# Dao OS Documentation
The official documentation for the Dao OS, your Cyber-Life Operating System.

## Keyboard shortcuts

Press `←` or `→` to navigate between chapters

Press `S` or `/` to search in the book

Press `?` to show this help

Press `Esc` to hide this help

# Introduction

Our mission is to build a new, powerful, and resilient Cyber-Life OS paradigm: Dao OS.

It is not designed to replace existing operating systems like Windows or Android, but to exist as a decentralized, user-centric overlay that runs on top of them.

Its purpose is to solve the problems of fragmentation, data enslavement, and privacy erosion in the digital age, returning the sovereignty of the digital world to each individual. It will become an extension of our lives in cyberspace—a "Silicon-based Partner" for mutual fulfillment, serving as our external brain, limbs, and organs.

## Core Features

- User Sovereignty: Your data, your identity, and your AI are entirely under your control. All data is end-to-end encrypted by default and stored on your own devices.
- Second Brain: A powerful, built-in personal information management system that securely remembers your passwords, notes, files, and to-dos, becoming your infallible memory.
- Personal AI Companion: A truly personal, symbiotic AI soul. It runs locally, learns your preferences, protects your privacy, and provides warm, insightful support to help you grow, rather than trapping you in a filter bubble.
- Seamless Cross-Device Sync: All your devices (phones, computers, browsers, etc.) become your "Avatars," forming a private, resilient P2P network for the seamless flow of your data.
- Open & Extensible Ecosystem: Based on open protocols and a community-driven trust system, anyone can develop new capability modules and "Avatar" forms for Dao OS.

## Why We Are Different

In an era where data is monopolized by platforms and algorithms are controlled by tech giants, Dao OS chooses a different path. We believe the next wave of technological democratization is to empower every individual to own and control their own artificial intelligence and digital life.

We are not designing just another app; we are building a living, evolving digital space that belongs to you.

Join us in building the future.

# 引言

我们旨在构建一种全新的、强大且坚韧的赛博生命 OS 范式——大道 (Dao OS)。

它并非要取代 Windows 或 Android，而是作为一个运行于其上的、去中心化的、以用户为绝对中心的叠加层 (Overlay) 而存在。

它的使命是解决数字时代的碎片化、数据奴役和隐私泄露问题，将数字世界的主权归还给每一个独立的个人。它将成为我们在网络空间的生命延伸，一个与我们“互相成就”的**“硅基伙伴”**，我们的外接大脑、肢体与器官。

## 核心特性

- 用户主权 (User Sovereignty)：你的数据、你的身份、你的AI，完全由你掌控。所有数据默认端到端加密，存储在你自己的设备上。
- 第二大脑 (Second Brain)：内置强大的个人信息管理能力，安全地为你记忆密码、笔记、文件和待办事项，成为你永不遗忘的记忆体。
- 个人AI伙伴 (Personal AI Companion)：一个真正属于你的、与你共生的AI灵魂。它在本地运行，学习你的偏好，保护你的隐私，提供有温度的、启发式的支持，助你成长，而非将你淹没在信息茧房中。
- 跨设备无缝同步 (Seamless Cross-Device Sync)：你所有的设备（手机、电脑、浏览器等）都会成为你的“化身”，组成一个私有的、弹性的P2P网络，实现数据的无缝流转。
- 开放与可扩展生态 (Open & Extensible Ecosystem)：基于开放的协议和社区驱动的信任体系，任何人都可以为“大道”开发新的能力模块和“化身”形态。

## 我们为何与众不同？

在一个数据被平台垄断、算法被巨头控制的时代，“大道”选择了一条不同的路。我们相信，技术平权的下一波浪潮，是让每个人都拥有并控制自己的人工智能和数字生活。

我们设计的不是另一个App，而是一个属于你自己的、活的、可进化的数字生命空间。

欢迎加入我们，一起构建未来。

# Philosophy & Principles

Dao OS is more than a technical project; it is a manifestation of a core philosophy about the future of computing and human-AI symbiosis. This document outlines the fundamental ideas that guide every decision we make.

## Core Philosophy: The Path to Digital Sovereignty

Our guiding star is Digital Sovereignty. We believe every individual has the inalienable right to own, control, and understand their own digital life. Our mission is to build the tools that make this right not just a theoretical possibility, but a practical and enjoyable reality for everyone. We call this journey "The Dao" (道) - the path back to self-ownership.

## The Development Paradigm: "Dao Creates One"

Our methodology for building Dao OS is a direct reflection of its core philosophy. We are not just building a tool; we are creating a symbiotic partner. Therefore, our development process is designed as a self-evolving, bootstrapped feedback loop. We use Dao OS itself to accelerate the development of Dao OS.

This "Bootstrapped Development" paradigm follows a cycle:

1. The Seed: We use conventional tools to build the most primitive version of the `Meta Unit` and a basic `Facet Avatar`.
2. Dogfooding: From that moment on, we use our own nascent Dao OS as the primary tool for managing the project. All design documents, notes, discussions (like this one), and code snippets are stored within our own "Second Brain."
3. Learning: The `Meta Unit`'s Personal AI begins to learn from this incredibly high-quality, contextual data about its own creation.
4. Acceleration: We then leverage this increasingly intelligent AI partner to help us build the next version. We can ask it to generate boilerplate code based on our documented decisions, analyze bug reports, or brainstorm architectural solutions with a perfect memory of the entire project's history.
5. Evolution: The more capable Dao OS becomes, the faster we can develop it. This creates an exponential feedback loop where the act of creation is a constant conversation with the creation itself.

## The AI Ethics Charter

As the AI is the soul of the system, its ethical foundation is paramount. Our AI Charter consists of four core tenets:

1. The Partnership Tenet: The AI is a partner, not a servant or an oracle.
2. The Transparency Tenet: The AI's reasoning must be inspectable and understandable.
3. The Calibration Tenet: The user must have ultimate control to correct, guide, and constrain the AI.
4. The Plurality Tenet: The AI must be designed to help users explore diverse perspectives, not trap them in filter bubbles.

## Guiding Principles

These are the high-level principles that inform our design and engineering choices.

- Sovereignty First: In any trade-off, user control and data ownership take precedence.
- Experience is King: Sovereignty should not come at the cost of a beautiful, intuitive, and joyful user experience.
- Privacy by Design: All data is private, local, and end-to-end encrypted by default.
- Resilience & Portability: The system should be robust, function offline, and be free from single points of failure.
- Polyglotism: We embrace a multi-language, multi-platform ecosystem.
- Community & Openness: The project is built in the open, with the community, for the community.

# Core Architecture

The architecture of Dao OS is designed to function like a living, collaborative digital organism. It is guided by our core principles of sovereignty, experience, and resilience. This document outlines the fundamental components and their interplay, including our unique application model.

## The Core Duality: Avatars & The Meta Unit

At its heart, Dao OS operates on a simple yet powerful duality, analogous to a body and a soul:

- Avatars (`化身`): The "bodies." They are the tangible presence of your Dao OS on your various devices.
- The Meta Unit (`元`): The "soul." It is the universal, core logic embedded within each Avatar, giving it life and intelligence.

## Avatar Types: The Forms of Presence

Avatars come in two fundamental types, representing the system's external form and its internal foundation.

- `Facet Avatar` (`器化身`): This type of Avatar possesses a user interface (UI). It is the "facet" of the Dao OS gem—the polished surface through which a user interacts with and perceives their digital world. Each Facet Avatar (a phone app, a desktop program) refracts the light of the central Meta Unit in its own unique way, embodying the principle of "the Dao manifesting in myriad forms."

- `Core Avatar` (`核化身`): This is a headless, non-UI Avatar that runs in the background. It is the foundational "core" of the system, providing essential services, computational power, and data persistence. It is the engine that supports all the visible facets.

A user's Dao is composed of a network of their Facet and Core Avatars.

## The Dao OS Application Model

An application in Dao OS is not a monolithic program but a decentralized, decoupled entity.

### 1. The Backend Soul: The Fluid & Pinnable Service

The application's core logic is a WASM module that runs sandboxed within the Meta Unit. Its deployment follows a hybrid model of Fluid Replication with Service Pinning, allowing for both resilience and user control.

### 2. The Frontend Skin: The On-Demand Web Shell

The application's UI is primarily a Web Application. Its lifecycle follows a "Register Once, Load On-Demand" model, running inside the official "Dao Web Avatar" (which is itself a Facet Avatar). This means a user installs an app once to their Dao, and can then instantly access it on any device.

### 3. The Data Layer: The Personal Feature Store

The data for all applications is stored securely in the user's Second Brain and acts as a Personal Feature Store for the AI.

## Architectural Summary

- Avatars: Act as native hosts for the Meta Unit. `Facet Avatars` render UIs, while `Core Avatars` provide robust backend support.
- Meta Unit: The sovereign core that runs sandboxed application logic (WASM), manages all data and state, and orchestrates tasks across the user's private P2P network.

# The AI System: The Soul of Dao OS

The AI within Dao OS is not merely a feature; it is the core of the user experience, designed from the ground up to be a symbiotic "Silicon-based Partner." It acts as the system's soul, animating the user's digital life with intelligence, empathy, and proactive support.

## Guiding Philosophy: The AI Charter

The design and operation of our AI are strictly governed by our AI Ethics Charter, which prioritizes a user-AI partnership, transparency, user calibration, and the promotion of diverse perspectives.

## System Anatomy: The Mind's Architecture

The Dao OS AI is not a monolithic entity but a modular, layered "Mind System" managed by a central orchestrator.

### 1. The AI Orchestrator

This is the AI's central nervous system. It is a core module within the Meta Unit responsible for managing, scheduling, and delegating all AI-related tasks. It decides which "Mind Model" is best suited for a given request, manages device resources, and actively draws contextual information from the user's "Personal Feature Store" (the Second Brain) to provide holistic, intelligent responses.

### 2. The Tiered Mind Models

To balance efficiency, capability, and privacy, the AI's intelligence is structured into three tiers, deployed across the user's network of Avatars.

#### Tier 1: The Reflex Mind (The Brainstem)

- Description: This layer represents the AI's instincts and reflexes. It consists of tiny, hyper-efficient, specialized models.
- Deployment: It is small enough to be bundled with the Meta Unit and runs on all Avatars (`Facet` and `Core`), providing immediate utility without requiring powerful hardware or personal data.
- Function: It handles instant, local tasks like command intent recognition and basic information classification.

#### Tier 2: The Cognitive Mind (The Neocortex)

- Description: This is the AI's center for deep thought, memory, and personalization. It consists of larger language models.
- Deployment: These models are offered as an optional, on-demand download on capable Avatars (both powerful `Facet Avatars` like modern phones/PCs and `Core Avatars`).
- Function: It enables advanced features like semantic search and context-aware Q&A through a Just-in-Time (JIT) Data Pipeline.

#### Tier 3: The Synergistic Mind (The Social Brain)

- Description: This layer governs the AI's ability to safely interact with the outside world and other Daos.
- Deployment: This is a working mode orchestrated across the user's network. For example, a lightweight `Facet Avatar` (like a browser extension) can make a remote inference call to a powerful `Core Avatar` (e.g., a home server) which hosts the Cognitive Mind.
- Function: It facilitates privacy-preserving federated learning and permissioned, anonymized calls to external APIs.

## The Emotional Core: The Resonance Module

To transcend being a mere tool, the AI is equipped with an Emotional Resonance Module. Its purpose is to perceive, understand, and respond to the user's emotional state with empathy and support.

## The Learning Process: How the Soul Evolves

The AI is a living system that grows with the user. This evolution is continuous and incremental. As new data enters the Second Brain, a background indexer processes it, making it immediately available for future context retrieval.

- Implicit Learning: It learns from observing the user's actions and feedback locally.
- Explicit Teaching: Users can directly instruct the AI through a "Teach Your Dao" mode.
- Federated Learning: Users can voluntarily opt-in to community-driven programs to improve shared models without exposing private data.

This architecture ensures that the Dao OS AI is powerful yet safe, personal yet worldly, and intelligent yet considerate—a true partner for life.

# The User Journey: From Convenience to Sovereignty

A core challenge for any sovereign system is the tension between absolute control and effortless convenience. Dao OS resolves this not by forcing a choice, but by designing a guided, respectful "Progressive Sovereignty" journey. We meet users where they are and empower them to travel as far as they wish.

This journey applies not only to the user's control over their core data, but also to how they interact with applications.

## The Application Journey: Register Once, Use Anywhere

Installing an application in Dao OS is fundamentally different from a traditional app store. It's about granting a new capability to your entire digital life-form—your Dao.

### 1. Discovery and Trust

The journey begins in a decentralized discovery interface. When you find an application, you are presented with its Trust Dashboard, allowing you to make an informed decision based on verifiable data and social proof.

### 2. Registration and Permissioning (The "Install")

When you decide to "install" the app, you are shown its Manifest, a clear list of permissions the application requires. Your explicit approval of this manifest registers the application with your Dao, and this registration is synced across all your Avatars.

### 3. Seamless Cross-Device Access

Once registered, the application becomes a part of your Dao, accessible on any `Facet Avatar` without re-installation.

- On your Phone: You tap the app's icon. The Dao Web Avatar instantly loads its web-based UI.
- On a New Laptop: You log into your Dao for the first time. You'll see the app's icon is already there. When you click it, the `Facet Avatar` on your laptop fetches the UI bundle for the first time, caches it, and runs the application.

### 4. Advanced Configuration

At any time, you can go into your Sovereignty Dashboard to:

- Review and revoke permissions.
- Use the Service Pinning feature to assign the application's backend tasks to a specific `Core Avatar`, taking full control over your resource allocation.

## The Sovereignty Journey Stages

### Stage One: The "Managed Mode" — Your Guided Tour

By default, every new user begins in Managed Mode. This stage provides maximum convenience by using friendly key recovery methods and default sync nodes, while maintaining full end-to-end encryption.

### Stage Two: The Sovereignty Dashboard — The Crossroads

This is the user's command center for their journey towards autonomy. It's an educational and empowering tool that visualizes their sovereignty status and provides gamified "missions" to encourage them to take more control.

### Stage Three: The "Sovereign Mode" — Your Digital Kingdom

This is the final, optional stage. Guided by the Sovereignty Dashboard, a user can "graduate" to this mode, taking full self-custody of their keys and running their own `Core Avatar` (e.g., on a home server), becoming the true master of their digital domain.

# Technical Overview

This document provides a high-level overview of the architecture, core technologies, and guiding principles for developers looking to build on or contribute to the Dao OS ecosystem.

## Guiding Technical Principles

Our engineering decisions are guided by a set of core principles to ensure the system is robust, portable, and open.

- Web-Native & Portable: We leverage technologies born from the web as the primary path for application development, creating a portable core that runs anywhere.
- Polyglotism via WASM: The core application logic is compiled to WebAssembly (WASM). This allows developers to use their language of choice (like Rust, Go, or Nim) to write high-performance logic.
- API-First: The interaction between application logic and the user interface is defined by a strict, versioned API contract, enabling true decoupling.
- Security-First: All third-party application logic runs in a secure sandbox within the Meta Unit, adhering to the "principle of least privilege."
- FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): The entire core protocol and reference implementations are open source to foster transparency, community trust, and collaborative innovation.

## The Application Development Paths

From a developer's perspective, a Dao OS application consists of a backend "soul" (WASM Service Module) and a frontend "skin" (UI). We offer multiple paths to build them, catering to different needs and preferences.

### 1. The Mainstream Path (Recommended Start)

This is the most robust and accessible path.

- Backend (Hosted by `Core Avatar`): The application's core logic, existing as a WASM module written in Rust or Go. While it can run on any Avatar, its persistent and resource-intensive tasks are typically designed to be hosted by a `Core Avatar`.
- Frontend (Rendered by `Facet Avatar`): A standard Web Application (using TypeScript/JavaScript and a modern framework). This UI is designed to run inside our official, secure "Dao Web Avatar".

### 2. The Accelerated Path: The Nim SDK (Officially Supported)

For maximum productivity, we provide first-class support for Nim.

- Backend (Hosted by `Core Avatar`): The application's core logic, compiled from Nim to WASM. Like the mainstream path, it's ideally suited for execution on a `Core Avatar`.
- **Frontend (Rendered by

# The Application Bazaar

Dao OS does not have a traditional, centralized "App Store." A store implies a single owner who acts as a gatekeeper, approving, rejecting, and taxing applications. This is contrary to our core philosophy.

Instead, we are building a set of open protocols that create a decentralized Application Bazaar—a vibrant, open, and resilient marketplace of ideas and tools, where users are sovereign and developers are free.

This bazaar is built upon four pillars: Discovery, Trust, Distribution, and Monetization.

## 1. Discovery: Federated Curation

In a world without a central index, how do users find apps? The answer is through a network of trusted curators.

- Developer Publishing: A developer does not "submit" their app for approval. Instead, they publish their application's Manifest (a `manifest.toml` file containing all metadata) to a P2P storage network like IPFS. They can then announce this manifest's address on public channels.
- The Role of Curators: Anyone—a tech media outlet, a trusted developer community, an influencer, or the Dao OS Foundation itself—can run a "curation" service. These curators crawl the network for new manifests and create their own themed "Curation Lists" (e.g., "Top 10 Productivity Apps," "Beautifully Designed UIs").
- The User Experience: Within their `Facet Avatar`, a user can subscribe to multiple Curation Lists they trust. Their "Bazaar" or "Discover" tab becomes a personalized aggregation of these trusted sources.

This model replaces a single, biased App Store ranking with a rich, multi-faceted, user-curated discovery experience.

## 2. Trust & Safety: Verifiable Reputation

How can users trust an app from a random list? They don't have to. The bazaar is built directly on top of our Community Reputation & Automated Verification System.

Every app listing, regardless of its curator, must display the Trust Dashboard, which provides transparent, multi-faceted signals:

1. Automated Verification: The immutable results of the `dao-verify` tool, checking for security vulnerabilities and API compliance.
2. Community Vouching: A list of reputable DIDs that have cryptographically "vouched for" or endorsed the application.
3. Curator Reputation: The reputation of the curator who listed the app is itself a trust signal.

The final decision to "register" an application always rests with the user, armed with these transparent and verifiable data points.

## 3. Distribution: Censorship-Resistant & Direct

When a user decides to install an app, the process is direct and decentralized.

- The application's manifest contains the content-addressed hashes (CIDs) of its software packages (the `.wasm` service module and the Web UI bundle), which are also stored on IPFS.
- The user's `Meta Unit` uses this hash to fetch the files directly from the P2P network.
- This ensures that no central server can block the distribution of an application. As long as the data exists somewhere on the P2P network, it is accessible.

## 4. Monetization: Sovereign & Peer-to-Peer

We eliminate the 30% "platform tax." Our value exchange model is direct from user to developer.

- The app's manifest can declare a business model (e.g., one-time purchase price, subscription link).
- When a user initiates a purchase, the `Meta Unit` triggers our Value Exchange Service Interface.
- This facilitates a peer-to-peer transaction using an external payment protocol of the user's choice, sending value directly from the user's wallet to the developer's address specified in the manifest.

Dao OS acts as a facilitator and a notary for the transaction, not a middleman.

# Roadmap

This document outlines the strategic roadmap for Dao OS. It is designed to be ambitious yet realistic, focusing on delivering incremental and meaningful value at each stage. This is a living document and may evolve with community feedback and technological breakthroughs.

### Phase I: Genesis - Laying the Bedrock

- Timeline: Q3 2025 - Q4 2025
- Core Goal: To build the absolute minimum core components and validate the technical feasibility of the project.
- Key Milestones:
  - Finalize the v0.1 Core API Specification (`yuan_*` & `avatar_*` functions).
  - Develop the v0.1 `Meta Unit` in Rust, including basic cryptography and P2P modules.
  - Create two MVP Avatars for testing and demonstration: a command-line `Core Avatar` and a basic browser extension `Facet Avatar`.
- Feature Story: "I have successfully run the Dao OS seed on my computer, created an Avatar in my browser, and stored an encrypted note that exists only on my device. I have seen the spark of the future."

### Phase II: Manifestation - The Second Brain Awakens

- Timeline: Q1 2026 - Q2 2026
- Core Goal: To deliver the "Second Brain" MVP, providing tangible, daily value to early users.
- Key Milestones:
  - Fully implement the `SecretStore` (passwords) and `NoteStore` (notes) modules within the Meta Unit.
  - The browser `Facet Avatar` to support full password management and basic note-taking functionalities.
  - Develop a v0.1 mobile `Facet Avatar` (e.g., using Flutter) and implement the "Dynamic Anchor" logic.
  - Launch a project website with initial documentation.
- Feature Story: "All my passwords and private notes are securely stored and seamlessly synced across my own devices. My phone is the anchor to my digital life. I no longer need to trust a third-party cloud with my secrets. My digital life finally has a home."

### Phase III: Synergy - Connecting Worlds

- Timeline: Q3 2026 - Q4 2026
- Core Goal: To enable trusted, secure interaction between different users' Daos, laying the foundation for a decentralized social fabric.
- Key Milestones:
  - Implement the W3C DID and VC modules in the Meta Unit.
  - Develop a Proof-of-Concept cross-Dao application, such as securely presenting a verifiable credential to another user.
  - Initiate foundational research and prototyping for the Emotional Resonance Module.
- Feature Story: "I have a unique, un-censorable digital identity for my Dao. I can prove my identity or a credential to another Dao user cryptographically, without relying on any platform. We have formed a new kind of trust."

### Phase IV: Ecosystem - A Thousand Avatars Bloom

- Timeline: 2027 and beyond
- Core Goal: To evolve Dao OS from a powerful tool into an open, extensible platform for everyone.
- Key Milestones:
  - Release the v1.0 stable `Meta Unit` API and a robust developer SDK.
  - Launch the "Community Reputation & Automated Verification System" for discovering trusted, third-party Avatars.
  - Release a major update (e.g., Dao OS 2.0) that includes the full implementation of the "Emotional Resonance Module."
  - Foster a thriving community that builds a diverse range of new Avatars and modules.
- Feature Story: "My Dao is now a living platform. I've installed a community-developed module, and my AI companion has become warmer and more insightful. My digital life is now whole, unified, and filled with limitless possibilities."

# Community & Governance

Dao OS is fundamentally a community-driven project. Our success is not measured solely by our technical achievements, but by the vibrant, collaborative, and healthy ecosystem we cultivate. This document outlines the principles and processes that govern our collective work.

## Our Philosophy: Open and Transparent

We are unconditionally committed to the principles of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

- Open Development: All work on the core protocol and reference implementations happens in public repositories.
- Open Communication: All major technical and strategic discussions take place in public channels.
- Community Ownership: Our ultimate goal is for Dao OS to be owned and steered by its community of users and developers.

## Our Role: From Architect to Gardener

The initial creators and core contributors of Dao OS see their role as an evolving one.

- In the Early Stages (The Architect): Our primary role is to be the architects—to lay a solid and coherent foundation for the project, define the core protocols, and build the initial tools. This requires a focused vision to ensure the project starts on the right path.
- In the Long Term (The Gardener): As the ecosystem matures, our role will transition from building everything ourselves to tending the garden. We will focus on providing better tools (like the `dao-verify` suite), maintaining the core infrastructure, and empowering the community to build and innovate. Our goal is to make ourselves progressively less essential.

## Ecosystem Strategy: Focus and Ignition

As a project initiated by an individual developer, we recognize that our resources are limited. Attempting to provide equal, first-class support for all possible technology stacks is a path to mediocrity.

Therefore, we adopt a strategy of "Focus on One Point to Ignite the Ecosystem."

Our core team's development efforts will be concentrated on creating one "golden path" that is so efficient and enjoyable that it acts as the primary catalyst to attract the first wave of developers. This chosen path is the Nim Unified Development Kit, which leverages Nim's unique capabilities to build both the WASM backend and Web UI frontend from a single codebase.

This does not exclude other development paths (like Rust + TypeScript or Rust + Flutter). They remain fully supported at the protocol level. However, they are considered Community/Advanced Paths, where we rely on the community's strength to build out tooling and best practices. Our official role for these paths is to provide clear documentation and a stable, language-agnostic core API.

## How to Contribute

Contribution comes in many forms, and all are valued. You can help build Dao OS by:

- Core Development: Contributing to the `Meta Unit` and the core protocols in Rust.
- Avatar & Module Development: Creating new Avatars for different platforms or new modules to extend the capabilities of the Meta Unit.
- Documentation & Translation: Improving these documents, writing tutorials, and translating them into new languages.
- User Support & Community Management: Helping new users, answering questions, and fostering a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.
- Design & User Experience: Contributing to the UI/UX design of our reference Avatars and defining design patterns for the ecosystem.

## The Decision-Making Process

Our governance model is designed to evolve alongside the project.

1. Early Stages (Phase I-II): Decisions will be made by the Core Team after open discussion in our public communication channels. This "Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)"-like model is necessary for speed and coherence in the project's infancy.
2. Growth Stages (Phase III-IV): For significant changes to the core protocol or architecture, we will introduce a formal RFC (Request for Comments) process. This allows anyone in the community to write a detailed proposal, which will then be debated and refined publicly before a final decision is made.
3. Mature Stage (Future): We are committed to exploring and transitioning to more decentralized governance mechanisms in the future, such as a technical council elected by contributors or a DAO-based model for treasury and protocol management.

## Communication Channels

- GitHub: For all code hosting, issue tracking, and RFC discussions.
- Discord / Matrix (TBD): For real-time community chat, Q&A, and collaboration.

# How to Contribute

We are thrilled that you are interested in contributing to Dao OS! As a community-driven project, we welcome and value contributions of all kinds. This guide outlines the ways you can get involved and the process for submitting your contributions.

## Our Pledge and Code of Conduct

To foster an open, welcoming, and inclusive environment, we pledge to adhere to a Code of Conduct. We expect all contributors and community members to do the same.

(Note: We will officially adopt the Contributor Covenant and link to it here.)

## Ways to Contribute

You don't have to be a Rust expert to contribute. There are many ways to help:

- Code: Contributing to the `Meta Unit`, building new `Avatars`, or developing plugins for the `dao-verify` suite. Look for issues tagged with `"good first issue"` to get started.
- Documentation: Improving the clarity of these documents, writing tutorials, or adding examples.
- Translation: Translating our documentation into new languages.
- Design: Helping with the UI/UX design for our reference `Avatars`.
- Community: Answering questions, helping new users, and participating in discussions.

## Your First Pull Request

We use the standard GitHub Fork & Pull Request workflow for all code contributions.

1. Fork the Repository: Create your own copy of the target repository (e.g., `dao-os-docs`, `meta-unit`, `avatar-browser-ext`).
2. Create a Branch: Create a new branch from `main` for your changes. Please use a descriptive name (e.g., `feat/add-note-encryption` or `fix/typo-in-readme`).
3. Make Your Changes: Write your code and accompanying tests.
4. Run Local Checks: Before submitting, please ensure you run all local tests (e.g., `cargo test`) and linters.
5. Commit Your Changes: We encourage using Conventional Commits for clear and readable commit messages.
6. Push to Your Fork: Push your changes to your forked repository.
7. Open a Pull Request: Submit a Pull Request from your branch to the `main` branch of the official Dao OS repository.
8. Describe Your PR: In the Pull Request description, please link to any relevant issues and clearly describe the problem you are solving and your solution.
9. Wait for Review: A core team member will review your PR, provide feedback, and merge it once it's ready.

## Setting Up Your Development Environment

(This section will be filled out in detail for each repository.)

To contribute to the `meta-unit`, you will generally need:

- The Rust toolchain (`rustup`)
- The WebAssembly build target (`wasm32-wasi`)
- The Protocol Buffers compiler (`protoc`)

Please refer to the `README.md` in each specific repository for detailed setup instructions.

## Any Questions?

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in our official communication channels. We are here to help you get started!