Current Configuration

The current structure of Veilcutter and the systems supporting it.

VEILCUTTER

This transmission describes the current configuration of Veilcutter.

Veilcutter is the name given to the structure, infrastructure (both physical and digital), environment, philosophy, and more, that exists to support my endeavors for my independent research.

To break it into its individual components, "veil" refers to the boundary between what is presently accessible to a system and what is not. "Cutter" refers to the precision, structure, and instrumentation that permits that boundary to be crossed, just as how a biologist precisely cuts through a membrane to examine what is inside.

Taken together, Veilcutter can mean the intentional precise cutting through the boundary between what is currently accessible and what is currently not to reveal deeper organizational structures. Veilcutter is simultaneously a noun and a verb.

Its purpose is to investigate dynamical systems and how they change, evolve, and transform over time, with each new transformation influencing and shaping the next. This covers a broad range of dynamical systems, but one particular type of system that interests me the most happen to be the most accessible: conscious systems. Conscious systems are by nature dynamical systems. They can be understood structurally.

However, this transmission does not intend to describe conscious systems. It intends to describe only one particular type of system: Veilcutter and its current configuration.

NODES

Veilcutter is composed of multiple specialized nodes. A node is essentially any component that specializes in a specific function that is connected to other components to ensure the ongoing operation and maintenance of Veilcutter.

One example of a node is the PRIMARY NODE. This node is the main desktop system. It is the canonical source of truth. Every subsequent node connects into the primary node. Presently, it runs the Linux kernel.

Another example of a node is the SECONDARY NODE. This node is a handheld mobile computational device. In other words, it is just a phone. However, this node does not require phone call capabilities. It is not reducible to only a mobile smartphone. It requires connection via SSH, a local filesystem, a Linux kernel, and offline capabilities. Presently, a mobile smartphone running de-Googled Android with Termux is sufficient for Veilcutter's current requirements.

Nodes can be synced via rsync. Depending on which node has initialized the syncing protocol, information flows differently. For example, if the primary node initializes the syncing sequence, whatever information located within the associated sync directory within the home directory in ~/Core flows towards the secondary node. If the secondary node initializes the syncing sequence, the opposite occurs: information flows from the secondary node to the primary node.

PUBLIC INTERFACE NODE 01

PUBLIC INTERFACE NODE 01 is the current interface you are reading this through. It too is one node among many within Veilcutter. This node is of a different node type and node priority than the primary and secondary nodes.

The sole purpose for this node is to act as an accessible output point from Veilcutter. Therefore, only HTML and CSS were required. The Internet is the most accessible and immediate digital intermediary layer for connection and communication.

COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

The primary node's computational environment is minimal, containing only the systems and software required by Veilcutter. It uses the Linux kernel because I value ownership over my data and files. I value longevity and maintainability. Veilcutter requires a digital environment that will continue to support research operations over decades.

The shell used is zsh. The terminal used is kitty. The text editor used is a slightly modified Neovim build that is internally called "Veilvim". It is a personal build that fulfills Veilcutter's requirements, such as long writing sessions, long terminal sessions, and more. The terminal multiplexer used is tmux. The desktop environment used is Openbox.

FILESYSTEM

The filesystem's source of truth is the ~/Core directory. This directory contains the digital environment of Veilcutter. Within this directory is the /home directory, which contains the user's home directory, a reflection of the user's default home directory in Linux.

The /home directory contains all of my research, projects, code, work, creations, music, and more. Alongside the /home directory within ~/Core exists other directories as well, such as /bin, /env (environment), /mon (monitoring), and more. A visual representation of this hiearchy is provided below.

~/Core
├── bin
├── env
├── mon
├── home
│   └── senith
│       ├── Creations
│       ├── Projects
│       ├── Media
│       ├── Sync
│       └── ...
└── ...

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Veilcutter requires an environment that ensures productive research and successful operational sessions. The terminal multiplexer tmux is used to achieve this. It is set up to where there exists multiple sessions, such as main, dev (development), res (research), mon (monitoring), and more.

The computational environment itself is divided into workspaces. Presently, there are only three workspaces required for Veilcutter's needs. The first workspace is where I perform most of my work. I normally have one terminal window open with multiple panes within tmux when needed. The second workspace is purely for the web browser. The third workspace is for monitoring the system.

The full computational and work environment is mainly navigable via the keyboard, with the option to use the mouse for certain tasks that require it.

RESEARCH

The research is divided into distinct research programs, each with their own individual experiments and sessions within those experiments. Reseach programs, also referred to as projects, contain a coding manual, experiments, and sessions. Each experiment and session has protocols that are to be followed.

CLOSING

This current configuration of Veilcutter represents an evolving environment that will change over time.

Veilcutter uses tools and builds systems to support research endeavors. The present tools will evolve and Veilcutter's requirements will as well. This is intentional.

Thank you for reading.

Senith out.