.
+- `frontend/src/` — the React renderer. It talks only to a thin `window.backend` bridge;
+  profile summaries and publish reports contain no secret material.
+
+## Requirements
+
+- Rust (stable) and Cargo
+- Node.js 20+ and npm
+- Linux with a display server (X11 or Wayland)
+
+The Rust backend also exists as a standalone CLI if you prefer the terminal.
+
+## Building and running the GUI
+
+```sh
+# 1. Build the Rust backend (release)
+cargo build --release
+
+# 2. Install frontend dependencies
+cd frontend
+npm install
+
+# 3. Run the app (production-style, served from the built bundle via app://)
+npm start
+```
+
+During development you can use Vite's live-reloading renderer instead:
+
+```sh
+# terminal 1
+npm run dev            # starts Vite on http://localhost:5173
+
+# terminal 2
+NOSTR_GUI_DEV_URL=http://localhost:5173 npm start
+```
+
+### Packaging
+
+```sh
+cd frontend
+npm run dist           # builds the renderer + backend and runs electron-builder
+```
+
+The unpacked application lands in `frontend/release/linux-unpacked/`; launch it with
+`./nost-feed-manager`.
+
+## Command-line usage
+
+The Rust crate builds a single binary with both a CLI and the GUI IPC server:
+
+```sh
+cargo run --release -- create "Alice"            # create a profile
+cargo run --release -- list                      # list profiles (no secret keys)
+cargo run --release -- switch <npub>             # select the active profile
+cargo run --release -- publish <npub> "Hello"    # publish a text note
+cargo run --release -- relays list|add|remove|enable|disable|test
+cargo run --release -- settings get|set theme|confirm|shorten
+cargo run --release -- info                      # show storage locations
+cargo run --release -- serve                     # JSON-lines IPC server (used by the GUI)
+```
+
+## Storage and migration
+
+- The vault (`profiles_vault.json`) and settings live in
+  `$XDG_DATA_HOME/nost-feed-manager/` (defaulting to `~/.local/share/nost-feed-manager/`),
+  created with permissions `0700` for the directory and `0600` for the files.
+- The original CLI saved `profiles_vault.json` in its working directory. On first launch this
+  app finds that file, copies it to a timestamped `*.backup-<ts>` next to it, and imports your
+  profiles into the new location. The original file is left untouched.
+- Private keys are stored in the vault in plaintext. Anyone with access to your user account
+  can read them; a password-encrypted vault is planned for a future version.
+
+## Development
+
+```sh
+cd frontend
+npm run typecheck      # TypeScript (renderer + electron)
+npm run lint           # ESLint
+npm run format:check   # Prettier
+npm test               # Vitest (jsdom), including IPC-level fake backend tests
+
+cd ..
+cargo test             # Rust unit tests
+cargo fmt --check      # formatting
+cargo clippy --all-targets
+```
+
+## Project layout
+
+```
+src/                 Rust library + CLI + IPC server
+  app.rs             application state loading/persistence
+  errors.rs          structured AppError
+  ipc.rs             JSON-lines serve() loop and request/reply envelope
+  main.rs            CLI entry point
+  profiles.rs        profile create/list/select
+  publish.rs         note publishing with per-relay reports
+  relays.rs          default relays, validation, connection tests
+  settings.rs        theme and user preferences
+  vault.rs           encrypted-vault-ready storage (currently plaintext)
+frontend/
+  electron/          Electron main + preload (backend spawn, IPC, clipboard)
+  src/               React app (components, screens, state, styles)
+  src/test/          Vitest suite with a fake backend speaking the real protocol
+  package.json       scripts and electron-builder config
+```