yoloyolo/.planning/ROADMAP.md

# Roadmap: NetSynth

## Overview

NetSynth is built in four phases ordered by technical risk. Phase 1 validates the hardest foundation: live packet capture and protocol classification without any audio code. Phase 2 builds the synthesis and encoding engine in isolation against synthetic inputs, resolving audio-specific pitfalls before integration. Phase 3 wires the two pipelines together with coordinated Ctrl+C shutdown and auto-clustering, delivering the complete v1 MVP. Phase 4 adds power-user features (BPF filter, offline pcap input) that extend the core without blocking it.

## Phases

**Phase Numbering:**
- Integer phases (1, 2, 3): Planned milestone work
- Decimal phases (2.1, 2.2): Urgent insertions (marked with INSERTED)

Decimal phases appear between their surrounding integers in numeric order.

- [ ] **Phase 1: Capture and Classification** - Live packet capture, protocol identification, and CLI scaffolding — no audio yet
- [ ] **Phase 2: Audio Synthesis Engine** - Oscillators, EMA amplitude smoothing, mixing, and MP3 encoding against synthetic inputs
- [ ] **Phase 3: Pipeline Integration and MVP** - Wire capture into synthesis, Ctrl+C with valid MP3 output, auto-clustering of unknown traffic
- [ ] **Phase 4: Power User Features** - BPF capture filter, offline pcap file input

## Phase Details

### Phase 1: Capture and Classification
**Goal**: Users can run the CLI against a live interface and see a live protocol classification summary — the full capture-to-classify pipeline validated without audio
**Depends on**: Nothing (first phase)
**Requirements**: CAPT-01, CAPT-02, CAPT-04, CLAS-01, CLAS-03, CLAS-04
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. User can run `netsynth -i eth0` and see packets being classified live to stderr
  2. User can run `netsynth --list-interfaces` and see all available network interfaces listed
  3. User running without root/CAP_NET_RAW sees a clear error message with a `sudo` hint — not a panic or silent failure
  4. On exit, user sees a per-protocol packet count summary printed to stderr
  5. User can pass `--verbose` and see per-window protocol activity lines on stderr
**Plans**: TBD

### Phase 2: Audio Synthesis Engine
**Goal**: The synthesis and encoding stack produces a valid MP3 from synthetic WindowSnapshot inputs — audio pipeline fully validated before any real traffic flows through it
**Depends on**: Phase 1
**Requirements**: SYNTH-01, SYNTH-02, SYNTH-03, OUT-01, OUT-02, OUT-03
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. Given synthetic traffic snapshots, the tool produces an MP3 file that passes `ffprobe` validation
  2. Each traffic class (ICMP, DNS, TCP/443, TCP/other, UDP, SSH) produces a perceptually distinct drone tone
  3. Drone layer amplitude rises and falls with traffic volume over time — sustained traffic sounds louder, quiet periods fade
  4. User can specify output path via `-o` flag; it defaults to `netsynth-<timestamp>.mp3` when omitted
  5. An empty (zero-packet) input produces a clear error message instead of a corrupt or zero-byte MP3
**Plans**: TBD
**UI hint**: no

### Phase 3: Pipeline Integration and MVP
**Goal**: Live capture flows end-to-end into audio synthesis — the complete v1 MVP: run, capture, Ctrl+C, get an MP3
**Depends on**: Phase 2
**Requirements**: CAPT-03, CLAS-02
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. User runs `netsynth -i eth0 -o out.mp3`, generates traffic, presses Ctrl+C, and receives a valid playable MP3 at `out.mp3`
  2. Unrecognized traffic patterns are automatically assigned distinct drone tones — unknown traffic is not silent or merged into a single undifferentiated layer
  3. The MP3 audio reflects the actual traffic mix — a session with mostly DNS sounds different from one with mostly HTTPS
**Plans**: TBD

### Phase 4: Power User Features
**Goal**: Users can scope capture with BPF expressions and sonify historical pcap files
**Depends on**: Phase 3
**Requirements**: CAPT-05, CAPT-06
**Success Criteria** (what must be TRUE):
  1. User can run `netsynth -i eth0 --filter "port 53"` and only DNS traffic is captured and sonified
  2. User can run `netsynth --read capture.pcap -o out.mp3` against an existing pcap file and receive a valid MP3
  3. An invalid BPF filter expression produces a clear error message before any capture begins
**Plans**: TBD

## Progress

**Execution Order:**
Phases execute in numeric order: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4

| Phase | Plans Complete | Status | Completed |
|-------|----------------|--------|-----------|
| 1. Capture and Classification | 0/? | Not started | - |
| 2. Audio Synthesis Engine | 0/? | Not started | - |
| 3. Pipeline Integration and MVP | 0/? | Not started | - |
| 4. Power User Features | 0/? | Not started | - |