fix(scroll): tie the frame hold to the scroll, not the plugin

The hold applied in configure() never reached the panel. Plugins share one
display manager, and set_scrolling_state(False) -- fired whenever ANY other
plugin finishes its scroll -- reset the hold to 1. A hold set once at plugin
construction was therefore always gone by the time that plugin rendered.

The symptom was a log line that lied. ledmatrix-stocks reported

    Scroll configured: 50.0 px/s (1px every 2 refreshes = 50.0 fps, smooth)

while the panel measured 100.0 fps, median 10.00ms. Config, resolution and
snapping were all correct; only the pacing silently was not applied.

set_scrolling_state(is_scrolling, frame_hold=1) now carries it, so the hold
lives exactly as long as the scroll that asked for it. configure() reports the
value as ScrollSettings.frame_hold instead of applying it -- applying it behind
the caller's back could never have been right on a shared display manager.
Existing callers are unaffected; the default keeps one frame per refresh.

Verified on hardware: stocks at 50 px/s now measures

    50.0 fps over 251 frames | median 20.00ms p95 20.09ms | stalls 0 skips 0

20.00ms being exactly two refreshes, with the panel still refreshing at 100Hz
underneath so flicker is unchanged.

test_another_plugin_stopping_does_not_strand_a_hold pins the interaction that
broke this.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitignore

@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ __pycache__/
 
 # Secrets
 config/config_secrets.json
-# Atomic writes leave these behind when a save or a test is interrupted;
-# the suite drops several per run.
-config/.config_secrets.json.tmp.*
 config/config.json
 config/config.json.backup
 config/wifi_config.json
@@ -52,40 +49,3 @@ config/backups/
 # Starlark apps runtime storage (installed .star files and cached renders)
 /starlark-apps/
 skin_renders/
-
-# JS test deps (test/js)
-node_modules/
-package-lock.json
-
-# Team logos fetched at runtime.
-#
-# src/logo_downloader.py and LogoHelper write into assets/sports/<league>_logos/
-# whenever a plugin meets a team whose logo is not on disk. Those directories are
-# also tracked -- 209 NCAA logos and 153 soccer ones ship with the repo -- so
-# every rig accumulated untracked files it was never meant to commit and
-# `git status` was permanently dirty. That noise is not harmless: it trains
-# everyone to ignore the one signal that says a checkout is not what you think
-# it is, which is how a stale tree sat unnoticed on a rig until a restart
-# surfaced four dead sports plugins.
-#
-# Ignoring a directory does not untrack what is already in it, so the logos that
-# ship keep shipping. Only new downloads are hidden.
-#
-# Adding a logo on purpose is rare and deliberate -- the last time was #415, four
-# named NCAA logos a plugin needed, and there has been no other in a year. Do it
-# with an explicit override:
-#     git add -f assets/sports/ncaa_logos/DUKE.png
-assets/sports/*_logos/
-assets/stocks/ticker_icons/
-assets/stocks/crypto_icons/
-
-# Plugin operation state written at runtime.
-#
-# web_interface/app.py writes data/plugin_operations.json, data/plugin_state.json
-# and data/operation_history.json as the web interface runs, into a directory that
-# ships tracked (data/.gitkeep) and was otherwise unignored. So every rig that ever
-# opened the web UI -- and every test run that constructs the app -- left three
-# untracked files behind and a permanently dirty `git status`. Same reasoning as
-# the logo rule above: a checkout that is always dirty is a checkout nobody reads.
-data/*
-!data/.gitkeep

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -17,333 +17,6 @@ release that ships it.
 accepts both, but the store flags the old spelling as deprecated
 (`store_manager.py`) and only the new one is in `schema/manifest_schema.json`.
 
-## Unreleased
-
-## 3.4.0
-
-Plugin-facing changes since 3.3.0 (tag `v3.3.1`) not covered further down:
-
-- `BasePlugin.get_update_interval()` (#555) — return seconds to override the
-  manifest's `update_interval` at runtime (e.g. poll fast only while a game is
-  live), or `None` to keep it. Clamped to at least 5 seconds; a raising or
-  non-numeric return is ignored. Called every scheduling tick, so keep it
-  cheap. Older cores never call it. See `docs/PLUGIN_API_REFERENCE.md`.
-- `src.common.scroll_config` (#523) — turns a plugin's scroll config into a
-  configured `ScrollHelper` in one place, replacing per-plugin resolution that
-  disagreed between tickers, and warns when a speed won't advance whole pixels
-  per panel refresh. Floor on 3.4.0 to import it.
-- **Skins are marked unsupported.** No current scoreboard plugin builds on
-  `src.base_classes`, so the skin hook (`SportsCore._render_game`) never runs.
-  The web UI no longer shows the Visual Skin dropdown, the store hides and
-  refuses `"type": "skin"` entries, and `GET /api/v3/skins` reports
-  `"supported": false`. Saved `skin` config values still load and save.
-  `src/skin_system/` is unchanged.
-- **Web preview size** now comes from `src/display_geometry.py`, the same
-  computation `DisplayManager` uses: double-sided setups preview one screen,
-  and a missing `chain_length` defaults to 2 everywhere (the Starlark magnify
-  default and the sync handshake used 1). The module is core-internal: plugins
-  keep reading `display_manager.width`/`height`.
-- `src.common.font_layout` (#539, #565) — `load_truetype()` is
-  `ImageFont.truetype` with the layout engine pinned, so text lays out the same
-  whether or not the host's Pillow was built with libraqm; `crisp_size()` and
-  `FONT_PIXEL_GRID` give the size a bundled face renders on whole pixels at
-  (`sports_card` still re-exports them); `resolve_asset_path()` resolves
-  `assets/fonts/...` against the install root, not the working directory.
-  Floor on 3.4.0 to import it. Relatedly, `DisplayManager` now draws text
-  1-bit (#521), so golden images recorded against 3.3.x may need regenerating.
-
-### Install and updates
-
-**Weekly automatic updates (#581), off by default.** Switching on
-*Automatically check for and install updates once a week* on the General tab
-(or `first_time_install.sh --enable-auto-update` / `LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE=1`)
-updates the core and then every installed plugin once a week, preferably 2–5 AM
-local time. It follows the branch the checkout tracks — `main` on a standard
-install — so a device gets whatever has merged there, not only tagged releases.
-See `docs/WEB_INTERFACE_GUIDE.md`.
-
-- The core step is skipped, with the reason shown, when the checkout has local
-  edits or commits, a rebase or merge is in progress, the branch has no
-  upstream, less than 300 MB is free, or that commit was already rolled back.
-- After pulling, `ledmatrix-update-verify.service` restarts the services and
-  requires the web interface to answer and the display to stay up. If they
-  don't, or the new requirements fail to install, it resets to the previous
-  commit, reinstalls its requirements and restarts again. Anything but success
-  shows under the toggle and as a banner on Overview.
-- Plugins update through the Plugin Store even when the core step is skipped,
-  fails or is rolled back. A plugin version whose `ledmatrix_min_version` is
-  above the device's core is held back, not installed. When the core did
-  update, plugins wait for its health check, and are left alone if that check
-  never reports or the rollback fails.
-- No SSH is needed: switching the toggle on restarts the display service, which
-  installs the health-check units (`src/auto_update_setup.py`, core-internal
-  and not a plugin API).
-
-Installer and service fixes:
-
-- rgbmatrix builds on ARMv6 boards (Pi Zero, Pi 1); an existing checkout is
-  moved forward to the new pin and no longer left root-owned (#577).
-- `first_time_install.sh` grants the web user `safe_pip_install.sh`, as
-  `configure_web_sudo.sh` already did, so plugin requirements install where
-  the display service can see them (#579).
-- The web interface starts when `web_display_autostart` is missing or
-  `config.json` is unreadable; only an explicit `false` keeps it down (#556).
-- Installers render every systemd unit from its `systemd/` template, so the
-  boot-time unit-drift warning can clear, non-root installs included (#547).
-
-### Scrolling
-
-- **Frame pacing (#523).** The loop waits only for the rest of each panel
-  refresh instead of a flat 8 ms: 44–46 fps → 100 fps, and slow frames 14% →
-  0.02%, on a 2×128×64 chain. Sub-pixel blending is off by default again (it
-  shimmered on pixel fonts; Vegas mode still opts in).
-- **Whole-pixel steps (#545).** At a speed `scroll_config` can render in whole
-  pixels, every frame advances by exactly the same amount, removing about six
-  hitches a second. A loop that can't keep up now scrolls slightly slow rather
-  than jumping.
-- The eight sports scoreboards scroll through `scroll_config` too (#542): the
-  default 50 px/s holds each frame for two refreshes instead of alternating
-  0 px and 1 px steps.
-- **Frame stats ignore the pause between scrolls (#582).** The `Scroll frame
-  stats` log line counted the idle wait before each scroll as one frame,
-  inflating `max` and the stall rate. `docs/SCROLL_PERFORMANCE.md` now
-  describes the line actually logged.
-
-### Plugins
-
-- `FontManager` registers the bundled `tom_thumb` font, so plugins no longer
-  need a private loader (#534).
-- The test harness's `set_scrolling_state()` accepts `frame_hold`, as
-  `DisplayManager`'s does (#534).
-- A `display()` with nothing to draw should return `False`, the only value the
-  controller skips on; starlark-apps now does, rather than holding a black
-  panel (#534).
-- Starlark apps may set `render_width`/`render_height` in their `config.json`
-  to render at their own canvas size instead of Pixlet's 64×32 (#552).
-- `scripts/render_plugin.py --display-mode <mode>` renders one mode of a
-  multi-mode plugin; scoreboards previously rendered blank (#522).
-- Scoreboards resolve their own directory under the real plugin loader
-  (declare `_PLUGIN_DIR`), so 4x6 text snaps to its 7px grid instead of
-  rendering a pixel narrow, and an unreadable schema is logged (#519, #520).
-  `DisplayManager` loads 4x6 on that grid too (#565).
-- The 5x7 BDF face reports a real height, so rows stacked by
-  `get_font_height()` no longer overlap (#539).
-- `LogoHelper` remembers a missing logo instead of warning every rotation
-  (#548), and the decoded sports logo cache is bounded (#559).
-
-### Web interface
-
-- Installed Plugins has search, All / Enabled / Disabled / Updates filters and
-  sort (#540).
-- Hardened and polished per the September 2026 audit (#568): utility classes
-  such as `.hidden` actually exist, focus rings, labels and modal focus
-  trapping, dark theme throughout, no overflow at phone width, and background
-  streams pause when hidden, with first-load JS/CSS down from 1358 KB to 291 KB.
-- WiFi Connect works from the LEDMatrix-Setup hotspot: the page is answered
-  before the hotspot drops, and reopening it shows why an attempt failed (#571).
-- Pixlet install, the Starlark app store and app toggles work again (#535,
-  #537); the store uses the configured GitHub token and reports a rate limit
-  instead of drawing a blank grid (#541).
-- Plugin config: geochron and news saves no longer always fail (#575), the page
-  survives stored values the schema outgrew (#578), the form uses the full page
-  height (#573), and file-manager widgets show the script's error (#574).
-- The live status stream reports real disk usage and available memory (#558);
-  a system action refused for want of passwordless sudo says so and names
-  `configure_web_sudo.sh` (#560).
-
-### Tools and security
-
-- **CodeQL triage (#561):** 129 of 134 alerts fixed. Three were exploitable
-  path-handling flaws in the web interface and are closed; web UI escapers now
-  escape quotes, and URL fields refuse script schemes. Path checks share
-  `src/common/path_safety.py` (core-internal).
-- **Home Assistant MQTT bridge** (`integrations/mqtt_bridge`, #538): mode
-  select, stop, power and brightness over MQTT Discovery.
-- **Tools tab** manages the MQTT bridge and the Pixlet editor (#554); the
-  editor stays on loopback when `PIXLET_EDITOR_HOST` says so.
-
-### Fixes
-
-- Updating a plugin whose directory is named for its manifest id (leaderboard,
-  music, stocks, weather) silently did nothing (#536).
-- Plugin reconciliation no longer reports working plugins as stale or replaces
-  their config with a stub, and the Overview banner advises each case correctly
-  (#557).
-- Two config saves in the same second no longer share one backup, so rollback
-  restores the version asked for (#564).
-- On-demand: a second request is honoured without a restart (#534), a pinned
-  request stays on its mode, and restarting mid-session loads every plugin
-  again (#538).
-- `/health` and `/display/current` report real state, and the preview no longer
-  freezes on a leftover snapshot temp file (#534).
-
-### Per-element display customization
-
-**Per-element display customization, and the last mile of it into the web UI.**
-A user can set the font, size, colour, position, visibility and alignment of
-individual display elements per plugin -- and, where a plugin has display
-modes, separately per mode.
-
-New public API a plugin may import via `src.*` (floor on the release that
-ships this):
-
-- `src.element_style.layout_offset(config, element, axis, default, mode)` and
-  `element_color(config, element, default, mode)` — the stateless reads the
-  scoreboard helpers share. There were three copies of the offset read and two
-  of the colour read; these are the one implementation, and they carry the
-  element-name aliasing and the per-mode lookup.
-- `src.element_style.alias_keys(element)` — the names one element may be stored
-  under. The style block names elements `score_text` while the layout block
-  says `score`, and `records`/`record` and `status_text`/`status` split seven
-  to two across the published schemas. A lookup tries the exact name first, so
-  this is inert for a config that already matches.
-- `src.element_style.element_visible(config, element, default, mode)`,
-  `element_align(...)` and `element_scale(...)` — the stateless reads for the
-  three knobs the resolver already understood but no draw path consumed, so an
-  element could be marked hidden in the web UI and still render.
-- `SportsCoreSharedMixin._draw_text_with_outline(..., element="score_text")` —
-  naming the element resolves its colour by name and honours its visibility
-  toggle. Without a name the colour is inferred from font-object identity,
-  which cannot separate two elements sharing a face; that is the case every
-  bitmap font is in, because a `freetype.Face` cannot be re-instantiated, and
-  it is how a BDF-rendered element silently lost a configured colour. Shared
-  faces now resolve when exactly one sharer has a colour set.
-- `LogoHelper.load_logo(..., scale=)` — applies a user's image scale, and keys
-  the cache on the scaled box so two elements scaled differently cannot be
-  served each other's image.
-- `src.element_style.native_bdf_size(font)` — the one pixel size a bitmap font
-  can render at, or None for a scalable one. The web UI needs this to know
-  whether a size control can take effect at all.
-- `ElementStyleResolver(config, defaults, mode=...)` plus `visible`, `align`
-  and `scale` on `ElementStyle`. The mode binds to the resolver rather than
-  being passed per call, so a plugin with one instance per mode makes every
-  existing lookup mode-aware by setting one class attribute.
-- `BasePlugin.styles` / `styles_for(mode)` / `STYLE_MODE` — the accessor every
-  plugin inherits, so adopting this is no longer a guarded import plus schema
-  discovery plus resolver invalidation in each plugin.
-- `SportsCoreSharedMixin._get_layout_offset` — promoted from the plugins'
-  bundled copies. Each still carries its own, which wins by MRO, so adopting
-  it is a deletion.
-
-Schema and web UI:
-
-- A `customization` block is now rendered by a composite style editor: one row
-  per element rather than nested accordions, with a tab per declared mode.
-  Plugins that hand-wrote their style blocks get it without a plugin release;
-  `x-style-elements` and `x-style-modes` declare it compactly.
-- Font fields become a real picker rather than a hardcoded `enum`, so a font
-  the user uploads is selectable. Bitmap fonts taller than the element's
-  declared size ceiling are filtered out, because a bitmap font ignores
-  `font_size` and renders at its own size.
-- `/static/plugin-widgets/<plugin>/<widget>.js` serves a plugin's own web-UI
-  widgets. The client half and the docs already existed; nothing served them.
-
-Fixed:
-
-- A bitmap font asked for a size it has no strike for fell back to
-  *PressStart2P* — a different typeface — rather than to its own native size.
-  32 of the 35 shipped fonts are bitmap, so this was reachable for most font
-  choices.
-- The plugin config form read `config_schema.json` directly while the save
-  route read it through `SchemaManager`. Only the latter expands a compact
-  `x-style-elements` declaration, so a plugin using that form had a
-  customization section that rendered as empty space.
-- `unshare_element_fonts` rebuilt faces through bare `ImageFont.truetype`,
-  bypassing the layout engine `src/common/font_layout.py` pins. These were the
-  only two call sites in `src/` doing so.
-- The form parser compared a schema type to a bare string, so a nullable field
-  (`["array", "null"]`) never had its indexed colour inputs recombined, and a
-  blank one became `[]` rather than null.
-
-Removed:
-
-- The Fonts tab's "Element Font Overrides" panel and its three endpoints. They
-  reported success and saved nothing, and the element keys the panel offered
-  (`nfl.live.score`, `clock.time`) are read by no plugin, so wiring them to the
-  real `FontManager` methods would still have changed nothing on the panel.
-  Per-element font choice now lives in each plugin's own config editor.
-- "Detected Manager Fonts", which listed every installed font with a hardcoded
-  usage count.
-- Two dead client-side config-form renderers in `app-shell.js` (~580 lines) and
-  the legacy `plugins/config_manager.js`, superseded by server-side rendering.
-
-## 3.3.0
-
-Historical note: tags `v3.3.0` and `v3.3.1` both report `__version__` "3.3.0" and both ship `src/common/sports_shared.py`, so a "3.3.0" floor always means a core with `sports_shared`.
-
-**The release the sports scoreboards floor on to delete their bundled copies.**
-3.2.0 shipped the unified sports library and made `ledmatrix_min_version`
-enforceable; this ships the last three shared modules and completes the store
-gate, so a scoreboard can now floor here and carry no fallback at all.
-
-New modules a plugin may import via `src.*` and floor on 3.3.0 for:
-
-- `src/common/sports_card.py` — settings, colour, font and date helpers for a
-  scoreboard's `game_renderer.py`. Free functions taking `config`/`fonts`
-  explicitly, so nothing about the caller's class is assumed.
-- `src/common/sports_game_renderer.py` — `SportsGameRendererMixin`: scroll/Vegas
-  card geometry (centre gap, logo slot and cache key, layout offsets, the
-  upcoming-card date and time layout). No `__init__` and no state, so adoption
-  is one line on the class statement.
-- `src/common/sports_shared.py` — `SportsCoreSharedMixin`,
-  `SportsLiveSharedMixin`, `SportsRecentSharedMixin`: the `sports.py` bodies
-  byte-identical in all eight lineage-sharing scoreboards.
-
-All three sit under `src/common/` rather than `src/base_classes/sports/`,
-deliberately: importing that package pulls `core.py` → `DisplayManager` →
-`rgbmatrix`, and these are pure logic. Plugins importing them must not acquire a
-hardware dependency.
-
-Three notes for anyone adopting `sports_shared`:
-
-- `SportsRecentSharedMixin` defines `__init__`. Its bare `super()` binds to the
-  mixin, so it reaches the host only when the mixin is listed **first** in the
-  bases. Reversing that order silently skips the host constructor.
-- Methods that resolve the plugin's `config_schema.json` use `_plugin_dir()`,
-  which walks the MRO rather than reading `__file__` — `__file__` is now
-  `src/common/`. It walks because `SportsCore` is an ABC: a subclass built with
-  `type(name, bases, ns)` reports `__module__` as `"abc"`.
-- `_get_timezone`, `_extract_game_details` and `_fetch_data` are byte-identical
-  across the eight but stay in the plugins. The first binds a per-plugin
-  timezone module whose contents differ; the other two are the abstract stubs
-  that define the sport.
-
-**The store's compatibility gate is now on every registry-managed route.** 3.2.0
-gated `install_plugin`. This release gates the git-pull update path and
-`install_from_url`, so a plugin whose floor the core cannot meet is refused
-after download with no partial directory left behind.
-
-### Fixed
-
-- **ESPN 403s.** `site.api` began rejecting the User-Agent strings this repo
-  sent on 2026-08-04; every shared-data-source scoreboard returned
-  `403 Forbidden`. Requests now send an identifying token with a project URL —
-  browser-style strings and bare custom tokens are both refused.
-- **Low-memory boards becoming unreachable under load** while still answering
-  pings and serving the web UI. Fetched payloads are released after delivery
-  rather than pinned on the completed request for up to an hour, malloc arenas
-  are capped, and log volume and SD writes are reduced. Available memory is now
-  reported in Tools diagnostics.
-- **A failed logo download pinning a team to a grey box**: the placeholder was
-  written under the real logo's filename, so later attempts found a file and
-  reported success without retrying.
-- **A plugin enabled but never loaded is retried** rather than staying absent
-  with `error = null`.
-- `ttl` now controls cache expiry; abandoned cache writes no longer leave temp
-  files; one cache-cleanup thread per directory rather than per manager.
-- Odds are fetched for the games displayed, not the whole schedule window, and a
-  stalled ESPN no longer stalls the whole plugin update.
-- Array-item secrets are no longer wiped or logged.
-- A restored backup matches the device it was taken from.
-- The web UI reports the real error instead of "unknown", rejects non-finite
-  JSON numbers, and stops checkbox groups posting back hidden options.
-
-### Added
-
-- `display.hardware.orientation` for panels mounted upside down.
-- Vegas keeps live content in the ticker rather than being preempted by it.
-- Schemas can label enum dropdown options.
-
 ## 3.2.0
 
 **The first release shipping the unified sports library.** This is the version

CLAUDE.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 - `config/config.json` — User plugin configuration (persists across plugin reinstalls)
 - `plugin-repos/` — **Default** plugin install directory used by the
   Plugin Store, set by `plugin_system.plugins_directory` in
-  `config.json` (default per `config/config.template.json`).
+  `config.json` (default per `config/config.template.json:167`).
   Not gitignored.
 - `plugins/` — Legacy/dev plugin location. Gitignored (`plugins/*`).
   Used by `scripts/dev/dev_plugin_setup.sh` for symlinks. The plugin
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 - Each plugin needs: `manifest.json`, `config_schema.json`, `manager.py`, `requirements.txt`
 - Plugin instantiation args: `plugin_id, config, display_manager, cache_manager, plugin_manager`
 - Config schemas use JSON Schema Draft-7
-- Display dimensions: always read dynamically from `self.display_manager.width/height` — not `display_manager.matrix.width/height`, because `matrix` is `None` when hardware init fails (the properties fall back to the canvas size)
+- Display dimensions: always read dynamically from `self.display_manager.matrix.width/height`
 - Secrets: namespaced by plugin id in `config/config_secrets.json`, declared
   via `"x-secret": true` in the plugin's config schema, and deep-merged into
   the plugin's config dict at load time — plugins read them with plain
@@ -45,12 +45,9 @@
 - Plugin configs stored in `config/config.json`, NOT in plugin directories — safe across reinstalls
 - Third-party plugins can use their own repo URL with empty `plugin_path`
 
-## Skin System (visual overlays for sports scoreboards) — NOT SUPPORTED YET
-- Skins do not render with the current scoreboard plugins: the only hook is `SportsCore._render_game()` in `src/base_classes/sports/core.py`, and no current scoreboard plugin (monorepo or third-party registry) builds on `src.base_classes`
-- So core doesn't offer them: no Visual Skin dropdown (`get_plugin_schema` skips `inject_skin_selector`), the store hides/refuses `"type": "skin"` entries, `GET /api/v3/skins` reports `"supported": false`. Switch: `SKINS_RENDER_SUPPORTED` in `src/skin_system/__init__.py`
-- Stored `skin` / `skin_options` config values must keep loading and saving (base schema allows them; form saves deep-merge over the stored section)
+## Skin System (visual overlays for sports scoreboards)
 - Skins live in `skins/<skin-id>/` (skin.json + skin.py), NOT in plugin dirs — plugin reinstall deletes plugin dirs
-- Core: `src/skin_system/` (ScoreboardSkin, SkinContext, runtime); keep it and its tests
+- Core: `src/skin_system/` (ScoreboardSkin, SkinContext, runtime); hook: `SportsCore._render_game()` in `src/base_classes/sports/core.py`
 - Skins render onto `ctx.canvas` only; fallback to built-in renderer on `False`/exception (3 strikes disables for session)
 - View-model guaranteed keys are frozen (see `test/test_skin_system.py::TestViewModelContract`) — renaming keys in `_extract_game_details_common` or sport extractors breaks published skins
 - Validate skins headlessly: `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <id>`; docs: `docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md`, `docs/CREATING_SKINS.md`

PRODUCT.md

@@ -1,74 +0,0 @@
-# Product
-
-<!-- impeccable:product-schema 1 -->
-
-## Platform
-
-web
-
-## Users
-
-Designed novice-first, with power tools kept within reach.
-
-- **Primary: hobbyist builders.** People who assembled an LED matrix panel on a Raspberry Pi, often by following the install video, and are frequently new to Linux and the Pi. They set the display up once (panel size, timezone, WiFi), install and enable a few plugins, then come back occasionally to tweak what the panel shows. They usually reach the control panel from a phone or laptop on their home network, sometimes as an installed home-screen app.
-- **Secondary: tinkerers and plugin developers.** Comfortable with SSH, `config.json`, and GitHub. They lean on the Config Editor, Logs, Cache, Operation History, Tools, GitHub-repo installs, and per-plugin config while building or debugging. Their tools must stay reachable without sitting in the novice's path.
-
-## Product Purpose
-
-LEDMatrix turns a Raspberry Pi and an RGB LED matrix panel into an information-rich display (clock, weather, calendar, sports scores, stocks, music, and more) through a plugin platform. The web control panel ("LED Matrix Control") is where the display gets configured, extended, and kept healthy.
-
-Success means a builder gets from a freshly flashed Pi to a working, personalized display without needing a terminal, and can keep it running (updates, recovery, troubleshooting) the same way.
-
-## Positioning
-
-Four strengths define LEDMatrix, and future work must protect all of them:
-
-1. **Plugin ecosystem.** The core ships only `starlark-apps` and `web-ui-info`; everything else comes from the built-in Plugin Store (the official `ledmatrix-plugins` monorepo), third-party GitHub repos, or Starlark (Tidbyt-style) apps. Each installed plugin gets its own configuration tab, generated from its schema.
-2. **Runs on tiny Pis.** The UI is served by the same device that drives the matrix, on boards as small as the Pi Zero 2 W (512 MB), Pi 3/3B+, and the 1 GB Pi 4.
-3. **Recovers without SSH.** WiFi access-point fallback with a captive setup page, backup & restore, in-UI updates, live logs, diagnostics, service control, and plugin health let users fix problems from the browser.
-4. **Open and community-led.** GPL-3.0, a Discord community, and contributions welcome. The maintainer (ChuckBuilds) builds in public and openly relies on AI development tools.
-
-## Operating Context
-
-- **Access.** Served on the local network at `http://<pi-ip>:5000` by the `ledmatrix-web` service. It is installable as a PWA (`web_interface/static/v3/manifest.json`, short name "LEDMatrix").
-- **First run.** When the Pi has no network it creates its own WiFi access point, so the captive setup page (`templates/v3/captive_setup.html`) may be the very first screen a user sees, on a phone, with no internet connection.
-- **Navigation.**
-  - System tabs: Overview, General, WiFi, Schedule, Display, Rotation, Config Editor, Backup & Restore, Fonts, Logs, Cache, Operation History, Tools.
-  - A second row holds Plugin Manager (with the Plugin Store), Starlark Apps, and one tab per installed plugin.
-- **Live data.** The Overview shows system stats (CPU, memory, temperature, power/throttling) and a live display preview, streamed over SSE.
-- **Getting Started checklist.** The Overview's first-run checklist runs: set panel size → set timezone → install a plugin → enable it → configure it.
-- **Development.** `python3 scripts/dev_server.py` gives a browser preview without the display loop; `python3 run.py -e` runs the full display in emulator mode.
-
-## Capabilities and Constraints
-
-- **Hard constraint: plugin UI compatibility.** Third-party plugins rely on JSON Schema (Draft-7) generated config forms, the widget registry (`static/v3/js/widgets/`), `x-secret` fields, and plugin web-UI actions. UI changes must keep these working.
-- **Config storage.** Plugin configuration lives in `config/config.json` and secrets in `config/config_secrets.json`, never in plugin directories, so configs survive reinstalls.
-- **Stack.** An existing Flask + HTMX + Alpine.js app with Jinja templates (`web_interface/templates/v3/`) and static JS/CSS (`web_interface/static/v3/`), with self-hosted vendor assets.
-- **Terminology.** Plugin, Plugin Store, Starlark app, rotation, display duration, Vegas Scroll Mode, skin, on-demand, AP mode.
-- **Open decisions** (offered during init, not adopted as constraints):
-  - Whether the UI must work fully offline, with no CDN fallbacks at runtime.
-  - Whether a Node/CSS build step is acceptable for contributors.
-  - Whether a formal accessibility standard (e.g. WCAG 2.2 AA) is a requirement.
-
-## Brand Commitments
-
-- **Names.** The product is "LEDMatrix" and the web UI is titled "LED Matrix Control". The maintainer brand is ChuckBuilds.
-- **Voice.** Friendly, honest, and learning-in-public, as in the README.
-- **App icons.** They live in `web_interface/static/v3/icons/`.
-
-No other visual identity has been made binding.
-
-## Evidence on Hand
-
-- **Photos.** Real photographs of running displays are linked in `README.md` (clock, weather, calendar, NHL/MLB/NFL/NCAA, stocks, music).
-- **Video.** YouTube install and walkthrough videos from ChuckBuilds.
-- **Docs.** Extensive documentation in `docs/`, e.g. `WEB_INTERFACE_GUIDE.md`, `GETTING_STARTED.md`, `WIFI_NETWORK_SETUP.md`, `LOW_MEMORY_BOARDS.md`, `PLUGIN_STORE_GUIDE.md`.
-- **Absences.** There are no testimonials, user counts, or benchmark figures. Do not fabricate them.
-
-## Product Principles
-
-1. **Novice path first, power one click away.** Default views serve the first-time builder, while advanced tools stay discoverable for tinkerers.
-2. **Never strand the user at a terminal.** Every setup, recovery, and troubleshooting task has a browser path, including from the AP-mode captive page.
-3. **Respect the Pi.** Every feature is paid for in memory and CPU on a Pi Zero 2 W that is also driving the display.
-4. **The ecosystem is the product.** Plugins, including third-party ones, must feel first-class and keep working across core UI changes.
-5. **Honest and welcoming.** Plain language, truthful status, and no overstated claims, in keeping with an open, community-built project.

README.md

@@ -463,12 +463,13 @@ For plugin development, check out the [Hello World Plugin](https://github.com/Ch
 
 ### Visual Skins for Scoreboards
 
-**Not supported yet.** Skins are meant to restyle a sports scoreboard's
-live/recent/upcoming screens without forking the plugin, but the current
-scoreboard plugins don't render them: a selected skin has no effect. The web
-UI doesn't offer skin install or selection for that reason. The skin system
-and its docs stay in place for when scoreboards adopt it; see
-[docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md](docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md) for why.
+Want a different look for a sports scoreboard without forking the plugin?
+**Skins** restyle the live/recent/upcoming screens while the plugin keeps
+handling data, scheduling, caching, and vegas mode. Install one with
+`git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>`, select it in the plugin's config,
+and you're done — see [docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md](docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md) (how it
+works) and [docs/CREATING_SKINS.md](docs/CREATING_SKINS.md) (build your own,
+including a ready-made Claude Code prompt).
 
 2. **Built-in Managers Deprecated**: The built-in managers (hockey, football, stocks, etc.) are now deprecated and have been moved to the plugin system. **You must install replacement plugins from the Plugin Store** in the web interface instead. The plugin system provides the same functionality with better maintainability and extensibility.
 </details>

config/config.template.json

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 {
     "web_display_autostart": true,
-    "auto_update": {
-        "enabled": false
-    },
     "schedule": {
         "enabled": false,
         "mode": "per-day",

docs/ADAPTIVE_LAYOUT.md

@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ The harness already renders every plugin at a spread of sizes (now
 including 96x48):
 
 ```bash
-python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin <plugin-id> --sizes 64x32,128x32,96x48,128x64,256x64
-python scripts/render_plugin.py --plugin <plugin-id> --width 96 --height 48
+python scripts/check_plugin.py <plugin-dir> --sizes 64x32,128x32,96x48,128x64,256x64
+python scripts/render_plugin.py <plugin-dir> --width 96 --height 48
 ```
 
 `BoundsCheckingDisplayManager` flags right/bottom overflow and now records

docs/CREATING_SKINS.md

@@ -1,14 +1,5 @@
 # Creating Skins
 
-> **Not supported yet: skins don't render with the current scoreboard
-> plugins.** The only render hook is `SportsCore._render_game()` in
-> `src/base_classes/sports/core.py`, and no current scoreboard (monorepo or
-> third-party) builds on `src.base_classes`, so a skin you build here passes
-> `validate_skin.py` but never appears on the matrix. The web UI and Plugin
-> Store don't offer skins for that reason. Details:
-> [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md#status-not-supported-yet). The guide below
-> stays accurate for the skin API itself.
-
 A skin restyles a sports scoreboard (live / recent / upcoming) without
 forking the plugin: the plugin keeps fetching data, scheduling, caching, and
 doing vegas mode; your skin only draws. Architecture background:
@@ -28,9 +19,7 @@ panel sizes with **no hardware, no network, no running service**, saves PNGs
 (plus 4x previews) to `skin_renders/`, and fails loudly on errors. Iterate:
 edit → validate → look at the PNGs.
 
-To select it, add to your plugin's section in `config/config.json` (this is
-stored and validated, but has no visible effect until a scoreboard uses the
-skin hook — see the note at the top):
+To see it on your matrix, add to your plugin's section in `config/config.json`:
 
 ```json
 "baseball-scoreboard": {
@@ -39,8 +28,8 @@ skin hook — see the note at the top):
 }
 ```
 
-The web UI's **Visual Skin** dropdown is hidden while skins are unsupported.
-`"skin"` also accepts a per-mode mapping:
+or pick it from the **Visual Skin** dropdown in the web UI (it appears once a
+matching skin is installed). `"skin"` also accepts a per-mode mapping:
 `{"live": "my-skin", "recent": "built-in"}`.
 
 ## The manifest (`skin.json`)
@@ -245,9 +234,8 @@ Tips that keep Claude (and you) out of trouble:
       dev machine
 
 Distribute by publishing the directory as a git repo (users
-`git clone <repo> skins/<id>`). Registry entries with `"type": "skin"` are
-hidden and refused by the Plugin Store while skins are unsupported (see
-[SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md) §Distribution).
+`git clone <repo> skins/<id>`), or submit it to the plugin registry as an
+entry with `"type": "skin"` (see [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md) §Distribution).
 
 **Trust note:** a skin is Python running inside the display service — the
 same trust level as a plugin. Review code before installing skins from

docs/PLUGIN_API_REFERENCE.md

@@ -36,11 +36,7 @@ self.enabled            # Boolean enabled status
 
 #### `update() -> None`
 
-Fetch/update data for this plugin. Called on the plugin's update interval:
-the value `get_update_interval()` returns when it returns a number, otherwise
-the static interval: the `update_interval` in the plugin's manifest, else
-`update_interval` in the plugin's section of `config.json`, else 60 seconds
-(see [`get_update_interval()`](#get_update_interval---optionalfloat) below).
+Fetch/update data for this plugin. Called based on `update_interval` specified in the plugin's manifest.
 
 **Example**:
 ```python
@@ -113,46 +109,6 @@ Called when plugin is enabled.
 
 Called when plugin is disabled.
 
-#### `get_update_interval() -> Optional[float]`
-
-How often this plugin wants `update()` called right now, in seconds. The
-manifest's `update_interval` is one static number; override this when the
-right cadence depends on state only the plugin knows, e.g. poll every 15s
-while a game is live and fall back to the manifest value otherwise.
-
-**Returns**: seconds as a number, or `None` (the default) for no opinion.
-
-How `PluginManager` (`_get_plugin_update_interval` in
-`src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py`) resolves the interval on each
-scheduling tick:
-
-1. It calls `get_update_interval()`. A number wins over everything below.
-   Values under `PluginManager.MIN_DYNAMIC_UPDATE_INTERVAL` (5 seconds) are
-   raised to it.
-2. If the hook returns `None`, raises, or returns something that isn't a
-   finite number (a `bool`, a string, NaN, infinity), it is ignored and the
-   static interval applies: the manifest's `update_interval`, else
-   `update_interval` in the plugin's section of `config.json`, else 60
-   seconds.
-
-The static value is cached per plugin until the plugin is loaded or
-unloaded again, so editing `update_interval` in config takes effect on the
-next reload. The hook's return value is never cached: it is called on every
-tick of the display loop, so keep it to attribute reads (no config lookups,
-no I/O, no locks a fetch might hold) and don't let it raise.
-
-**Example**:
-```python
-def get_update_interval(self):
-    # Fast while something is live, manifest default otherwise.
-    if any(m.live_games for m in self._live_managers):
-        return self.config.get("live_update_interval", 15)
-    return None
-```
-
-Added in core 3.4.0; older cores never call it, so a plugin that relies on
-it should floor `ledmatrix_min_version` at `3.4.0`.
-
 #### `get_display_duration() -> float`
 
 Get display duration for this plugin. Can be overridden for dynamic durations.

docs/PLUGIN_ARCHITECTURE_SPEC.md

@@ -189,9 +189,7 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
     def update(self) -> None:
         """
         Fetch/update data for this plugin.
-        Called every get_update_interval() seconds when that returns a
-        number, otherwise at the static interval: the manifest's
-        update_interval, else the plugin config's update_interval, else 60s.
+        Called based on update_interval in manifest.
         """
         pass
     
@@ -206,21 +204,6 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
         """
         pass
     
-    def get_update_interval(self) -> Optional[float]:
-        """
-        Seconds until update() should run again, decided at runtime.
-        Return None (the default) to use the static interval.
-
-        PluginManager._get_plugin_update_interval calls this on every
-        scheduling tick. A number overrides the manifest and is clamped up
-        to PluginManager.MIN_DYNAMIC_UPDATE_INTERVAL (5s); None, a raise,
-        or a non-finite/non-numeric value falls back to the manifest's
-        update_interval, then the plugin config's update_interval, then
-        60s. The static value is cached until the plugin reloads; the hook
-        is not cached, so it must be cheap and must not raise.
-        """
-        return None
-    
     def get_display_duration(self) -> float:
         """
         Get the display duration for this plugin instance.

docs/PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT_GUIDE.md

@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ This guide explains how to set up a development workflow for plugins that are ma
 > scale. Existing plugins keep their classic rendering unless they adopt
 > those APIs; nothing migrates automatically.
 
-> **Want a different look for an existing sports scoreboard?** Skins are
-> meant for that, but they are **not supported yet**: the current scoreboard
-> plugins don't render them (see [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md#status-not-supported-yet)).
-> For now, change the look through the plugin's own display settings or its
-> code.
+> **Just want a different look for an existing sports scoreboard?** You may
+> not need a plugin at all — a **skin** restyles the live/recent/upcoming
+> rendering while the plugin keeps handling data, scheduling, caching, and
+> vegas mode, in ~100 lines of drawing code. See
+> [CREATING_SKINS.md](CREATING_SKINS.md).
 
 ## Overview
 

docs/PLUGIN_ELEMENT_STYLING.md

@@ -1,135 +0,0 @@
-# Per-element styling for plugin authors
-
-Users want to change the font, size and colour of individual things on screen,
-nudge them a few pixels, hide the ones they do not care about, and scale a logo
-down. This is the one system that does that, and a plugin joins it by
-**declaring elements in its `config_schema.json`** — not by writing a style
-resolver, a font cache or a web form.
-
-The short version:
-
-```jsonc
-"customization": {
-  "type": "object",
-  "title": "Display Customization",
-  "x-style-elements": {
-    "score_text": {
-      "title": "Score",
-      "font":  { "default": "PressStart2P-Regular.ttf" },
-      "size":  { "default": 10, "min": 4, "max": 16 },
-      "color": { "default": [255, 255, 255] },
-      "offsets": true,
-      "visible": true,
-      "align": true
-    },
-    "home_logo": { "title": "Home logo", "offsets": true, "scale": true }
-  },
-  "x-style-modes": ["live", "upcoming", "recent"]
-}
-```
-
-That is the whole declaration. The core expands it into a full JSON Schema, the
-web UI renders a compact style editor with a row per element, and the values
-land in `config.json` under the keys you named.
-
-## What each key does
-
-| Key | Effect |
-|---|---|
-| `font` | Font picker listing every shipped **and user-uploaded** font. |
-| `size` | Number field. `min`/`max` also cap which fixed-size fonts are offered. |
-| `color` | Colour swatch; stored as `[r, g, b]`. |
-| `offsets` | X/Y nudge, stored under `customization.layout.<element>`. |
-| `visible` | Show/hide toggle. |
-| `align` | `left` / `center` / `right`. |
-| `scale` | Size multiplier, for logos and images. Also under `layout`. |
-
-`x-style-modes` is optional. Declare it and every element gains a per-mode
-override tab — a scoreboard can then style its live, upcoming and recent cards
-separately. **A mode field left blank means "inherit", not zero.**
-
-## Reading the values
-
-Every plugin inherits `BasePlugin.styles`, which finds your `config_schema.json`
-on its own:
-
-```python
-style = self.styles.style(
-    "score_text",
-    classic_font="PressStart2P-Regular.ttf",   # what you shipped
-    classic_size=10,
-    classic_color=(255, 255, 255),
-)
-if style.visible:
-    draw.text((x + style.offset[0], y + style.offset[1]),
-              text, font=style.font, fill=style.color)
-```
-
-For a specific mode, use `self.styles_for("recent")`, or set
-`STYLE_MODE = "recent"` on the class and keep calling `self.styles`.
-
-### The one rule that matters
-
-**Pass your shipped values as the `classic_*` arguments.** The resolver returns
-them verbatim unless the user actually changed something, which is what keeps an
-untouched install rendering byte-identically. It can tell the difference because
-a value only counts as user-forced when it *differs from the schema default* —
-the save path writes the full default object into `config.json` on every save,
-so "present in config" proves nothing.
-
-Never compare against the default yourself; that rule lives in exactly one place.
-
-### Stateless readers
-
-For helpers handed a config dict rather than a plugin instance:
-
-```python
-from src.element_style import (element_color, element_visible,
-                               element_align, element_scale, layout_offset)
-
-colour = element_color(config, "score_text", (255, 255, 255), mode)
-shown  = element_visible(config, "records", True, mode)
-dy     = layout_offset(config, "score", "y_offset", 0, mode)
-```
-
-## Sports scoreboards
-
-`SportsCoreSharedMixin` wires most of this up already. Two things to know:
-
-* **Name your draws.** `_draw_text_with_outline(..., element="score_text")`
-  resolves the colour by name *and* honours the visibility toggle. Without it
-  the colour has to be guessed from the identity of the font object, which
-  cannot tell two elements apart when they share a face — the case every
-  bitmap font is in.
-* **Modes are free.** Live/upcoming/recent are separate instances, so setting
-  `SKIN_MODE` on each is enough; no call site passes a mode.
-
-## Adopting an existing hand-written block
-
-If your schema already spells out `font` / `font_size` / `text_color` per
-element longhand, **you do not need to change anything**. The core recognises
-that shape and upgrades it in place: the style editor, the real font picker
-(including uploaded fonts) and per-mode overrides all appear on a core update.
-Add `x-style-modes` if you want the mode tabs.
-
-## Fonts, and why size is sometimes locked
-
-32 of the 35 shipped fonts are fixed-strike BDF bitmaps: they render at exactly
-one pixel size and ignore `font_size`. The picker knows which, and the editor
-locks the size field to the native size and labels it `fixed`. A font too tall
-for the `max` you declared is not offered at all.
-
-Uploaded fonts (Fonts tab) land in `assets/fonts/` and appear in the picker
-automatically.
-
-## Checklist
-
-1. Declare `x-style-elements` (and `x-style-modes` if you have modes).
-2. Read through `self.styles`, passing your shipped values as `classic_*`.
-3. Honour `style.visible`, `style.offset` and `style.scale` where they apply.
-4. Confirm an untouched config renders identically:
-   `python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin <id>`.
-5. Monorepo plugins: bump `manifest.json` and run `python update_registry.py`.
-
-See also: [docs/PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_GUIDE.md](PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_GUIDE.md),
-[docs/FONT_MANAGER.md](FONT_MANAGER.md).

docs/README.md

@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ Going deeper:
 
 - [PLUGIN_CONFIG_QUICK_START.md](PLUGIN_CONFIG_QUICK_START.md) — minimal config you need
 - [PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_GUIDE.md](PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_GUIDE.md) — schema design
-- [PLUGIN_ELEMENT_STYLING.md](PLUGIN_ELEMENT_STYLING.md) — let users restyle,
-  move, hide and scale individual elements (per display mode, if you have them)
 - [PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_TABS.md](PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION_TABS.md) — multi-tab UI configs
 - [PLUGIN_CONFIG_ARCHITECTURE.md](PLUGIN_CONFIG_ARCHITECTURE.md) — how the config system works
 - [PLUGIN_CONFIG_CORE_PROPERTIES.md](PLUGIN_CONFIG_CORE_PROPERTIES.md) — properties every plugin honors
@@ -56,8 +54,8 @@ Going deeper:
 - [ADVANCED_FEATURES.md](ADVANCED_FEATURES.md) — Vegas scroll, on-demand display,
   cache management, background services, permissions
 - [FONT_MANAGER.md](FONT_MANAGER.md) — font system
-- [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md) — skin architecture for sports scoreboards (not supported yet: current scoreboards don't render skins)
-- [CREATING_SKINS.md](CREATING_SKINS.md) — writing and validating a skin (same caveat)
+- [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md) — skin architecture for sports scoreboards
+- [CREATING_SKINS.md](CREATING_SKINS.md) — writing and validating a skin
 
 ## Reference
 

docs/REST_API_REFERENCE.md

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ All endpoints return JSON responses with a standard format:
 
 > The API blueprint is mounted at `/api/v3` (`web_interface/app.py:199`).
 > SSE stream endpoints (`/api/v3/stream/*`) are defined directly on the
-> Flask app at `app.py:799-809`. There are 111 routes total — see
+> Flask app at `app.py:799-809`. There are 94 routes total — see
 > `web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py` for the canonical list.
 
 ---
@@ -223,56 +223,6 @@ Get the current display state and preview image.
 }
 ```
 
-### List Display Modes
-
-**GET** `/api/v3/display/modes`
-
-Every display mode that can be requested on-demand, with the plugin that owns
-it. This is the list the force-display dialog offers.
-
-Send the reported `plugin_id` alongside `mode` when starting an on-demand
-display: `/display/on-demand/start` falls back to `find_plugin_for_mode` when
-`plugin_id` is omitted, and that lookup only sees modes declared in a static
-manifest — a plugin whose modes are generated (each installed Starlark app is
-one) returns 404 there.
-
-Triggers plugin discovery, which is otherwise lazy — so a caller that never
-opens the dashboard still gets the full list.
-
-**Query Parameters**:
-- `include_disabled` (optional): `1` to include modes belonging to disabled
-  plugins. They are still valid on-demand targets — the controller enables the
-  plugin for the duration of the request — and are reported with
-  `"enabled": false`.
-
-**Response**:
-```json
-{
-  "status": "success",
-  "data": {
-    "modes": [
-      {
-        "mode": "nfl_live",
-        "plugin_id": "football-scoreboard",
-        "plugin_name": "Football Scoreboard",
-        "name": "nfl_live",
-        "enabled": true
-      },
-      {
-        "mode": "clock-simple",
-        "plugin_id": "clock-simple",
-        "plugin_name": "Simple Clock",
-        "name": "Simple Clock",
-        "enabled": true
-      }
-    ]
-  }
-}
-```
-
-`name` is a label for a dropdown: a single-mode plugin's own name, or the raw
-mode string for a multi-mode plugin, since there is no per-mode name anywhere.
-
 ### On-Demand Display Status
 
 **GET** `/api/v3/display/on-demand/status`

docs/SCROLL_PERFORMANCE.md

@@ -83,29 +83,21 @@ second refresh, instead of half a pixel every refresh (which has no good
 rendering, only a choice between blur and judder).
 
 `scroll_config.configure()` snaps the requested speed to the nearest entry on
-the ladder and reports the hold that speed needs. It does **not** apply the
-hold: the hold belongs to a scroll, not to a plugin's lifetime, and plugins
-share one display manager -- one set at construction is reset the moment any
-other plugin finishes scrolling. Apply it yourself when the scroll starts:
+the ladder and applies the hold, provided it is given the display manager:
 
 ```python
-settings = scroll_config.configure(
+scroll_config.configure(
     self.scroll_helper,
     plugin_config=self.config,
     global_config=self.global_config,
-    display_manager=self.display_manager,   # supplies the panel refresh rate
+    display_manager=self.display_manager,   # required for the hold to apply
 )
-
-# ...then, each time this plugin begins scrolling:
-self.display_manager.set_scrolling_state(True, frame_hold=settings.frame_hold)
 ```
 
-Passing `display_manager` only lets `configure` read the true refresh rate from
-`display.hardware`, which a plugin config cannot see. Skipping the
-`set_scrolling_state` call is the mistake that matters: the speed still
-resolves, but the panel keeps presenting a new frame every refresh, so a slow
-snapped speed falls back to fractional pixels. Pass `snap_to_crisp=False` to
-keep an exact requested speed and accept the artefacts.
+Without `display_manager` a sub-refresh speed still resolves, but the hold is
+never applied and the motion falls back to fractional pixels -- so `configure`
+logs a warning rather than failing quietly. Pass `snap_to_crisp=False` to keep
+an exact requested speed and accept the artefacts.
 
 Speeds slower than about 20 px/s are stepped no matter what, because a 1-pixel
 advance at 20 fps is simply a coarse increment. That is the pixel pitch, not a
@@ -203,61 +195,26 @@ configured speed, so position stays proportional to real time.
 
 ## Diagnosing a juddery scroller
 
-**An average will lie to you.** A 2 ms duplicate frame and a 21 ms double-wait
-mean exactly 10 ms, so a ticker stalling on half its frames still averages to a
-healthy 100 fps. The stats line reports the tail for that reason — read the
-percentiles, not the fps.
+**`Avg FPS` will lie to you.** It is a 100-frame moving average, and a 2 ms
+duplicate frame plus a 21 ms double-wait average to exactly 10 ms. A ticker
+that is stalling on half its frames still reports a healthy `100.0`.
 
-Every scroller emits one line every 5 seconds covering *every* frame in that
-window, tagged with the plugin it came from:
+Look at the **distribution** instead:
 
 ```bash
-journalctl -u ledmatrix --since "-10min" --no-pager | grep "Scroll frame stats"
-```
-
-```
-[Plugin: news] Scroll frame stats - 100.0 fps over 501 frames | median 10.00ms
-p95 10.11ms max 12.03ms min 7.98ms | stalls 0 (0.0%) skips 0 (0.0%)
+journalctl -u ledmatrix --since "-10min" --no-pager \
+  | grep -oE "Frame time: [0-9.]+ms" | awk '{print $3}' | sed 's/ms//' \
+  | awk '{printf "%.0f\n", $1}' | sort -n | uniq -c
 ```
 
 Reading it, on a 100 Hz panel:
 
 | you see | it means |
 |---|---|
-| median 10 ms, p95 within ~0.5 ms of it | healthy — locked to the panel |
-| p95 or max at 20/30/50 ms | frames missing refreshes — per-frame work is overrunning, or a background thread is holding the GIL |
-| non-zero **skips**, or a median *below* 10 ms | **duplicate frames** — the swap was skipped because the image did not change, so the frame never waited on vsync. The scroller is advancing less than one pixel per frame. |
-| non-zero **stalls** | frames past 1.5× the median, which is the measure of judder that survives averaging |
-
-`stalls` and `skips` are both counted against that window's own median, so they
-stay meaningful on a panel running at any refresh rate.
-
-To rank every scroller at once rather than reading lines one at a time:
-
-```bash
-journalctl -u ledmatrix --since "-3h" --no-pager | grep "Scroll frame stats" \
-  | sed -E 's/.*- (\S+) - (\[Plugin: [^]]+\] )?Scroll.*median ([0-9.]+)ms p95 ([0-9.]+)ms.*/\1 \3 \4/' \
-  | awk '$2 < 1000 {n[$1]++; m[$1]+=$2; p[$1]+=$3} END {for (k in n)
-        printf "%-28s %5d windows  median %6.2fms  p95 %6.2fms\n", k, n[k], m[k]/n[k], p[k]/n[k]}' \
-  | sort -k7 -rn
-```
-
-The `$2 < 1000` guard drops windows whose median is a whole second or more.
-Those are not frames. Until the idle-gap fix in `log_frame_rate()`, the first
-frame of every scroll was timed against the end of the *previous* scroll, so
-the gap between them was recorded as one enormous sample — it landed in the
-`max` field of otherwise healthy windows and counted as one stall per scroll,
-roughly 0.2% at 500 frames to a window, which is the same order as the real
-stall rates it sat beside. Current builds emit none, but the guard costs
-nothing and keeps the command honest against older journals.
-
-A scroller whose p95 sits several times its median is the one to fix, and it is
-usually the one doing the most per-frame work rather than the one configured
-worst. Measured over 20 minutes with two scrollers set identically at 100 px/s,
-the leaderboard held 10 ms flat while the odds ticker spent ~20% of its frames
-on duplicates. Same settings, different render cost: odds does more per-frame
-work, and more variably, so it is first to land a frame that advances less than
-a whole pixel. Check the render path before the config.
+| everything at 10 ms | healthy |
+| a mode at ~2 ms | **duplicate frames** — the swap was skipped because the image did not change. The scroller is advancing less than one pixel per frame. |
+| a mode at 20/30/50 ms | frames missing refreshes — per-frame work is overrunning, or a background thread is holding the GIL |
+| `Avg FPS` above 100 | duplicates present, unless the scroll cycle has completed and is idling |
 
 Then confirm what the plugin actually loaded — config edits do not always reach
 the running code:

docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md

@@ -1,35 +1,5 @@
 # Skin System Architecture
 
-## Status: not supported yet
-
-**Skins don't render with the current scoreboard plugins.** The skin system
-below works in isolation (it loads, validates and renders skins in
-`scripts/validate_skin.py` and `test/test_skin_system.py`), but nothing on a
-running display calls it:
-
-- The only render hook is `SportsCore._render_game()` in
-  `src/base_classes/sports/core.py`.
-- None of the current scoreboard plugins build on `src.base_classes`. The
-  official scoreboards in the `ledmatrix-plugins` monorepo, and the
-  third-party scoreboards in the plugin registry, carry their own sports and
-  rendering code (with the shared `src/common/sports_*` helpers) and never
-  reach `SportsCore._render_game()`.
-
-So a skin can be dropped into `skins/` and named in a plugin's config, but the
-scoreboard keeps drawing its built-in layout. Until a scoreboard adopts the
-hook, core does not offer skins to users:
-
-- The plugin config page shows no **Visual Skin** dropdown.
-- The Plugin Store hides registry entries with `"type": "skin"` and refuses
-  to install one (`POST /api/v3/plugins/install` answers 400 with the reason).
-- `GET /api/v3/skins` still lists what is in `skins/`, with
-  `"supported": false` and a `message`.
-- A config that already contains `"skin"` / `"skin_options"` still loads,
-  validates and saves unchanged; the value is simply unused.
-
-The rest of this document describes the design as built, for whoever wires a
-scoreboard to it.
-
 Skins are user-installable **visual overlays** for the sports scoreboards.
 A skin replaces only the *look* of a scoreboard — the host plugin keeps doing
 data fetching, scheduling, caching, dedup, live-priority takeover, and vegas
@@ -62,10 +32,8 @@ crashing) simply restores the built-in look.
 
 ## The render funnel
 
-A sports scoreboard built on the `src/base_classes/sports/` package
-(`core.py`) renders through exactly one seam. No current scoreboard plugin is
-built on it (see [Status](#status-not-supported-yet)), so for them this seam is
-never reached:
+Every sports scoreboard (baseball, football, basketball, hockey — anything
+built on the `src/base_classes/sports/` package, `core.py`) renders through exactly one seam:
 `SportsCore._render_game(game, force_clear)`.
 
 1. The mode class's `display()` (live, `SportsUpcoming`, `SportsRecent`)
@@ -167,26 +135,22 @@ Inside the plugin's own config section in `config/config.json`:
 `"built-in"` means the stock renderer. Because this rides the plugin's config
 section, it persists across plugin reinstalls like every other setting.
 
-`SchemaManager.inject_skin_selector` can add a **Visual Skin** enum to the
-*served* schema for plugins with matching skins installed. While skins are
-unsupported the plugin schema endpoint does not call it, so the dropdown is
-not shown. Validation never sees the enum either way: the base schema allows
-any `skin` value, so a config that references an uninstalled skin stays valid.
-`GET /api/v3/skins` lists installed skins (optionally filtered by
-`?plugin_id=`) and reports `"supported": false`.
+The web UI shows a **Visual Skin** dropdown for plugins that have matching
+skins installed: `SchemaManager.inject_skin_selector` adds an enum to the
+*served* schema only. Validation never sees the enum — so a config that
+references an uninstalled skin stays valid (rendering just falls back), and
+the currently-configured value is always kept selectable. `GET /api/v3/skins`
+lists installed skins (optionally filtered by `?plugin_id=`).
 
 ## Distribution
 
 - **Manual:** `git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>` — that's the whole
   install. No manifest bumps, no `update_registry.py`; skins are not monorepo
   plugins.
-- **Store (disabled while unsupported):** registry entries with
-  `"type": "skin"` are hidden from the store list and refused on install.
-  `PluginStoreManager._install_skin_from_info` is kept: once
-  `SKINS_RENDER_SUPPORTED` in `src/skin_system/__init__.py` is true, such
-  entries install through the same `plugins.json` pipeline, land in `skins/`,
-  are validated against `skin.json` (including the API major version) instead
-  of `manifest.json`, and never install dependencies — skins are render-only
+- **Store:** registry entries with `"type": "skin"` install through the same
+  `plugins.json` pipeline; `PluginStoreManager` routes them to `skins/`,
+  validates `skin.json` (including the API major version) instead of
+  `manifest.json`, and never installs dependencies — skins are render-only
   (stdlib + PIL + the provided context, no third-party packages in v1).
 
 ## Trust model

docs/SPORTS_UNIFICATION.md

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ These are independent concerns. Conflating them is what produces god classes.
 | Plugin loads on a core that predates a module | Guarded import with a bundled fallback (`try: from src.X import Y / except ModuleNotFoundError: from y import Y`) |
 | Plugin loads on a core that predates a *method* | Capability probing — `hasattr(SportsCore, "_detect_stale_games")` — never a version comparison. The loader's compat check is advisory-only (it logs and continues), so probing is the real protection. |
 | Core changes never break a plugin's rendering | The **view-model contract**: `_extract_game_details_common` returns a dict whose `GUARANTEED_KEYS` are frozen by `test/test_skin_system.py::TestViewModelContract`. Keys may be added, never renamed or removed. |
-| A plugin can drop its bundled copy safely | The **sunset rule**: its manifest must floor `ledmatrix_min_version` at the first core release shipping the module (recorded in `CHANGELOG.md`) — *necessary but not sufficient*. The store enforces that floor on every registry-managed install and on both supported update paths (sideloading via `install_from_url` is not gated), but a floor cannot reach a user who never updates, so the copy also waits for the B6 gate below. |
+| A plugin can drop its bundled copy safely | The **sunset rule**: its manifest must floor `ledmatrix_min_version` at the first core release shipping the module (recorded in `CHANGELOG.md`) — *necessary but not sufficient*. Nothing enforces that floor today, so the copy also waits for the B6 gate below. |
 
 The core API is **additive-only**. A method the plugins call is never removed or
 given a new required parameter; new behavior arrives as new methods with
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ legacy compatibility rather than the mechanism.
 B0–B3 are merged and shipping in core 3.2.0. Everything that remains is
 **rollout**, and it splits into three phases with very different risk profiles.
 The original plan folded the last two together; they are separated here because
-one of them cannot break a user on an old core and the other can.
+one of them is safe by construction and the other is not.
 
 | Phase | Scope | Status | Gate |
 |---|---|---|---|
@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ one of them cannot break a user on an old core and the other can.
 | **B1** | Promote the nine universal methods; convert `sports.py` → package | ✅ | Characterization suite green; no behavior change intended |
 | **B2** | `CelebrationMixin` + rotation strategies as opt-in capabilities | ✅ | Non-adopters have zero new code in their MRO; strategies checked against verbatim plugin transcriptions |
 | **B3** | Upstream the scroll **orchestration** layer as `src/common/sports_scroll.py`, reading `global_config['target_fps']` natively | ✅ | Content building stays per-sport |
-| **B4** | Ship 3.2.0 *and* make version reporting trustworthy | ✅ | Released 2026-08-03; tag, release and `src.__version__` agree; compatibility gate merged (#428, #431, #433) |
-| **B5** | Adoption — guarded core imports, all eight. **Bundled copies stay.** | ✅ | All eight adopted; harness byte-identical; see the B5 retrospective below — four shipped broken and were repaired in plugins #251 |
-| **B6** | Sunset — delete the bundled copies | ✅ | Ran 2026-09-01, all eight. Floors at 3.2.0; the store refuses on all three routes in (#431/#433, #508, #510). See "B6 — what actually happened" |
+| **B4** | Ship 3.2.0 *and* make version reporting trustworthy | ⏳ **next** | Tag, release, and `src.__version__` agree; compatibility gate merged |
+| **B5** | Adoption — guarded core imports: three pilots, then the remaining six. **Bundled copies stay.** | after B4 | Per plugin: harness + goldens byte-identical, then a device soak |
+| **B6** | Sunset — delete the bundled copies | **blocked** | B4's gate shipped *and* in users' hands (see below) |
 
 ### B4 — what "ship 3.2.0" actually requires
 
@@ -234,20 +234,6 @@ a floor can be trusted against, and today it is not:
   compares the plugin's manifest version against the registry's
   `latest_version` and nothing else.
 
-  *Fixed, in two parts.* `install_plugin` gained the gate in #431/#433, which
-  covers every registry-managed install and, through `_reinstall_with_rollback`,
-  the update path that re-downloads.
-  `update_plugin`'s git branch pulls in place and re-downloads nothing, so it
-  stayed ungated until `_gate_pulled_commit` closed it — checked after the pull
-  (the registry carries no floor field, so the incoming floor is unknowable
-  before it) and undone with `git reset --hard` to the pre-pull commit. That
-  route is rare in practice, since monorepo plugins install as archives; it was
-  closed because the sunset rule in the plugins repo's
-  `08-shared-sports-code.md` states as **condition 3** that the core enforces
-  the floor "at install/update time", and B6 rests on that being true rather
-  than merely written down. `install_from_url` — sideloading a plugin from a
-  URL — is still ungated.
-
 So B4 is: tag and release 3.2.0; make the tag, the release, and `__version__`
 agree, and keep them agreeing; reconsider the `< 2.0.0` skip; migrate manifests
 from `ledmatrix_min` to `ledmatrix_min_version`; and add the install/update
@@ -276,21 +262,13 @@ default is the more restrictive.
 `compatible_versions`. No manifest still carries it, so there is nothing to
 migrate there.)
 
-### B5 — the *fallback* is safe by construction; the modern path is not
-
-The heading matters, because the unqualified version of this claim is false and
-this document proves it two sections down: four of the eight adopted plugins
-shipped with scroll mode broken on a 3.2.0 core. What is safe by construction is
-narrower than "adoption".
+### B5 — adoption is safe by construction
 
 A plugin adopting core imports keeps its bundled copy and reaches it through the
-guarded import (see the Upgradability table above). On a core that doesn't ship
-the module the plugin falls back and behaves exactly as it does today. That
-fallback compatibility — and only that — is safe by construction. On a core that
-*does* ship the module, correctness is not automatic — object-level and scroll-mode validation
-(building both classes and comparing, per the retrospective below) is required
-to prove full behavior. There is no version of this step that breaks a user *on
-an old core*, which is why it does not wait for B6's gate.
+guarded import (see the Upgradability table above). On a core that ships the
+module the plugin uses core code; on one that doesn't it falls back and behaves
+exactly as it does today. There is no version of this step that breaks a user,
+which is why it does not wait for B6's gate.
 
 The hockey scroll-display pilot is **already validated**: adopted against a core
 carrying 3.2.0, `scroll_display.py` went from 691 to 289 lines and all 16 harness
@@ -319,8 +297,7 @@ been in users' hands long enough that the population running a core without it
 is small.** The bundled copies cost disk space; deleting them early costs
 scoreboards, silently. That trade is not close.
 
-Before the first sunset, add a **compatibility regression test**. **Built:**
-core `test/test_sports_sunset_matrix.py` (#505). It has to
+Before the first sunset, add a **compatibility regression test**. It has to
 cover four cases, not one — B5's safety claim and B6's failure mode are
 different propositions and only the second is obvious:
 
@@ -344,144 +321,35 @@ gate rather than trusting the failure to be noticed.
 The same suite should exercise the install/update gate, since it is the other
 half of the guarantee.
 
-### B6 — what actually happened
-
-**Ran 2026-09-01, across all eight scoreboards.** Held from 2026-08-05 to
-2026-09-01 on the argument below, which is kept because the reasoning applies to
-the next module, not because it is still in force.
-
-**The hold, and why it lifted.** The stated gate was evidence of 3.2.0 uptake —
-"a few months of it being the default download, or store-side install data".
-That evidence never arrived and could not: the core updates by
-`git pull --rebase`, so release-asset counts cannot measure uptake, and no
-store-side telemetry exists. What changed instead is that the *risk* the gate
-protected against was closed directly. The store now refuses a plugin whose
-floor exceeds the running core on **all three** routes in:
-
-| route | gated by |
-|---|---|
-| `install_plugin` — every path that re-downloads, `_reinstall_with_rollback` included | #431, #433 |
-| `update_plugin`'s git branch — pulls in place, re-downloads nothing | #508 |
-| `install_from_url` — sideloading | #510 |
-
-With all three closed a pre-3.2.0 user cannot receive a sunset plugin at all;
-they keep the version they already run. The population the hold existed to
-protect is protected by refusal rather than by a bundled copy — which is what
-the copy was standing in for.
-
-**What shipped.** Eight plugins, ~5,800 lines of frozen fallback deleted. Each:
-copy removed, guarded import collapsed to a plain one, floor raised to 3.2.0,
-`test_core_fallback.py` rewritten as `test_core_scroll.py` asserting the sunset
-rather than the fallback. `scripts/check_scroll_adoption.py` gained
-`sunset_violations` and a `SUNSET_PLUGINS` set naming all eight, so a
-resurrected copy or a returned guard fails CI.
-
-Delivered as plugins #346 (hockey, later folded into #351), #349 (football),
-#350 (baseball), #351 (the remaining six).
-
-**Two things found by doing it, both worth carrying forward:**
-
-- **Only one fallback held orchestration logic the core lacked.** baseball's
-  `_configure_scroll_helper` reinterpreted `scroll_speed` as pixels-per-*frame*
-  when `speed × delay` fell outside the 0.1–5.0 window — measured, 10–20×
-  faster than configured for a speed between 1.0 and 5.0. Standardised onto the
-  core's behaviour (honour the documented px/sec, clamp) rather than preserved.
-  Every other difference across the eight was a docstring, an unreachable
-  `scroll_helper is None` guard, or an equivalent diagnostic.
-- **Two tests had been leaning on the guard without anyone knowing.**
-  `soccer/test_live_screens.py` stubbed `src` in a way that shadowed the core,
-  so its guarded import fell back and the test had been exercising the *frozen
-  copy* rather than the shipping class since B5. Before sunsetting anything else
-  that carries a guarded core import, grep for tests that stub `src`.
-
-**The floor-raising traps still apply** to any future sunset: four plugins
-declare their floor top-level, where editing `versions[0]` is a silent no-op,
-and the floor has three live spellings (`min_ledmatrix_version`,
-`requires.min_ledmatrix_version`, `versions[].ledmatrix_min_version`, plus
-deprecated `ledmatrix_min`). See
-`src/plugin_system/compatibility.py:declared_min_version` for the resolution
-order any floor-raising tool must reproduce — and note the name is **inverted**
-between the top level and `versions[]`.
-
-**Still not adopted, deliberately:** `data_sources.py`, `game_renderer.py` and
-`base_odds_manager.py`. The standing decision held them until B6 closed; it now
-has, so they can be reconsidered — with B5's lesson applied, which is to build
-the object and diff rendered output rather than trust a static check.
-
-### B5 retrospective — what the adoption actually cost
-
-Recorded because it is the evidence behind the two decisions above, and because
-"the adoption went fine" is not what happened.
-
-**Four of the eight shipped with scroll mode broken** on a 3.2.0 core, and were
-repaired in plugins-repo #251. The restructure lifted the content methods
-verbatim but left the state they read off `self` behind: separator-icon
-constants (hockey, basketball, lacrosse) and the game-renderer cache (afl).
-hockey/basketball/lacrosse could not construct the scroll display at all; afl
-raised inside `prepare_scroll_content`, which the core base *catches*, so its
-only symptom was scroll mode silently drawing nothing.
-
-Three things are worth carrying forward:
-
-- **The bundled fallback did not protect anyone from this.** The break was on
-  the modern path, which the fallback never touches. Carrying the second copy
-  bought nothing against the actual defect while creating the divergence that
-  produced it. That is an argument *for* B6, not against it.
-- **Every gate was green.** The safety harness renders the scoreboard screens,
-  not scroll mode; `test_core_fallback.py` checked that methods existed and that
-  their *globals* resolved, and `self.NHL_SEPARATOR_ICON` is an attribute read,
-  invisible to an AST scan for `Name` loads. The fix was to stop reasoning about
-  source and **build the object**: construct both classes on both paths, compare
-  the separator icons they end up with, and assert the adopted class ends up
-  with every instance attribute the bundled one sets.
-- **Test what the change touches, not what is convenient to render.** Scroll
-  mode had no coverage because the harness could not reach it. A comparison
-  harness that renders the same games through both paths and diffs the pixels
-  needs no per-sport knowledge of the right answer, only that adopting core code
-  did not change it.
-
-**The ledger.** Before adoption, eight duplicated copies totalled 5,685 lines.
-After adoption plus the frozen legacy copies it was 10,610; removing the dead
-inline duplication (plugins #252) brought it to roughly 8,620. B6 would take it
-to about 3,300 including the shared core module — some 2,400 fewer than before
-this project started. **Until B6 runs, the adoption is net negative on disk**,
-and its one delivered user-visible gain is that adopted plugins honour the
-global `target_fps` instead of hardcoding ~100 FPS.
-
-### Decision: stop adopting further modules until B6 closes
-
-`data_sources.py` (9 copies), `game_renderer.py` (8) and `base_odds_manager.py`
-are the obvious next candidates. **Do not adopt them yet.** Each adoption adds
-carrying cost — a second copy to keep in step — against a payoff that is
-contingent on B6, and B6 is gated on an installed base we cannot currently
-measure. Consolidate what is already committed; revisit when B6 does.
-
 ## What's next
 
-Steps 1–5 of the original plan are **done**: 3.2.0 is tagged and published with
-a version number CI now asserts (#428), the compatibility gate is in
-`install_plugin` and reads `compatible_versions` as well as the floor
-(#431, #433), the newest manifest entry is required to use `ledmatrix_min_version`
-(plugins #244), and all eight plugins have adopted the scroll orchestration
-(plugins #245–#249, repaired in #251, tidied in #252).
+In order. Each step is independently useful and independently revertible.
 
-What actually remains, smallest first:
-
-1. **Soak the adoptions on hardware.** football and hockey have been run on a
-   live rig through real games; baseball was watched through one earlier. The
-   rest are proven by harness, unit tests and pixel comparison. Out-of-season
-   sports cannot be soaked until their season starts. When you do, **check the
-   rig's `*_display_mode` first** — a board in `switch` mode will happily load a
-   sunset plugin and tell you nothing about the scroll code the sunset changed.
-2. **Cut 3.3.0.** Not required by B6 — its floors are 3.2.0, which is released —
-   but `calendar` 1.2.3 floors at 3.3.0 for the device-authorization endpoints
-   that landed after 3.2.0, so it is un-installable until the release exists.
-3. **Reconsider the held modules** (`data_sources.py`, `game_renderer.py`,
-   `base_odds_manager.py`) now that the sunset has closed. `game_renderer.py` is
-   the largest single duplication left: ~11,500 lines across eight plugins, with
-   ~36,500 more in the eight `sports.py`. Note that core already ships
-   `src/base_classes/sports/` (~143KB, promoted in B1/B2) that **no plugin
-   imports** — check whether it has drifted before treating it as the target.
+1. **Tag and publish v3.2.0.** The code is already on `main` (`21825cbf`).
+   Nothing else blocks this, and it is what makes `ledmatrix_min_version:
+   "3.2.0"` refer to something real.
+2. **Make the version number honest.** Have the release process assert that the
+   tag, the GitHub release, and `src.__version__` agree — a check in CI is
+   cheaper than the confusion of the last two releases. Then revisit the
+   `< 2.0.0` skip in `_warn_if_incompatible`, which currently silences the
+   warning for the users who most need it.
+3. **Add the compatibility gate** to `StoreManager.install_plugin` and
+   `.update_plugin`: refuse a plugin whose declared floor exceeds
+   `src.__version__`, and surface the reason in the store UI rather than only
+   the log. This is the single change that turns the floor from documentation
+   into a guarantee, and B6 depends on it.
+4. **Migrate the manifests** to `ledmatrix_min_version`, and reconcile them with
+   `compatible_versions` (see above — that field is the required, canonical one,
+   and the gate does not read it yet). Currently 28 plugins spell the floor both
+   ways across their `versions[]` entries, 12 use only the old spelling, and 2
+   only the new. Scope the sweep to the nine sports plugins if a 42-plugin
+   version-bump wave isn't worth it — but the `compatible_versions` half has to
+   cover every manifest the gate can refuse, or define explicit legacy handling,
+   before the gate is allowed to block anything.
+5. **Run B5 adoption** — hockey, soccer, football, then the remaining six.
+   Bundled copies stay. Byte-identical harness output per plugin, then a soak.
+6. **Only then plan B6**, with the compatibility regression test described above
+   in CI first.
 
 ## How to keep this project healthy
 

docs/WEB_INTERFACE_GUIDE.md

@@ -96,33 +96,6 @@ Configure basic system settings:
 - **Plugin System Settings** — including the `plugins_directory` (default
   `plugin-repos/`) used by the plugin loader
 - **Autostart** options for the display service
-- **Automatic updates** — once a week, update LEDMatrix and every installed
-  plugin with a newer version. Off by default. Runs 2–5 AM local time when
-  possible, otherwise within a day of being due. The last result and next
-  check are shown under the toggle, and anything other than success raises a
-  banner on **Overview**.
-  - *Checks first:* the code update is skipped, with the reason shown, if
-    tracked files were edited locally, the checkout has local commits, a
-    rebase/merge is in progress, the branch has no upstream, less than 300 MB
-    is free, or the newest version already failed once. A failed fetch is
-    retried the next day.
-  - *Health check and rollback:* after pulling, `ledmatrix-update-verify.service`
-    restarts the services and checks that the web interface responds and the
-    display (if it was running) stays up. If not — or if the new dependencies
-    failed to install — it resets to the previous commit, reinstalls the
-    previous dependencies and restarts again. A running display is restarted;
-    a stopped one stays stopped.
-  - *Plugins* update through the Plugin Store, which refuses versions that need
-    a newer LEDMatrix and restores the old copy when an install fails. When the
-    code changed, plugins wait until it passes its health check. Plugins are
-    not health-checked after updating.
-  - *Setup needs no SSH.* Turning the toggle on restarts the display service,
-    which installs the health check (`ledmatrix-update-verify.path` and
-    `.service`); the General tab shows when it is ready, or why setup failed.
-    Until then only plugins update. New installs set it up during
-    installation and can switch updates on with
-    `first_time_install.sh --enable-auto-update` (or `LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE=1`,
-    which `one-shot-install.sh` passes through), or at the installer's prompt.
 
 Click **Save** to write changes to `config/config.json`. Most changes
 require a display service restart from **Overview**.

docs/archive/WEB_UI_AUDIT_2026-09.md

@@ -1,164 +0,0 @@
-# Web UI Technical Audit — September 2026
-
-Scope: `web_interface/` (Flask + HTMX + Alpine, `templates/v3/`, `static/v3/`).
-Method: Impeccable design detector, code review (accessibility; performance,
-theming, responsive), and a live pass on the running app at desktop and
-375px mobile widths in light and dark themes. Severe claims were verified
-against the live page; one was rejected (see below). No code was changed.
-
-Product context: see [`PRODUCT.md`](../../PRODUCT.md).
-
-## Health score: 8/20 (Poor)
-
-| # | Dimension | Score | Key finding |
-|---|-----------|-------|-------------|
-| 1 | Accessibility | 2 | Focus rings never render; modals have no dialog semantics or focus management |
-| 2 | Performance | 2 | ~1.2 MB JS (≈250 KB gzip) on every page; SSE streams and polling never pause |
-| 3 | Responsive | 2 | Mobile drawer works; header title wraps to 3 lines; many ~24px touch targets |
-| 4 | Theming | 1 | Tokens exist but hex dominates; dark mode is a class-by-class patch with leaks |
-| 5 | Implementation integrity | 1 | Templates use Tailwind classes that don't exist in the stylesheet |
-
-## Implementation integrity verdict: fail
-
-There is no Tailwind build. `static/v3/app.css` is a hand-written subset of
-Tailwind, while templates and JS are authored as if full Tailwind were loaded.
-
-- **333 of 516 utility class names used have no CSS rule** (2,582 uses),
-  confirmed against the live stylesheets. Top offenders: `border` (250),
-  `text-gray-700` (183), `block` (148), `mr-1` (127), `hidden` (79),
-  `py-1`, `text-blue-600`, `px-2`, `text-center`, `hover:bg-blue-700`,
-  `divide-y`, `uppercase`, `font-mono`.
-- **`.hidden` has never existed in `app.css`**, so the 145
-  `classList.add/remove/toggle('hidden')` calls across 26 files do nothing.
-  Visible proof: the header shows both the moon and sun theme icons.
-- **15 classes are defined only under `[data-theme="dark"]`** (e.g.
-  `bg-blue-50`, `bg-red-50`, `bg-yellow-50`, `border-blue-200`,
-  `text-red-700`), so tinted notice boxes are unstyled in light mode.
-- Visible damage: the Getting Started checklist (`partials/overview.html:96-117`)
-  renders native gray outset buttons in both themes; 32 visible buttons on
-  the Plugin Manager page render with default browser chrome; search icons
-  overlap inputs; error/diff modal backdrops are transparent
-  (`bg-gray-500 bg-opacity-75` undefined).
-
-Other drift:
-- Four competing `showNotification` definitions (`app.js:6`,
-  `app-shell.js:2464`, `widgets/notification.js:298`, `partials/fonts.html:249`)
-  — the winner depends on load order — plus 53 `alert()`/`confirm()` calls.
-- At least four modal implementations (on-demand modal in `base.html:1032`,
-  Tailwind-UI style in `error_handler.js`/`diff_viewer.js`, `.jfm-*`/`.pfm-*`
-  with injected CSS, ad-hoc modals in `plugins_manager.js`).
-- `.btn` mixed with ~90 hand-assembled color-utility button combos.
-- SSE wiring duplicated in `app-shell.js:5-60` and `app.js:186-205`.
-
-## Findings by severity
-
-### P0
-
-**Undefined utility layer** (above). Every show/hide toggle and every layout
-built from missing classes silently fails; root cause of most visual bugs.
-Fix: replace the hand-rolled subset with a real, purged Tailwind build
-(with dark-mode variants), or at minimum define the high-use missing classes
-(`hidden`, `border`, `block`, spacing/text utilities) and a button reset.
-→ `/impeccable harden`
-
-### P1
-
-- **Focus rings never render.** `focus:ring-2` (`app.css:289-291`) references
-  `--tw-ring-inset` and `--tw-ring-offset-width`, which are never defined, so
-  the `box-shadow` is invalid. `focus:outline-none` (18 uses) does remove the
-  outline. `peer-focus:ring-4` has no rule, so the plugin enable toggle
-  (`plugins_manager.js:1586-1593`, `sr-only` checkbox) shows no focus.
-  WCAG 2.4.7.
-- **Modals lack dialog semantics.** Only `json-file-manager.js` has
-  `role="dialog"`/`aria-modal`/Escape/initial focus; none trap focus or
-  return it. On-demand (`base.html:1032`), error (`error_handler.js:164-205`),
-  diff (`diff_viewer.js:211-214`), plugin file manager
-  (`plugin-file-manager.js:372-392, 576-599`), array-table editor
-  (`array-table.js:460-467`) have none of it. WCAG 2.1.2 / 4.1.2.
-- **Unnamed controls.** ~16 icon-only buttons with no accessible name, e.g.
-  `base.html:1036`, `plugins.html:173,210`, `plugin_config.html:485,656`,
-  `number-input.js:102,129`, `text-input.js:120`, `date-picker.js:95`,
-  `time-picker.js:100`, `password-input.js:141`. ~115 of 245 form fields have
-  no label (hotspots: `plugin_config.html` 19, `starlark_config.html` 14,
-  `plugins.html` 11); confirmed live on the 11 store search/sort/filter inputs.
-- **Captive WiFi setup page** (first-run surface): `#msg` status has no live
-  region, and `outline:none` is replaced by a 15%-alpha shadow
-  (`captive_setup.html:16,48`).
-- **Background traffic never stops.** `/stream/stats` and `/stream/display`
-  SSE stay open on every tab (display frames push with no preview visible).
-  Tab timers keep running after leaving the tab (`display.html:1046` 5s,
-  `logs.html:222` 5s, `tools.html:987` 15s, `plugins_manager.js:1882` 15s,
-  update check `base.html:1196` 30min). Only `tools.html:999` checks
-  `visibilitychange`. Costly on a Pi Zero 2 W.
-- **Page weight.** 47 script tags on every page, including all 33 widgets
-  (`base.html:984-1018`). `app-shell.js` (177 KB) is render-blocking
-  (`base.html:956`); `plugins_manager.js` is 277 KB.
-- **Dark mode leaks.** `plugin-file-manager.js` (53 hex) and
-  `json-file-manager.js` (63 hex, e.g. `.jfm-modal-box{background:#fff}`)
-  inject CSS that ignores `data-theme`; `.form-control` hard-codes
-  `#fff`/`#111827` (`app.css:668-671`). `app.css` has 186 hex + 46 rgb
-  literals vs 94 `var(--…)` uses.
-
-### P2
-
-- Toasts: `role="alert"` inside an `aria-live="polite"` container
-  (`notification.js:78,156`) → double/assertive announcements; auto-dismiss 4s.
-- `prefers-reduced-motion` covers 3 animations; ~106 `animate-pulse`/`fa-spin`
-  uses, `modalSlideIn`, and toast slides ignore it.
-- Mobile: header title wraps to three lines and spills out of the header;
-  ~33 plugin-card buttons are `text-xs px-2 py-1` (~24px); `#logs-container`
-  forced to 400/350px with `!important` (`app.css:399-411`).
-- Logs panel contrast: `text-gray-400` on `bg-gray-900` ≈ 3.9:1
-  (`logs.html:75,86`).
-- Three unnamed nested `<nav>` landmarks (`base.html:474,477,548`); no skip link.
-- Plugin lists fully rebuilt via `innerHTML` on every filter change
-  (`plugins_manager.js:1554, 3784, 3993, 4389, 5905`); `logs.html:225` adds a
-  reflow-forcing resize listener on every partial load.
-
-### P3
-
-- No `loading="lazy"` on images; Font Awesome `font-display:block`.
-- Unpinned `alpinejs@3.x.x` unpkg fallback (`base.html:241`).
-- `widgets/example-color-picker.js` is not loaded anywhere.
-- Detector: 3px accent stripe on `.plugin-card::before` (`app.css:721`).
-
-## Verified and rejected
-
-- **"Static assets are never cache-busted" (raised as P0): false.**
-  `app.py:491` (`@app.url_defaults add_static_version`) appends file mtime as
-  `?v=` to every static URL; the live HTML confirms it. The manual
-  `?v=20260307` on two script tags is merely redundant.
-- Light-mode gray text contrast is mostly fine: `app.css` remaps grays darker
-  (4.8–10:1).
-- Detector `gray-on-color` hits at `app.css:84,285` and `broken-image` hits
-  (JS-populated `src`) are not real rendered issues.
-
-## What works
-
-- Theme set before first paint, follows OS preference, `data-theme` + tokens.
-- Mobile drawer: Escape closes it, focus returns to the hamburger, 44px rows.
-- `aria-current="page"` on nav tabs; real `<header>` and `<main>`.
-- Status colors always paired with text; nearly all images have alt text.
-- `toggle-switch.js` uses `role="switch"`; vendor assets self-hosted.
-
-## Open decisions (block the P0 fix approach)
-
-Recorded as undecided in `PRODUCT.md`:
-- Must the UI work fully offline (no CDN fallbacks)?
-- Is a Node/CSS build step acceptable for contributors?
-- Is WCAG 2.2 AA a formal requirement?
-
-## Recommended order
-
-1. **[P0] `/impeccable harden`** — fix the utility layer (real Tailwind build
-   or define missing classes + button reset).
-2. **[P1] `/impeccable harden`** — focus-ring variables and `peer-focus`;
-   one shared accessible modal helper; name icon buttons and label fields;
-   live region on the captive page.
-3. **[P1] `/impeccable optimize`** — pause SSE/timers on hidden tab or page;
-   load widget scripts on demand.
-4. **[P1] `/impeccable colorize`** — move file-manager CSS and `.form-control`
-   onto theme tokens.
-5. **[P2] `/impeccable adapt`** — header wrap, touch targets, log height.
-6. **[P2] `/impeccable animate`** — reduced-motion alternatives.
-7. **`/impeccable polish`** — final pass.

docs/widget-guide.md

@@ -285,9 +285,7 @@ Guidelines:
 
 ### Step 1: Create Widget File
 
-Create a JavaScript file in your plugin's `widgets/` directory, named
-`widgets/[widget-name].js`. The directory is not optional: it is the only
-place the core will serve a widget from.
+Create a JavaScript file in your plugin directory. The recommended location is `widgets/[widget-name].js`:
 
 ```javascript
 // Ensure LEDMatrixWidgets registry is available
@@ -368,29 +366,7 @@ window.LEDMatrixWidgets.register('my-custom-widget', {
 });
 ```
 
-### Step 2: Declare the Widget in `manifest.json`
-
-The manifest is the allowlist. A widget is served only if the plugin declares
-it, so shipping a file under `widgets/` does not by itself publish it:
-
-```json
-{
-  "widgets": [
-    {
-      "name": "my-custom-widget",
-      "script": "my-custom-widget.js",
-      "description": "What this widget is for"
-    }
-  ]
-}
-```
-
-`name` is what you use in `x-widget` and in the URL. `script` is optional and
-defaults to `[name].js`; it must be a plain filename directly inside
-`widgets/` (no paths). Both are validated against
-`schema/manifest_schema.json`.
-
-### Step 3: Reference Widget in Schema
+### Step 2: Reference Widget in Schema
 
 In your plugin's `config_schema.json`:
 
@@ -407,30 +383,15 @@ In your plugin's `config_schema.json`:
 }
 ```
 
-### Step 4: Widget Loading
+### Step 3: Widget Loading
 
-The widget is loaded on demand when the plugin's configuration form renders a
-field that references it. The system will:
+The widget will be automatically loaded when the plugin configuration form is rendered. The system will:
 
-1. Check whether the widget is already registered in the core registry.
-2. If not, fetch it from `/static/plugin-widgets/[plugin-id]/[widget-name].js`.
-   That route serves the declared `script` from your plugin's `widgets/`
-   directory, as `text/javascript`.
-3. Render it by calling the `render` function your script registered.
+1. Check if widget is registered in the core registry
+2. If not found, attempt to load from plugin directory: `/static/plugin-widgets/[plugin-id]/[widget-name].js`
+3. Render the widget using the registered `render` function
 
-The fetch uses a dynamic `import()`, so the file must parse as an ES module.
-A plain IIFE does — modules are strict mode, so avoid sloppy-mode constructs.
-
-**If the widget fails to load** (not declared, file missing, script throws, or
-it never calls `register`), the field falls back to a plain text input holding
-the current value. This is deliberate: a broken widget costs the user an
-editor, not their configured value.
-
-**Limitation:** the on-demand path applies to `string`-typed fields (the
-default branch of the config-form renderer). Fields typed `object`, `array`,
-`boolean`, `integer` or `number`, and fields whose `enum` is set, are
-dispatched by the server-side template to its own built-in renderers, so a
-plugin-supplied `x-widget` on one of those is ignored today.
+**Note:** Currently, widgets are server-side rendered via Jinja2 templates. Custom widgets registered via the registry will have their handlers available, but full client-side rendering is a future enhancement.
 
 ## Widget API Reference
 
@@ -536,11 +497,10 @@ See [`web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/example-color-picker.js`](../web_interf
 - ✅ Plugin widget loading system implemented
 
 **Current Behavior:**
-- Core widgets are server-side rendered via Jinja2 templates (existing behavior preserved)
+- Widgets are server-side rendered via Jinja2 templates (existing behavior preserved)
 - Widget handlers are registered and available globally
-- Custom widgets can be created, declared in `manifest.json`, and are served
-  and rendered on demand for `string`-typed fields
-- Plugin widgets on non-string fields are not dispatched yet (see Step 4)
+- Custom widgets can be created and registered
+- Full client-side rendering is a future enhancement
 
 **Backwards Compatibility:**
 - All existing plugins using widgets continue to work without changes

first_time_install.sh

@@ -125,72 +125,6 @@ fi
 # Get the home directory of the actual user
 USER_HOME=$(eval echo ~$ACTUAL_USER)
 
-# --- rpi-rgb-led-matrix checkout helpers -------------------------------------
-# Run git as whoever owns the project directory. Run as root against a
-# user-owned repo, git refuses it ("dubious ownership"), and anything it does
-# create — such as .git/modules/<submodule> — ends up root-owned, locking the
-# user out of their own checkout. A root-owned install keeps running as root.
-_rgb_repo_owner() {
-    stat -c %U "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR" 2>/dev/null || echo root
-}
-
-_git_as_repo_owner() {
-    local owner
-    owner=$(_rgb_repo_owner)
-    if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ] && [ "$owner" != "root" ] && command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        sudo -u "$owner" -H git "$@"
-    else
-        git "$@"
-    fi
-}
-
-# Earlier installer versions ran the submodule git commands as root, leaving
-# root-owned files the repo owner (and so _git_as_repo_owner) cannot write.
-_reclaim_rgb_checkout() {
-    local owner path
-    owner=$(_rgb_repo_owner)
-    if [ "$(id -u)" != "0" ] || [ "$owner" = "root" ]; then
-        return 0
-    fi
-    for path in "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.git/modules/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master"; do
-        if [ -e "$path" ]; then
-            chown -R "$owner:" "$path" 2>/dev/null || true
-        fi
-    done
-}
-
-# `git pull` on the main repo never moves an existing submodule checkout, so a
-# submodule bump (e.g. the ARMv6 build fix for Pi Zero/1) would never reach a
-# device installed before it. Move the checkout forward to the pinned commit —
-# but never backward or sideways: a user who ran `git submodule update --remote`
-# is newer than the pin and is left alone. Never fatal.
-_sync_rgb_submodule() {
-    local sub="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" pinned current
-    if [ ! -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" ] || ! grep -q "rpi-rgb-led-matrix" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" \
-        || [ ! -e "$sub/.git" ]; then
-        return 0
-    fi
-    if ! pinned=$(_git_as_repo_owner -C "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR" rev-parse "HEAD:rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" 2>/dev/null) \
-        || [ -z "$pinned" ]; then
-        return 0
-    fi
-    current=$(_git_as_repo_owner -C "$sub" rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null) || current=""
-    if [ "$current" = "$pinned" ]; then
-        return 0
-    fi
-    if [ -n "$current" ] && _git_as_repo_owner -C "$sub" cat-file -e "${pinned}^{commit}" 2>/dev/null \
-        && ! _git_as_repo_owner -C "$sub" merge-base --is-ancestor "$current" "$pinned" 2>/dev/null; then
-        echo "rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master is at ${current:0:7}, not behind the pinned ${pinned:0:7}; leaving it as is"
-        return 0
-    fi
-    echo "Updating rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master to the pinned commit ${pinned:0:7}..."
-    if ! _git_as_repo_owner -C "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR" submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master; then
-        echo "⚠ Could not update rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master to the pinned commit; building the existing checkout"
-    fi
-    return 0
-}
-# --- end rpi-rgb-led-matrix checkout helpers ---------------------------------
-
 # Determine the Project Root Directory (where this script is located)
 PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)
 
@@ -220,8 +154,6 @@ SKIP_PERF=${LEDMATRIX_SKIP_PERF:-0}
 SKIP_REBOOT_PROMPT=${LEDMATRIX_SKIP_REBOOT_PROMPT:-0}
 SKIP_SWAP=${LEDMATRIX_SKIP_SWAP:-0}
 BUILD_JOBS_OVERRIDE=${LEDMATRIX_BUILD_JOBS:-}
-# Weekly automatic updates: 1 on, 0 off, empty = ask (interactive) or leave as is.
-AUTO_UPDATE=${LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE:-}
 
 usage() {
     cat <<USAGE
@@ -236,15 +168,12 @@ Options:
       --skip-swap           Never add temporary swap for the C++ build
       --build-jobs N        Compile the C++ library with N parallel jobs
                             (default: scaled to available RAM)
-      --enable-auto-update  Turn on weekly automatic updates (with health
-                            check and automatic rollback)
-      --no-auto-update      Leave weekly automatic updates off
   -h, --help                Show this help message and exit
 
 Environment variables (same effect as flags):
   LEDMATRIX_ASSUME_YES=1, RPI_RGB_FORCE_REBUILD=1, LEDMATRIX_SKIP_SOUND=1,
   LEDMATRIX_SKIP_PERF=1, LEDMATRIX_SKIP_REBOOT_PROMPT=1,
-  LEDMATRIX_SKIP_SWAP=1, LEDMATRIX_BUILD_JOBS=N, LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE=1|0
+  LEDMATRIX_SKIP_SWAP=1, LEDMATRIX_BUILD_JOBS=N
 
 Low-memory devices:
   On a Pi with under 2GB of RAM the C++ build is limited to fewer parallel
@@ -262,8 +191,6 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
         --skip-perf) SKIP_PERF=1 ;;
         --no-reboot-prompt) SKIP_REBOOT_PROMPT=1 ;;
         --skip-swap) SKIP_SWAP=1 ;;
-        --enable-auto-update) AUTO_UPDATE=1 ;;
-        --no-auto-update) AUTO_UPDATE=0 ;;
         --build-jobs)
             shift
             if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then echo "--build-jobs requires a number"; usage; exit 1; fi
@@ -870,50 +797,6 @@ else
     echo "✓ Main config file already exists"
 fi
 
-# Weekly automatic updates (General tab -> Automatic Updates). Off unless asked
-# for: --enable-auto-update / LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE=1, or "y" at the prompt when
-# installing interactively. Only an explicit choice changes the setting, so
-# re-running the installer with -y never switches it silently.
-if [ -z "$AUTO_UPDATE" ] && [ "$ASSUME_YES" != "1" ] && [ -t 0 ]; then
-    read -p "Automatically check for and install LEDMatrix updates once a week, with automatic rollback if an update breaks something? (y/N): " -n 1 -r
-    echo
-    if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then AUTO_UPDATE=1; else AUTO_UPDATE=0; fi
-fi
-if [ "$AUTO_UPDATE" = "1" ] || [ "$AUTO_UPDATE" = "0" ]; then
-    if python3 - "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/config/config.json" "$AUTO_UPDATE" <<'PY'
-import json, os, sys, tempfile
-path, enabled = sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2] == "1"
-with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
-    config = json.load(f)
-if not isinstance(config.get("auto_update"), dict):
-    config["auto_update"] = {}
-config["auto_update"]["enabled"] = enabled
-# Written beside the original and swapped in whole: the display service's
-# config watcher may be running and must never read a half-written file.
-original = os.stat(path)
-fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(path)), prefix=".config.")
-try:
-    with os.fdopen(fd, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-        json.dump(config, f, indent=4)
-        f.write("\n")
-        f.flush()
-        os.fsync(f.fileno())
-    os.chmod(tmp, original.st_mode & 0o777)
-    if hasattr(os, "chown"):
-        os.chown(tmp, original.st_uid, original.st_gid)
-    os.replace(tmp, path)
-except BaseException:
-    if os.path.exists(tmp):
-        os.unlink(tmp)
-    raise
-PY
-    then
-        if [ "$AUTO_UPDATE" = "1" ]; then echo "✓ Weekly automatic updates enabled"; else echo "✓ Weekly automatic updates off"; fi
-    else
-        echo "⚠ Could not set auto_update in config/config.json; turn it on from the General tab instead"
-    fi
-fi
-
 # Create config_secrets.json from template if missing
 if [ ! -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/config/config_secrets.json" ]; then
     if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/config/config_secrets.template.json" ]; then
@@ -1155,9 +1038,8 @@ else
     # so git clone doesn't fail with "destination path already exists".
     _clone_rpi_rgb() {
         rm -rf "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master"
-        _git_as_repo_owner clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+        git clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
     }
-    _reclaim_rgb_checkout
     if [ ! -d "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" ]; then
         echo "rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master not found. Initializing git submodule..."
         cd "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
@@ -1165,7 +1047,7 @@ else
         # Try to initialize submodule if .gitmodules exists
         if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" ] && grep -q "rpi-rgb-led-matrix" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules"; then
             echo "Initializing rpi-rgb-led-matrix submodule..."
-            if ! retry _git_as_repo_owner submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master; then
+            if ! retry git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master; then
                 echo "⚠ Submodule init failed, cloning directly from GitHub..."
                 retry _clone_rpi_rgb
             fi
@@ -1184,14 +1066,12 @@ else
             cd "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
             rm -rf rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
             if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" ] && grep -q "rpi-rgb-led-matrix" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules"; then
-                retry _git_as_repo_owner submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+                retry git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
             else
                 retry _clone_rpi_rgb
             fi
         fi
 
-        _sync_rgb_submodule
-
         # Add temporary swap on low-memory devices so the compiler survives.
         CURRENT_STEP="Prepare the low-memory build environment"
         if [ "$LOWMEM_AVAILABLE" = "1" ] && [ "$SKIP_SWAP" != "1" ]; then
@@ -1392,7 +1272,7 @@ if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/install_web_service.sh" ]; then
         fi
     fi
     
-    if [ ! -f "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service" ] || [ ! -f "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-update-verify.path" ] || [ "$NEEDS_UPDATE" = true ]; then
+    if [ ! -f "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service" ] || [ "$NEEDS_UPDATE" = true ]; then
         bash "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/install_web_service.sh"
         # Ensure systemd sees any new/changed unit files
         systemctl daemon-reload || true
@@ -1408,7 +1288,7 @@ echo ""
 CURRENT_STEP="Harden systemd unit file permissions"
 echo "Step 8.1: Setting systemd unit file permissions..."
 echo "-----------------------------------------------"
-for unit in "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-update-verify.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-update-verify.path"; do
+for unit in "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service" "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service"; do
     if [ -f "$unit" ]; then
         chown root:root "$unit" || true
         chmod 644 "$unit" || true
@@ -1536,9 +1416,6 @@ $ACTUAL_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $PYTHON_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/display_controll
 $ACTUAL_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/start_display.sh
 $ACTUAL_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/stop_display.sh
 $ACTUAL_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/fix_perms/safe_plugin_rm.sh *
-# Install a requirements.txt as root via vetted helper, so packages are visible
-# to root-run ledmatrix.service (not just the web interface's own user).
-$ACTUAL_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/fix_perms/safe_pip_install.sh *
 EOF
 if [ -n "$JOURNALCTL_PATH" ]; then
     cat >> /tmp/ledmatrix_web_sudoers << EOF
@@ -1746,19 +1623,6 @@ chmod 755 "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/install_service.sh" "$PROJECT_ROOT_
 # Re-apply special permissions for config directory (lost during normalization)
 chmod 2775 "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/config" || true
 
-# Harden the sudo-granted helper scripts: root-owned, not writable by the web
-# user (matches scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh). The sudoers rules in
-# Step 10 run these as root, so a user-owned copy is a root shell for whoever
-# can edit it. This must come after Step 11's project-wide chown to
-# $ACTUAL_USER, which would otherwise hand them straight back.
-for helper in safe_plugin_rm.sh safe_pip_install.sh; do
-    HELPER_PATH="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/fix_perms/$helper"
-    if [ -f "$HELPER_PATH" ]; then
-        chown root:root "$HELPER_PATH" || echo "⚠ Could not set ownership on $HELPER_PATH"
-        chmod 755 "$HELPER_PATH" || echo "⚠ Could not set permissions on $HELPER_PATH"
-    fi
-done
-
 echo "✓ Project file permissions normalized"
 echo ""
 
@@ -1876,15 +1740,12 @@ journald_effective() {
        systemd-analyze cat-config systemd/journald.conf >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         systemd-analyze cat-config systemd/journald.conf 2>/dev/null
     else
-        cat /etc/systemd/journald.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/*.conf 2>/dev/null || true
+        cat /etc/systemd/journald.conf /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/*.conf 2>/dev/null
     fi
 }
 journald_conf="$(journald_effective)"
-# Both settings are optional, and stock images ship them commented out. grep
-# exits 1 on no match, which pipefail turns fatal under set -e — an absent
-# setting must read as empty, not abort the install.
-journald_storage="$(printf '%s\n' "$journald_conf" | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*Storage=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)"
-journald_cap="$(printf '%s\n' "$journald_conf" | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*SystemMaxUse=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)"
+journald_storage="$(printf '%s\n' "$journald_conf" | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*Storage=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]')"
+journald_cap="$(printf '%s\n' "$journald_conf" | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*SystemMaxUse=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]')"
 
 if [ "$journald_storage" = "persistent" ] && [ -n "$journald_cap" ]; then
     echo "Persistent journald storage already configured (SystemMaxUse=$journald_cap)"
@@ -1910,7 +1771,7 @@ else
     # after ledmatrix-persistent.conf (zz-local.conf and friends) still wins.
     # Writing the file is not evidence it took effect -- re-read and say so
     # plainly rather than reporting success we cannot confirm.
-    journald_now="$(journald_effective | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*Storage=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)"
+    journald_now="$(journald_effective | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*Storage=' | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d '[:space:]')"
     if [ "$journald_now" = "persistent" ]; then
         echo "  Persistent journald storage active"
     else

integrations/mqtt_bridge/.gitignore

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-bridge_config.json

integrations/mqtt_bridge/README.md

@@ -1,118 +0,0 @@
-# Home Assistant MQTT Bridge
-
-Control the matrix from Home Assistant: force any plugin or mode on demand,
-turn the display on and off, and set brightness — as real HA entities, not
-hand-written `mqtt.publish` calls.
-
-The bridge owns no display logic. It subscribes to one command topic and
-turns each message into a call against the same `api_v3` routes the web UI
-uses, so behaviour lives in one place. It talks to the API over HTTP only —
-no filesystem access — so it can run on the Pi or anywhere that can reach
-the web interface.
-
-## What appears in Home Assistant
-
-On connect the bridge publishes [MQTT Discovery](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/mqtt/#mqtt-discovery)
-config, so the matrix shows up under **Settings → Devices & Services → MQTT**
-with no YAML:
-
-| Entity | Does |
-|---|---|
-| `select.ledmatrix_display_mode` | Every mode across enabled plugins. Choosing one force-displays it. |
-| `button.ledmatrix_stop_display` | Back to normal rotation. |
-| `switch.ledmatrix_power` | Starts/stops the display service. |
-| `number.ledmatrix_brightness` | 0–100. |
-
-State is read back from the API every 30 seconds, so the entities also track
-changes made from the web UI or an on-demand window expiring on its own.
-All four share an availability topic that is the bridge's MQTT last will:
-if the bridge dies, HA greys the controls out rather than leaving them
-looking live but inert.
-
-## Raw commands
-
-For anything the entities do not cover, publish JSON to the command topic
-(`ledmatrix/command` by default):
-
-```jsonc
-// Force a mode. plugin_id is optional — the bridge fills it in from
-// /api/v3/display/modes.
-{"action": "display", "mode": "nfl_live"}
-
-// duration is seconds; pinned holds this one mode instead of rotating
-// through every mode the plugin owns. Pin Starlark apps, where each mode
-// is an unrelated widget; leave a sports plugin unpinned so live/recent/
-// upcoming still cycle.
-{"action": "display", "plugin_id": "starlark-apps", "mode": "aquarium",
- "duration": 300, "pinned": true}
-
-{"action": "stop_display"}
-{"action": "power", "state": "on"}
-{"action": "brightness", "value": 75}
-
-// Re-read the mode list and re-publish discovery, after installing a plugin
-{"action": "refresh"}
-```
-
-Every command publishes its outcome to `<command_topic>/status`, and current
-state to `<command_topic>/state`.
-
-## Requirements
-
-- A LEDMatrix install with its web interface reachable (default `http://localhost:5000`)
-- An MQTT broker that Home Assistant is also connected to
-- Python 3 with `paho-mqtt` 2.x and `requests`
-
-## Install
-
-```bash
-sudo ./scripts/install/install_mqtt_bridge.sh
-```
-
-That copies `bridge_config.example.json` to `bridge_config.json` on first
-run, installs the dependencies, and enables `ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge.service`.
-Edit the config with your broker details and re-run it.
-
-```json
-{
-  "mqtt_host": "192.168.1.10",
-  "mqtt_port": 8883,
-  "mqtt_username": "ledmatrix",
-  "mqtt_password": null,
-  "mqtt_topic": "ledmatrix/command",
-  "mqtt_tls": true,
-  "ledmatrix_api_base": "http://localhost:5000"
-}
-```
-
-**TLS is on by default.** Without it the broker password and every display
-command cross the network in cleartext. If your broker only listens on plain
-1883 — which the Mosquitto add-on does out of the box — set `"mqtt_tls": false`
-and `"mqtt_port": 1883`. The bridge logs a warning at startup when a password
-is configured without TLS.
-
-`bridge_config.json` is gitignored. Any key can also be supplied through the
-environment as `LEDMATRIX_MQTT_<KEY>` (`LEDMATRIX_MQTT_MQTT_PASSWORD`, say),
-which keeps a broker password out of a file on disk — put it in a systemd
-drop-in with `Environment=` or `EnvironmentFile=` instead.
-
-Set `mqtt_tls: true` for a broker with TLS. `mqtt_tls_insecure` skips
-certificate verification and exists only for a self-signed broker on a
-trusted LAN; it logs a warning when used.
-
-To run it in the foreground while setting things up:
-
-```bash
-python3 integrations/mqtt_bridge/ledmatrix_mqtt_bridge.py --config integrations/mqtt_bridge/bridge_config.json
-```
-
-## Notes
-
-- Only one thing can be on-demand at a time — the same constraint the web UI has.
-- Forcing a mode restarts the display service, so the panel blanks for a moment.
-- The mode list comes from `/api/v3/display/modes`, which triggers plugin
-  discovery itself. Discovery is lazy and normally happens because somebody
-  opened the dashboard; without that endpoint a bridge that never does would
-  see an empty list.
-- Brightness writes `display.hardware.brightness` through `/api/v3/config/main`.
-  The display service picks it up on its next restart, not instantly.

integrations/mqtt_bridge/bridge_config.example.json

@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "mqtt_host": "192.168.1.10",
-  "mqtt_port": 8883,
-  "mqtt_username": "ledmatrix",
-  "mqtt_password": null,
-  "mqtt_client_id": "ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge",
-  "mqtt_topic": "ledmatrix/command",
-  "mqtt_tls": true,
-  "ledmatrix_api_base": "http://localhost:5000",
-  "request_timeout": 15,
-  "on_demand_duration": null,
-  "log_level": "INFO"
-}

integrations/mqtt_bridge/ledmatrix_mqtt_bridge.py

@@ -1,548 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Control a LEDMatrix display from Home Assistant over MQTT.
-
-The bridge owns no display logic. It subscribes to one command topic and
-turns each message into a call against the same api_v3 routes the web UI
-uses, so behaviour stays in one place and this stays a translation layer.
-
-On connect it publishes Home Assistant MQTT Discovery config, so a matrix
-appears in HA as real entities rather than something you drive with
-`mqtt.publish` by hand:
-
-    select.ledmatrix_display_mode   every mode across enabled plugins;
-                                    choosing one force-displays it
-    button.ledmatrix_stop_display   back to normal rotation
-    switch.ledmatrix_power          the display service, on or off
-    number.ledmatrix_brightness     0-100
-
-Anything the entities do not cover is still reachable by publishing JSON
-to the command topic:
-
-    {"action": "display", "mode": "nfl_live"}
-    {"action": "display", "plugin_id": "starlark-apps", "mode": "aquarium",
-     "duration": 300, "pinned": true}
-    {"action": "stop_display"}
-    {"action": "power", "state": "on" | "off"}
-    {"action": "brightness", "value": 75}
-    {"action": "refresh"}          re-publish discovery after installing a plugin
-
-Every command publishes its result to <command_topic>/status.
-
-Run it with `python3 ledmatrix_mqtt_bridge.py [--config PATH]`, or install
-ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge.service.
-"""
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import argparse
-import json
-import logging
-import os
-import signal
-import sys
-import threading
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional
-
-import requests
-
-logger = logging.getLogger("ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge")
-
-DISCOVERY_PREFIX = "homeassistant"
-DEVICE_ID = "ledmatrix"
-DEVICE_INFO = {
-    "identifiers": [DEVICE_ID],
-    "name": "LEDMatrix",
-    "manufacturer": "ChuckBuilds",
-    "model": "LEDMatrix Display",
-}
-
-DEFAULTS = {
-    "mqtt_host": "localhost",
-    "mqtt_port": 1883,
-    "mqtt_username": None,
-    "mqtt_password": None,  # nosec B105 - "no password configured", not a credential
-    "mqtt_client_id": "ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge",
-    "mqtt_topic": "ledmatrix/command",
-    "mqtt_tls": False,
-    "mqtt_tls_insecure": False,
-    "ledmatrix_api_base": "http://localhost:5000",
-    "request_timeout": 15,
-    "on_demand_duration": None,
-    "log_level": "INFO",
-}
-
-
-class ConfigError(Exception):
-    """The bridge cannot start with the configuration it was given."""
-
-
-def load_config(path: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Read bridge_config.json, overlaid on DEFAULTS.
-
-    Every value may also come from the environment as LEDMATRIX_MQTT_<KEY>,
-    which is how a password stays out of a file that has to be world-readable
-    for the service user.
-    """
-    config = dict(DEFAULTS)
-    if os.path.isfile(path):
-        with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as handle:
-            try:
-                loaded = json.load(handle)
-            except json.JSONDecodeError as err:
-                raise ConfigError(f"{path} is not valid JSON: {err}") from err
-        if not isinstance(loaded, dict):
-            raise ConfigError(f"{path} must contain a JSON object")
-        config.update(loaded)
-    else:
-        logger.warning("No config file at %s - using defaults and environment", path)
-
-    for key in DEFAULTS:
-        env_value = os.environ.get(f"LEDMATRIX_MQTT_{key.upper()}")
-        if env_value is not None:
-            config[key] = env_value
-
-    for key in ("mqtt_port", "request_timeout"):
-        try:
-            config[key] = int(config[key])
-        except (TypeError, ValueError) as err:
-            raise ConfigError(f"{key} must be a whole number, got {config[key]!r}") from err
-    for key in ("mqtt_tls", "mqtt_tls_insecure"):
-        config[key] = str(config[key]).lower() in ("1", "true", "yes", "on")
-
-    if config.get("mqtt_password") == "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_ACTUAL_MQTT_PASSWORD":
-        raise ConfigError(
-            "mqtt_password is still the example placeholder - set a real password, "
-            "or remove the key if your broker allows anonymous connections")
-    return config
-
-
-class LEDMatrixClient:
-    """The api_v3 calls the bridge needs, and nothing else.
-
-    Everything goes through the HTTP API rather than the filesystem, so the
-    bridge does not have to live on the Pi, does not need read access to
-    config.json, and cannot drift from the web UI's own behaviour.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, api_base: str, timeout: int = 15,
-                 session: Optional[requests.Session] = None):
-        self.api_base = api_base.rstrip("/")
-        self.timeout = timeout
-        self.session = session or requests.Session()
-
-    def _call(self, method: str, path: str, **kwargs) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        url = f"{self.api_base}/api/v3{path}"
-        response = self.session.request(method, url, timeout=self.timeout, **kwargs)
-        try:
-            body = response.json()
-        except ValueError:
-            body = {}
-        if response.status_code >= 400 or body.get("status") == "error":
-            message = body.get("message") or f"HTTP {response.status_code}"
-            raise RuntimeError(f"{method} {path} failed: {message}")
-        return body.get("data", body)
-
-    def list_modes(self) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        """Every display mode that can be force-displayed, newest discovery.
-
-        /display/modes triggers plugin discovery itself, which matters because
-        discovery is lazy: a bridge that never opens the dashboard would
-        otherwise see nothing at all.
-        """
-        return self._call("GET", "/display/modes").get("modes", [])
-
-    def display_status(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        return self._call("GET", "/display/on-demand/status")
-
-    def start_on_demand(self, mode: str, plugin_id: Optional[str] = None,
-                        duration: Optional[int] = None, pinned: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        payload: Dict[str, Any] = {"mode": mode, "pinned": pinned}
-        if plugin_id:
-            # find_plugin_for_mode only sees modes declared in a static
-            # manifest, so a plugin whose modes are generated -- each installed
-            # Starlark app is one -- 404s when plugin_id is omitted. Sending it
-            # skips that lookup. /display/modes reports it for every mode.
-            payload["plugin_id"] = plugin_id
-        if duration:
-            payload["duration"] = int(duration)
-        return self._call("POST", "/display/on-demand/start", json=payload)
-
-    def stop_on_demand(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        return self._call("POST", "/display/on-demand/stop", json={})
-
-    def set_power(self, on: bool) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        action = "start_display" if on else "stop_display"
-        return self._call("POST", "/system/action", json={"action": action})
-
-    def get_brightness(self) -> Optional[int]:
-        config = self._call("GET", "/config/main")
-        value = config.get("display", {}).get("hardware", {}).get("brightness")
-        try:
-            return int(value)
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            return None
-
-    def set_brightness(self, value: int) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        return self._call("POST", "/config/main", json={"brightness": int(value)})
-
-
-class CommandHandler:
-    """Turns one decoded MQTT payload into one API call.
-
-    Kept free of MQTT so it can be tested against a fake client: the failure
-    modes worth pinning are all in here (an unknown mode, an out-of-range
-    brightness, a mode name that needs its plugin_id attached).
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, client: LEDMatrixClient, default_duration: Optional[int] = None):
-        self.client = client
-        self.default_duration = default_duration
-        self._modes_by_name: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
-
-    def refresh_modes(self) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        modes = self.client.list_modes()
-        self._modes_by_name = {m["mode"]: m for m in modes}
-        # Home Assistant's select shows labels, so accept them back as well --
-        # otherwise picking "Simple Clock" in a dashboard is not a mode name.
-        for entry in modes:
-            self._modes_by_name.setdefault(entry.get("name") or entry["mode"], entry)
-        return modes
-
-    @property
-    def known_modes(self) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        return list({id(v): v for v in self._modes_by_name.values()}.values())
-
-    def handle(self, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        action = payload.get("action")
-        handlers: Dict[str, Callable[[Dict[str, Any]], Dict[str, Any]]] = {
-            "display": self._display,
-            "stop_display": lambda _p: self._ok(self.client.stop_on_demand()),
-            "power": self._power,
-            "brightness": self._brightness,
-            "refresh": lambda _p: self._ok({"modes": len(self.refresh_modes())}),
-        }
-        handler = handlers.get(action)
-        if handler is None:
-            return self._error(f"Unknown action {action!r}; expected one of "
-                               f"{', '.join(sorted(handlers))}")
-        try:
-            return handler(payload)
-        except (requests.RequestException, RuntimeError) as err:
-            logger.error("Command %s failed: %s", action, err)
-            return self._error(str(err))
-
-    def _display(self, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        mode = payload.get("mode")
-        plugin_id = payload.get("plugin_id")
-        if not mode and not plugin_id:
-            return self._error("display requires 'mode' or 'plugin_id'")
-
-        known = self._modes_by_name.get(mode) if mode else None
-        if known is None and mode and not plugin_id:
-            # One retry against a fresh listing: a plugin installed since the
-            # last refresh is the common reason a valid mode looks unknown.
-            self.refresh_modes()
-            known = self._modes_by_name.get(mode)
-        if known is not None:
-            mode = known["mode"]
-            plugin_id = plugin_id or known.get("plugin_id")
-
-        duration = payload.get("duration", self.default_duration)
-        pinned = bool(payload.get("pinned", False))
-        result = self.client.start_on_demand(
-            mode=mode, plugin_id=plugin_id, duration=duration, pinned=pinned)
-        return self._ok(result, mode=mode, plugin_id=plugin_id)
-
-    def _power(self, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        state = str(payload.get("state", "")).strip().lower()
-        if state not in ("on", "off"):
-            return self._error("power requires 'state' of 'on' or 'off'")
-        return self._ok(self.client.set_power(state == "on"), state=state)
-
-    def _brightness(self, payload: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        raw = payload.get("value")
-        try:
-            value = int(float(raw))
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            return self._error(f"brightness requires a number, got {raw!r}")
-        if not 0 <= value <= 100:
-            return self._error(f"brightness must be between 0 and 100, got {value}")
-        return self._ok(self.client.set_brightness(value), value=value)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _ok(result: Any, **extra) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        return {"status": "success", "result": result, **extra}
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _error(message: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        return {"status": "error", "message": message}
-
-
-def discovery_messages(command_topic: str, state_topic: str, availability_topic: str,
-                       mode_labels: List[str]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-    """The retained MQTT Discovery configs, as {topic, payload} pairs.
-
-    Pure, so the entity shapes can be asserted without a broker. Every entity
-    shares one availability topic, which is also the bridge's last will -- HA
-    then shows the matrix as unavailable when the bridge dies, instead of
-    leaving stale controls that silently do nothing.
-    """
-    common = {
-        "device": DEVICE_INFO,
-        "availability_topic": availability_topic,
-        "payload_available": "online",
-        "payload_not_available": "offline",
-    }
-    return [
-        {
-            "topic": f"{DISCOVERY_PREFIX}/select/{DEVICE_ID}/display_mode/config",
-            "payload": {
-                **common,
-                "name": "Display Mode",
-                "unique_id": f"{DEVICE_ID}_display_mode",
-                "command_topic": command_topic,
-                "command_template": '{"action": "display", "mode": "{{ value }}"}',
-                "state_topic": state_topic,
-                "value_template": "{{ value_json.mode }}",
-                "options": mode_labels,
-                "icon": "mdi:view-dashboard",
-            },
-        },
-        {
-            "topic": f"{DISCOVERY_PREFIX}/button/{DEVICE_ID}/stop_display/config",
-            "payload": {
-                **common,
-                "name": "Stop Display",
-                "unique_id": f"{DEVICE_ID}_stop_display",
-                "command_topic": command_topic,
-                "payload_press": '{"action": "stop_display"}',
-                "icon": "mdi:stop",
-            },
-        },
-        {
-            "topic": f"{DISCOVERY_PREFIX}/switch/{DEVICE_ID}/power/config",
-            "payload": {
-                **common,
-                "name": "Power",
-                "unique_id": f"{DEVICE_ID}_power",
-                "command_topic": command_topic,
-                "payload_on": '{"action": "power", "state": "on"}',
-                "payload_off": '{"action": "power", "state": "off"}',
-                "state_topic": state_topic,
-                "value_template": "{{ 'ON' if value_json.power else 'OFF' }}",
-                "state_on": "ON",
-                "state_off": "OFF",
-                "icon": "mdi:power",
-            },
-        },
-        {
-            "topic": f"{DISCOVERY_PREFIX}/number/{DEVICE_ID}/brightness/config",
-            "payload": {
-                **common,
-                "name": "Brightness",
-                "unique_id": f"{DEVICE_ID}_brightness",
-                "command_topic": command_topic,
-                "command_template": '{"action": "brightness", "value": {{ value }}}',
-                "state_topic": state_topic,
-                "value_template": "{{ value_json.brightness }}",
-                "min": 0,
-                "max": 100,
-                "step": 1,
-                "icon": "mdi:brightness-6",
-            },
-        },
-    ]
-
-
-def warn_if_cleartext(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
-    """Say so, once, when a broker password is going over an unencrypted link.
-
-    The shipped example has TLS on, so reaching here means somebody turned it
-    off deliberately -- which is legitimate (the Mosquitto add-on is plaintext
-    on 1883) but should not be silent when there is a password to lose. Returns
-    whether it warned, so the decision is testable without a broker.
-    """
-    if config.get("mqtt_tls") or not config.get("mqtt_password"):
-        return False
-    logger.warning(
-        'mqtt_tls is off and a password is set: the broker password and every '
-        'command are sent unencrypted. Set "mqtt_tls": true (port 8883 on most '
-        'brokers) unless this is a trusted, isolated network.')
-    return True
-
-
-def read_state(client: LEDMatrixClient) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """The state every entity reads, so HA opens on real values.
-
-    Each field is fetched independently: a matrix with its display service
-    stopped still has a brightness worth showing, and one unreachable field
-    should not blank the rest.
-    """
-    state: Dict[str, Any] = {"power": False, "mode": None, "brightness": None}
-    try:
-        status = client.display_status()
-        state["power"] = bool(status.get("service", {}).get("active"))
-        on_demand = status.get("state", {})
-        if on_demand.get("active"):
-            state["mode"] = on_demand.get("mode")
-    except (requests.RequestException, RuntimeError) as err:
-        logger.debug("Could not read display status: %s", err)
-    try:
-        state["brightness"] = client.get_brightness()
-    except (requests.RequestException, RuntimeError) as err:
-        logger.debug("Could not read brightness: %s", err)
-    return state
-
-
-class Bridge:
-    """MQTT wiring around CommandHandler."""
-
-    def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any]):
-        self.config = config
-        self.command_topic = config["mqtt_topic"]
-        self.status_topic = f"{self.command_topic}/status"
-        self.state_topic = f"{self.command_topic}/state"
-        self.availability_topic = f"{self.command_topic}/availability"
-        self.client = LEDMatrixClient(config["ledmatrix_api_base"], config["request_timeout"])
-        self.handler = CommandHandler(self.client, config.get("on_demand_duration"))
-        self._stop = threading.Event()
-        self._mqtt = None
-
-    # -- MQTT callbacks (paho-mqtt 2.x VERSION2 signatures) ------------------
-
-    def _on_connect(self, client, _userdata, _flags, reason_code, _properties=None):
-        if getattr(reason_code, "is_failure", reason_code != 0):
-            logger.error("MQTT connection refused: %s", reason_code)
-            return
-        logger.info("Connected to MQTT broker; subscribing to %s", self.command_topic)
-        client.subscribe(self.command_topic, qos=1)
-        client.publish(self.availability_topic, "online", qos=1, retain=True)
-        # Re-publish on every reconnect, not just the first connect: a broker
-        # restart drops retained discovery configs, and HA would otherwise be
-        # left with entities it can no longer describe.
-        self.publish_discovery()
-        self.publish_state()
-
-    def _on_message(self, _client, _userdata, message):
-        try:
-            payload = json.loads(message.payload.decode("utf-8"))
-        except (UnicodeDecodeError, json.JSONDecodeError) as err:
-            logger.warning("Ignoring unparseable message on %s: %s", message.topic, err)
-            self._publish(self.status_topic, {"status": "error", "message": f"bad payload: {err}"})
-            return
-        if not isinstance(payload, dict):
-            self._publish(self.status_topic,
-                          {"status": "error", "message": "payload must be a JSON object"})
-            return
-
-        logger.info("Command: %s", payload)
-        result = self.handler.handle(payload)
-        self._publish(self.status_topic, result)
-        # The API applies changes asynchronously (the controller polls its
-        # mailbox), so read state back rather than assuming the command took.
-        self.publish_state()
-
-    # -- publishing ---------------------------------------------------------
-
-    def _publish(self, topic: str, payload: Any, retain: bool = False) -> None:
-        if self._mqtt is None:
-            return
-        body = payload if isinstance(payload, str) else json.dumps(payload)
-        self._mqtt.publish(topic, body, qos=1, retain=retain)
-
-    def publish_discovery(self) -> None:
-        try:
-            modes = self.handler.refresh_modes()
-        except (requests.RequestException, RuntimeError) as err:
-            logger.error("Could not list display modes: %s", err)
-            modes = self.handler.known_modes
-        labels = sorted({m.get("name") or m["mode"] for m in modes})
-        for message in discovery_messages(self.command_topic, self.state_topic,
-                                          self.availability_topic, labels):
-            self._publish(message["topic"], message["payload"], retain=True)
-        logger.info("Published discovery for %d display mode(s)", len(labels))
-
-    def publish_state(self) -> None:
-        self._publish(self.state_topic, read_state(self.client), retain=True)
-
-    # -- lifecycle ----------------------------------------------------------
-
-    def run(self) -> int:
-        try:
-            import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
-        except ImportError:
-            logger.error("paho-mqtt is not installed: pip install -r requirements.txt")
-            return 1
-
-        # VERSION2 is the current callback API. The compatibility note in
-        # CLAUDE.md is about code written against the v1 signatures; this file
-        # is written against v2 and requires paho-mqtt >= 2.0.
-        self._mqtt = mqtt.Client(
-            mqtt.CallbackAPIVersion.VERSION2,
-            client_id=self.config["mqtt_client_id"])
-        if self.config.get("mqtt_username"):
-            self._mqtt.username_pw_set(self.config["mqtt_username"],
-                                       self.config.get("mqtt_password"))
-        if self.config.get("mqtt_tls"):
-            self._mqtt.tls_set()
-            if self.config.get("mqtt_tls_insecure"):
-                logger.warning("TLS certificate verification is disabled (mqtt_tls_insecure)")
-                self._mqtt.tls_insecure_set(True)
-        else:
-            warn_if_cleartext(self.config)
-
-        self._mqtt.will_set(self.availability_topic, "offline", qos=1, retain=True)
-        self._mqtt.on_connect = self._on_connect
-        self._mqtt.on_message = self._on_message
-
-        logger.info("Connecting to %s:%s", self.config["mqtt_host"], self.config["mqtt_port"])
-        try:
-            self._mqtt.connect(self.config["mqtt_host"], self.config["mqtt_port"], keepalive=60)
-        except OSError as err:
-            logger.error("Could not reach the MQTT broker: %s", err)
-            return 1
-
-        self._mqtt.loop_start()
-        try:
-            while not self._stop.wait(30):
-                # HA is told the truth about state that changed outside the
-                # bridge -- somebody using the web UI, or an on-demand window
-                # expiring on its own.
-                self.publish_state()
-        finally:
-            self._publish(self.availability_topic, "offline", retain=True)
-            self._mqtt.loop_stop()
-            self._mqtt.disconnect()
-        return 0
-
-    def stop(self, *_args) -> None:
-        logger.info("Shutting down")
-        self._stop.set()
-
-
-def main(argv: Optional[List[str]] = None) -> int:
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__.splitlines()[0])
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--config",
-        default=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "bridge_config.json"),
-        help="Path to bridge_config.json (default: alongside this script)")
-    args = parser.parse_args(argv)
-
-    logging.basicConfig(
-        level=logging.INFO,
-        format="%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(name)s - %(message)s")
-    try:
-        config = load_config(args.config)
-    except ConfigError as err:
-        logger.error("%s", err)
-        return 1
-    logging.getLogger().setLevel(str(config.get("log_level", "INFO")).upper())
-
-    bridge = Bridge(config)
-    signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, bridge.stop)
-    signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, bridge.stop)
-    return bridge.run()
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(main())

integrations/mqtt_bridge/requirements.txt

@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-# Floors are security floors, not API floors. requests < 2.33.0 carries
-# CVE-2024-35195, CVE-2024-47081 and CVE-2026-25645; matches the pin in the
-# project's own requirements.txt.
-paho-mqtt>=2.0.0,<3.0.0
-requests>=2.33.0,<3.0.0

plugin-repos/starlark-apps/manager.py

@@ -194,15 +194,6 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
     Each installed app becomes a dynamic display mode.
     """
 
-    #: Starlark apps are animations: a .webp render carries per-frame delays
-    #: and _display_frame advances at most one frame per call. The controller
-    #: reads this attribute to decide whether a mode needs its high-FPS loop;
-    #: without it display() was called once per rotation slot, so a multi-frame
-    #: app showed a single frame and never moved. static-image is force-run at
-    #: high FPS for the same reason (GIFs), but that plugin is special-cased by
-    #: name in the controller and this one has to declare it.
-    enable_scrolling = True
-
     def __init__(self, plugin_id: str, config: Dict[str, Any],
                  display_manager, cache_manager, plugin_manager):
         """Initialize the Starlark Apps plugin."""
@@ -220,8 +211,6 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
         # App storage
         self.apps_dir = self._get_apps_directory()
         self.manifest_file = self.apps_dir / "manifest.json"
-        # A dedicated, never-replaced file to flock -- see _update_manifest_safe.
-        self.manifest_lock_file = self.apps_dir / "manifest.json.lock"
         self.apps: Dict[str, StarlarkApp] = {}
 
         # Display state
@@ -566,8 +555,7 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
     def _save_manifest(self, manifest: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
         """
         Save apps manifest to file with file locking to prevent race conditions.
-        Acquires exclusive lock on the manifest lock sidecar before writing to
-        prevent concurrent modifications.
+        Acquires exclusive lock on manifest file before writing to prevent concurrent modifications.
         """
         temp_file = None
         lock_fd = None
@@ -575,14 +563,9 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
             # Create parent directory if needed
             self.manifest_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
-            # Lock the sidecar file, not manifest_file itself: manifest_file is
-            # replaced by an atomic rename below, which swaps in a fresh inode
-            # a second locker's fresh os.open() would pick up unguarded. The
-            # sidecar is never written to or renamed over, so it always
-            # resolves to the same inode for every locker (see
-            # _update_manifest_safe and web_interface's _starlark_manifest_lock,
-            # which must lock this same file for the guarantee to hold).
-            lock_fd = os.open(str(self.manifest_lock_file), os.O_CREAT | os.O_RDWR, 0o644)
+            # Open manifest file for locking (create if doesn't exist, don't truncate)
+            # Use os.open with O_CREAT | O_RDWR to create if missing, but don't truncate
+            lock_fd = os.open(str(self.manifest_file), os.O_CREAT | os.O_RDWR, 0o644)
 
             # Acquire exclusive lock on manifest file BEFORE creating temp file
             # This serializes all writers and prevents concurrent races
@@ -638,9 +621,8 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
             # Create parent directory if needed
             self.manifest_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
-            # Lock the sidecar file, not manifest_file itself -- see the
-            # comment in _save_manifest for why.
-            lock_fd = os.open(str(self.manifest_lock_file), os.O_CREAT | os.O_RDWR, 0o644)
+            # Open manifest file for locking (create if doesn't exist, don't truncate)
+            lock_fd = os.open(str(self.manifest_file), os.O_CREAT | os.O_RDWR, 0o644)
 
             # Acquire exclusive lock for entire read-modify-write cycle
             fcntl.flock(lock_fd, fcntl.LOCK_EX)
@@ -699,62 +681,38 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
                 if app.is_enabled() and app.should_render(current_time):
                     self._render_app(app, force=False)
 
-    def display(self, display_mode: Optional[str] = None, force_clear: bool = False) -> bool:
+    def display(self, force_clear: bool = False) -> None:
         """
         Display current Starlark app.
 
         This method is called during the display rotation.
         Displays frames from the currently active app.
-
-        `display_mode` names the app to show when it matches an installed
-        app_id. The controller passes the mode it is rotating to and inspects
-        this signature to decide whether to, so accepting it is what lets a
-        specific app be addressed -- including by an on-demand request pinned
-        to one app. Anything else (the plugin id itself, when the plugin
-        exposes no per-app modes) falls through to normal rotation.
-
-        Returns False when there is no app to show -- which is the state of
-        every install without Pixlet, and of a fresh one before any app is
-        added. The display controller only skips a mode on a boolean False
-        (it checks isinstance(result, bool)), so returning None held a black
-        panel for the full display_duration instead of rotating on.
         """
         try:
             if force_clear:
                 self.display_manager.clear()
 
-            if display_mode and display_mode in self.apps:
-                self.current_app = self.apps[display_mode]
-            elif force_clear or not self.current_app:
-                # Advance on entry to the mode. _select_next_app only ran when
-                # current_app was unset, so the first enabled app was picked
-                # once and then shown forever -- every other installed app was
-                # rendered on schedule and never displayed. force_clear is the
-                # controller's "we just switched to you" signal (it is reset
-                # immediately after this call), so one app gets each turn.
+            # If no current app, try to select one
+            if not self.current_app:
                 self._select_next_app()
 
             if not self.current_app:
                 # No apps available
                 self.logger.debug("No Starlark apps to display")
-                return False
+                return
 
             # Render app if needed
             if not self.current_app.frames:
                 success = self._render_app(self.current_app, force=True)
                 if not success:
                     self.logger.error(f"Failed to render app: {self.current_app.app_id}")
-                    return False
+                    return
 
-            # Display current frame. The result is propagated: a failed frame
-            # update is not a displayed frame, and returning True regardless
-            # told the controller the mode had rendered, so it held the dead
-            # frame for the whole display_duration instead of rotating on.
-            return self._display_frame()
+            # Display current frame
+            self._display_frame()
 
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.error(f"Error displaying Starlark app: {e}")
-            return False
 
     def _select_next_app(self) -> None:
         """Select the next enabled app for display."""
@@ -805,25 +763,15 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
             magnify = self._get_effective_magnify()
             self.logger.debug(f"Using magnify={magnify} for {app.app_id}")
 
-            # Optional native render size for an app whose own declared canvas
-            # differs from Pixlet's 64x32 default -- without this an app
-            # declaring a wider native canvas got half its own content
-            # clipped at render time, before magnify ever got a chance to
-            # scale anything.
-            render_width = app.config.get("render_width")
-            render_height = app.config.get("render_height")
-
-            # Filter out LEDMatrix-internal timing/sizing keys before passing to pixlet
-            INTERNAL_KEYS = {'render_interval', 'display_duration', 'render_width', 'render_height'}
+            # Filter out LEDMatrix-internal timing keys before passing to pixlet
+            INTERNAL_KEYS = {'render_interval', 'display_duration'}
             pixlet_config = {k: v for k, v in app.config.items() if k not in INTERNAL_KEYS}
 
             success, error = self.pixlet.render(
                 star_file=str(app.star_file),
                 output_path=str(app.cache_file),
                 config=pixlet_config,
-                magnify=magnify,
-                width=render_width,
-                height=render_height
+                magnify=magnify
             )
 
             if not success:
@@ -887,13 +835,10 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
             self.logger.error(f"Error loading frames for {app.app_id}: {e}")
             return False
 
-    def _display_frame(self) -> bool:
-        """Display the current frame of the current app.
-
-        :returns: whether a frame actually reached the display manager.
-        """
+    def _display_frame(self) -> None:
+        """Display the current frame of the current app."""
         if not self.current_app or not self.current_app.frames:
-            return False
+            return
 
         try:
             current_time = time.time()
@@ -911,11 +856,8 @@ class StarlarkAppsPlugin(BasePlugin):
                 )
                 self.current_app.last_frame_time = current_time
 
-            return True
-
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.error(f"Error displaying frame: {e}")
-            return False
 
     def install_app(self, app_id: str, star_file_path: str, metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, assets_dir: Optional[str] = None) -> bool:
         """

plugin-repos/starlark-apps/pixlet_renderer.py

@@ -218,9 +218,7 @@ class PixletRenderer:
         star_file: str,
         output_path: str,
         config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
-        magnify: int = 1,
-        width: Optional[int] = None,
-        height: Optional[int] = None
+        magnify: int = 1
     ) -> Tuple[bool, Optional[str]]:
         """
         Render a .star file to WebP output.
@@ -230,21 +228,6 @@ class PixletRenderer:
             output_path: Where to save WebP output
             config: Configuration dictionary to pass to app
             magnify: Magnification factor (default 1)
-            width: Optional native render width in pixels. Previously
-                there was no way to tell Pixlet to render at anything
-                other than its own default (64), relying entirely on
-                magnify to scale up afterward -- fine for apps designed
-                at that native size, but wrong for an app whose own
-                declared canvas size is genuinely different (confirmed
-                on real hardware, 2026-09-06, with an imported app
-                declaring width=128: rendering at the default 64 and
-                then magnifying silently clipped half the app's own
-                content before scaling ever happened, rather than
-                producing a correctly-sized image). Passed through as
-                Pixlet's own -w flag when provided; omitted (Pixlet's
-                default) otherwise, preserving existing behavior for
-                every other app.
-            height: Same as width, for Pixlet's -t flag.
 
         Returns:
             Tuple of (success: bool, error_message: Optional[str])
@@ -281,18 +264,10 @@ class PixletRenderer:
                     else:
                         value_str = str(value)
 
-                    # Validate value doesn't contain dangerous shell metacharacters.
-                    # Kept as defence in depth only: cmd is a list and there is no
-                    # shell=True below, so nothing here is ever interpreted by a
-                    # shell. That made the list worth trimming rather than growing
-                    # -- "|" is a normal character inside a config value, and apps
-                    # do use it as a separator (a PennDOT sign id is
-                    # "I-476 North|175659"). Blocking it dropped the whole key
-                    # silently, and the app then rendered its own "not configured"
-                    # screen with nothing to say why.
-                    # Block: backticks, $(), redirects, semicolons, ampersands, null bytes
-                    # Allow: most printable chars including spaces, quotes, brackets, braces, pipes
-                    if re.search(r'[`$<>&;\x00]|\$\(', value_str):
+                    # Validate value doesn't contain dangerous shell metacharacters
+                    # Block: backticks, $(), pipes, redirects, semicolons, ampersands, null bytes
+                    # Allow: most printable chars including spaces, quotes, brackets, braces
+                    if re.search(r'[`$|<>&;\x00]|\$\(', value_str):
                         logger.warning(f"Skipping config value with unsafe shell characters for key {key}: {value_str}")
                         continue
 
@@ -304,10 +279,6 @@ class PixletRenderer:
                 "-o", output_path,
                 "-m", str(magnify)
             ])
-            if width is not None:
-                cmd.extend(["-w", str(width)])
-            if height is not None:
-                cmd.extend(["-t", str(height)])
 
             # Build sanitized command for logging (redact sensitive values)
             sanitized_cmd = [self.pixlet_binary, "render", star_file]
@@ -315,10 +286,6 @@ class PixletRenderer:
                 config_keys = list(config.keys())
                 sanitized_cmd.append(f"[{len(config_keys)} config entries: {', '.join(config_keys)}]")
             sanitized_cmd.extend(["-o", output_path, "-m", str(magnify)])
-            if width is not None:
-                sanitized_cmd.extend(["-w", str(width)])
-            if height is not None:
-                sanitized_cmd.extend(["-t", str(height)])
             logger.debug(f"Executing Pixlet: {' '.join(sanitized_cmd)}")
 
             # Execute rendering
@@ -332,21 +299,13 @@ class PixletRenderer:
             )
 
             if result.returncode == 0:
-                if not os.path.isfile(output_path):
+                if os.path.isfile(output_path):
+                    logger.debug(f"Successfully rendered: {star_file} -> {output_path}")
+                    return True, None
+                else:
                     error = "Rendering succeeded but output file not found"
                     logger.error(error)
                     return False, error
-                # Pixlet exits 0 and writes a 0-byte file when the app renders
-                # nothing -- an app whose config leaves it with no content to
-                # show does exactly that. Treating existence alone as success
-                # handed the caller a file with no frames in it, which reads
-                # downstream as a working app that draws a black panel.
-                if os.path.getsize(output_path) == 0:
-                    error = "Rendering produced an empty (0-byte) file - the app rendered no content"
-                    logger.error(error)
-                    return False, error
-                logger.debug(f"Successfully rendered: {star_file} -> {output_path}")
-                return True, None
             else:
                 error = f"Pixlet failed (exit {result.returncode}): {result.stderr}"
                 logger.error(error)
@@ -360,76 +319,11 @@ class PixletRenderer:
             logger.exception("Rendering exception")
             return False, "Rendering failed - see logs for details"
 
-    #: Schema extraction runs an app's own get_schema(), which may make a
-    #: network call. Short enough that a hung app does not stall an upload,
-    #: long enough for a real API round trip on a slow connection.
-    SCHEMA_TIMEOUT = 20
-
-    def extract_schema_via_pixlet(self, star_file: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        """Ask Pixlet itself for the app's schema, or None if it cannot say.
-
-        `pixlet schema` executes get_schema() instead of reading it, which is
-        the only way to see options an app computes at runtime -- a dropdown
-        whose choices come from a live API call has no option list anywhere in
-        the source for the regex parser below to find, so that parser reports
-        an empty dropdown and the config form offers nothing to pick.
-
-        Pixlet's own field keys are remapped to the ones the rest of this
-        plugin and the config UI already use ("typeOf"/"desc"), so the two
-        extractors return the same shape and callers cannot tell them apart.
-        """
-        if not self.pixlet_binary:
-            return None
-        try:
-            result = subprocess.run(
-                [self.pixlet_binary, "schema", star_file],
-                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=self.SCHEMA_TIMEOUT,
-                cwd=self._get_safe_working_directory(star_file),
-            )
-        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-            logger.warning(
-                "pixlet schema timed out after %ss for %s - get_schema() may be "
-                "making a slow network call", self.SCHEMA_TIMEOUT, star_file)
-            return None
-        except (subprocess.SubprocessError, OSError) as e:
-            logger.warning(f"Could not run pixlet schema for {star_file}: {e}")
-            return None
-
-        if result.returncode != 0:
-            # Not an error worth failing on: older Pixlet builds have no
-            # `schema` subcommand at all, and the source parser still works.
-            logger.debug(
-                "pixlet schema exited %d for %s: %s",
-                result.returncode, star_file, (result.stderr or '').strip()[:300])
-            return None
-
-        try:
-            schema = json.loads(result.stdout)
-        except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError) as e:
-            logger.warning(f"pixlet schema returned unparseable output for {star_file}: {e}")
-            return None
-
-        if not isinstance(schema, dict) or not isinstance(schema.get("schema"), list):
-            logger.warning(f"pixlet schema returned an unexpected shape for {star_file}")
-            return None
-
-        for field in schema["schema"]:
-            if not isinstance(field, dict):
-                continue
-            if "type" in field and "typeOf" not in field:
-                field["typeOf"] = field.pop("type")
-            if "description" in field and "desc" not in field:
-                field["desc"] = field.pop("description")
-        return schema
-
     def extract_schema(self, star_file: str) -> Tuple[bool, Optional[Dict[str, Any]], Optional[str]]:
         """
-        Extract configuration schema from a .star file.
+        Extract configuration schema from a .star file by parsing source code.
 
-        Prefers `pixlet schema`, which runs the app and therefore sees options
-        it computes at runtime. Falls back to parsing the source when Pixlet is
-        unavailable, too old to have the subcommand, or the app fails to run --
-        that parser handles:
+        Supports:
         - Static field definitions (location, text, toggle, dropdown, color, datetime)
         - Variable-referenced dropdown options
         - Graceful degradation for unsupported field types
@@ -443,13 +337,6 @@ class PixletRenderer:
         if not os.path.isfile(star_file):
             return False, None, f"Star file not found: {star_file}"
 
-        schema = self.extract_schema_via_pixlet(star_file)
-        if schema is not None:
-            logger.debug(
-                "Extracted schema with %d field(s) from %s via pixlet schema",
-                len(schema.get('schema', [])), star_file)
-            return True, schema, None
-
         try:
             # Read .star file
             with open(star_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:

plugin-repos/starlark-apps/tronbyte_repository.py

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Handles interaction with the Tronbyte apps repository on GitHub.
 Fetches app listings, metadata, and downloads .star files.
 """
 
-import json
 import logging
 import time
 import requests
@@ -50,13 +49,6 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
         self.base_url = "https://api.github.com"
         self.raw_url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com"
 
-        # Why the last GitHub API call failed, in words a user can act on.
-        # _make_request used to log the reason and return a bare None, so
-        # every caller up the stack knew only that "something" went wrong --
-        # which is how an exhausted rate limit reached the store page as an
-        # empty grid with no explanation.
-        self.last_error: Optional[str] = None
-
         self.session = requests.Session()
         if github_token:
             self.session.headers.update({
@@ -78,50 +70,29 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
         Returns:
             JSON response or None on error
         """
-        self.last_error = None
         try:
             response = self.session.get(url, timeout=timeout)
 
-            if response.status_code in (403, 429):
-                # 403 is both "rate limited" and "forbidden"; the remaining
-                # counter is what tells them apart, and the difference matters
-                # to whoever reads the message -- one is fixed by waiting or
-                # adding a token, the other is not.
-                remaining = response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Remaining')
-                if remaining == '0':
-                    self.last_error = (
-                        "GitHub API rate limit exceeded"
-                        f" ({response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Limit', '?')} requests/hour"
-                        f"{'' if self.github_token else ', unauthenticated'})."
-                        " Add a GitHub token in settings, or wait for the limit to reset."
-                    )
-                else:
-                    self.last_error = f"GitHub refused the request ({response.status_code})"
-                logger.warning(f"[Tronbyte Repo] {self.last_error}")
+            if response.status_code == 403:
+                # Rate limit exceeded
+                logger.warning("[Tronbyte Repo] GitHub API rate limit exceeded")
                 return None
             elif response.status_code == 404:
-                self.last_error = "Not found on GitHub"
                 logger.warning(f"[Tronbyte Repo] Resource not found: {url}")
                 return None
             elif response.status_code != 200:
-                self.last_error = f"GitHub API error {response.status_code}"
                 logger.error(f"[Tronbyte Repo] GitHub API error: {response.status_code}")
                 return None
 
             return response.json()
 
         except requests.Timeout:
-            self.last_error = "Timed out reaching GitHub"
             logger.error(f"[Tronbyte Repo] Request timeout: {url}")
             return None
         except requests.RequestException as e:
-            self.last_error = f"Network error reaching GitHub: {e.__class__.__name__}"
             logger.error(f"[Tronbyte Repo] Request error: {e}", exc_info=True)
             return None
         except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError) as e:
-            # Reachable whenever something on the path answers with HTML --
-            # a captive portal, a proxy error page, a DNS-hijacking router.
-            self.last_error = "GitHub returned a response that was not JSON"
             logger.error(f"[Tronbyte Repo] JSON parse error for {url}: {e}", exc_info=True)
             return None
 
@@ -154,61 +125,6 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
             logger.error(f"[Tronbyte Repo] Network error fetching raw file {file_path}: {e}", exc_info=True)
             return None
 
-    def _list_app_dirs_via_trees(self) -> Optional[List[Dict[str, Any]]]:
-        """App directories via the git trees API, or None on failure.
-
-        The contents API caps a directory listing at 1000 entries and says
-        nothing about having truncated it, so the store showed the first 1000
-        apps of a repository that has more and looked complete while doing it.
-        The trees API caps far higher and sets `truncated` when it does, at
-        the cost of one extra call to resolve the `apps` tree.
-        """
-        repo = f"{self.base_url}/repos/{self.REPO_OWNER}/{self.REPO_NAME}"
-
-        root = self._make_request(f"{repo}/git/trees/{self.DEFAULT_BRANCH}")
-        if not isinstance(root, dict):
-            return None
-
-        apps_sha = next(
-            (e.get('sha') for e in root.get('tree', []) or []
-             if e.get('path') == self.APPS_PATH and e.get('type') == 'tree'),
-            None)
-        if not apps_sha:
-            self.last_error = f"No '{self.APPS_PATH}' directory in the repository"
-            return None
-
-        tree = self._make_request(f"{repo}/git/trees/{apps_sha}")
-        if not isinstance(tree, dict):
-            return None
-
-        if tree.get('truncated'):
-            logger.warning(
-                "[Tronbyte Repo] GitHub truncated the app tree; the listing is incomplete")
-
-        return [
-            {'id': e['path'], 'path': f"{self.APPS_PATH}/{e['path']}", 'url': None}
-            for e in tree.get('tree', []) or []
-            if e.get('type') == 'tree' and e.get('path') and not e['path'].startswith('.')
-        ]
-
-    def _list_app_dirs_via_contents(self) -> Optional[List[Dict[str, Any]]]:
-        """App directories via the contents API. Capped at 1000 entries."""
-        url = f"{self.base_url}/repos/{self.REPO_OWNER}/{self.REPO_NAME}/contents/{self.APPS_PATH}"
-
-        data = self._make_request(url)
-        if data is None:
-            return None
-        if not isinstance(data, list):
-            self.last_error = "GitHub returned an unexpected listing format"
-            return None
-
-        return [
-            {'id': item.get('name'), 'path': item.get('path'), 'url': item.get('url')}
-            for item in data
-            if item.get('type') == 'dir' and item.get('name')
-            and not item['name'].startswith('.')
-        ]
-
     def list_apps(self) -> Tuple[bool, Optional[List[Dict[str, Any]]], Optional[str]]:
         """
         List all available apps in the repository.
@@ -216,17 +132,26 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
         Returns:
             Tuple of (success, apps_list, error_message)
         """
-        apps = self._list_app_dirs_via_trees()
-        if apps is None:
-            # Fall back rather than fail: the contents API was what shipped,
-            # so a trees-only outage should not take the store down with it.
-            trees_error = self.last_error
-            logger.warning(
-                f"[Tronbyte Repo] Trees listing failed ({trees_error}); "
-                "falling back to the contents API")
-            apps = self._list_app_dirs_via_contents()
-            if apps is None:
-                return False, None, self.last_error or trees_error or "Failed to fetch repository contents"
+        url = f"{self.base_url}/repos/{self.REPO_OWNER}/{self.REPO_NAME}/contents/{self.APPS_PATH}"
+
+        data = self._make_request(url)
+        if data is None:
+            return False, None, "Failed to fetch repository contents"
+
+        if not isinstance(data, list):
+            return False, None, "Invalid response format"
+
+        # Filter directories (apps)
+        apps = []
+        for item in data:
+            if item.get('type') == 'dir':
+                app_id = item.get('name')
+                if app_id and not app_id.startswith('.'):
+                    apps.append({
+                        'id': app_id,
+                        'path': item.get('path'),
+                        'url': item.get('url')
+                    })
 
         logger.info(f"Found {len(apps)} apps in repository")
         return True, apps, None
@@ -342,22 +267,14 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
                     'categories': _apps_cache['categories'],
                     'authors': _apps_cache['authors'],
                     'count': len(_apps_cache['data']),
-                    'cached': True,
-                    'error': None,
+                    'cached': True
                 }
 
-        # Fetch directory listing (a small number of GitHub API calls)
+        # Fetch directory listing (1 GitHub API call)
         success, app_dirs, error = self.list_apps()
         if not success or not app_dirs:
-            # Returning an empty list here used to read downstream as "the
-            # repository has no apps", and the route reported that as a
-            # success -- so a rate limit, a DNS failure and an empty
-            # repository were all drawn as the same blank grid. Hand the
-            # reason back instead and let the caller surface it.
-            reason = error or "No apps found in the repository"
-            logger.error(f"Failed to list apps for bulk fetch: {reason}")
-            return {'apps': [], 'categories': [], 'authors': [],
-                    'count': 0, 'cached': False, 'error': reason}
+            logger.error(f"Failed to list apps for bulk fetch: {error}")
+            return {'apps': [], 'categories': [], 'authors': [], 'count': 0, 'cached': False}
 
         logger.info(f"Bulk-fetching manifests for {len(app_dirs)} apps...")
 
@@ -424,8 +341,7 @@ class TronbyteRepository:
             'categories': categories,
             'authors': authors,
             'count': len(apps_with_metadata),
-            'cached': False,
-            'error': None,
+            'cached': False
         }
 
     def download_star_file(self, app_id: str, output_path: Path, filename: Optional[str] = None) -> Tuple[bool, Optional[str]]:

requirements-test.txt

@@ -7,8 +7,3 @@ freezegun>=1.2,<2        # deterministic time for golden-image tests
 psutil>=6.0.0,<8.0.0     # optional at runtime; installed for tests so the
                          # /system/status endpoint's real path is exercised
 mypy>=1.5.0,<2.0.0       # static type checking (also pinned in .pre-commit-config.yaml)
-PyYAML>=6.0.2,<7.0.0     # not a core dependency: test_starlark_pixlet_routes loads
-                         # plugin-repos/starlark-apps/tronbyte_repository.py the way
-                         # the blueprint does, and that plugin imports yaml. The
-                         # plugin declares it in its own requirements.txt, which the
-                         # store installs on a real rig but CI never does.

requirements.txt

@@ -43,14 +43,10 @@ packaging>=23.0,<27.0
 # full feature set, or skip them for a minimal install.
 # ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 #
-# scipy             — nothing, as of #570. It was listed for the sub-pixel
-#                     interpolation path in src/common/scroll_helper.py, but
-#                     get_visible_portion never consulted HAS_SCIPY, so that
-#                     path was dead before it was deleted. The blend that
-#                     replaced it is numpy-only. Do not install it expecting
-#                     smoother scrolling: sub-pixel blending is off by default
-#                     because it reads worse on a coarse panel, not because it
-#                     is missing a library. See docs/SCROLL_PERFORMANCE.md.
+# scipy             — sub-pixel interpolation in
+#                     src/common/scroll_helper.py for smoother
+#                     scrolling. Falls back to a simpler shift algorithm.
+#   pip install 'scipy>=1.10.0,<2.0.0'
 #
 # psutil            — per-plugin resource monitoring in
 #                     src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py. The monitor
@@ -65,11 +61,7 @@ packaging>=23.0,<27.0
 #                     matters because that work holds the GIL and stalls
 #                     the render thread mid-scroll. Falls back to the
 #                     stdlib json when missing — see docs/SCROLL_PERFORMANCE.md.
-#                     The 3.11.6 floor is CVE-2025-67221: orjson.dumps did not
-#                     limit recursion on deeply nested documents, and the disk
-#                     cache encodes payloads parsed straight from third-party
-#                     APIs. 3.11.6 covers the Python range above.
-#   pip install 'orjson>=3.11.6,<4.0'
+#   pip install 'orjson>=3.9,<4.0'
 #
 # Flask-Limiter     — request rate limiting in web_interface/app.py
 #                     (accidental-abuse protection, not security). The

schema/manifest_schema.json

@@ -257,30 +257,6 @@
       },
       "description": "Web UI action definitions"
     },
-    "widgets": {
-      "type": "array",
-      "description": "Custom web-UI widgets this plugin provides. Each entry is served at /static/plugin-widgets/<plugin-id>/<name>.js from the plugin's widgets/ directory; only declared widgets are served. Reference one from config_schema.json with \"x-widget\": \"<name>\".",
-      "items": {
-        "type": "object",
-        "required": ["name"],
-        "properties": {
-          "name": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "pattern": "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,64}$",
-            "description": "Widget name, as used in x-widget and in the URL."
-          },
-          "script": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "pattern": "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,64}\\.js$",
-            "description": "Filename inside widgets/. Defaults to <name>.js."
-          },
-          "description": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "description": "Human-readable summary shown to plugin authors."
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    },
     "ledmatrix_version": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Deprecated: Use compatible_versions instead. LEDMatrix version this plugin targets"

scripts/audit_render_path.py

@@ -1,159 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Find blocking work reachable from a plugin's render path.
-
-`display()` runs on the render thread. Anything slow reached from it stalls the
-panel for its whole duration, and on a vsync-paced loop that is immediately
-visible: a single 15ms call on a 100Hz panel drops a frame, and a network round
-trip freezes the marquee outright.
-
-This has bitten twice already. odds-ticker called `_has_live_games()` every
-frame, whose slow path read the scoreboard cache from disk and parsed JSON per
-enabled league -- one stalled frame every few minutes. soccer-scoreboard timed
-out inside `update()` during a cache refresh. Both were found by staring at
-frame-time histograms, which is a slow way to find a bug that is visible in the
-source.
-
-The audit walks the call graph from `display()` through same-class `self.*`
-methods and reports anything that reaches a known-blocking API. It is a
-heuristic, not a proof: it cannot see through indirection, and a hit is not
-automatically a bug -- a call guarded by an interval check may be fine. It is a
-list of places worth a human look.
-
-    python3 scripts/audit_render_path.py                    # all plugins
-    python3 scripts/audit_render_path.py --dir plugin-repos # a specific tree
-    python3 scripts/audit_render_path.py --plugin odds-ticker
-"""
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import argparse
-import ast
-import sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-#: Calls that can block for longer than a frame. Matched on the attribute or
-#: function name, so `requests.get`, `self.session.get` and a bare `get` on a
-#: requests-ish object all register.
-BLOCKING = {
-    "get": "network or cache read",
-    "post": "network",
-    "put": "network",
-    "request": "network",
-    "urlopen": "network",
-    "read": "I/O",
-    "open": "file I/O",
-    "load": "JSON/file parse",
-    "loads": "JSON parse",
-    "dump": "file write",
-    "dumps": "serialise",
-    "sleep": "sleep on the render thread",
-    "run": "subprocess",
-    "check_output": "subprocess",
-    "connect": "network",
-    "download_logo": "network",
-    "_fetch": "fetch",
-}
-
-#: Names that make a hit far more likely to matter.
-HIGH_SIGNAL = ("requests", "urllib", "session", "cache_manager", "subprocess",
-               "socket", "http")
-
-RENDER_ENTRY = "display"
-
-
-class Analyzer:
-    def __init__(self, tree: ast.AST):
-        self.methods: dict[str, ast.FunctionDef] = {}
-        for node in ast.walk(tree):
-            if isinstance(node, (ast.FunctionDef, ast.AsyncFunctionDef)):
-                self.methods.setdefault(node.name, node)
-
-    def calls_in(self, fn: ast.AST):
-        """(self-method names called, blocking hits) inside one function."""
-        self_calls, hits = set(), []
-        for node in ast.walk(fn):
-            if not isinstance(node, ast.Call):
-                continue
-            func = node.func
-            if isinstance(func, ast.Attribute):
-                name = func.attr
-                base = ast.unparse(func.value) if hasattr(ast, "unparse") else ""
-                if base == "self" and name in self.methods:
-                    self_calls.add(name)
-                    continue
-                if name in BLOCKING:
-                    hits.append((name, base, BLOCKING[name], node.lineno))
-            elif isinstance(func, ast.Name) and func.id in BLOCKING:
-                hits.append((func.id, "", BLOCKING[func.id], node.lineno))
-        return self_calls, hits
-
-    def reachable_from(self, entry: str, max_depth: int = 3):
-        """Blocking hits reachable from `entry`, with the path that reaches them."""
-        if entry not in self.methods:
-            return []
-        found, seen = [], set()
-        stack = [(entry, [entry], 0)]
-        while stack:
-            name, path, depth = stack.pop()
-            if name in seen or depth > max_depth:
-                continue
-            seen.add(name)
-            self_calls, hits = self.calls_in(self.methods[name])
-            for hit in hits:
-                found.append((path, hit))
-            for callee in sorted(self_calls):
-                stack.append((callee, path + [callee], depth + 1))
-        return found
-
-
-def audit_file(path: Path):
-    try:
-        tree = ast.parse(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-    except (OSError, SyntaxError):
-        return []
-    analyzer = Analyzer(tree)
-    return analyzer.reachable_from(RENDER_ENTRY)
-
-
-def main():
-    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__,
-                                 formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
-    root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
-    ap.add_argument("--dir", default=str(root / "plugin-repos"))
-    ap.add_argument("--plugin", help="only this plugin directory")
-    ap.add_argument("--all-hits", action="store_true",
-                    help="include low-signal hits (open/read/load on locals)")
-    args = ap.parse_args()
-
-    base = Path(args.dir)
-    if not base.is_dir():
-        sys.exit("not a directory: %s" % base)
-
-    plugins = [base / args.plugin] if args.plugin else sorted(
-        d for d in base.iterdir() if d.is_dir())
-
-    total = 0
-    for plugin in plugins:
-        rows = []
-        for src in sorted(plugin.glob("*.py")):
-            if src.name.startswith("test_"):
-                continue
-            for path, (name, s_base, why, lineno) in audit_file(src):
-                signal = any(h in s_base.lower() for h in HIGH_SIGNAL)
-                if not signal and not args.all_hits:
-                    continue
-                rows.append((src.name, lineno, "->".join(path),
-                             ("%s.%s" % (s_base, name)) if s_base else name, why))
-        if rows:
-            total += len(rows)
-            print("\n%s" % plugin.name)
-            for fname, lineno, chain, call, why in sorted(rows):
-                print("  %s:%-5d %-34s via %s" % (fname, lineno, call + "  (" + why + ")", chain))
-
-    print("\n%d blocking call(s) reachable from display() across %d plugin(s)"
-          % (total, len(plugins)))
-    print("Heuristic: a hit guarded by an interval check may be fine. Look, do "
-          "not assume.")
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main()

scripts/build_rgbmatrix_nogil.sh

@@ -57,64 +57,22 @@ PATCH_BLIT="${RGB_PATCH_BLIT:-0}"
 
 die() { echo "FATAL: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
 
-# This script runs under `set -uo pipefail` -- no -e -- so an unchecked
-# systemctl failure is silently ignored. That matters most for `stop`: leaving
-# the old service running means cp overwrites a module the running process has
-# mapped, the following `start` succeeds as a no-op, and the health check sees
-# an active unit and reports SUCCESS for a binding that was never loaded.
-# A machine with no ledmatrix.service at all is a normal build host, so that
-# case is skipped rather than treated as a failure.
-service_present() { systemctl cat ledmatrix.service >/dev/null 2>&1; }
-
-service_do() {
-    local verb="$1"
-    if ! service_present; then
-        echo "   (no ledmatrix.service installed - skipping $verb)"
-        return 0
-    fi
-    systemctl "$verb" ledmatrix || die "systemctl $verb ledmatrix failed"
-}
-
 py_site() {
     python3 -c 'import rgbmatrix, os; print(os.path.dirname(rgbmatrix.__file__))' 2>/dev/null
 }
 
-# The extension filename the interpreter that builds -- and then loads -- this
-# module actually uses, e.g. core.cpython-313-aarch64-linux-gnu.so. The build
-# venv is made with --system-site-packages from python3, so the two agree;
-# falling back keeps --install working when the venv has been cleaned up.
-abi_name() {
-    local py="$VENV/bin/python"
-    [ -x "$py" ] || py=python3
-    "$py" -c \
-        'import sysconfig; print("core" + sysconfig.get_config_var("EXT_SUFFIX"))' \
-        2>/dev/null
-}
-
-# Exactly the current interpreter's artifact, never merely the first one that
-# sorts. Staging copies $SRC_TREE wholesale, so a core.cpython-*.so left in the
-# source tree by an earlier build comes along for the ride; build_ext --inplace
-# only ever overwrites the current ABI's name, and a glob piped to `head -1`
-# sorts cpython-311 ahead of cpython-313. That installed a stale, unpatched
-# module as core.so while the GIL check below -- which reads the freshly
-# generated core.cpp, not the .so -- still reported success.
 abi_so() {
-    local name path
-    name="$(abi_name)" || return 1
-    [ -n "$name" ] || return 1
-    path="$BUILD_DIR/bindings/python/rgbmatrix/$name"
-    [ -f "$path" ] || return 1
-    printf '%s\n' "$path"
+    ls "$BUILD_DIR"/bindings/python/rgbmatrix/core.cpython-*.so 2>/dev/null | head -1
 }
 
 do_rollback() {
     local dst; dst="$(py_site)"
     [ -n "$dst" ] || die "could not locate the installed rgbmatrix package"
     [ -f "$BACKUP" ] || die "no backup at $BACKUP"
-    service_do stop
+    systemctl stop ledmatrix 2>/dev/null
     cp -a "$BACKUP" "$dst/core.so" || die "restore failed"
     find "$dst" -name __pycache__ -type d -exec rm -rf {} + 2>/dev/null
-    service_do start
+    systemctl start ledmatrix 2>/dev/null
     echo "rolled back to the original core.so"
     exit 0
 }
@@ -131,10 +89,10 @@ do_install() {
         echo "backup already present at $BACKUP (keeping the true original)"
     fi
 
-    service_do stop
+    systemctl stop ledmatrix 2>/dev/null
     cp "$so" "$dst/core.so" || die "install failed"
     find "$dst" -name __pycache__ -type d -exec rm -rf {} + 2>/dev/null
-    service_do start
+    systemctl start ledmatrix 2>/dev/null
 
     echo "waiting 25s for the display to come back..."
     sleep 25
@@ -148,12 +106,8 @@ do_install() {
         echo "SUCCESS - running on the rebuilt binding"
     else
         echo "UNHEALTHY - rolling back"
-        cp -a "$BACKUP" "$dst/core.so" \
-            || echo "ROLLBACK FAILED: could not restore $BACKUP -> $dst/core.so" >&2
-        if service_present && ! systemctl restart ledmatrix; then
-            echo "ROLLBACK FAILED: ledmatrix did not restart - the display is" \
-                 "down; restore manually with 'sudo bash $0 --rollback'" >&2
-        fi
+        cp -a "$BACKUP" "$dst/core.so"
+        systemctl restart ledmatrix
         journalctl -u ledmatrix --since "90 sec ago" --no-pager | tail -25
         exit 1
     fi
@@ -175,12 +129,6 @@ echo "==> staging a scratch copy at $BUILD_DIR"
 rm -rf "$BUILD_DIR"
 cp -r "$SRC_TREE" "$BUILD_DIR" || die "copy failed"
 
-# Drop any extension artifacts that came across from the source tree. Nothing
-# downstream should be able to pick one up, and build_ext --inplace can decide
-# a copied .so is already up to date and skip the compile entirely.
-find "$BUILD_DIR/bindings/python/rgbmatrix" -maxdepth 1 \
-     -name 'core*.so' -delete 2>/dev/null
-
 echo "==> patching the bindings to release the GIL"
 python3 - "$BUILD_DIR" "$PATCH_BLIT" <<'PYEOF' || die "patch failed"
 import io
@@ -312,8 +260,7 @@ echo "==> compiling the extension"
 ( cd "$BUILD_DIR/bindings/python" && "$VENV/bin/python" setup.py build_ext --inplace ) \
     >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "extension build failed"
 
-SO="$(abi_so)" || true
-[ -n "$SO" ] || die "no .so produced - expected $(abi_name) in $BUILD_DIR/bindings/python/rgbmatrix"
+SO="$(abi_so)"; [ -n "$SO" ] || die "no .so produced"
 
 # Verify the GIL really is released before anyone installs this.
 EXPECTED=1; [ "$PATCH_BLIT" = "1" ] && EXPECTED=2

scripts/check_plugin.py

@@ -35,31 +35,6 @@ sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
 
 os.environ['EMULATOR'] = 'true'
 
-
-def _make_output_encoding_safe() -> None:
-    """Stop an unencodable character from killing the run.
-
-    This script's own report is ASCII, but it echoes text it does not control
-    -- plugin ids, mode names and exception messages -- and a Windows console
-    is cp1252, which cannot encode most of what a plugin might put there. The
-    default 'strict' error handler turns that into a UnicodeEncodeError from
-    inside `print`, so a rendering run that had already succeeded exited
-    non-zero with a traceback instead of printing its results.
-
-    'replace' degrades the offending character to '?' and keeps going; the
-    encoding itself is left alone so output still matches the terminal.
-    """
-    for stream in (sys.stdout, sys.stderr):
-        try:
-            stream.reconfigure(errors='replace')
-        except (AttributeError, ValueError, OSError):
-            # Not a reconfigurable TextIOWrapper (redirected, wrapped by a
-            # test harness). Nothing to do -- this is best-effort hardening.
-            pass
-
-
-_make_output_encoding_safe()
-
 from src.logging_config import get_logger  # noqa: E402
 from src.plugin_system.testing.loading import (  # noqa: E402
     build_full_config, find_plugin_dir, load_harness_spec, load_manifest,
@@ -78,9 +53,6 @@ logger = get_logger("[Check Plugin]")
 DEFAULT_SEARCH_DIRS = [
     str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugins'),
     str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugin-repos'),
-    # The scoreboards live in the sibling ledmatrix-plugins checkout, not
-    # in this repo. Without this, --all silently skips every one of them.
-    str(PROJECT_ROOT.parent / 'ledmatrix-plugins' / 'plugins'),
 ]
 
 
@@ -206,7 +178,7 @@ def print_report(all_results: Dict[str, List[RenderResult]]) -> bool:
                 status = "PASS"
                 detail = ""
                 if r.golden_checked:
-                    detail = " (golden ok)"
+                    detail = " (golden ✓)"
                 if r.update_error is not None:
                     detail += f" (update warn: {r.update_error})"
                 if r.fill_checked and r.fill_ok is None and r.fill_extent:
@@ -224,7 +196,7 @@ def print_report(all_results: Dict[str, List[RenderResult]]) -> bool:
                     status, detail = "FAIL", f" overflow bbox={r.overflow}"
                 elif r.golden_ok is False:
                     status = "FAIL"
-                    detail = f" golden drift: {r.golden_diff_pixels}px (max delta={r.golden_max_delta})"
+                    detail = f" golden drift: {r.golden_diff_pixels}px (max Δ={r.golden_max_delta})"
                 elif r.fill_ok is False:
                     ex, ey = r.fill_extent or (0.0, 0.0)
                     status = "FAIL"

scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py

@@ -72,8 +72,12 @@ def load_main_config(path: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
 def display_size_from_config(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> tuple:
     """Derive the logical ticker size the way DisplayManager does."""
-    from src.display_geometry import logical_size
-    return logical_size(config)
+    hw = config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {})
+    cols = int(hw.get('cols', 64))
+    chain = int(hw.get('chain_length', 1))
+    rows = int(hw.get('rows', 32))
+    parallel = int(hw.get('parallel', 1))
+    return cols * chain, rows * parallel
 
 
 def enabled_plugin_ids(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[str]:

scripts/dev_server.py

@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ os.environ['EMULATOR'] = 'true'
 
 from flask import Flask, render_template, request, jsonify
 
-from src.common.path_safety import resolve_under, safe_path_component
-
 app = Flask(__name__, template_folder=str(Path(__file__).parent / 'templates'))
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -120,8 +118,7 @@ def find_plugin_dir(plugin_id: str) -> Optional[Path]:
     one of the plugin search dirs, so a crafted id can never name a path
     outside them.
     """
-    plugin_id = safe_path_component(plugin_id)
-    if not plugin_id or not _SAFE_PLUGIN_ID_RE.match(plugin_id):
+    if not isinstance(plugin_id, str) or not _SAFE_PLUGIN_ID_RE.match(plugin_id):
         return None
     from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
     loader = PluginLoader()
@@ -143,8 +140,8 @@ def find_plugin_dir(plugin_id: str) -> Optional[Path]:
 
 def load_config_defaults(plugin_dir: 'str | Path') -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Extract default values from config_schema.json."""
-    schema_path = resolve_under(plugin_dir, 'config_schema.json')
-    if schema_path is None or not schema_path.exists():
+    schema_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'config_schema.json'
+    if not schema_path.exists():
         return {}
     with open(schema_path, 'r') as f:
         schema = json.load(f)
@@ -178,8 +175,8 @@ def api_plugin_schema(plugin_id):
     if not plugin_dir:
         return jsonify({'error': f'Plugin not found: {plugin_id}'}), 404
 
-    schema_path = resolve_under(plugin_dir, 'config_schema.json')
-    if schema_path is None or not schema_path.exists():
+    schema_path = plugin_dir / 'config_schema.json'
+    if not schema_path.exists():
         return jsonify({'schema': {'type': 'object', 'properties': {}}})
 
     with open(schema_path, 'r') as f:

scripts/install/install_dns_fix.sh

@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# DNS single-request fix installation script.
-#
-# Optional. Install this only if plugins that call external APIs (Starlark
-# apps, weather, sports, music) are timing out or feel slow to first paint
-# while the network is otherwise fine. See the header of
-# scripts/utils/apply_dns_single_request.sh for what it changes and why.
-
-set -e
-
-PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)
-SERVICE_NAME="ledmatrix-dns-fix"
-UNIT_SRC="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-UNIT_DEST="/etc/systemd/system/$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-DROPIN_DIR="/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service.d"
-
-if [ "$EUID" -eq 0 ]; then
-    SYSTEMCTL_CMD="systemctl"
-    SUDO=""
-else
-    SYSTEMCTL_CMD="sudo systemctl"
-    SUDO="sudo"
-fi
-
-echo "Installing LED Matrix DNS fix service"
-echo "Project root directory: $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
-
-if [ ! -f "$UNIT_SRC" ]; then
-    echo "✗ Missing unit file: $UNIT_SRC"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-chmod +x "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/utils/apply_dns_single_request.sh"
-
-echo "Installing $UNIT_DEST..."
-sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g" "$UNIT_SRC" \
-    | $SUDO tee "$UNIT_DEST" > /dev/null
-
-# Order ledmatrix.service after the fix. `Before=` in the unit itself only
-# orders units already in the same transaction, so a plain
-# `systemctl restart ledmatrix` would not wait for it -- and since this fix is
-# opt-in, ledmatrix.service cannot carry the dependency in the repo.
-# Wants=, not Requires=: a DNS workaround failing should not stop the display.
-echo "Installing the ledmatrix.service ordering drop-in..."
-$SUDO mkdir -p "$DROPIN_DIR"
-printf '[Unit]\nWants=%s.service\nAfter=%s.service\n' "$SERVICE_NAME" "$SERVICE_NAME" \
-    | $SUDO tee "$DROPIN_DIR/10-dns-fix.conf" > /dev/null
-
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD daemon-reload
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD enable "$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-
-# Do not mask a failure here. The unit exits non-zero when it could not apply
-# the option -- a systemd-resolved host, an unwritable resolv.conf, a failed
-# `resolvconf -u` -- and reporting "installation complete" over that would
-# leave the operator believing a workaround is active when it is not.
-START_STATUS=0
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD start "$SERVICE_NAME.service" || START_STATUS=$?
-
-echo ""
-if grep -qs "^options single-request$" /etc/resolv.conf; then
-    echo "✓ 'options single-request' is active in /etc/resolv.conf"
-elif [ "$START_STATUS" -ne 0 ]; then
-    echo "✗ The DNS fix could not be applied on this host."
-    echo "  The service reported why:"
-    echo "    journalctl -u $SERVICE_NAME -n 20"
-    echo ""
-    echo "  The unit is installed and will try again on the next boot. Nothing"
-    echo "  else about your install has changed."
-    exit "$START_STATUS"
-else
-    echo "⚠ 'options single-request' is not in /etc/resolv.conf yet."
-    echo "  Check what the service reported:"
-    echo "    journalctl -u $SERVICE_NAME -n 20"
-fi
-
-echo ""
-echo "DNS fix installation complete."
-echo ""
-echo "Useful commands:"
-echo "  sudo systemctl status $SERVICE_NAME   # Check status"
-echo "  sudo journalctl -u $SERVICE_NAME -n 50  # View logs"
-echo "  sudo systemctl disable --now $SERVICE_NAME  # Undo the service"
-echo "  sudo rm $DROPIN_DIR/10-dns-fix.conf        # Undo the ordering drop-in"
-echo "  # then remove the 'options single-request' line from /etc/resolv.conf"
-echo ""

scripts/install/install_mqtt_bridge.sh

@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Home Assistant MQTT bridge installation script.
-#
-# Optional. Installs integrations/mqtt_bridge as a service so Home Assistant
-# can force display modes, toggle power and set brightness over MQTT.
-# See integrations/mqtt_bridge/README.md.
-
-set -e
-
-PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)
-BRIDGE_DIR="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/integrations/mqtt_bridge"
-SERVICE_NAME="ledmatrix-mqtt-bridge"
-UNIT_SRC="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-UNIT_DEST="/etc/systemd/system/$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-
-if [ "$EUID" -eq 0 ]; then
-    SYSTEMCTL_CMD="systemctl"
-    SUDO=""
-else
-    SYSTEMCTL_CMD="sudo systemctl"
-    SUDO="sudo"
-fi
-
-echo "Installing LED Matrix MQTT bridge"
-echo "Project root directory: $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
-
-if [ ! -f "$BRIDGE_DIR/bridge_config.json" ]; then
-    cp "$BRIDGE_DIR/bridge_config.example.json" "$BRIDGE_DIR/bridge_config.json"
-    chmod 600 "$BRIDGE_DIR/bridge_config.json"
-    echo ""
-    echo "⚠ Created $BRIDGE_DIR/bridge_config.json from the example."
-    echo "  Edit it with your broker details, then re-run this script."
-    echo "  The service will refuse to start until the placeholder password is replaced."
-    echo ""
-fi
-
-echo "Installing Python dependencies..."
-python3 -m pip install -r "$BRIDGE_DIR/requirements.txt" 2>/dev/null \
-    || python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages -r "$BRIDGE_DIR/requirements.txt"
-
-echo "Installing $UNIT_DEST..."
-sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g" "$UNIT_SRC" \
-    | $SUDO tee "$UNIT_DEST" > /dev/null
-
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD daemon-reload
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD enable "$SERVICE_NAME.service"
-$SYSTEMCTL_CMD restart "$SERVICE_NAME.service" || true
-
-echo ""
-if $SYSTEMCTL_CMD is-active --quiet "$SERVICE_NAME.service" 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo "✓ MQTT bridge is running"
-    echo "  The matrix should appear in Home Assistant under Settings > Devices > MQTT."
-else
-    echo "⚠ MQTT bridge is not running. Check the logs:"
-    echo "  sudo journalctl -u $SERVICE_NAME -n 50"
-fi
-
-echo ""
-echo "Useful commands:"
-echo "  sudo systemctl status $SERVICE_NAME"
-echo "  sudo journalctl -u $SERVICE_NAME -f"
-echo "  sudo systemctl disable --now $SERVICE_NAME   # Undo"
-echo ""

scripts/install/install_service.sh

@@ -16,39 +16,20 @@ USER_HOME=$(eval echo ~$ACTUAL_USER)
 # Determine the Project Root Directory (parent of scripts/install/)
 PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)
 
-# shellcheck source=scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh
-source "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh"
-
 echo "Installing LED Matrix Display Service for user: $ACTUAL_USER"
 echo "Using home directory: $USER_HOME"
 echo "Project root directory: $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
 
-# Render the main display unit from its template. The display service runs as
-# root (it needs GPIO), so __USER__ is always root here -- unlike the web unit
-# below, which runs as whoever installed it.
-#
-# A missing template or a failed render is fatal: falling through would leave
-# whatever unit already sits at /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service (from a
-# previous install) untouched, and the enable/start step below would then
-# silently reuse that stale unit instead of the one this run was asked to
-# install.
+# Create a temporary service file for the main display with the correct paths
+# Assuming ledmatrix.service template exists and uses /home/ledpi as a placeholder for user home
 if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix.service" ]; then
-    ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(sed_escape_replacement "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR")
-    MAIN_UNIT_TMP=$(mktemp)
-    trap 'rm -f "$MAIN_UNIT_TMP"' EXIT
-    if ! sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|root|g" \
-        "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix.service" > "$MAIN_UNIT_TMP"; then
-        echo "ERROR: failed to render ledmatrix.service from its template." >&2
-        exit 1
-    fi
+    sed "s|/home/ledpi|$USER_HOME|g; s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|root|g" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix.service" > /tmp/ledmatrix.service.tmp
     # Copy the service file to the systemd directory
-    sudo cp "$MAIN_UNIT_TMP" /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service
+    sudo cp /tmp/ledmatrix.service.tmp /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix.service
     # Clean up
-    rm -f "$MAIN_UNIT_TMP"
-    trap - EXIT
+    rm /tmp/ledmatrix.service.tmp
 else
-    echo "ERROR: ledmatrix.service template not found at $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix.service." >&2
-    exit 1
+    echo "WARNING: ledmatrix.service template not found at $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix.service. Main display service not configured."
 fi
 
 
@@ -67,67 +48,42 @@ fi
 # === LEDMatrix Web Interface service (ledmatrix-web.service) ===
 echo "Installing LEDMatrix Web Interface service (ledmatrix-web.service)..."
 
-# Rendered from systemd/ledmatrix-web.service, the same template
-# install_web_service.sh uses. This was an inline heredoc until it drifted from
-# the template: it had lost Wants=network-online.target, RestartSec,
-# SyslogIdentifier, CacheDirectory and Environment=USE_THREADING. Because
-# src/startup_validator.py compares the installed unit against the template,
-# every boot warned "re-run install_service.sh" -- and doing so reinstalled the
-# same stale copy, so the warning could never clear.
-#
-# As with the main unit above, a missing template or a failed render is
-# fatal -- otherwise the enable/start check below would fall back to
-# whatever unit (possibly stale) already exists at the destination path.
-if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix-web.service" ]; then
-    ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER=$(sed_escape_replacement "$ACTUAL_USER")
-    WEB_UNIT_TMP=$(mktemp)
-    trap 'rm -f "$WEB_UNIT_TMP"' EXIT
-    if ! sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|$ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER|g" \
-        "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix-web.service" > "$WEB_UNIT_TMP"; then
-        echo "ERROR: failed to render ledmatrix-web.service from its template." >&2
-        exit 1
-    fi
-    sudo cp "$WEB_UNIT_TMP" /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service
-    rm -f "$WEB_UNIT_TMP"
-    trap - EXIT
-else
-    echo "ERROR: ledmatrix-web.service template not found at $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix-web.service." >&2
-    exit 1
-fi
+WEB_SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT=$(cat <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=LED Matrix Web Interface (Conditional Start)
+After=network.target
+# Wants=ledmatrix.service
+# After=network.target ledmatrix.service
 
-# Health check / rollback units for automatic updates; see install_web_service.sh.
-for VERIFY_UNIT in ledmatrix-update-verify.service ledmatrix-update-verify.path; do
-    if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/$VERIFY_UNIT" ]; then
-        VERIFY_UNIT_TMP=$(mktemp)
-        if sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|$ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER|g" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/$VERIFY_UNIT" > "$VERIFY_UNIT_TMP"; then
-            sudo cp "$VERIFY_UNIT_TMP" "/etc/systemd/system/$VERIFY_UNIT"
-        else
-            echo "WARNING: failed to render $VERIFY_UNIT; automatic code updates will stay paused." >&2
-        fi
-        rm -f "$VERIFY_UNIT_TMP"
-    fi
-done
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 ${PROJECT_ROOT_DIR}/scripts/utils/start_web_conditionally.py
+WorkingDirectory=${PROJECT_ROOT_DIR}
+StandardOutput=journal
+StandardError=journal
+User=${ACTUAL_USER}
+Restart=on-failure
+# Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+EOF
+)
+
+# Write the new service file
+echo "$WEB_SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT" | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service > /dev/null
 
 echo "Reloading systemd daemon for web service..."
 sudo systemctl daemon-reload
 
-if [ -f "/etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service" ]; then
-    echo "Enabling ledmatrix-web.service to start on boot..."
-    sudo systemctl enable ledmatrix-web.service
+echo "Enabling ledmatrix-web.service to start on boot..."
+sudo systemctl enable ledmatrix-web.service
 
-    if [ -f /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-update-verify.path ]; then
-        echo "Enabling ledmatrix-update-verify.path (automatic update health check)..."
-        sudo systemctl enable --now ledmatrix-update-verify.path || echo "WARNING: could not enable ledmatrix-update-verify.path; automatic code updates will stay paused" >&2
-    fi
+echo "Starting ledmatrix-web.service..."
+sudo systemctl start ledmatrix-web.service
 
-    echo "Starting ledmatrix-web.service..."
-    sudo systemctl start ledmatrix-web.service
-
-    echo "LEDMatrix Web Interface service (ledmatrix-web.service) installation complete."
-    echo "It will start based on the 'web_display_autostart' setting in config/config.json."
-else
-    echo "Skipping enable/start for ledmatrix-web.service as it was not configured."
-fi
+echo "LEDMatrix Web Interface service (ledmatrix-web.service) installation complete."
+echo "It will start based on the 'web_display_autostart' setting in config/config.json."
 # === End of LEDMatrix Web Interface service ===
 
 

scripts/install/install_web_service.sh

@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ fi
 # Determine the Project Root Directory (parent of scripts/install/)
 PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)
 
-# shellcheck source=scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh
-source "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh"
-
 echo "Installing for user: $ACTUAL_USER"
 echo "Project root directory: $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
 
@@ -29,38 +26,37 @@ if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Render the unit from systemd/ledmatrix-web.service. That template is the
-# only description of the unit; this script used to carry its own heredoc copy,
-# and install_service.sh a third, which is how the installed unit on real rigs
-# ended up missing RestartSec, SyslogIdentifier and CacheDirectory while
-# src/startup_validator.py warned about drift on every boot.
-TEMPLATE="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix-web.service"
-if [ ! -f "$TEMPLATE" ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: unit template not found at $TEMPLATE"
-    exit 1
-fi
+# Generate the service file dynamically with the correct paths
+echo "Generating service file with dynamic paths..."
+WEB_SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT=$(cat <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=LED Matrix Web Interface Service
+After=network-online.target
+Wants=network-online.target
 
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=${ACTUAL_USER}
+WorkingDirectory=${PROJECT_ROOT_DIR}
+Environment=USE_THREADING=1
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 ${PROJECT_ROOT_DIR}/scripts/utils/start_web_conditionally.py
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=10
+StandardOutput=syslog
+StandardError=syslog
+SyslogIdentifier=ledmatrix-web
+# Automatically create and manage cache directory
+CacheDirectory=ledmatrix
+CacheDirectoryMode=0775
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+EOF
+)
+
+# Write the service file to systemd directory
 echo "Writing service file to /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service"
-ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(sed_escape_replacement "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR")
-ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER=$(sed_escape_replacement "$ACTUAL_USER")
-sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|$ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER|g" \
-    "$TEMPLATE" > /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service
-
-# Health check and rollback for the web UI's automatic updates. Its own unit so
-# it survives the web service restart it performs; never enabled -- the web
-# interface starts it after an update. Without it, automatic code updates
-# stay paused rather than running with nothing to undo them.
-for VERIFY_UNIT in ledmatrix-update-verify.service ledmatrix-update-verify.path; do
-    VERIFY_TEMPLATE="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/$VERIFY_UNIT"
-    if [ -f "$VERIFY_TEMPLATE" ]; then
-        echo "Writing unit file to /etc/systemd/system/$VERIFY_UNIT"
-        sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|$ESCAPED_ACTUAL_USER|g" \
-            "$VERIFY_TEMPLATE" > "/etc/systemd/system/$VERIFY_UNIT"
-        chmod 644 "/etc/systemd/system/$VERIFY_UNIT"
-    else
-        echo "WARNING: $VERIFY_TEMPLATE not found; automatic code updates will stay paused"
-    fi
-done
+echo "$WEB_SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT" > /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-web.service
 
 # Ensure cache directory exists with proper permissions
 # This is a fallback for older systemd versions that don't support CacheDirectory
@@ -96,13 +92,6 @@ systemctl daemon-reload
 echo "Enabling ledmatrix-web.service..."
 systemctl enable ledmatrix-web.service
 
-# The path unit is what starts the health check after an automatic update.
-if [ -f /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-update-verify.path ]; then
-    echo "Enabling ledmatrix-update-verify.path..."
-    systemctl enable --now ledmatrix-update-verify.path || \
-        echo "WARNING: could not enable ledmatrix-update-verify.path; automatic code updates will stay paused"
-fi
-
 # Start the service
 echo "Starting ledmatrix-web.service..."
 systemctl start ledmatrix-web.service

scripts/install/install_wifi_monitor.sh

@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ USER_HOME=$(eval echo ~$ACTUAL_USER)
 # Determine the Project Root Directory (parent of scripts/install/)
 PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)
 
-# shellcheck source=scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh
-source "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh"
-
 echo "Installing LED Matrix WiFi Monitor Service for user: $ACTUAL_USER"
 echo "Using home directory: $USER_HOME"
 echo "Project root directory: $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
@@ -67,19 +64,30 @@ if [ ${#MISSING_PACKAGES[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
     echo "✓ Package installation completed"
 fi
 
-# Render the unit from systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service rather than
-# inlining a second copy here. The copy this replaced had already drifted --
-# it wrote StandardOutput/StandardError=syslog where the template says journal.
+# Create service file with correct paths
 echo ""
 echo "Creating systemd service file..."
-TEMPLATE="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service"
-if [ ! -f "$TEMPLATE" ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: unit template not found at $TEMPLATE"
-    exit 1
-fi
+SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT=$(cat <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=LED Matrix WiFi Monitor Daemon
+After=network.target
+Wants=network.target
 
-ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(sed_escape_replacement "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR")
-SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT=$(sed "s|__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__|$ESCAPED_PROJECT_ROOT_DIR|g; s|__USER__|root|g" "$TEMPLATE")
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=root
+WorkingDirectory=$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/utils/wifi_monitor_daemon.py --interval 30
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=10
+StandardOutput=syslog
+StandardError=syslog
+SyslogIdentifier=ledmatrix-wifi-monitor
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+EOF
+)
 
 if [ "$EUID" -eq 0 ]; then
     echo "$SERVICE_FILE_CONTENT" | tee /etc/systemd/system/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service > /dev/null

scripts/install/lib_systemd_render.sh

@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-#
-# Shared helper for rendering systemd unit templates via sed.
-#
-# Sourced by install_service.sh, install_web_service.sh and
-# install_wifi_monitor.sh so all three escape sed replacement text the same
-# way instead of carrying three copies of the same fix.
-
-# sed_escape_replacement VALUE
-#
-# Print VALUE escaped for safe use as the replacement side of `sed
-# s|pattern|replacement|`. Every one of these scripts builds its sed
-# expression by interpolating a shell variable (a path, a username, ...)
-# straight into the replacement text. sed gives three characters special
-# meaning there: backslash (escape character), & (whole match) and the
-# delimiter itself (here `|`). A value containing any of them -- e.g. a
-# username or path with an `&`, a literal backslash, or a `|` -- would
-# otherwise corrupt the rendered unit file instead of being substituted
-# literally. Escape the backslash first so the later escapes aren't
-# double-escaped.
-sed_escape_replacement() {
-    local value="$1"
-    value="${value//\\/\\\\}"
-    value="${value//&/\\&}"
-    value="${value//|/\\|}"
-    printf '%s' "$value"
-}

scripts/install/one-shot-install.sh

@@ -408,7 +408,6 @@ main() {
         # which would silently reinstate the duplicate apt update.
         sudo -E env TMPDIR=/tmp LEDMATRIX_ASSUME_YES=1 \
             LEDMATRIX_APT_UPDATED="${LEDMATRIX_APT_UPDATED:-0}" \
-            LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE="${LEDMATRIX_AUTO_UPDATE:-}" \
             bash ./first_time_install.sh -y </dev/null
     fi
     INSTALL_EXIT_CODE=$?

scripts/render_plugin.py

@@ -52,10 +52,6 @@ def main() -> int:
     parser.add_argument('--height', type=int, default=32, help='Display height (default: 32)')
     parser.add_argument('--skip-update', action='store_true',
                         help='Skip calling update() (render display only)')
-    parser.add_argument('--display-mode', default=None,
-                        help='Display mode to render, for plugins that declare '
-                             'more than one in their manifest (e.g. nrl_live). '
-                             'Omitted, the plugin picks its own default.')
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -145,26 +141,8 @@ def main() -> int:
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning("update() raised: %s — continuing to display()", e)
 
-    # A plugin that declares several display modes usually renders nothing
-    # useful without being told which one to draw: the scoreboards keep their
-    # state on per-mode sub-managers and their no-argument path returns False.
-    # Only pass the argument when asked for, so the many plugins whose display()
-    # takes no display_mode keep working untouched.
     try:
-        if args.display_mode:
-            try:
-                plugin_instance.display(display_mode=args.display_mode,
-                                        force_clear=True)
-            except TypeError as error:
-                if ("unexpected keyword argument" not in str(error)
-                        or "display_mode" not in str(error)):
-                    raise
-                logger.warning(
-                    "%s.display() does not accept display_mode; rendering its "
-                    "default screen instead", args.plugin)
-                plugin_instance.display(force_clear=True)
-        else:
-            plugin_instance.display(force_clear=True)
+        plugin_instance.display(force_clear=True)
         logger.debug("display() completed")
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error("Error in display(): %s", e)

scripts/run_plugin_tests.py

@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ Discovers and runs tests for LEDMatrix plugins.
 Supports both unittest and pytest.
 """
 
-import os
-import re
-import subprocess  # nosec B404 - list-form argv only, no shell  # nosemgrep
 import sys
 import argparse
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -71,79 +68,6 @@ def _find_tests_in_dir(directory: Path) -> list:
     return sorted(set(test_files))
 
 
-def _is_script_style(path) -> bool:
-    """True when a test file is a standalone script, not a pytest module.
-
-    Most plugin tests are written as `def main()` plus an `if __name__ ==
-    "__main__"` guard and signal through an exit code. pytest collects zero
-    items from those, so handing them to pytest printed "no tests ran" and this
-    runner reported success over work it had not done -- 151 of 248 files on a
-    fully populated rig.
-    """
-    try:
-        src = Path(path).read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace")
-    except OSError:
-        return False
-    has_pytest_items = re.search(r"^\s*(def test_|class Test|async def test_)", src, re.M)
-    has_main_guard = "__main__" in src and "__name__" in src
-    return bool(has_main_guard and not has_pytest_items)
-
-
-def run_script_tests(test_files: list, verbose: bool = False) -> int:
-    """Run standalone test scripts, honouring the 0 pass / 2 skip / 1 fail
-    convention that ledmatrix-plugins' own runner established.
-
-    Scripts opt into skipping by printing "SKIP: <reason>" and exiting 2 --
-    a script that needs a tty or an LED matrix is not a regression.
-    """
-    env = dict(os.environ)
-    # Prepend rather than setdefault. An inherited PYTHONPATH -- a developer's
-    # shell, a tox run, another checkout -- otherwise wins outright, and the
-    # subprocess imports a different copy of the core than the one under test.
-    # That is exactly the failure ledmatrix-plugins#467 describes, and it is
-    # invisible: the tests pass or fail against a tree nobody meant to test.
-    inherited = env.get("PYTHONPATH")
-    env["PYTHONPATH"] = (f"{PROJECT_ROOT}{os.pathsep}{inherited}"
-                         if inherited else str(PROJECT_ROOT))
-    env["LEDMATRIX_CORE"] = str(PROJECT_ROOT)
-
-    passed = skipped = failed = 0
-    failures = []
-    for path in test_files:
-        try:
-            # Fixed interpreter (sys.executable) plus a test path this script
-            # discovered by globbing the repo; argument list, no shell, so
-            # nothing is word-split or expanded. Same suppression pair the
-            # rest of the repo uses for this shape (see permission_utils.py).
-            proc = subprocess.run(  # noqa: S603  # nosec B603 - no shell invoked (list-form argv)  # nosemgrep
-                [sys.executable, str(path)],  # nosemgrep
-                cwd=str(Path(path).parent),
-                capture_output=True, text=True, env=env,
-                stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL, timeout=300,
-            )
-            rc = proc.returncode
-            tail = " | ".join((proc.stdout or proc.stderr or "").strip().splitlines()[-2:])[:200]
-        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-            rc, tail = 1, "timed out after 300s"
-        if rc == 0:
-            passed += 1
-            label = "pass"
-        elif rc == 2:
-            skipped += 1
-            label = "SKIP"
-        else:
-            failed += 1
-            label = "FAIL"
-            failures.append(f"{Path(path).name}: exit {rc} | {tail}")
-        if verbose or rc != 0:
-            print(f"  [{label}] {Path(path).name}" + (f" -- {tail}" if rc != 0 else ""))
-
-    print(f"\n{passed} passed, {skipped} skipped, {failed} failed (scripts)")
-    for f in failures:
-        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
-    return 1 if failed else 0
-
-
 def run_unittest_tests(test_files: list, verbose: bool = False) -> int:
     """
     Run tests using unittest.
@@ -262,16 +186,11 @@ def main():
             print("No test files found in plugins directory")
         return 0
     
-    scripts = [f for f in test_files if _is_script_style(f)]
-    modules = [f for f in test_files if f not in scripts]
-
-    print(f"Found {len(test_files)} test file(s)"
-          + (f" -- {len(modules)} collectable, {len(scripts)} standalone script(s)"
-             if scripts else ""))
+    print(f"Found {len(test_files)} test file(s)")
     for test_file in test_files:
         print(f"  - {test_file}")
     print()
-
+    
     # Determine runner
     runner = args.runner
     if runner == 'auto':
@@ -280,21 +199,12 @@ def main():
             runner = 'pytest'
         except ImportError:
             runner = 'unittest'
-
-    # Standalone scripts cannot be collected by pytest or unittest -- run them
-    # as the scripts they are. Doing this rather than silently collecting zero
-    # items is the whole point: this runner used to report success having
-    # executed nothing.
-    rc = 0
-    if scripts:
-        rc |= run_script_tests(scripts, args.verbose)
-
-    if modules:
-        if runner == 'pytest':
-            rc |= run_pytest_tests(modules, args.verbose, args.coverage)
-        else:
-            rc |= run_unittest_tests(modules, args.verbose)
-    return rc
+    
+    # Run tests
+    if runner == 'pytest':
+        return run_pytest_tests(test_files, args.verbose, args.coverage)
+    else:
+        return run_unittest_tests(test_files, args.verbose)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':

scripts/scroll_speeds.py

@@ -59,13 +59,10 @@ def build_options(hardware, refresh_override=None):
     from rgbmatrix import RGBMatrixOptions
 
     o = RGBMatrixOptions()
-    from src.display_geometry import (
-        DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH, DEFAULT_COLS, DEFAULT_PARALLEL, DEFAULT_ROWS,
-    )
-    o.rows = int(hardware.get("rows", DEFAULT_ROWS))
-    o.cols = int(hardware.get("cols", DEFAULT_COLS))
-    o.chain_length = int(hardware.get("chain_length", DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH))
-    o.parallel = int(hardware.get("parallel", DEFAULT_PARALLEL))
+    o.rows = int(hardware.get("rows", 32))
+    o.cols = int(hardware.get("cols", 64))
+    o.chain_length = int(hardware.get("chain_length", 1))
+    o.parallel = int(hardware.get("parallel", 1))
     o.brightness = int(hardware.get("brightness", 80))
     o.hardware_mapping = hardware.get("hardware_mapping", "regular")
     o.pwm_bits = int(hardware.get("pwm_bits", 11))
@@ -126,8 +123,6 @@ def demo(hardware, target, seconds):
     """Scroll text at the crisp speed nearest `target`."""
     from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
 
-    from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype
-
     hz = float(hardware.get("limit_refresh_rate_hz") or scroll_config.DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ)
     choice = scroll_config.solve_crisp(target, hz)
     print("asked for {:.0f} px/s -> {}".format(target, choice.describe()))
@@ -142,7 +137,7 @@ def demo(hardware, target, seconds):
         ("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono-Bold.ttf", 26),
     ):
         try:
-            font = load_truetype(path, size)
+            font = ImageFont.truetype(path, size)
             break
         except OSError:
             continue

scripts/sports_scroll_check.py

@@ -1,196 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Drive a sports scoreboard scroll on the panel and report what it did.
-
-The eight sports scoreboards scroll through ``src/common/sports_scroll.py``,
-and that path is per-league opt-in: a rig showing static game cards never
-constructs a SportsScrollDisplay at all, so nothing about its pacing can be
-observed from a normal run. This drives it directly, with synthetic games, so
-the pacing can be measured without changing anyone's configuration.
-
-What it checks is what the shared resolver is supposed to buy:
-
-* the requested speed lands on a whole number of pixels per refresh
-* the frame hold that makes that true is published to the display manager
-* frames actually arrive at the interval the hold implies
-
-    sudo systemctl stop ledmatrix
-    sudo python3 scripts/sports_scroll_check.py --seconds 20
-    sudo systemctl start ledmatrix
-
-Like scripts/scroll_speeds.py, this never starts or stops the display service
-itself -- that is left to the caller, so a crash here cannot leave the panel
-dark.
-"""
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import argparse
-import json
-import statistics
-import subprocess  # nosec B404 - list-form argv only, no shell  # nosemgrep
-import sys
-import time
-from pathlib import Path
-
-sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent))
-
-from PIL import Image  # noqa: E402
-
-from src.common.sports_scroll import SportsScrollDisplay  # noqa: E402
-from src.display_manager import DisplayManager  # noqa: E402
-
-
-class _Check(SportsScrollDisplay):
-    """A scoreboard whose cards are plain blocks -- pacing is what matters."""
-
-    SCROLL_LEAGUE_KEYS = ("nfl",)
-
-    def prepare_scroll_content(self, games, game_type, leagues, rankings_cache=None):
-        width = self.display_height * 2
-        cards = []
-        for i, _ in enumerate(games):
-            card = Image.new("RGB", (width, self.display_height), (0, 0, 0))
-            shade = 40 + (i * 37) % 180
-            for x in range(2, width - 2):
-                for y in range(2, self.display_height - 2):
-                    card.putpixel((x, y), (shade, 90, 220 - shade // 2))
-            cards.append(card)
-        self._current_games = list(games)
-        self._current_game_type = game_type
-        self._current_leagues = list(leagues)
-        self.scroll_helper.create_scrolling_image(content_items=cards, item_gap=24)
-        return bool(cards)
-
-
-class _HoldSpy:
-    """Records what the scroll publishes, without changing what it does."""
-
-    def __init__(self, display_manager):
-        self.dm = display_manager
-        self.calls = []
-        self._real = display_manager.set_scrolling_state
-
-    def __enter__(self):
-        def spy(is_scrolling, frame_hold=1):
-            self.calls.append((is_scrolling, frame_hold))
-            return self._real(is_scrolling, frame_hold=frame_hold)
-        self.dm.set_scrolling_state = spy
-        return self
-
-    def __exit__(self, *exc):
-        self.dm.set_scrolling_state = self._real
-        return False
-
-
-MESSAGE = """ledmatrix is running and owns the panel's GPIO.
-
-Stop it first, or this run can leave the display dark:
-
-    sudo systemctl stop ledmatrix
-    sudo python3 scripts/sports_scroll_check.py
-    sudo systemctl start ledmatrix
-
-Use --fallback to check the pacing logic without the panel, or --force if
-you really mean it."""
-
-
-def _refuse_if_the_service_is_running(force):
-    """Refuse to touch the panel while ledmatrix has it.
-
-    rpi-rgb-led-matrix configures GPIO directions and the hardware PWM inside
-    RGBMatrix(), and on the root check it calls exit() from C -- no cleanup.
-    Do that while the service is driving those same pins and the panel goes
-    dark while the service carries on rendering happily: fresh framebuffer,
-    every pixel lit, "RGB Matrix initialized successfully", nothing in the log.
-    A restart brings it back, but only once you work out that is what happened.
-
-    The module docstring says to stop the service first. This makes it true.
-    """
-    if force:
-        return
-    try:
-        active = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603 B607 - hardcoded systemctl args  # nosemgrep
-            ["systemctl", "is-active", "ledmatrix"],
-            capture_output=True, text=True).stdout.strip()
-    except OSError:
-        return  # not a systemd box; nothing to protect
-    if active == "active":
-        sys.exit(MESSAGE)
-
-
-def main():
-    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        description=__doc__, formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
-    ap.add_argument("--seconds", type=float, default=20.0)
-    ap.add_argument("--speed", type=float, default=None,
-                    help="px/s to request; default is the module's own")
-    ap.add_argument("--games", type=int, default=6)
-    ap.add_argument("--force", action="store_true",
-                    help="run even though the display service is up. It owns "
-                         "the GPIO; expect a dark panel until you restart it.")
-    ap.add_argument("--fallback", action="store_true",
-                    help="run without the panel. Driving the real matrix needs "
-                         "root; this checks everything except the vsync pacing "
-                         "-- what speed resolves to, that the hold is published, "
-                         "and that it is released afterwards.")
-    args = ap.parse_args()
-
-    if not args.fallback:
-        _refuse_if_the_service_is_running(args.force)
-
-    root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
-    config = json.loads((root / "config" / "config.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-
-    display_manager = DisplayManager(config, force_fallback=args.fallback)
-    settings = {} if args.speed is None else {
-        "nfl": {"scroll_settings": {"scroll_speed": args.speed}}}
-
-    display = _Check(display_manager, settings, global_config=config)
-    resolved = display._scroll_settings
-    print("resolved: %s" % resolved.describe())
-    print("frame hold: %d refresh(es) per frame" % resolved.frame_hold)
-    if resolved.warning:
-        print("warning: %s" % resolved.warning)
-
-    display.prepare_scroll_content(
-        [{"id": "g%d" % i} for i in range(args.games)], "live", ["nfl"])
-
-    gaps, drawn = [], 0
-    last = None
-    with _HoldSpy(display_manager) as spy:
-        started = time.perf_counter()
-        while time.perf_counter() - started < args.seconds:
-            if not display.display_scroll_frame():
-                break
-            now = time.perf_counter()
-            if last is not None:
-                gaps.append((now - last) * 1000.0)
-            last = now
-            drawn += 1
-        display.clear()
-
-    if not gaps:
-        sys.exit("no frames were drawn -- the scroll never started")
-
-    gaps.sort()
-    expected = 1000.0 * resolved.frame_hold / (resolved.crisp.refresh_hz
-                                               if resolved.crisp else 100.0)
-    print("\n%d frames in %.1fs -> %.1f fps" % (
-        drawn, args.seconds, drawn / args.seconds))
-    print("frame gap  median %.2fms  p95 %.2fms  max %.2fms  (hold implies %.2fms)"
-          % (statistics.median(gaps), gaps[int(len(gaps) * 0.95)], gaps[-1], expected))
-
-    holds = {h for on, h in spy.calls if on}
-    print("published while scrolling: frame_hold=%s" % (sorted(holds) or "NOTHING"))
-    print("released on clear: %s" % any(not on for on, _ in spy.calls))
-    print("display manager hold now: %d (1 means released)"
-          % getattr(display_manager, "_frame_hold", -1))
-
-    if not holds:
-        sys.exit("FAIL: the scroll never told the core it was scrolling")
-    if holds != {resolved.frame_hold}:
-        sys.exit("FAIL: published %s but resolved %d" % (holds, resolved.frame_hold))
-    print("\nOK: the resolved hold reached the panel and was released after")
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main()

scripts/utils/README.md

@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ This directory contains utility scripts for maintenance and system operations.
 - **`wifi_monitor_daemon.py`** - Background daemon that monitors WiFi/Ethernet connection and manages access point mode
 - **`cleanup_venv.sh`** - Cleans up Python virtual environment files
 - **`clear_python_cache.sh`** - Clears Python cache files (__pycache__, *.pyc, etc.)
-- **`pixlet_config_editor.sh`** - Opens Pixlet's own config UI for one installed Starlark app
-- **`apply_dns_single_request.sh`** - Adds `options single-request` to the resolver (run by `ledmatrix-dns-fix.service`)
 
 ## Usage
 
@@ -27,31 +25,3 @@ This script is typically called by the systemd service (`ledmatrix-web.service`)
 ### WiFi Monitor Daemon
 This daemon is typically run as a systemd service (`ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service`) and automatically manages WiFi access point mode based on network connectivity.
 
-
-### Pixlet Config Editor
-Run it when you want Pixlet's own config form for a Starlark app -- live
-render preview, cascading dropdowns -- rather than the LEDMatrix one.
-
-```bash
-./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh                 # list installed apps
-./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh penndot_signs   # edit, on localhost:8080
-```
-
-Deliberately not a service. It stops the display for the length of the
-session and `pixlet serve` listens with no authentication, so it should only
-be running while you are actually editing. It backs the config up first and
-restarts the display on exit, however it exits.
-
-It binds loopback only, with no flag to change that: anything that can reach
-`pixlet serve` can rewrite the app's config, and a printed warning is not
-access control. To edit from another machine, forward the port -- SSH does the
-authenticating and nothing is left listening on the LAN:
-
-```bash
-ssh -L 8080:localhost:8080 pi@ledpi.local
-```
-
-### Apply DNS Single-Request Fix
-Installed and run by `ledmatrix-dns-fix.service`; see `systemd/README.md`.
-Safe to run by hand (`sudo ./scripts/utils/apply_dns_single_request.sh`) and
-idempotent.

scripts/utils/apply_dns_single_request.sh

@@ -1,94 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-#
-# Add `options single-request` to the system resolver configuration.
-#
-# glibc's getaddrinfo() sends the A and AAAA queries for a name in
-# parallel on one socket. Some routers answer the A query and drop the
-# AAAA one, so the resolver waits out its full timeout -- about five
-# seconds -- before returning an address that was already available.
-# Disabling IPv6 in the kernel does not help: the resolver still asks.
-#
-# `single-request` makes it send the two queries one after the other,
-# which those routers answer correctly. Anything on the matrix that
-# calls an external API pays that five seconds per lookup otherwise, and
-# a Starlark app with a render timeout will simply fail instead.
-#
-# Idempotent, and safe to run on a machine that does not need it. Run by
-# ledmatrix-dns-fix.service on every boot, because whatever manages
-# resolv.conf regenerates it and drops the option again.
-#
-# Usage: sudo ./scripts/utils/apply_dns_single_request.sh
-
-set -eu
-
-OPTION="options single-request"
-RESOLVCONF_TAIL="/etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/tail"
-RESOLV_CONF="/etc/resolv.conf"
-
-log() { echo "[dns-single-request] $*"; }
-
-already_applied() {
-    grep -qs "^${OPTION}\$" "$1"
-}
-
-# resolvconf regenerates /etc/resolv.conf from these fragments, so the
-# tail file is the only place an addition survives. Prefer it when the
-# directory exists, whether or not resolvconf has run yet.
-if [ -d "$(dirname "$RESOLVCONF_TAIL")" ]; then
-    if already_applied "$RESOLVCONF_TAIL"; then
-        log "already present in $RESOLVCONF_TAIL"
-    else
-        echo "$OPTION" >> "$RESOLVCONF_TAIL"
-        log "added to $RESOLVCONF_TAIL"
-    fi
-    # Only a missing resolvconf is ignorable. If it is present and the
-    # regeneration fails, /etc/resolv.conf still lacks the option, and
-    # reporting success would be a lie.
-    if command -v resolvconf >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if ! resolvconf -u; then
-            log "resolvconf -u failed; $RESOLV_CONF was not regenerated"
-            exit 1
-        fi
-    fi
-fi
-
-# systemd-resolved owns its stub file and rewrites anything appended to it,
-# and `single-request` is a glibc resolv.conf option with no resolved.conf
-# equivalent -- so there is nothing this script can do here. Exit non-zero:
-# the unit would otherwise record success while the workaround is inactive,
-# which is the failure mode this whole script exists to avoid.
-if [ -L "$RESOLV_CONF" ] && readlink -f "$RESOLV_CONF" | grep -q "systemd"; then
-    log "$RESOLV_CONF is managed by systemd-resolved."
-    log "'options single-request' is a glibc resolv.conf option and has no"
-    log "resolved.conf equivalent, so it cannot be applied on this host."
-    log "If external API calls are slow, the workaround is to stop using the"
-    log "systemd-resolved stub (see 'man systemd-resolved', NSS/resolv.conf modes)."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if already_applied "$RESOLV_CONF"; then
-    log "already present in $RESOLV_CONF"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-if [ ! -w "$RESOLV_CONF" ] && [ -e "$RESOLV_CONF" ]; then
-    log "cannot write $RESOLV_CONF (run with sudo?)"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# A NetworkManager-generated resolv.conf is regenerated on every connection
-# change, not only at boot -- and this unit is oneshot with RemainAfterExit,
-# so it will not re-run within the same boot to put the option back. Say so
-# rather than implying the fix is permanent. Nothing is silently swallowed:
-# the append below still happens and still works until the next renewal.
-if grep -qs "Generated by NetworkManager" "$RESOLV_CONF" \
-        && [ ! -d "$(dirname "$RESOLVCONF_TAIL")" ]; then
-    log "NOTE: $RESOLV_CONF is generated by NetworkManager and has no"
-    log "resolvconf tail directory to write to. The option is being added, but"
-    log "NetworkManager will drop it on the next connection renewal, and this"
-    log "unit does not run again until the next boot. If lookups go slow again"
-    log "before a reboot, re-run this script."
-fi
-
-echo "$OPTION" >> "$RESOLV_CONF"
-log "added to $RESOLV_CONF"

scripts/utils/auto_update_verify.py

@@ -1,277 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Check that an automatic LEDMatrix update left the device working; roll it back if not.
-
-Started by the web interface's weekly updater (web_interface/auto_update.py)
-through ledmatrix-update-verify.service, right after it pulls new code. It has
-to run outside the web service: checking the update means restarting that
-service, and a check running inside it would be killed by its own restart.
-
-It must not be the code it is checking, either. The updater copies this file
-to data/auto_update_verifier.py *before* pulling and the unit runs that copy,
-so a broken update cannot break its own rollback. Standard library only for
-the same reason: the rollback cannot depend on packages the update changed.
-
-The updater leaves data/auto_update_pending.json:
-
-    {"status": "pending", "old_head": ..., "new_head": ...,
-     "display_was_active": bool, "dependency_failures": [...], "created_at": ...}
-
-This moves its status to "verifying" and then to one of "success",
-"rolled_back" or "rollback_failed", with "reason" and "detail" saying why.
-The web interface reports that outcome and raises a banner for anything but
-success.
-"""
-import json
-import os
-import subprocess  # nosec B404 - list-form argv only, no shell  # nosemgrep
-import sys
-from collections import namedtuple
-import tempfile
-import time
-import traceback
-import urllib.error
-import urllib.request
-from pathlib import Path
-
-PENDING_NAME = 'auto_update_pending.json'
-REQUIREMENT_FILES = ('requirements.txt', 'web_interface/requirements.txt')
-WEB_HEALTH_URL = 'http://127.0.0.1:5000/api/v3/system/version'
-#: How long the services get to come up after a restart...
-HEALTH_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 180
-#: ...and how long they must then stay up. Restart=on-failure makes a crash
-#: loop look healthy between attempts, so a single "is-active" proves nothing.
-STABLE_SECONDS = 45
-POLL_SECONDS = 5
-PIP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 600
-#: sudoers matches the exact command line, so bash is named by path, the same
-#: candidates src/common/permission_utils.install_requirements_file tries.
-BASH_CANDIDATES = ('/usr/bin/bash', '/bin/bash')
-
-#: What a command that could not run at all reports: its callers only read
-#: these three fields, the same ones a completed subprocess has.
-_Failed = namedtuple('_Failed', 'returncode stdout stderr')
-
-
-def pending_path(project_root):
-    return Path(project_root) / 'data' / PENDING_NAME
-
-
-def read_pending(path):
-    try:
-        with open(path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-            data = json.load(f)
-        return data if isinstance(data, dict) else None
-    except (OSError, ValueError):
-        return None
-
-
-def write_pending(path, data):
-    path = Path(path)
-    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=str(path.parent), prefix='.auto_update_pending_')
-    try:
-        with os.fdopen(fd, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-            json.dump(data, f, indent=2)
-        os.replace(tmp, path)
-    except BaseException:
-        try:
-            os.unlink(tmp)
-        except OSError:
-            pass
-        raise
-
-
-def _web_responds(url=WEB_HEALTH_URL):
-    try:
-        with urllib.request.urlopen(url, timeout=5) as resp:  # nosec B310 - fixed loopback URL
-            return resp.status == 200
-    except (urllib.error.URLError, OSError, ValueError):
-        return False
-
-
-def _short(sha):
-    return (sha or 'unknown')[:7]
-
-
-class Verifier:
-    def __init__(self, project_root, run=subprocess.run, sleep=time.sleep,
-                 clock=time.monotonic, web_responds=_web_responds, log=None):
-        self.project_root = Path(project_root)
-        self.pending_file = pending_path(project_root)
-        self.run = run
-        self.sleep = sleep
-        self.clock = clock
-        self.web_responds = web_responds
-        self.log = log or (lambda msg: print(f'[auto-update-verify] {msg}', flush=True))
-
-    def _run(self, args, timeout=60):
-        try:
-            return self.run(args, cwd=str(self.project_root), capture_output=True,
-                            text=True, timeout=timeout)
-        except (subprocess.SubprocessError, OSError) as e:
-            return _Failed(returncode=1, stdout='', stderr=str(e))
-
-    # -- services ---------------------------------------------------------
-
-    def service_active(self, unit):
-        return self._run(['systemctl', 'is-active', unit], timeout=10).stdout.strip() == 'active'
-
-    def restart_count(self, unit):
-        out = self._run(['systemctl', 'show', '-p', 'NRestarts', '--value', unit],
-                        timeout=10).stdout.strip()
-        return int(out) if out.isdigit() else None
-
-    def restart(self, unit):
-        result = self._run(['sudo', '-n', 'systemctl', 'restart', f'{unit}.service'], timeout=90)
-        if result.returncode != 0:
-            self.log(f'restarting {unit} failed: {(result.stderr or "").strip()}')
-        return result.returncode == 0
-
-    def restart_services(self, display):
-        """Restart what should be running. False if any restart command failed."""
-        ok = True
-        # A display the user had stopped stays stopped.
-        if display:
-            ok = self.restart('ledmatrix') and ok
-        return self.restart('ledmatrix-web') and ok
-
-    def wait_healthy(self, display):
-        """None once the services are up and stay up, else what went wrong."""
-        deadline = self.clock() + HEALTH_TIMEOUT_SECONDS + STABLE_SECONDS
-        healthy_since = baseline = None
-        web = disp = False
-        count_known = True
-        while self.clock() < deadline:
-            web = self.web_responds()
-            disp = self.service_active('ledmatrix') if display else True
-            restarts = self.restart_count('ledmatrix') if display else None
-            # Without a restart count a crash loop looks healthy between
-            # attempts, so an unreadable count never counts as stable.
-            count_known = not display or restarts is not None
-            if web and disp and count_known and (healthy_since is None or restarts == baseline):
-                if healthy_since is None:
-                    healthy_since, baseline = self.clock(), restarts
-                elif self.clock() - healthy_since >= STABLE_SECONDS:
-                    return None
-            else:
-                healthy_since = None
-            self.sleep(POLL_SECONDS)
-        problems = []
-        if not web:
-            problems.append('the web interface did not respond')
-        if not disp:
-            problems.append('the display service did not stay running')
-        if web and disp and not count_known:
-            problems.append("the display service's restart count could not be read")
-        return '; '.join(problems) or 'the display service kept restarting'
-
-    # -- rollback ---------------------------------------------------------
-
-    def changed_requirements(self, old, new):
-        result = self._run(['git', 'diff', '--name-only', old, new])
-        # If the diff is unavailable, reinstall both rather than guess.
-        changed = set(result.stdout.split()) if result.returncode == 0 else set(REQUIREMENT_FILES)
-        return [rel for rel in REQUIREMENT_FILES if rel in changed]
-
-    def install_requirements(self, rel):
-        wrapper = self.project_root / 'scripts' / 'fix_perms' / 'safe_pip_install.sh'
-        req = self.project_root / rel
-        if not req.exists():
-            return True
-        for bash in BASH_CANDIDATES:
-            result = self._run(['sudo', '-n', bash, str(wrapper), str(req)],
-                               timeout=PIP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
-            if result.returncode == 0:
-                return True
-        return False
-
-    def rollback(self, pending):
-        """Reset to the previous commit and its dependencies. Returns (ok, detail)."""
-        old, new = pending.get('old_head'), pending.get('new_head')
-        if not old:
-            return False, 'the commit to roll back to is unknown'
-        requirements = self.changed_requirements(old, new) if new else list(REQUIREMENT_FILES)
-        # Safe to --hard: the updater refuses to run with local edits to
-        # tracked files, so the only thing this discards is the update.
-        result = self._run(['git', 'reset', '--hard', old], timeout=120)
-        if result.returncode != 0:
-            return False, (f'"git reset --hard {old}" failed: '
-                           f'{(result.stderr or result.stdout or "").strip()}')
-        failed = [rel for rel in requirements if not self.install_requirements(rel)]
-        if failed:
-            return True, ('reinstalling the previous dependencies from ' + ', '.join(failed)
-                          + ' failed; run Install Base Requirements from the Tools tab')
-        return True, ''
-
-    # -- the check itself -------------------------------------------------
-
-    def _finish(self, pending, status, reason=None, detail=None):
-        pending.update({'status': status, 'reason': reason, 'detail': detail or None,
-                        'finished_at': time.time()})
-        write_pending(self.pending_file, pending)
-        self.log(' '.join(p for p in (status, reason or '', detail or '') if p))
-
-    def verify(self):
-        pending = read_pending(self.pending_file)
-        if not pending or pending.get('status') != 'pending':
-            self.log('no update is waiting to be verified')
-            return 0
-        pending['status'] = 'verifying'
-        write_pending(self.pending_file, pending)
-
-        display = bool(pending.get('display_was_active'))
-        dependency_failures = pending.get('dependency_failures') or []
-        if dependency_failures:
-            # Never restart onto code whose packages did not install.
-            reason = 'installing its dependencies failed (' + ', '.join(dependency_failures) + ')'
-        elif not self.restart_services(display):
-            # The old process may still be answering; checking it would pass
-            # an update that never started.
-            reason = 'restarting the services failed'
-        else:
-            reason = self.wait_healthy(display)
-            if reason is None:
-                self._finish(pending, 'success')
-                return 0
-
-        self.log(f'update to {_short(pending.get("new_head"))} is unhealthy ({reason}); '
-                 f'rolling back to {_short(pending.get("old_head"))}')
-        ok, detail = self.rollback(pending)
-        if not ok:
-            self._finish(pending, 'rollback_failed', reason, detail)
-            return 1
-        still = (self.wait_healthy(display) if self.restart_services(display)
-                 else 'restarting the services failed')
-        if still:
-            self._finish(pending, 'rollback_failed', reason,
-                         f'still unhealthy after rolling back: {still}'
-                         + (f'; {detail}' if detail else ''))
-            return 1
-        self._finish(pending, 'rolled_back', reason, detail)
-        return 0
-
-
-def main(argv):
-    if len(argv) != 2:
-        print('usage: auto_update_verify.py PROJECT_ROOT', file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    verifier = Verifier(Path(argv[1]))
-    try:
-        return verifier.verify()
-    except Exception as e:
-        traceback.print_exc()
-        # Whatever happened, the web interface must not be left thinking the
-        # check is still running.
-        try:
-            pending = read_pending(verifier.pending_file) or {}
-            if pending.get('status') in ('pending', 'verifying'):
-                pending.update({'status': 'rollback_failed', 'reason': 'the health check crashed',
-                                'detail': str(e), 'finished_at': time.time()})
-                write_pending(verifier.pending_file, pending)
-        except OSError:
-            pass
-        return 1
-
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))

scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh

@@ -1,223 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-#
-# Edit an installed Starlark app's config in Pixlet's own config UI.
-#
-# `pixlet serve` runs the app for real, so its form has working cascading
-# dropdowns and option lists fetched live -- useful for an app whose choices
-# only exist at runtime, or when you want to see the render change as you
-# type. The LEDMatrix config form now reads the same runtime schema (see
-# PixletRenderer.extract_schema_via_pixlet), so reach for this when you want
-# Pixlet's live preview, not because the normal form is missing options.
-#
-# Deliberately a script you run and then Ctrl+C, not a service: it stops the
-# display for the length of the session, and `pixlet serve` listens on a port
-# with no authentication. Nothing here should be listening when you are not
-# actually editing.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   ./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh            # list installed apps
-#   ./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh <app_id>   # edit
-#
-# Binds the LAN by default, matching the web interface, which already serves
-# 0.0.0.0:5000 with no authentication -- anything that can reach this can
-# already reconfigure the display there. `pixlet serve` has no authentication
-# either, so treat both the same way: fine on a home network, not on an open
-# one. Override the bind and the session length with:
-#
-#   PIXLET_EDITOR_HOST=127.0.0.1 ./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh <app>
-#   PIXLET_EDITOR_TIMEOUT=600    ./scripts/utils/pixlet_config_editor.sh <app>
-#
-# For loopback-only editing from another machine, forward the port instead:
-#
-#   ssh -L 8080:localhost:8080 pi@ledpi.local
-#
-# The session always ends by itself after PIXLET_EDITOR_TIMEOUT seconds
-# (default 30 minutes). The display is stopped while editing, so a session
-# left open would otherwise leave the panel dark indefinitely -- the timeout
-# is what makes it safe to start one from the web interface.
-
-set -eu
-
-PROJECT_ROOT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)
-APPS_DIR="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/starlark-apps"
-PORT="${PIXLET_EDITOR_PORT:-8080}"
-# LAN by default; see the header for why, and how to force loopback.
-BIND_HOST="${PIXLET_EDITOR_HOST:-0.0.0.0}"
-# Hard stop, so the display cannot be left off by a forgotten session.
-EDITOR_TIMEOUT="${PIXLET_EDITOR_TIMEOUT:-1800}"
-
-APP_ID="${1:-}"
-
-list_apps() {
-    if [ -d "$APPS_DIR" ]; then
-        find "$APPS_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d -printf '  %f\n' 2>/dev/null | sort
-    fi
-}
-
-if [ -z "$APP_ID" ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <app_id>"
-    echo ""
-    echo "Installed apps:"
-    list_apps || true
-    [ -n "$(list_apps)" ] || echo "  (none found in $APPS_DIR)"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-APP_DIR="$APPS_DIR/$APP_ID"
-if [ ! -d "$APP_DIR" ]; then
-    echo "No such app: $APP_ID"
-    echo ""
-    echo "Installed apps:"
-    list_apps
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-STAR_FILE=$(find "$APP_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -iname "*.star" | head -1)
-if [ -z "$STAR_FILE" ]; then
-    echo "No .star file found in $APP_DIR"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Same search order the plugin itself uses: the bundled binary for this
-# architecture first, then PATH -- so this works on an install that never put
-# pixlet on PATH.
-find_pixlet() {
-    local arch bundled
-    case "$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" in
-        Linux-aarch64|Linux-arm64)  arch="pixlet-linux-arm64" ;;
-        Linux-x86_64|Linux-amd64)   arch="pixlet-linux-amd64" ;;
-        Darwin-arm64)               arch="pixlet-darwin-arm64" ;;
-        Darwin-x86_64)              arch="pixlet-darwin-amd64" ;;
-        *)                          arch="" ;;
-    esac
-    bundled="$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/bin/pixlet/$arch"
-    if [ -n "$arch" ] && [ -x "$bundled" ]; then
-        echo "$bundled"
-        return 0
-    fi
-    command -v pixlet 2>/dev/null || return 1
-}
-
-PIXLET_BIN=$(find_pixlet) || {
-    echo "Pixlet not found. Install it with:"
-    echo "  ./scripts/download_pixlet.sh"
-    exit 1
-}
-
-# find_pixlet supports Darwin, so this script has to as well. macOS ships no
-# timeout(1); GNU coreutils installs it as gtimeout. Resolve whichever exists
-# and fail here with instructions rather than at the invocation far below,
-# where the failure would land after the display has already been stopped.
-find_timeout() {
-    local candidate
-    for candidate in timeout gtimeout; do
-        if command -v "$candidate" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            command -v "$candidate"
-            return 0
-        fi
-    done
-    return 1
-}
-
-TIMEOUT_BIN=$(find_timeout) || {
-    echo "Neither 'timeout' nor 'gtimeout' was found on PATH."
-    echo "This script needs one to bound the editing session."
-    echo "On macOS, install GNU coreutils:"
-    echo "  brew install coreutils"
-    exit 1
-}
-
-CONFIG_FILE="$APP_DIR/config.json"
-if [ -f "$CONFIG_FILE" ]; then
-    cp "$CONFIG_FILE" "$CONFIG_FILE.backup"
-    echo "Backed up existing config to $CONFIG_FILE.backup"
-else
-    echo "{}" > "$CONFIG_FILE"
-fi
-
-DISPLAY_WAS_RUNNING=false
-if systemctl is-active --quiet ledmatrix 2>/dev/null; then
-    DISPLAY_WAS_RUNNING=true
-fi
-
-# Restart the display however this exits -- Ctrl+C, an error, or pixlet
-# dying on its own. Leaving the panel dark because the editor crashed is the
-# failure worth guarding against.
-cleanup() {
-    echo ""
-    # Kill the serve child explicitly. `timeout` is started with --foreground so
-    # it shares this script's process group (without that it makes its own, and
-    # a group signal aimed at this script would orphan pixlet with the port
-    # still bound). Belt and braces: signal the recorded pid too, because a
-    # group signal only reaches it while the group is shared.
-    if [ -n "${SERVE_PID:-}" ] && kill -0 "$SERVE_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
-        kill -TERM "$SERVE_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
-        for _ in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10; do
-            kill -0 "$SERVE_PID" 2>/dev/null || break
-            sleep 0.3
-        done
-        kill -KILL "$SERVE_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
-    fi
-    if [ "$DISPLAY_WAS_RUNNING" = true ]; then
-        echo "Restarting the display service..."
-        sudo systemctl restart ledmatrix || echo "⚠ Could not restart ledmatrix - do it by hand"
-    fi
-    echo "Your config as it was before this session: $CONFIG_FILE.backup"
-}
-trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM
-
-if [ "$DISPLAY_WAS_RUNNING" = true ]; then
-    echo "Stopping the display service so it does not read config.json mid-write..."
-    sudo systemctl stop ledmatrix
-fi
-
-# Wildcard, loopback and an explicit interface address are three different
-# cases. Collapsing the last two into "localhost" printed a URL pointing at the
-# user's own machine whenever PIXLET_EDITOR_HOST named a LAN address.
-case "$BIND_HOST" in
-    0.0.0.0|::|"")            REACH_HOST="$(hostname).local" ;;
-    127.0.0.1|::1|localhost)  REACH_HOST="localhost" ;;
-    *)                        REACH_HOST="$BIND_HOST" ;;
-esac
-
-echo ""
-echo "Editing:  $APP_ID"
-echo "App file: $STAR_FILE"
-echo "URL:      http://$REACH_HOST:$PORT/"
-echo ""
-if [ "$BIND_HOST" = "0.0.0.0" ]; then
-    echo "Reachable on the LAN, and pixlet serve has no authentication -- the"
-    echo "same footing as the web interface on port 5000. Set"
-    echo "PIXLET_EDITOR_HOST=127.0.0.1 to keep it to this machine."
-else
-    echo "Listening on $BIND_HOST only. From another machine, forward the port:"
-    echo "  ssh -L $PORT:localhost:$PORT $(whoami)@$(hostname)"
-fi
-echo ""
-echo "Changes save straight to the real config as you make them."
-echo "Press Ctrl+C when finished - the display restarts automatically."
-echo "This session stops on its own after ${EDITOR_TIMEOUT}s regardless."
-echo ""
-
-cd "$APP_DIR"
-# `timeout` owns the hard stop rather than the caller: the trap above restarts
-# the display however this exits, so a session that outlives the person who
-# started it still gives the panel back. Exit 124 is timeout's own code for
-# "expired", which is a normal end here, not a failure.
-# --foreground: stay in this script's process group so one signal reaches the
-# whole session. Backgrounded + `wait` so the EXIT trap can run while the child
-# is still alive; a foreground child would leave bash waiting on it instead.
-"$TIMEOUT_BIN" --foreground "$EDITOR_TIMEOUT" "$PIXLET_BIN" serve "$(basename "$STAR_FILE")" \
-    --host "$BIND_HOST" \
-    --port "$PORT" \
-    --no-browser \
-    --saveconfig "$CONFIG_FILE" &
-SERVE_PID=$!
-
-status=0
-wait "$SERVE_PID" || status=$?
-if [ "$status" -eq 124 ]; then
-    echo "Session reached its ${EDITOR_TIMEOUT}s limit."
-    status=0
-fi
-exit "$status"

scripts/utils/start_web_conditionally.py

@@ -74,41 +74,23 @@ def install_dependencies():
         print(f"Failed to install dependencies: {e}")
         return False
 
-#: String spellings that turn autostart OFF. Anything else -- including the key
-#: being absent entirely -- leaves it on.
-DISABLED_STRINGS = ("off", "false", "no", "0")
-
-
-def autostart_enabled(config_data):
-    """Whether to bring the web interface up. Defaults to True.
-
-    config.template.json and first_time_install.sh both ship
-    ``web_display_autostart`` as true, so a config that lacks the key is an
-    older or hand-edited one rather than a request to stay down. Defaulting to
-    False meant any such config silently got no web interface -- and because
-    the "not starting" path exits 0, systemd reported the unit as successfully
-    started while nothing was listening. Only an explicit false/off disables it.
-    """
-    value = config_data.get("web_display_autostart", True)
-    if isinstance(value, str):
-        return value.strip().lower() not in DISABLED_STRINGS
-    return bool(value)
-
-
 def main():
     try:
         with open(CONFIG_FILE, 'r') as f:
             config_data = json.load(f)
     except FileNotFoundError:
-        # The web interface is how a config gets created and repaired, so a
-        # missing one is the case where the user needs it most.
-        print(f"Config file {CONFIG_FILE} not found. Starting the web interface so it can be configured.")
-        config_data = {}
-    except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError) as e:
-        print(f"Error reading config file {CONFIG_FILE}: {e}. Starting the web interface anyway so the config can be repaired.")
-        config_data = {}
+        print(f"Config file {CONFIG_FILE} not found. Web interface will not start.")
+        sys.exit(0) # Exit gracefully, don't start
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error reading config file {CONFIG_FILE}: {e}. Web interface will not start.")
+        sys.exit(1) # Exit with error, service might restart depending on config
 
-    if autostart_enabled(config_data):
+    autostart_enabled = config_data.get("web_display_autostart", False)
+
+    # Handle both boolean True and string "on"/"true" values
+    is_enabled = (autostart_enabled is True) or (isinstance(autostart_enabled, str) and autostart_enabled.lower() in ("on", "true", "yes", "1"))
+
+    if is_enabled:
         print("Configuration 'web_display_autostart' is enabled. Starting web interface...")
 
         # Only install dependencies if not already done during first-time setup
@@ -134,7 +116,7 @@ def main():
             print(f"Failed to exec web interface: {e}")
             sys.exit(1) # Failed to start
     else:
-        print("Configuration 'web_display_autostart' is explicitly disabled. Web interface will not be started.")
+        print("Configuration 'web_display_autostart' is false or not set. Web interface will not be started.")
         sys.exit(0) # Exit gracefully, service considered successful
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':

scripts/validate_skin.py

@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
 
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont  # noqa: E402
 
-from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype  # noqa: E402
-
 FIXTURES_DIR = PROJECT_ROOT / "src" / "skin_system" / "fixtures"
 MODES = ("live", "recent", "upcoming")
 SPORTS = ("baseball", "basketball", "football", "hockey")
@@ -54,12 +52,12 @@ class FixtureHost:
         try:
             press = str(PROJECT_ROOT / "assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf")
             small = str(PROJECT_ROOT / "assets/fonts/4x6-font.ttf")
-            fonts['score'] = load_truetype(press, 10)
-            fonts['time'] = load_truetype(press, 8)
-            fonts['team'] = load_truetype(press, 8)
-            fonts['status'] = load_truetype(small, 6)
-            fonts['detail'] = load_truetype(small, 6)
-            fonts['rank'] = load_truetype(press, 10)
+            fonts['score'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 10)
+            fonts['time'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 8)
+            fonts['team'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 8)
+            fonts['status'] = ImageFont.truetype(small, 6)
+            fonts['detail'] = ImageFont.truetype(small, 6)
+            fonts['rank'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 10)
         except IOError:
             default = ImageFont.load_default()
             for key in ('score', 'time', 'team', 'status', 'detail', 'rank'):

skins/README.md

@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 # skins/
 
-> **Not supported yet.** The current scoreboard plugins don't render skins,
-> so a skin placed here and selected in config has no effect, and the web UI
-> and Plugin Store don't offer them. See
-> [docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md](../docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md#status-not-supported-yet).
-
 User-installable **visual skins** for the sports scoreboards. Each
 subdirectory is one skin:
 
@@ -15,10 +10,10 @@ skins/<skin-id>/
   preview.png   # optional
 ```
 
-- Install a skin: `git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>`. The Plugin Store
-  refuses registry entries with `"type": "skin"` while skins don't render.
+- Install a skin: `git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>` (or via the Plugin
+  Store for registry entries with `"type": "skin"`).
 - Select it: set `"skin": "<skin-id>"` in the plugin's section of
-  `config/config.json`. The web UI no longer shows a Visual Skin dropdown.
+  `config/config.json`, or use the web UI's Visual Skin dropdown.
 - Build one: start from `example-classic-baseball/` and read
   [docs/CREATING_SKINS.md](../docs/CREATING_SKINS.md). Validate with
   `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <skin-id>`.

src/__init__.py

@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ LEDMatrix Display System
 Core source package for the LED Matrix Display project.
 """
 
-__version__ = "3.4.0"
+__version__ = "3.2.0"
 

src/auto_update_setup.py

@@ -1,221 +0,0 @@
-"""Install the automatic-update health check, from the display service.
-
-The weekly updater (web_interface/auto_update.py) will not update LEDMatrix
-code unless ledmatrix-update-verify.path and .service are installed: they
-restart the services after an update and roll it back if the device is
-unhealthy. Installing units takes root and the web interface is not root, and
-"SSH in and run an installer" means most people never get updates with a
-safety net.
-
-The display service already runs this repository's code as root, so it
-installs them -- but only while the user has automatic updates turned on, only
-these two units, rendered from the repository's templates for the web
-interface's own user, and it reports what happened in
-data/auto_update_setup.json for the General tab. It grants nothing new: the
-units run as the web user, who can already change the code this process runs.
-
-Called at display startup; the web interface restarts the display service
-when the toggle is switched on, so setup happens straight away. Refreshing a
-unit whose template changed happens the same way, which is why this compares
-content rather than only checking that the files exist.
-"""
-import json
-import logging
-import os
-import re
-import subprocess  # nosec B404 - list-form argv only, no shell  # nosemgrep
-import tempfile
-import time
-from pathlib import Path
-
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
-SYSTEMD_DIR = Path('/etc/systemd/system')
-SERVICE_UNIT = 'ledmatrix-update-verify.service'
-PATH_UNIT = 'ledmatrix-update-verify.path'
-UNITS = (SERVICE_UNIT, PATH_UNIT)
-WEB_UNIT = 'ledmatrix-web.service'
-RESULT_REL = Path('data') / 'auto_update_setup.json'
-_USER_RE = re.compile(r'^[a-z_][a-z0-9_-]{0,31}$')
-
-
-class SetupError(Exception):
-    """A reason setup cannot proceed, worded for the General tab."""
-
-
-def _is_root():
-    return hasattr(os, 'geteuid') and os.geteuid() == 0
-
-
-def _lookup_ids(user):
-    try:
-        import pwd
-        entry = pwd.getpwnam(user)
-        return entry.pw_uid, entry.pw_gid
-    except (ImportError, KeyError):
-        return None
-
-
-def _directive(text, key):
-    match = re.search(rf'^{key}=(.*)$', text or '', re.M)
-    return match.group(1).strip() if match else None
-
-
-def _read(path):
-    try:
-        return Path(path).read_text(encoding='utf-8')
-    except OSError:
-        return None
-
-
-def is_enabled(config):
-    return bool((config.get('auto_update') or {}).get('enabled', False))
-
-
-class UpdateHelperSetup:
-    def __init__(self, project_root=PROJECT_ROOT, systemd_dir=SYSTEMD_DIR, run=subprocess.run,
-                 is_root=_is_root, lookup_ids=_lookup_ids, clock=time.time):
-        self.project_root = Path(project_root)
-        self.systemd_dir = Path(systemd_dir)
-        self.run = run
-        self.is_root = is_root
-        self.lookup_ids = lookup_ids
-        self.clock = clock
-        self.result_file = self.project_root / RESULT_REL
-        self._web_ids = None
-
-    def _systemctl(self, *args):
-        return self.run(['systemctl', *args], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
-
-    def _check(self, result, what):
-        if result.returncode != 0:
-            raise SetupError(f'"{what}" failed: {(result.stderr or result.stdout or "").strip()}')
-
-    def path_active(self):
-        try:
-            return self._systemctl('is-active', PATH_UNIT).stdout.strip() == 'active'
-        except (subprocess.SubprocessError, OSError):
-            return False
-
-    def ensure(self, config):
-        """Install or refresh the units while automatic updates are on.
-
-        Returns the result recorded for the General tab, or None when there
-        was nothing to do (updates off, or not a systemd host at all).
-        """
-        if not is_enabled(config) or not self.systemd_dir.is_dir():
-            return None
-        try:
-            changed = self._install()
-        except SetupError as e:
-            return self._report('failed', str(e))
-        except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError) as e:
-            return self._report('failed', f'Could not install the update health check: {e}')
-        if changed:
-            return self._report('installed', 'Installed the update health check.')
-        return self._report('installed', 'The update health check is installed.', quiet=True)
-
-    def _install(self):
-        if not self.is_root():
-            raise SetupError('The display service is not running as root, so it cannot install the '
-                             'update health check. Run "sudo ./scripts/install/install_web_service.sh" once.')
-
-        web_text = _read(self.systemd_dir / WEB_UNIT)
-        if web_text is None:
-            raise SetupError('The web interface service (ledmatrix-web.service) is not installed.')
-        user = _directive(web_text, 'User') or 'root'
-        ids = self.lookup_ids(user) if _USER_RE.match(user) else None
-        if ids is None:
-            raise SetupError(f'The web interface runs as "{user}", which is not a usable account.')
-        self._web_ids = ids
-        workdir = _directive(web_text, 'WorkingDirectory')
-        if not workdir or Path(workdir).resolve() != self.project_root.resolve():
-            raise SetupError(f'The web interface service runs from {workdir or "an unknown folder"}, '
-                             f'not {self.project_root}.')
-        # Spaces are fine -- the templates quote every command-line path --
-        # but systemd expands % specifiers, and a quote, backslash or line
-        # break would be reinterpreted in a unit file. (On Windows, where the
-        # tests also run, a backslash is the path separator, not a name.)
-        root_text = str(self.project_root)
-        unsafe = set('%"') | ({'\\'} if os.sep == '/' else set())
-        if any(ch in unsafe or ord(ch) < 32 for ch in root_text):
-            raise SetupError(f'LEDMatrix is installed in {root_text!r}, a folder name systemd cannot use '
-                             'in a unit file. Move it to a path without %, quotes, backslashes or '
-                             'control characters.')
-
-        rendered = {}
-        for name in UNITS:
-            template = _read(self.project_root / 'systemd' / name)
-            if template is None:
-                raise SetupError(f'The unit template systemd/{name} is missing.')
-            rendered[name] = (template.replace('__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__', str(self.project_root))
-                              .replace('__USER__', user))
-        # The templates are ordinary repository files. Whatever they say,
-        # this root process only installs a service that runs as the web user
-        # and a path unit that starts exactly that service.
-        if _directive(rendered[SERVICE_UNIT], 'User') != user:
-            raise SetupError(f'systemd/{SERVICE_UNIT} does not run as the web interface user; '
-                             'refusing to install it.')
-        if _directive(rendered[PATH_UNIT], 'Unit') != SERVICE_UNIT:
-            raise SetupError(f'systemd/{PATH_UNIT} does not start {SERVICE_UNIT}; refusing to install it.')
-
-        changed = [name for name in UNITS if _read(self.systemd_dir / name) != rendered[name]]
-        for name in changed:
-            self._write_unit(self.systemd_dir / name, rendered[name])
-        if changed:
-            self._check(self._systemctl('daemon-reload'), 'systemctl daemon-reload')
-            self._check(self._systemctl('enable', PATH_UNIT), f'systemctl enable {PATH_UNIT}')
-            self._check(self._systemctl('restart', PATH_UNIT), f'systemctl restart {PATH_UNIT}')
-        elif not self.path_active():
-            self._check(self._systemctl('enable', '--now', PATH_UNIT), f'systemctl enable --now {PATH_UNIT}')
-            changed = [PATH_UNIT]
-        if not self.path_active():
-            raise SetupError(f'{PATH_UNIT} did not start; see "journalctl -u {PATH_UNIT}".')
-        return bool(changed)
-
-    def _write_unit(self, path, text):
-        fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=str(path.parent), prefix=f'.{path.name}.')
-        try:
-            with os.fdopen(fd, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-                f.write(text)
-            os.chmod(tmp, 0o644)
-            os.replace(tmp, path)
-        except BaseException:
-            try:
-                os.unlink(tmp)
-            except OSError:
-                pass
-            raise
-
-    def _report(self, status, message, quiet=False):
-        previous = None
-        try:
-            previous = json.loads(_read(self.result_file) or 'null')
-        except ValueError:
-            pass
-        if quiet and isinstance(previous, dict) and previous.get('status') == status:
-            return previous  # nothing new; don't rewrite it on every boot
-        result = {'status': status, 'message': message, 'at': self.clock()}
-        (logger.info if status == 'installed' else logger.warning)("Automatic update setup: %s", message)
-        try:
-            self.result_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-            fd, tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=str(self.result_file.parent), prefix='.auto_update_setup_')
-            with os.fdopen(fd, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-                json.dump(result, f, indent=2)
-            os.chmod(tmp, 0o644)
-            if self._web_ids and hasattr(os, 'chown'):
-                # Only root can give the file away; the result is readable
-                # (0644) either way, so a failed chown must not lose it.
-                try:
-                    os.chown(tmp, *self._web_ids)
-                except OSError:
-                    pass
-            os.replace(tmp, self.result_file)
-        except OSError as e:
-            logger.warning("Could not record automatic update setup result: %s", e)
-        return result
-
-
-def ensure_update_helper(config):
-    return UpdateHelperSetup().ensure(config)

src/background_data_service.py

@@ -478,22 +478,8 @@ class BackgroundDataService:
                     cb(result)
                 except Exception as e:
                     logger.error(f"Error in callback for request {request.id}: {e}")
-
-            # Released AFTER the loop, not inside it. Every callback here holds
-            # the same FetchResult, so releasing per-delivery handed the first
-            # one the data and every joiner `result.data is None` -- which is
-            # not a quiet degradation: they read `result.data.get('events')` and
-            # raise AttributeError, which this very loop catches and logs, so
-            # the symptom was one ERROR line and a manager that silently never
-            # got its schedule. Deduplication is the normal case, not a corner:
-            # a sport's recent, upcoming and live managers all ride one season
-            # fetch.
-            #
-            # Guarded on `callbacks`, because a request submitted without one
-            # has no other way to collect its payload than polling get_result().
-            # The old per-delivery release got that right by accident: an empty
-            # list never entered the loop body.
-            if callbacks:
+                # Delivered. Drop both references -- they point at the same
+                # object, so one survivor keeps the whole payload resident.
                 self._release_payload(result)
                 request.result = None
 
@@ -503,11 +489,8 @@ class BackgroundDataService:
     def _release_payload(result: FetchResult) -> None:
         """Drop a delivered payload, keeping the result's status and timings.
 
-        Only called once EVERY callback has been handed the data -- callers
-        that joined an in-flight fetch share this object, so releasing between
-        deliveries strips the payload out from under the ones still queued.
-        Consumers read fetched data back from the cache under ``cache_key``;
-        the copy carried
+        Only called once a callback has been handed the data. Consumers read
+        fetched data back from the cache under ``cache_key``; the copy carried
         here was pinning a parsed season schedule -- 946 games for NCAA
         football, roughly a tenth of total RAM on a 1GB Pi -- in memory until
         the hourly sweep.

src/base_classes/baseball.py

@@ -37,6 +37,51 @@ class Baseball(SportsCore):
         self.data_source = ESPNDataSource(logger)
         self.sport = "baseball"
 
+    def _get_baseball_display_text(self, game: Dict) -> str:
+        """Get baseball-specific display text."""
+        try:
+            display_parts = []
+
+            # Inning information
+            if self.show_innings:
+                inning = game.get("inning", "")
+                if inning:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Inning: {inning}")
+
+            # Outs information
+            if self.show_outs:
+                outs = game.get("outs", 0)
+                if outs is not None:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Outs: {outs}")
+
+            # Bases information
+            if self.show_bases:
+                bases = game.get("bases", "")
+                if bases:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Bases: {bases}")
+
+            # Count information
+            if self.show_count:
+                strikes = game.get("strikes", 0)
+                balls = game.get("balls", 0)
+                if strikes is not None and balls is not None:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Count: {balls}-{strikes}")
+
+            # Pitcher/Batter information
+            if self.show_pitcher_batter:
+                pitcher = game.get("pitcher", "")
+                batter = game.get("batter", "")
+                if pitcher:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Pitcher: {pitcher}")
+                if batter:
+                    display_parts.append(f"Batter: {batter}")
+
+            return " | ".join(display_parts) if display_parts else ""
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.logger.error(f"Error getting baseball display text: {e}")
+            return ""
+
     def _is_baseball_game_live(self, game: Dict) -> bool:
         """Check if a baseball game is currently live."""
         try:

src/base_classes/sports/core.py

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import os
 import tempfile
 import time
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from collections import OrderedDict
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 import pytz
 import requests
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype
 from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
 from urllib3.util.retry import Retry
 
@@ -168,14 +166,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
         self.session.mount("https://", adapter)
         self.session.mount("http://", adapter)
 
-        # LRU-bounded: entries are decoded RGBA thumbnails, not file bytes.
-        # Each is up to display_width*1.5 x display_height*1.5 -- about 36KB on
-        # a 256x64 panel, more for wide wordmarks. The key is a team
-        # abbreviation and assets/sports/ncaa_logos alone ships 307 of them, so
-        # an unbounded dict here held the whole league: ~11-18MB per manager
-        # instance, and a league runs three (live/recent/upcoming) each with
-        # its own cache. That is real money on a 1GB Pi.
-        self._logo_cache: "OrderedDict[str, Image.Image]" = OrderedDict()
+        self._logo_cache = {}
 
         # Font caches for _load_custom_font_from_element_config: per-frame
         # callers (font-ladder walks) resolve the same (name, size) over and
@@ -458,12 +449,12 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
         press_start = self._resolve_font_path("PressStart2P-Regular.ttf")
         four_by_six = self._resolve_font_path("4x6-font.ttf")
         try:
-            fonts['score'] = load_truetype(press_start, 10)
-            fonts['time'] = load_truetype(press_start, 8)
-            fonts['team'] = load_truetype(press_start, 8)
-            fonts['status'] = load_truetype(four_by_six, 6) # Using 4x6 for status
-            fonts['detail'] = load_truetype(four_by_six, 6) # Added detail font
-            fonts['rank'] = load_truetype(press_start, 10)
+            fonts['score'] = ImageFont.truetype(press_start, 10)
+            fonts['time'] = ImageFont.truetype(press_start, 8)
+            fonts['team'] = ImageFont.truetype(press_start, 8)
+            fonts['status'] = ImageFont.truetype(four_by_six, 6) # Using 4x6 for status
+            fonts['detail'] = ImageFont.truetype(four_by_six, 6) # Added detail font
+            fonts['rank'] = ImageFont.truetype(press_start, 10)
             self.logger.info("Successfully loaded fonts")
         except OSError:
             # Name the directory we searched: the usual cause is an install
@@ -568,17 +559,11 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             draw.text((x + dx, y + dy), text, font=font, fill=outline_color)
         draw.text((x, y), text, font=font, fill=fill)
 
-    #: Decoded logos to keep. A scroll of "other games" shows on the order of
-    #: 20 games (40 teams), so this holds a full cycle without thrashing while
-    #: capping the cache well below a 307-team league.
-    _LOGO_CACHE_MAX = 64
-
     def _load_and_resize_logo(self, team_id: str, team_abbrev: str, logo_path: Path, logo_url: str | None ) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
         """Load and resize a team logo, with caching and automatic download if missing."""
         self.logger.debug(f"Logo path: {logo_path}")
         if team_abbrev in self._logo_cache:
             self.logger.debug(f"Using cached logo for {team_abbrev}")
-            self._logo_cache.move_to_end(team_abbrev)
             return self._logo_cache[team_abbrev]
 
         try:
@@ -618,8 +603,6 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             max_height = int(self.display_height * 1.5)
             logo.thumbnail((max_width, max_height), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
             self._logo_cache[team_abbrev] = logo
-            while len(self._logo_cache) > self._LOGO_CACHE_MAX:
-                self._logo_cache.popitem(last=False)
             return logo
 
         except Exception as e:
@@ -1048,7 +1031,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             if os.path.exists(font_path):
                 # Try loading as TTF first (works for both TTF and some BDF files with PIL)
                 if font_path.lower().endswith('.ttf'):
-                    font = load_truetype(font_path, font_size)
+                    font = ImageFont.truetype(font_path, font_size)
                     self.logger.debug(f"Loaded font: {font_name} at size {font_size}")
                     self._font_cache[cache_key] = font
                     return font
@@ -1066,7 +1049,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
                     # correct one: the newer copies call truetype() on a BDF at
                     # any size (which simply fails) or refuse BDF outright.
                     try:
-                        font = load_truetype(font_path, font_size)
+                        font = ImageFont.truetype(font_path, font_size)
                         self.logger.debug(f"Loaded BDF font: {font_name} at size {font_size}")
                         self._font_cache[cache_key] = font
                         return font
@@ -1078,7 +1061,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
                             self._bdf_native_size_cache[font_path] = native_size
                         if native_size and native_size != font_size:
                             try:
-                                font = load_truetype(font_path, native_size)
+                                font = ImageFont.truetype(font_path, native_size)
                                 self.logger.debug(
                                     f"Loaded BDF font: {font_name} at its native size {native_size} "
                                     f"(requested {font_size} isn't a valid strike for this file)"
@@ -1106,7 +1089,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             _resolve_font_family_alias(base_default))
         try:
             if os.path.exists(default_font_path):
-                font = load_truetype(default_font_path, font_size)
+                font = ImageFont.truetype(default_font_path, font_size)
             else:
                 self.logger.warning("Default font not found, using PIL default")
                 font = ImageFont.load_default()

src/cache/disk_cache.py

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Handles persistent disk-based caching with atomic writes and error recovery.
 """
 
 import json
-import math
 import os
 import time
 import tempfile
@@ -15,8 +14,6 @@ import zlib
 from typing import Dict, Any, Optional, Protocol
 from datetime import datetime
 
-from src.common.path_safety import safe_path_component
-
 try:  # optional: large speedup on the cache write path, see _dumps below
     import orjson
 except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - exercised on hosts without the wheel
@@ -65,38 +62,6 @@ def _datetime_default(obj: Any) -> Any:
     raise TypeError(f"Object of type {type(obj).__name__} is not JSON serializable")
 
 
-def _replace_nonfinite(obj: Any) -> Any:
-    """Non-finite floats -> None, matching what ``orjson.dumps`` writes.
-
-    Only reached once a strict pass has proved there is something to replace,
-    so the ordinary write path never pays for this walk.
-    """
-    if isinstance(obj, float):
-        return obj if math.isfinite(obj) else None
-    if isinstance(obj, dict):
-        return {k: _replace_nonfinite(v) for k, v in obj.items()}
-    if isinstance(obj, (list, tuple)):
-        return [_replace_nonfinite(v) for v in obj]
-    return obj
-
-
-# NON-FINITE FLOATS
-# -----------------
-# JSON has no NaN or Infinity. The stdlib emits them anyway as an extension;
-# orjson refuses to and writes null. That divergence is not acceptable in a
-# cache whose files outlive the decision of which encoder is installed, so the
-# policy here is one behaviour on both paths:
-#
-#   writing  non-finite floats become null, whichever encoder is in use
-#   reading  files already on disk that carry the stdlib's NaN/Infinity
-#            tokens stay readable, whichever encoder is in use
-#
-# Without the write half, installing orjson silently changed cached values.
-# Without the read half, installing orjson turned every legacy record holding a
-# NaN into a "corrupted cache file" that DiskCache.get logged as an error and
-# deleted. Both halves are covered by test/test_cache_nonfinite_floats.py.
-
-
 if orjson is not None:
     # Encoding the cache record dominated the background fetch worker: on a
     # Pi 4, stdlib json.dumps runs ~12ms per MB and holds the GIL for all of
@@ -117,23 +82,10 @@ if orjson is not None:
         return orjson.dumps(data, default=_datetime_default, option=_DUMPS_OPTS)
 
     def _loads(raw: bytes) -> Any:
-        try:
-            return orjson.loads(raw)
-        except orjson.JSONDecodeError:
-            # Legacy record written by the stdlib path, carrying NaN or
-            # Infinity. Genuinely malformed files raise again from here, as
-            # json.JSONDecodeError, which is what DiskCache.get expects.
-            return json.loads(raw)
+        return orjson.loads(raw)
 else:
     def _dumps(data: Any) -> bytes:
-        try:
-            return json.dumps(data, cls=DateTimeEncoder,
-                              allow_nan=False).encode("utf-8")
-        except ValueError:
-            # allow_nan=False is what detects the non-finite values; the walk
-            # runs only now that we know there is one to replace.
-            return json.dumps(_replace_nonfinite(data), cls=DateTimeEncoder,
-                              allow_nan=False).encode("utf-8")
+        return json.dumps(data, cls=DateTimeEncoder).encode("utf-8")
 
     def _loads(raw: bytes) -> Any:
         return json.loads(raw)
@@ -162,30 +114,16 @@ class DiskCache:
     def get_cache_path(self, key: str) -> Optional[str]:
         """
         Get the path for a cache file.
-
-        The key becomes a filename, so it has to be one. Keys reach this
-        method from the web API -- POST /api/v3/cache/delete passes the
-        request body's ``key`` straight through CacheManager.clear_cache to
-        os.remove -- and a key of ``../../../../etc/whatever`` named a file
-        well outside the cache directory. Every real key is the stem of a
-        file already sitting flat in cache_dir (that is how list_cache_files
-        derives them), so rejecting anything with a path component turns
-        away only inputs that could never have been written here.
-
+        
         Args:
             key: Cache key
-
+            
         Returns:
-            Path to cache file, or None if cache is disabled or the key is
-            not a usable filename
+            Path to cache file or None if cache is disabled
         """
         if not self.cache_dir:
             return None
-        safe_key = safe_path_component(key)
-        if safe_key is None:
-            self.logger.warning("Rejected unsafe cache key %r", key)
-            return None
-        return os.path.join(self.cache_dir, f"{safe_key}.json")
+        return os.path.join(self.cache_dir, f"{key}.json")
     
     def get(self, key: str, max_age: Optional[int] = 300) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         """

src/common/font_layout.py

@@ -1,126 +0,0 @@
-"""One text layout engine, everywhere.
-
-``PIL.ImageFont.truetype`` picks its layout engine at load time: Raqm when the
-host Pillow was built with libraqm, Basic otherwise. The two disagree about
-fractional glyph advances, so the *same* Pillow version renders the *same*
-string differently depending on a build option of the host.
-
-That is invisible for ``PressStart2P-Regular.ttf`` at 8px, whose advances are
-whole pixels either way — which is why most of the fleet's golden images
-matched on every machine. It is not invisible for ``4x6-font.ttf`` at 6px,
-where the advances are fractional: glyph positions drift cumulatively along a
-run, and the committed goldens for geochron, of-the-day, christmas-countdown
-and ledmatrix-weather's almanac passed on the machine that generated them and
-failed everywhere else (ChuckBuilds/ledmatrix-plugins#371, #375, #378, #391).
-
-Pinning the Basic engine makes a render depend on the font file and the size,
-and nothing else. Basic gives up complex-script shaping (Arabic, Indic) and
-kerning pairs; neither applies to the bitmap-grid faces this project draws
-with on an LED panel.
-
-Use :func:`load_truetype` in place of ``ImageFont.truetype`` anywhere the
-result is drawn to a panel or compared against a golden image.
-
-The module also owns the other two things that decide whether a bundled face
-renders reproducibly, for the same reason — they are properties of the font
-file, not of whoever is drawing with it:
-
-* :func:`crisp_size` and :data:`FONT_PIXEL_GRID` — the size each face renders
-  on whole pixels at. ``4x6-font.ttf`` has a 7px grid, which is why the 6 that
-  reads as its natural size is the wrong number everywhere it appears.
-* :func:`resolve_asset_path` — ``assets/fonts/...`` resolved against the
-  install root rather than the process cwd.
-"""
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import os
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict, Union
-
-from PIL import ImageFont
-
-#: The engine every core font load pins. Named once so the reason above has a
-#: single referent, and so a future change is one line.
-LAYOUT_ENGINE = ImageFont.Layout.BASIC
-
-
-def load_truetype(font: Union[str, Any], size: int, **kwargs: Any) -> ImageFont.FreeTypeFont:
-    """``ImageFont.truetype`` with the layout engine pinned.
-
-    Same signature and same exceptions as the PIL call it replaces, so it is a
-    drop-in at every call site.
-    """
-    kwargs.setdefault("layout_engine", LAYOUT_ENGINE)
-    return ImageFont.truetype(font, size, **kwargs)
-
-
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Bundled-asset path resolution
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#: The install root, derived from this module's own location
-#: (``<root>/src/common/font_layout.py``) rather than from the process cwd.
-_INSTALL_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
-
-
-def resolve_asset_path(relative_path: str) -> str:
-    """Resolve a repo-relative asset path independently of the process cwd.
-
-    Prefers the path as given — so an absolute path is returned untouched and
-    behaviour is unchanged wherever the cwd already happened to be the install
-    root — then the install root derived above, then the original string so a
-    caller that wants to raise and fall back still can.
-
-    Without the fallback, any process started outside the install root (the
-    plugin safety harness, a manual ``python run.py`` from ``$HOME``, a unit
-    file written without ``WorkingDirectory``) silently loses every font and
-    degrades to PIL's default face.
-    """
-    if os.path.isabs(relative_path) and os.path.exists(relative_path):
-        return relative_path
-    candidate = _INSTALL_ROOT / relative_path
-    if candidate.exists():
-        return str(candidate)
-    return relative_path
-
-
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Pixel-grid snapping
-# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#: Family aliases the web UI may write, mapped to the shipped filename.
-FONT_NAME_ALIASES: Dict[str, str] = {
-    "press_start": "PressStart2P-Regular.ttf",
-    "four_by_six": "4x6-font.ttf",
-}
-
-#: Pixel grid each face renders crisply on. Off-grid sizes anti-alias, which
-#: on an LED matrix is a dim lamp rather than a soft edge — and worse under
-#: ``draw.fontmode = "1"``, where the mono rasteriser thresholds each glyph at
-#: 50% coverage: an off-grid 4x6 glyph renders 3px wide instead of 4, so W/M
-#: and 0/8 stop being distinguishable. Off-grid sizes also make ``getlength``
-#: return a FreeType-dependent fractional advance, which is how two panels on
-#: one config centre the same string differently.
-FONT_PIXEL_GRID: Dict[str, int] = {
-    "PressStart2P-Regular.ttf": 8,
-    "4x6-font.ttf": 7,
-}
-
-
-def crisp_size(font_file, desired, aliases=None, grid_table=None):
-    """Snap *desired* to the nearest size *font_file* renders crisply at.
-
-    A face with no known grid is returned unchanged, so a user-supplied font is
-    never second-guessed.
-
-    ``aliases`` and ``grid_table`` default to the shared tables; a plugin that
-    ships an extra face can pass its own without forking this.
-    """
-    aliases = FONT_NAME_ALIASES if aliases is None else aliases
-    grid_table = FONT_PIXEL_GRID if grid_table is None else grid_table
-    font_file = aliases.get(font_file, font_file)
-    grid = grid_table.get(font_file)
-    if not grid or not desired or desired <= 0:
-        return desired
-    return max(grid, int(round(float(desired) / grid)) * grid)

src/common/logo_helper.py

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Extracted from LEDMatrix core to provide reusable functionality for plugins.
 import logging
 import os
 import tempfile
-import time
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
 
@@ -21,44 +20,6 @@ from src.common.permission_utils import (
     get_assets_file_mode
 )
 
-# How long a missing logo stays remembered as missing.
-#
-# This was 600s, and measured on a live rig that turned out to suppress nothing:
-# the display rotation is ~618s, so every recheck landed just as the plugin came
-# round again and the warning rate was unchanged at ~6/hour. A TTL has to be long
-# relative to the loop that does the asking, not merely "a while".
-#
-# An hour is safe because the TTL is not the main way an entry clears. A download
-# through load_logo_with_download() drops it immediately, and clear_cache() drops
-# all of them; the TTL only covers a file that appeared some other way -- someone
-# copying one in by hand. Waiting up to an hour for that, or restarting, is a fair
-# trade for not re-warning about a file nobody is going to add.
-MISSING_LOGO_RECHECK_SECONDS = 3600.0
-
-#: Bounds on a user-supplied logo scale. Wide enough to be useful, closed
-#: enough that a typo cannot ask for a 4000px image on a 64px panel.
-MIN_LOGO_SCALE = 0.05
-MAX_LOGO_SCALE = 8.0
-
-
-def _usable_scale(scale) -> float:
-    """A scale that can be applied, or 1.0.
-
-    Anything unusable -- None, a string, zero, a negative, NaN, infinity --
-    means "as shipped", because the alternative is a blank panel from a
-    mistyped number.
-    """
-    try:
-        value = float(scale)
-    except (TypeError, ValueError):
-        return 1.0
-    if value != value or value in (float('inf'), float('-inf')):
-        return 1.0
-    if value < MIN_LOGO_SCALE or value > MAX_LOGO_SCALE:
-        return 1.0
-    return value
-
-
 
 # Well above any real team logo; bounds what a remote URL can write to disk.
 MAX_LOGO_BYTES = 10 * 1024 * 1024
@@ -95,14 +56,6 @@ class LogoHelper:
         # In-memory logo cache
         self._logo_cache: Dict[str, Image.Image] = {}
         self._cache_order: List[str] = []  # For LRU cache management
-
-        # Misses, so an absent file is stat'd and warned about once rather than
-        # on every call. Without this a permanently missing logo produced a
-        # warning per rotation forever -- measured at 114 lines in 24 hours for
-        # a single missing ticker icon, for a file nobody was going to add.
-        # Time-bounded rather than permanent so a logo that appears later (the
-        # downloader writes them at runtime) is still picked up.
-        self._missing_logos: Dict[str, float] = {}
         
         # Session for HTTP requests
         self.session = requests.Session()
@@ -111,23 +64,18 @@ class LogoHelper:
             'Accept': 'image/*',
         })
     
-    def load_logo(self, team_abbr: str, logo_path: Union[str, Path],
-                  max_width: Optional[int] = None,
-                  max_height: Optional[int] = None,
-                  scale: float = 1.0) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
+    def load_logo(self, team_abbr: str, logo_path: Union[str, Path], 
+                  max_width: Optional[int] = None, 
+                  max_height: Optional[int] = None) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
         """
         Load and resize a team logo.
-
+        
         Args:
             team_abbr: Team abbreviation for caching
             logo_path: Path to the logo file
             max_width: Maximum width (defaults to display_width * 1.5)
             max_height: Maximum height (defaults to display_height * 1.5)
-            scale: User's size multiplier for this image, from
-                ``customization.layout.<element>.scale``. 1.0 is untouched and
-                takes exactly the path it always did. Callers hold the config,
-                so they resolve the element name; this only applies the number.
-
+            
         Returns:
             PIL Image object or None if loading fails
 
@@ -143,12 +91,6 @@ class LogoHelper:
             max_width = int(self.display_width * 1.5)
         if max_height is None:
             max_height = int(self.display_height * 1.5)
-        scale = _usable_scale(scale)
-        if scale != 1.0:
-            max_width = max(1, int(round(max_width * scale)))
-            max_height = max(1, int(round(max_height * scale)))
-        # The key carries the scaled box, so two elements scaled differently
-        # cannot be served each other's image.
         cache_key = f"{team_abbr}_{logo_path}_{max_width}x{max_height}"
         if cache_key in self._logo_cache:
             self.logger.debug(f"Using cached logo for {team_abbr}")
@@ -158,19 +100,9 @@ class LogoHelper:
             self._cache_order.append(cache_key)
             return self._logo_cache[cache_key]
         
-        # A known-missing file: skip the stat and stay quiet until the entry
-        # ages out. Checked after the positive cache so a logo that has since
-        # been loaded always wins.
-        missed_at = self._missing_logos.get(cache_key)
-        if missed_at is not None:
-            if time.time() - missed_at < MISSING_LOGO_RECHECK_SECONDS:
-                return None
-            del self._missing_logos[cache_key]
-
         try:
             logo_path = Path(logo_path)
             if not logo_path.exists():
-                self._missing_logos[cache_key] = time.time()
                 self.logger.warning(f"Logo not found for {team_abbr} at {logo_path}")
                 return None
             
@@ -180,8 +112,7 @@ class LogoHelper:
                 logo = logo.convert('RGBA')
             
             # Resize if needed
-            logo = self._resize_logo(logo, max_width, max_height,
-                                     allow_upscale=scale > 1.0)
+            logo = self._resize_logo(logo, max_width, max_height)
             
             # Cache the logo
             self._cache_logo(cache_key, logo)
@@ -193,11 +124,10 @@ class LogoHelper:
             self.logger.error(f"Error loading logo for {team_abbr}: {e}")
             return None
     
-    def load_logo_with_download(self, team_abbr: str, logo_path: Union[str, Path],
+    def load_logo_with_download(self, team_abbr: str, logo_path: Union[str, Path], 
                                logo_url: Optional[str] = None,
                                max_width: Optional[int] = None,
-                               max_height: Optional[int] = None,
-                               scale: float = 1.0) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
+                               max_height: Optional[int] = None) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
         """
         Load logo with automatic download if missing.
         
@@ -213,79 +143,22 @@ class LogoHelper:
         """
         logo_path = Path(logo_path)
         
-        # Try to load existing logo first. A placeholder written by a previous
-        # failed download does not count: it wears the real logo's filename, so
-        # trusting the file's existence is what left teams as grey boxes.
-        if logo_path.exists() and not self._is_stale_placeholder(logo_path):
-            return self.load_logo(team_abbr, logo_path, max_width, max_height,
-                                  scale)
+        # Try to load existing logo first
+        if logo_path.exists():
+            return self.load_logo(team_abbr, logo_path, max_width, max_height)
         
         # Download if URL provided and file doesn't exist
         if logo_url:
             try:
                 self.logger.info(f"Downloading logo for {team_abbr} from {logo_url}")
                 self._download_logo(logo_url, logo_path)
-                # The file on disk just changed. Any cached image for it is the
-                # placeholder we came here to replace, and load_logo() answers
-                # from the cache before touching the disk -- so without this the
-                # real logo would not appear until the process restarted.
-                self._invalidate_cached_logo(team_abbr, logo_path)
-                return self.load_logo(team_abbr, logo_path, max_width, max_height,
-                                  scale)
+                return self.load_logo(team_abbr, logo_path, max_width, max_height)
             except Exception as e:
                 self.logger.error(f"Failed to download logo for {team_abbr}: {e}")
-                # The retry failed, so restart the back-off. The stale
-                # placeholder is still on disk with its old timestamp, and
-                # leaving it there means the next call retries immediately --
-                # a download attempt per call, which is what the back-off
-                # exists to prevent.
-                self._refresh_stale_placeholder(logo_path)
         
         # Create placeholder if all else fails
         return self._create_placeholder_logo(team_abbr, max_width, max_height)
     
-    def _invalidate_cached_logo(self, team_abbr: str, logo_path: Path) -> None:
-        """Drop every cached size of one logo after its file changed on disk."""
-        prefix = f"{team_abbr}_{logo_path}_"
-        for key in [k for k in self._logo_cache if k.startswith(prefix)]:
-            self._logo_cache.pop(key, None)
-            if key in self._cache_order:
-                self._cache_order.remove(key)
-        # The file exists now, so any record of it being missing is wrong --
-        # and load_logo() consults that record before it stats the disk, so
-        # leaving it would hide a logo we just downloaded.
-        for key in [k for k in self._missing_logos if k.startswith(prefix)]:
-            del self._missing_logos[key]
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _refresh_stale_placeholder(logo_path: Path) -> None:
-        """Restart the retry back-off after a failed download attempt."""
-        try:
-            from src.logo_downloader import refresh_placeholder_timestamp
-        except ImportError:
-            return
-        refresh_placeholder_timestamp(logo_path)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _is_stale_placeholder(logo_path: Path) -> bool:
-        """True if the file is a placeholder old enough to be worth retrying.
-
-        Imported lazily so this module keeps working against a core build whose
-        logo_downloader predates placeholder marking.
-        """
-        try:
-            from src.logo_downloader import (
-                PLACEHOLDER_RETRY_SECONDS,
-                is_placeholder_logo,
-                placeholder_age_seconds,
-            )
-        except ImportError:
-            return False
-        if not is_placeholder_logo(logo_path):
-            return False
-        age = placeholder_age_seconds(logo_path)
-        return age is None or age >= PLACEHOLDER_RETRY_SECONDS
-
     def get_logo_variations(self, team_abbr: str) -> List[str]:
         """
         Get possible filename variations for a team abbreviation.
@@ -347,7 +220,6 @@ class LogoHelper:
         """Clear the logo cache."""
         self._logo_cache.clear()
         self._cache_order.clear()
-        self._missing_logos.clear()
         self.logger.debug("Logo cache cleared")
     
     def get_cache_stats(self) -> Dict[str, int]:
@@ -366,31 +238,18 @@ class LogoHelper:
             ),
         }
     
-    def _resize_logo(self, logo: Image.Image, max_width: Optional[int] = None,
-                    max_height: Optional[int] = None,
-                    allow_upscale: bool = False) -> Image.Image:
-        """Resize logo to fit display dimensions.
-
-        ``allow_upscale`` is only set when the user asked for a scale above 1:
-        the fit rule is "never larger than the box", and growing an image
-        nobody asked to grow would change every existing render.
-        """
+    def _resize_logo(self, logo: Image.Image, max_width: Optional[int] = None, 
+                    max_height: Optional[int] = None) -> Image.Image:
+        """Resize logo to fit display dimensions."""
         if max_width is None:
             max_width = int(self.display_width * 1.5)
         if max_height is None:
             max_height = int(self.display_height * 1.5)
-
+        
         # Only resize if necessary
         if logo.width <= max_width and logo.height <= max_height:
-            if not allow_upscale or not logo.width or not logo.height:
-                return logo
-            ratio = min(max_width / logo.width, max_height / logo.height)
-            if ratio <= 1:
-                return logo
-            return logo.resize((max(1, int(logo.width * ratio)),
-                                max(1, int(logo.height * ratio))),
-                               Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
-
+            return logo
+        
         # Maintain aspect ratio
         logo.thumbnail((max_width, max_height), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
         return logo

src/common/path_safety.py

@@ -1,125 +0,0 @@
-"""One place to turn a request-supplied name into a path you can open.
-
-Every web handler that opens a file under a fixed directory had grown its own
-version of this: a regex here, an ``os.path.basename`` there, a
-``str(x).startswith(str(base))`` somewhere else. They were not equivalent.
-``startswith`` says ``plugin-repos/foo-evil`` is inside ``plugin-repos/foo``;
-validating a name in one place and rebuilding the path from the *raw* value in
-another leaves the guard checking something the filesystem never sees.
-
-Two functions, used the same way everywhere:
-
-``safe_path_component(value)``
-    ``value`` if it is one harmless path segment, otherwise ``None``.
-
-``resolve_under(base, *parts)``
-    the resolved path, or ``None`` if any part is unsafe or the result would
-    land outside ``base``.
-
-Both *return the sanitised value* rather than a boolean, so a caller cannot
-validate one string and then open another -- and so a scanner can follow what
-actually reaches ``open()``. ``os.path.basename`` does the stripping because it
-is the sanitiser CodeQL's path-injection query recognises; the equality check
-after it means an input with a directory part is rejected outright instead of
-being silently truncated to something the caller did not ask for.
-"""
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import os
-from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, List, Optional, Union
-
-__all__ = [
-    'safe_path_component',
-    'safe_relative_parts',
-    'resolve_under',
-]
-
-# Names that are a path component syntactically but never name a real entry a
-# caller means to reach.
-_RESERVED_COMPONENTS = frozenset({'', '.', '..'})
-
-
-def safe_path_component(value: Any) -> Optional[str]:
-    """Return ``value`` when it is a single, harmless path segment.
-
-    Returns ``None`` for anything else: a non-string, an empty string, ``.`` or
-    ``..``, a value carrying a directory separator (either platform's), a drive
-    letter, or an embedded NUL.
-
-    The return value is what callers must join -- not the argument.
-    """
-    if not isinstance(value, str) or not value:
-        return None
-    if '\x00' in value:
-        return None
-
-    # basename strips any directory component, so what a caller joins cannot
-    # carry one. Comparing the result against the input rejects rather than
-    # truncates: "../etc/passwd" is an error, not a request for "passwd".
-    name = os.path.basename(value)
-    if name != value or name in _RESERVED_COMPONENTS:
-        return None
-
-    # basename only knows the host platform's separator. On POSIX a backslash
-    # is an ordinary character, and "C:" is a plausible-looking name that
-    # os.path.join would treat as a drive on Windows. Rule both out everywhere
-    # so behaviour does not depend on where the service happens to run.
-    if '/' in name or '\\' in name or os.sep in name or (os.altsep and os.altsep in name):
-        return None
-    if ':' in name and len(name) >= 2 and name[1] == ':':
-        return None
-
-    return name
-
-
-def safe_relative_parts(value: Any) -> Optional[List[str]]:
-    """Split a multi-segment relative path into safe components.
-
-    For Flask's ``<path:...>`` converter, where ``a/b/c.json`` is legitimate but
-    ``../../config/config_secrets.json`` is not. Returns the component list, or
-    ``None`` if any component fails :func:`safe_path_component`.
-    """
-    if not isinstance(value, str) or not value:
-        return None
-    if value.startswith('/') or value.startswith('\\'):
-        return None
-
-    parts: List[str] = []
-    for raw in value.replace('\\', '/').split('/'):
-        if raw == '':
-            # A trailing or doubled slash names nothing; skip it rather than
-            # rejecting a path a browser may well send.
-            continue
-        part = safe_path_component(raw)
-        if part is None:
-            return None
-        parts.append(part)
-
-    return parts or None
-
-
-def resolve_under(base: Union[str, Path], *parts: Any) -> Optional[Path]:
-    """Resolve ``base/parts...``, or ``None`` if that would escape ``base``.
-
-    Each part is validated with :func:`safe_path_component` first, so the value
-    that reaches the filesystem is the sanitised one. The containment check is
-    kept as well: it is what catches a symlink inside ``base`` pointing out of
-    it, which no amount of name validation can see.
-    """
-    safe_parts: List[str] = []
-    for part in parts:
-        component = safe_path_component(part)
-        if component is None:
-            return None
-        safe_parts.append(component)
-
-    try:
-        base_resolved = Path(base).resolve()
-        candidate = base_resolved.joinpath(*safe_parts).resolve()
-        candidate.relative_to(base_resolved)
-    except (OSError, ValueError, TypeError):
-        return None
-
-    return candidate

src/common/scroll_config.py

@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ class CrispSpeed:
 
     @property
     def frames_per_second(self) -> float:
-        """Distinct frames per second: the refresh divided by the hold."""
         return self.refresh_hz / self.frame_hold
 
     @property
@@ -101,7 +100,6 @@ class CrispSpeed:
         return "smooth"
 
     def describe(self) -> str:
-        """This speed as a line for the speed ladder, aligned for a column."""
         return (
             f"{self.pixels_per_second:6.1f} px/s  "
             f"({self.pixels_per_frame}px every {self.frame_hold} refresh"
@@ -204,7 +202,6 @@ class ScrollSettings:
         return self.crisp.frame_hold if self.crisp else 1
 
     def describe(self) -> str:
-        """One log line: the speed applied, and which config key produced it."""
         text = f"{self.pixels_per_second:.1f} px/s (from {self.source})"
         if self.pixels_per_frame is not None:
             text += f" = {self.pixels_per_frame:.2f} px/frame"
@@ -334,13 +331,11 @@ def configure(
     stepping is not used. ``hasattr`` guards keep this usable against older
     ScrollHelper builds that a plugin may be running on.
 
-    :param display_manager: consulted for the panel's refresh rate only (it can
-        see display.hardware; a plugin cannot). The frame hold is NOT applied
-        here -- see the note in the body. The caller must pass
-        ``settings.frame_hold`` to ``display_manager.set_scrolling_state(True,
-        ...)`` when it starts scrolling, or a sub-refresh speed still presents
-        a new frame every refresh and the motion falls back to fractional
-        pixels.
+    :param display_manager: when given, the frame hold for the chosen speed is
+        applied to it. Without this a sub-refresh speed still resolves, but the
+        panel keeps presenting a new frame every refresh, so the motion falls
+        back to fractional pixels and judders -- the hold is what makes slow
+        speeds crisp.
     :param snap_to_crisp: move the requested speed to the nearest speed the
         panel can show in whole pixels. On by default because a speed that does
         not divide evenly has no good rendering, only a choice of artefacts.
@@ -348,28 +343,20 @@ def configure(
     :returns: the settings applied, so the caller can log or assert on them.
     """
     log = plugin_logger or logger
-
-    # Refresh rate, most authoritative first: what the caller passed, then the
-    # display manager (which can see display.hardware; a plugin cannot), then
-    # the global config, then the default.
-    #
-    # This has to be settled BEFORE resolve(), not after. resolve() uses the
-    # refresh to fill in target_fps, pixels_per_frame and the judder warning,
-    # so deriving it afterwards described a 100Hz panel to everyone running at
-    # 60 -- and with snap_to_crisp=False nothing downstream corrected it, so
-    # set_target_fps() paced the helper to 100 FPS on a 60Hz panel.
-    hz = _coerce(refresh_hz)
-    if hz is None and display_manager is not None:
-        hz = _coerce(getattr(display_manager, "refresh_hz", None))
-    if hz is None:
-        hz = refresh_hz_from_config(global_config)
-
     settings = resolve(
         plugin_config,
         global_config,
         default_pixels_per_second=default_pixels_per_second,
-        refresh_hz=hz,
+        refresh_hz=refresh_hz,
     )
+
+    # Refresh rate, most authoritative first: what the caller passed, then the
+    # display manager (which can see display.hardware; a plugin cannot), then
+    # whatever resolve() inferred, then the default.
+    hz = _coerce(refresh_hz)
+    if hz is None and display_manager is not None:
+        hz = _coerce(getattr(display_manager, "refresh_hz", None))
+    hz = hz or settings.target_fps or DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ
     applied = settings.pixels_per_second
     choice = None
 
@@ -390,15 +377,6 @@ def configure(
     if hasattr(scroll_helper, "set_frame_based_scrolling"):
         scroll_helper.set_frame_based_scrolling(False)
     scroll_helper.set_scroll_speed(applied)
-
-    # A crisp speed is a whole number of pixels per presented frame, so step by
-    # that number rather than by speed * elapsed time. Snapping alone only
-    # fixes the average: the wall clock puts the accumulator back on an integer
-    # boundary every frame, where jitter of a fraction of a millisecond decides
-    # whether the pixel moves. That is what the ladder was bought to prevent.
-    if hasattr(scroll_helper, "set_pixels_per_frame"):
-        scroll_helper.set_pixels_per_frame(
-            choice.pixels_per_frame if choice else None)
     if choice and hasattr(scroll_helper, "set_target_fps"):
         scroll_helper.set_target_fps(choice.frames_per_second)
     elif settings.target_fps and hasattr(scroll_helper, "set_target_fps"):
@@ -439,14 +417,5 @@ def refresh_hz_from_config(global_config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> float:
     """The panel's refresh cap from the global config, or the default."""
     if not isinstance(global_config, dict):
         return DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ
-    # Each level is checked for being a mapping rather than merely truthy: a
-    # malformed config where display or display.hardware is a string or a list
-    # raised AttributeError out of what is meant to be a total function with a
-    # default, taking down every caller that asked for the refresh rate.
-    display = global_config.get("display")
-    if not isinstance(display, dict):
-        return DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ
-    hardware = display.get("hardware")
-    if not isinstance(hardware, dict):
-        return DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ
+    hardware = (global_config.get("display") or {}).get("hardware") or {}
     return _coerce(hardware.get("limit_refresh_rate_hz")) or DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ

src/common/scroll_helper.py

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ Features:
 """
 
 import logging
-import math
 import time
 from typing import Optional, Dict, Any
 from PIL import Image
@@ -30,55 +29,6 @@ except ImportError:
     HAS_SCIPY = False
 
 
-# How often the frame-stats line is emitted, and therefore also the ceiling
-# on a believable frame time: a scroll that renders at all cannot take this
-# long over one frame, so a sample this large is an idle gap between scrolls.
-FPS_LOG_INTERVAL = 5.0
-
-
-def frame_stats(frame_times: list) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Summary statistics over one window of frame durations (seconds).
-
-    Split out of log_frame_rate() so the arithmetic can be tested without a
-    clock. Median and p95 are the real ones: the median takes both middle
-    samples on an even window, and p95 is nearest-rank, so a 100-frame window
-    reports the 95th sorted sample rather than the 96th. That matters twice
-    over, because the median is also the threshold the stall and skip counts
-    are measured against.
-    """
-    window = sorted(frame_times)
-    n = len(window)
-    median = (window[n // 2] if n % 2
-              else (window[n // 2 - 1] + window[n // 2]) / 2.0)
-    mean = sum(window) / n
-    # Anything past 1.5x the median missed a panel refresh; anything under
-    # half of it never reached the panel at all (dirty tracking skipped the
-    # swap, so the frame did not wait for vsync).
-    return {
-        "frames": n,
-        "fps": (1.0 / mean) if mean > 0 else 0.0,
-        "median": median,
-        "p95": window[max(0, math.ceil(0.95 * n) - 1)],
-        "max": window[-1],
-        "min": window[0],
-        "stalls": sum(1 for f in window if f > median * 1.5),
-        "skips": sum(1 for f in window if f < median * 0.5),
-    }
-
-
-def format_frame_stats(frame_times: list) -> str:
-    """The one-line rendering of frame_stats(), in milliseconds."""
-    s = frame_stats(frame_times)
-    n = s["frames"]
-    return (
-        f"{s['fps']:.1f} fps over {n} frames | "
-        f"median {s['median'] * 1000:.2f}ms p95 {s['p95'] * 1000:.2f}ms "
-        f"max {s['max'] * 1000:.2f}ms min {s['min'] * 1000:.2f}ms | "
-        f"stalls {s['stalls']} ({100.0 * s['stalls'] / n:.1f}%) "
-        f"skips {s['skips']} ({100.0 * s['skips'] / n:.1f}%)"
-    )
-
-
 class ScrollHelper:
     """
     Helper class for scrolling text and image content on LED displays.
@@ -141,10 +91,7 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         self._last_integer_position = 0  # Cache for integer position to avoid repeated calculations
         
         # Frame-based scrolling settings
-        self.frame_based_scrolling = False
-        #: Whole pixels to advance per presented frame, or None to pace
-        #: off elapsed time. See set_pixels_per_frame.
-        self.fixed_pixels_per_frame = None  # If True, use scroll_delay to throttle and move scroll_speed pixels
+        self.frame_based_scrolling = False  # If True, use scroll_delay to throttle and move scroll_speed pixels
         self.last_step_time = 0.0  # Track last step time for frame-based throttling
         
         # Time tracking for scroll updates
@@ -164,11 +111,9 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         self.last_progress_log_time: Optional[float] = None
         self.progress_log_interval = 5.0  # seconds
         
-        # Frame rate tracking. last_frame_time is None until the first frame
-        # of a scroll is rendered -- see log_frame_rate() for why timing from
-        # construction (or from the end of the previous scroll) is wrong.
+        # Frame rate tracking
         self.frame_count = 0
-        self.last_frame_time: Optional[float] = None
+        self.last_frame_time = time.time()
         self.last_fps_log_time = time.time()
         self.frame_times = []
         # Every frame time since the last stats line, so the 5s summary can
@@ -306,13 +251,7 @@ class ScrollHelper:
             self.last_progress_log_time = current_time
         
         # Update scroll position
-        if self.fixed_pixels_per_frame:
-            # One presented frame, one fixed whole-pixel step. No clock is
-            # consulted, so no jitter reaches the position and every frame
-            # moves the eye by the same amount. See set_pixels_per_frame.
-            pixels_to_move = self.fixed_pixels_per_frame
-            self.last_step_time = current_time
-        elif self.frame_based_scrolling:
+        if self.frame_based_scrolling:
             # Frame-based: move fixed amount when scroll_delay has passed
             # This matches stock ticker behavior: move pixels, then wait scroll_delay
             # Initialize last_step_time on first call to prevent huge initial jump
@@ -542,6 +481,168 @@ class ScrollHelper:
 
             return Image.frombytes('RGB', _size, self._frame_buffer.tobytes())
     
+    def _get_visible_portion_subpixel(self, start_x_int: int, fractional: float) -> Image.Image:
+        """
+        Get visible portion with sub-pixel interpolation for smooth scrolling.
+        Uses bilinear interpolation to blend between pixels.
+        """
+        # We need to extract a region that's 1 pixel wider to allow for interpolation
+        start_x = start_x_int
+        end_x = start_x_int + self.display_width + 1
+        
+        # Check if we need wrap-around
+        if end_x <= self.cached_image.width:
+            # Normal case: extract region with 1 extra pixel for interpolation
+            source_region = self.cached_array[:, start_x:end_x]
+            
+            # Use bilinear interpolation for sub-pixel shifting
+            if HAS_SCIPY:
+                # Use scipy for high-quality sub-pixel shifting
+                shifted = shift(source_region, (0, -fractional, 0), mode='nearest', order=1, prefilter=False)
+                # Extract the display_width portion
+                frame_array = shifted[:, :self.display_width].astype(np.uint8)
+            else:
+                # Fallback: simple linear interpolation using numpy
+                # Blend between current and next pixel based on fractional part
+                frame_array = self._interpolate_subpixel(source_region, fractional)
+            
+            return Image.fromarray(frame_array)
+        else:
+            # Wrap-around case with sub-pixel
+            # Use pre-allocated buffer
+            if self._frame_buffer is None or self._frame_buffer.shape != (self.display_height, self.display_width, 3):
+                self._frame_buffer = np.zeros((self.display_height, self.display_width, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+            
+            width1 = self.cached_image.width - start_x
+            if width1 > 0:
+                # First part from end of image
+                # Need width1 + 1 pixels for interpolation
+                source1_width = min(width1 + 1, self.cached_image.width - start_x)
+                source1 = self.cached_array[:, start_x:start_x + source1_width]
+                if HAS_SCIPY:
+                    shifted1 = shift(source1, (0, -fractional, 0), mode='nearest', order=1, prefilter=False)
+                    # Ensure we get exactly width1 pixels, padding if necessary
+                    if shifted1.shape[1] >= width1:
+                        self._frame_buffer[:, :width1] = shifted1[:, :width1].astype(np.uint8)
+                    else:
+                        # Shifted array is smaller - pad with zeros or repeat last pixel
+                        actual_width = shifted1.shape[1]
+                        self._frame_buffer[:, :actual_width] = shifted1.astype(np.uint8)
+                        if actual_width < width1:
+                            # Pad with last pixel
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, actual_width:width1] = shifted1[:, -1:].astype(np.uint8)
+                else:
+                    interpolated1 = self._interpolate_subpixel(source1, fractional, output_width=width1)
+                    # Ensure exact width match
+                    if interpolated1.shape[1] == width1:
+                        self._frame_buffer[:, :width1] = interpolated1
+                    else:
+                        # Handle size mismatch
+                        copy_width = min(width1, interpolated1.shape[1])
+                        self._frame_buffer[:, :copy_width] = interpolated1[:, :copy_width]
+                        if copy_width < width1:
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, copy_width:width1] = interpolated1[:, -1:]
+                
+                # Second part from beginning
+                remaining_width = self.display_width - width1
+                if remaining_width > 0:
+                    source2 = self.cached_array[:, :remaining_width + 1]
+                    if HAS_SCIPY:
+                        shifted2 = shift(source2, (0, -fractional, 0), mode='nearest', order=1, prefilter=False)
+                        # Ensure we get exactly remaining_width pixels
+                        if shifted2.shape[1] >= remaining_width:
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, width1:width1 + remaining_width] = shifted2[:, :remaining_width].astype(np.uint8)
+                        else:
+                            # Shifted array is smaller - pad if necessary
+                            actual_width = shifted2.shape[1]
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, width1:width1 + actual_width] = shifted2.astype(np.uint8)
+                            if actual_width < remaining_width:
+                                self._frame_buffer[:, width1 + actual_width:width1 + remaining_width] = shifted2[:, -1:].astype(np.uint8)
+                    else:
+                        interpolated2 = self._interpolate_subpixel(source2, fractional, output_width=remaining_width)
+                        # Ensure exact width match
+                        if interpolated2.shape[1] == remaining_width:
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, width1:] = interpolated2
+                        else:
+                            copy_width = min(remaining_width, interpolated2.shape[1])
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, width1:width1 + copy_width] = interpolated2[:, :copy_width]
+                            if copy_width < remaining_width:
+                                self._frame_buffer[:, width1 + copy_width:width1 + remaining_width] = interpolated2[:, -1:]
+            else:
+                # Edge case: wrap to beginning
+                source = self.cached_array[:, :self.display_width + 1]
+                if HAS_SCIPY:
+                    shifted = shift(source, (0, -fractional, 0), mode='nearest', order=1, prefilter=False)
+                    # Ensure we get exactly display_width pixels
+                    if shifted.shape[1] >= self.display_width:
+                        self._frame_buffer = shifted[:, :self.display_width].astype(np.uint8)
+                    else:
+                        # Shifted array is smaller - pad if necessary
+                        actual_width = shifted.shape[1]
+                        self._frame_buffer[:, :actual_width] = shifted.astype(np.uint8)
+                        if actual_width < self.display_width:
+                            self._frame_buffer[:, actual_width:] = shifted[:, -1:].astype(np.uint8)
+                else:
+                    interpolated = self._interpolate_subpixel(source, fractional, output_width=self.display_width)
+                    # _interpolate_subpixel now always returns exact width, so this should work
+                    self._frame_buffer = interpolated
+            
+            return Image.fromarray(self._frame_buffer)
+    
+    def _interpolate_subpixel(self, source: np.ndarray, fractional: float, output_width: Optional[int] = None) -> np.ndarray:
+        """
+        Simple linear interpolation for sub-pixel positioning.
+        Blends between adjacent pixels based on fractional offset.
+        
+        Args:
+            source: Source array to interpolate (width should be at least output_width + 1)
+            fractional: Fractional part of scroll position (0.0-1.0)
+            output_width: Desired output width (defaults to display_width)
+        
+        Returns:
+            Interpolated array of shape (height, output_width, 3) - ALWAYS exactly output_width
+        """
+        if output_width is None:
+            output_width = self.display_width
+        
+        # Always return exactly output_width pixels, padding if necessary
+        result = np.zeros((source.shape[0], output_width, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+        
+        # Ensure we have enough source pixels for interpolation
+        if source.shape[1] < 2:
+            # Very small source - just copy what we have and pad
+            copy_width = min(source.shape[1], output_width)
+            result[:, :copy_width] = source[:, :copy_width].astype(np.uint8)
+            if copy_width < output_width:
+                # Pad with last pixel
+                result[:, copy_width:] = source[:, -1:].astype(np.uint8)
+            return result
+        
+        # Calculate how many pixels we can actually interpolate
+        # Need at least 2 pixels to interpolate, so max output is source.shape[1] - 1
+        max_interpolated_width = source.shape[1] - 1
+        interpolated_width = min(output_width, max_interpolated_width)
+        
+        if interpolated_width > 0:
+            # Extract pixels at x and x+1 for interpolation
+            pixels_x = source[:, :interpolated_width].astype(np.float32)
+            pixels_x1 = source[:, 1:interpolated_width + 1].astype(np.float32)
+            
+            # Linear interpolation
+            interpolated = pixels_x * (1.0 - fractional) + pixels_x1 * fractional
+            
+            # Clip and convert back to uint8
+            interpolated = np.clip(interpolated, 0, 255).astype(np.uint8)
+            
+            # Copy interpolated portion to result
+            result[:, :interpolated_width] = interpolated
+        
+        # If we need more pixels than we can interpolate, pad with last pixel
+        if interpolated_width < output_width:
+            result[:, interpolated_width:] = source[:, -1:].astype(np.uint8)
+        
+        return result
+    
     def calculate_dynamic_duration(self) -> int:
         """
         Calculate display duration based on content width and scroll settings.
@@ -772,10 +873,6 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         # Reset last_update_time to prevent large delta_time on next update
         # This ensures smooth scrolling after reset without jumping ahead
         self.last_update_time = now
-        # Same reasoning for the frame-rate clock: the first frame after a
-        # reset has no predecessor in this scroll, and timing it against the
-        # last frame of the previous one measures the idle gap between them.
-        self.last_frame_time = None
         self.logger.debug("Scroll position reset")
 
     def reset(self) -> None:
@@ -838,13 +935,6 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         Args:
             speed: Scroll speed (interpretation depends on frame_based_scrolling mode)
         """
-        # A speed set directly is a request to pace off that speed, so drop any
-        # fixed per-frame step left by an earlier configure(). scroll_config
-        # calls this first and set_pixels_per_frame second, so the crisp path
-        # is unaffected; what this protects is a legacy caller changing speed
-        # on a helper that scroll_config had already put in fixed-step mode,
-        # where the new speed would otherwise be silently ignored.
-        self.fixed_pixels_per_frame = None
         if self.frame_based_scrolling:
             # In frame-based mode, clamp to reasonable pixels per frame (0.1-5)
             # Higher values cause visible jumps - 1-2 pixels/frame is ideal for smoothness
@@ -865,35 +955,6 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         self.scroll_delay = max(0.001, min(1.0, delay))
         self.logger.debug(f"Scroll delay set to: {self.scroll_delay}")
     
-    def set_pixels_per_frame(self, pixels) -> None:
-        """Advance exactly `pixels` per presented frame, ignoring the clock.
-
-        Pass None to go back to pacing off elapsed time.
-
-        Smooth motion is not a frame-rate property. The strip has to advance
-        the same number of WHOLE pixels every frame, and deriving that from a
-        wall clock cannot deliver it: the position accumulates
-        ``speed * delta_time`` and is then truncated to a pixel, so any jitter
-        in delta_time lands either side of an integer boundary. Measured on
-        hardware at a rock-steady 100.0 fps, individual frames still ranged
-        5.6ms to 15.2ms -- 0.57px to 1.44px of movement -- and 53% of frames
-        advanced by something other than one pixel: about half moved nothing
-        at all and then jumped two. That is the micro-stutter, and it survived
-        every frame-timing fix because frame timing was never the problem.
-
-        It is worst precisely at a crisp speed. At 100 px/s on a 100Hz panel
-        the accumulator sits exactly on integer boundaries, so sub-millisecond
-        jitter flips it either way and the motion beats at around 50Hz.
-
-        Stepping per frame is only correct because SwapOnVSync blocks until
-        the panel has taken the frame, which makes the frame count a truer
-        clock than time.time(). Before the swap was locked to vsync this would
-        have run at whatever speed the loop happened to spin at.
-        """
-        self.fixed_pixels_per_frame = int(pixels) if pixels else None
-        self.logger.debug("Fixed step set to: %s px/frame",
-                          self.fixed_pixels_per_frame)
-
     def set_target_fps(self, fps: float) -> None:
         """
         Set the target frames per second for scrolling.
@@ -974,37 +1035,11 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         Log frame rate statistics for performance monitoring.
         """
         current_time = time.time()
-
-        # The first frame of a scroll has no predecessor, so it has no frame
-        # time. Measuring one anyway records the whole idle gap since the last
-        # scroll as a single frame: on hardware that produced windows reading
-        # "0.0 fps over 1 frames | median 136776.02ms", and -- worse, because
-        # it is not obviously wrong -- put that gap in the max field of
-        # otherwise healthy windows and counted it as one stall per scroll.
-        # At ~500 frames to a window that is ~0.2%, which is the same order as
-        # the real stall rates being measured, so the number could not be
-        # trusted at all. Seed the clock and take no sample.
-        if self.last_frame_time is None:
-            self.last_frame_time = current_time
-            # Restart the window with the scroll. Otherwise the boundary is
-            # already long overdue when the second frame arrives, and the new
-            # scroll opens by reporting a window of exactly one frame.
-            self.last_fps_log_time = current_time
-            return
-
+        
         # Calculate instantaneous frame time
         frame_time = current_time - self.last_frame_time
-
-        # A caller that scrolls without ever calling reset_scroll() never arms
-        # the sentinel above, so catch the same gap by its size. Nothing that
-        # renders a scroll produces a frame longer than the log interval; a
-        # sample that large is an idle period, not a frame.
-        if frame_time >= FPS_LOG_INTERVAL:
-            self.last_frame_time = current_time
-            return
-
         self.frame_times.append(frame_time)
-
+        
         # Keep only last 100 frames for average
         if len(self.frame_times) > 100:
             self.frame_times.pop(0)
@@ -1017,21 +1052,34 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         # duplicate and a 21ms double-wait mean exactly 10ms). Chasing scroll
         # judder needs the tail, so keep the window and report percentiles.
         self._window.append(frame_time)
-
+        
         # Log FPS every 5 seconds to avoid spam
-        if current_time - self.last_fps_log_time >= FPS_LOG_INTERVAL:
-            # An empty window means every sample in this interval was dropped
-            # as an idle gap. There is nothing to report, and reporting the
-            # gap itself is the bug above.
-            if self._window:
-                self.logger.info(
-                    "Scroll frame stats - %s",
-                    format_frame_stats(self._window),
-                )
+        if current_time - self.last_fps_log_time >= 5.0:
+            window = sorted(self._window) if self._window else [frame_time]
+            n = len(window)
+            median = window[n // 2]
+            p95 = window[min(n - 1, int(n * 0.95))]
+            worst = window[-1]
+            best = window[0]
+            mean = sum(window) / n
+            # Anything past 1.5x the median missed a panel refresh; anything
+            # under half of it never reached the panel at all (dirty tracking
+            # skipped the swap, so the frame did not wait for vsync).
+            stalls = sum(1 for f in window if f > median * 1.5)
+            skips = sum(1 for f in window if f < median * 0.5)
+
+            self.logger.info(
+                "Scroll frame stats - %.1f fps over %d frames | "
+                "median %.2fms p95 %.2fms max %.2fms min %.2fms | "
+                "stalls %d (%.1f%%) skips %d (%.1f%%)",
+                (1.0 / mean) if mean > 0 else 0.0, n,
+                median * 1000, p95 * 1000, worst * 1000, best * 1000,
+                stalls, 100.0 * stalls / n, skips, 100.0 * skips / n,
+            )
             self.last_fps_log_time = current_time
             self.frame_count = 0
             self._window = []
-
+        
         self.last_frame_time = current_time
         self.frame_count += 1
     

src/common/sports_card.py

@@ -1,483 +0,0 @@
-"""Card-drawing helpers shared by every sports scoreboard plugin.
-
-The eight scoreboards each carried byte-identical copies of the functions
-below: the colour pickers, the settings lookup, the date and time formatting,
-the favourite-team rules and the font-size grid snapping. One fix had to be
-made eight times, and a new scoreboard started by copying them a ninth.
-
-Everything here is a **free function taking explicit arguments**, not a base
-class. Adoption is therefore per-function and reversible: a plugin keeps its
-method and delegates the body, so the call sites and the override points are
-untouched. That is also why `config`, `logger` and `fonts` are parameters
-rather than attributes -- the helper never reaches back into the caller.
-
-The bodies are the plugins' own code, moved rather than rewritten. The one
-deliberate difference is `crisp_size`, which takes the seven-plugin guard
-(`not desired`) instead of football's: they agree on every real input, and
-the extra guard only stops a None size raising TypeError.
-"""
-
-import logging
-from datetime import datetime, timezone
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple
-from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
-
-from src.common.font_layout import (  # noqa: F401 - re-exported, see below
-    FONT_NAME_ALIASES, FONT_PIXEL_GRID, crisp_size,
-)
-
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-__all__ = [
-    "ELEMENT_FOR_FONT", "FAVORITE_RESULT_COLOR_DEFAULTS", "FONT_NAME_ALIASES",
-    "FONT_PIXEL_GRID", "MONTH_ABBR", "WEEKDAY_ABBR",
-    "scroll_card_option", "element_color", "font_color", "coerce_rgb",
-    "score_color_for", "recent_score_color", "favorite_teams_for",
-    "side_is_favorite", "side_score", "favorite_result",
-    "card_tzinfo", "weekday_for", "format_game_date", "format_game_time",
-    "vs_text", "upcoming_center_mode", "crisp_size", "schema_font_size",
-    "resolve_font_size", "unshare_element_fonts",
-]
-
-#: Which customization element owns each font key, for colour resolution.
-ELEMENT_FOR_FONT: Dict[str, str] = {
-    "score": "score_text",
-    "time": "period_text",
-    "team": "team_name",
-    "status": "status_text",
-    "detail": "detail_text",
-    "rank": "rank_text",
-}
-
-#: Fallback colours when favourite_result_colors is on but a slot is unset.
-FAVORITE_RESULT_COLOR_DEFAULTS: Dict[str, Tuple[int, int, int]] = {
-    "win": (0, 255, 0),
-    "loss": (255, 0, 0),
-    "tie": (255, 200, 0),
-}
-
-# Re-exported rather than defined: the grid tables and the snapping rule are
-# properties of the font files, which the display core needs too (it loads the
-# same two faces in DisplayManager._load_fonts). They live in
-# src/common/font_layout.py so there is one definition; they stay in this
-# module's namespace and __all__ so the eight scoreboards that delegate to
-# `sports_card.crisp_size` are untouched.
-
-MONTH_ABBR = ("Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun",
-              "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec")
-WEEKDAY_ABBR = ("Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat", "Sun")
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Settings lookup
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-def scroll_card_option(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], key: str,
-                       default: Any = None) -> Any:
-    """Read one key from the scroll_card config block."""
-    block = (config or {}).get("scroll_card")
-    if isinstance(block, dict) and block.get(key) is not None:
-        return block.get(key)
-    return default
-
-
-def vs_text(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> str:
-    """Separator drawn between the teams -- "VS", "@", "at", anything."""
-    return str(scroll_card_option(config, "vs_text", "VS"))
-
-
-def upcoming_center_mode(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> str:
-    """Middle of an upcoming card: 'vs', 'date_time' or 'none'."""
-    mode = str(scroll_card_option(config, "upcoming_center", "vs") or "vs").lower()
-    return mode if mode in ("vs", "date_time", "none") else "vs"
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Colour
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-def element_color(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], element: str,
-                  default: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255),
-                  mode: Optional[str] = None):
-    """Per-element text colour from customization.<element>.text_color.
-
-    Delegated rather than reimplemented: there were two copies of this
-    read and three of the offset read, and the shared one also resolves
-    the element under the names plugins actually use (the layout block
-    says `score` where the style block says `score_text`) and honours a
-    per-mode override. Hex strings are still accepted.
-    """
-    from src.element_style import element_color as _shared
-    return _shared(config, element, default, mode)
-
-
-def resolve_font_color(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]],
-                       fonts: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], font,
-                       default: Tuple[int, int, int],
-                       element_for_font: Dict[str, str],
-                       mode: Optional[str] = None):
-    """Colour for whichever element owns this face.
-
-    Identity matching is a stand-in for the element name, used where the draw
-    site only ever received a font. Prefer ``element=`` on the draw call; this
-    is the fallback for the sites that have not been annotated yet.
-
-    One object can legitimately belong to several elements -- a size resolver
-    can land two of them on the same face, and a BDF face cannot be un-shared
-    at all because ``freetype.Face`` objects cannot be rebuilt from a path.
-    Those draws used to go out white, which is how an element rendered in any
-    of the 32 shipped bitmap fonts could silently lose a colour the user had
-    set. So ambiguity is now narrowed before it is given up on: among the
-    elements sharing a face, a single configured colour is the only thing the
-    user can have meant, and several that agree mean the same thing. Only a
-    genuine disagreement falls back to *default*.
-
-    The element vocabulary is a parameter because the two callers disagree
-    about it -- the mixin's map says ``team_text`` where this module's says
-    ``team_name`` -- and quietly re-pointing either at the other's names would
-    change which colour setting a live install honours.
-    """
-    try:
-        fonts = fonts or {}
-        matches = [element for key, element in element_for_font.items()
-                   if fonts.get(key) is font]
-        if len(matches) == 1:
-            return element_color(config, matches[0], default, mode)
-        if len(matches) > 1:
-            configured = []
-            for element in matches:
-                colour = element_color(config, element, None, mode)
-                if colour is not None and colour not in configured:
-                    configured.append(colour)
-            if len(configured) == 1:
-                return configured[0]
-    except (AttributeError, TypeError):
-        pass
-    return default
-
-
-def font_color(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], fonts: Optional[Dict[str, Any]],
-               font, default: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255),
-               mode: Optional[str] = None):
-    """Colour for whichever element owns this face, by this module's map."""
-    return resolve_font_color(config, fonts, font, default, ELEMENT_FOR_FONT,
-                              mode)
-
-
-def coerce_rgb(value, fallback):
-    """Turn a configured [R, G, B] list into a clamped (r, g, b) tuple."""
-    # Checked before unpacking: a 3-character string ("123") would otherwise
-    # iterate into three digits and yield a colour rather than the fallback.
-    if not isinstance(value, (list, tuple)) or len(value) != 3:
-        return fallback
-    try:
-        r, g, b = (max(0, min(255, int(channel))) for channel in value)
-    except (TypeError, ValueError):
-        return fallback
-    return (r, g, b)
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Favourite teams
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-def favorite_teams_for(config: Dict[str, Any], game: Dict[str, Any]) -> list:
-    """Favorite teams that apply to this game.
-
-    Both sources are used. Games carry the league manager's *resolved*
-    favorites, which is the only place dynamic groups such as AP_TOP_25
-    appear expanded; the config is read as well so an edit takes effect on
-    already-fetched games, and so hand-built game dicts (tests, other
-    callers) still work.
-    """
-    favorites = list(game.get("favorite_teams") or [])
-    league_config = config.get(str(game.get("league", "") or ""))
-    if isinstance(league_config, dict):
-        favorites += list(league_config.get("favorite_teams") or [])
-    else:
-        favorites += list(config.get("favorite_teams") or [])
-    return favorites
-
-
-def side_is_favorite(game: Dict[str, Any], side: str, favorites: set) -> bool:
-    """Is the home/away side of this game a favorite team?
-
-    Reads both the flat (``home_abbr``) and nested (``home_team.abbrev``)
-    payload shapes, and matches on the ESPN id too, because a couple of
-    leagues (NRL) key favorites by id where abbreviations collide.
-    """
-    candidates = [game.get(f"{side}_abbr"), game.get(f"{side}_id")]
-    team = game.get(f"{side}_team")
-    if isinstance(team, dict):
-        candidates += [team.get("abbrev"), team.get("abbreviation"), team.get("id")]
-    for value in candidates:
-        if value is not None and str(value).strip().upper() in favorites:
-            return True
-    return False
-
-
-def side_score(game: Dict[str, Any], side: str) -> Optional[int]:
-    """Numeric score for one side, from either payload shape."""
-    raw = None
-    team = game.get(f"{side}_team")
-    if isinstance(team, dict) and team.get("score") is not None:
-        raw = team.get("score")
-    if raw is None:
-        raw = game.get(f"{side}_score")
-    try:
-        return int(float(str(raw).strip()))
-    except (TypeError, ValueError):
-        return None
-
-
-def favorite_result(config: Dict[str, Any], game: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[str]:
-    """Say how the favorite team did in a finished game.
-
-    Returns 'win', 'loss' or 'tie', or None when there is no single team
-    to root for: no favorites configured, neither side is a favorite, or
-    *both* are -- a favorite-vs-favorite game has no losing side worth
-    flagging in red. Also None when the scores are not usable numbers.
-    """
-    favorites = {
-        str(team).strip().upper()
-        for team in favorite_teams_for(config, game)
-        if str(team).strip()
-    }
-    if not favorites:
-        return None
-
-    home_fav = side_is_favorite(game, "home", favorites)
-    away_fav = side_is_favorite(game, "away", favorites)
-    if home_fav == away_fav:
-        return None
-
-    home_score = side_score(game, "home")
-    away_score = side_score(game, "away")
-    if home_score is None or away_score is None:
-        return None
-
-    if home_score == away_score:
-        return "tie"
-    favorite_score, other_score = (
-        (home_score, away_score) if home_fav else (away_score, home_score)
-    )
-    return "win" if favorite_score > other_score else "loss"
-
-
-def recent_score_color(config: Dict[str, Any], logger, game: Dict[str, Any], default):
-    """Fill color for a finished game's score, per favorite_result_colors."""
-    try:
-        settings = (config.get("customization") or {}).get(
-            "favorite_result_colors"
-        ) or {}
-        if not settings.get("enabled", False):
-            return default
-        result = favorite_result(config, game)
-        if result is None:
-            return default
-        return coerce_rgb(
-            settings.get(f"{result}_color"),
-            FAVORITE_RESULT_COLOR_DEFAULTS[result],
-        )
-    except Exception:
-        logger.debug("Could not resolve favorite result color", exc_info=True)
-        return default
-
-
-def score_color_for(config: Dict[str, Any], logger, game: Dict[str, Any],
-                    game_type: str, default=None):
-    """Fill color for a game card's score. Only finished games are tinted.
-
-    The default is the configured score colour rather than a flat white,
-    so customization.score_text.text_color shows on games the favourite
-    tint does not apply to. The tint still wins where it applies.
-    """
-    if default is None:
-        default = element_color(config, 'score_text')
-    if game_type != "recent":
-        return default
-    return recent_score_color(config, logger, game, default)
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Date and time
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-def card_tzinfo(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], logger):
-    """Timezone for weekday/24h conversions; falls back to UTC."""
-    configured = (config or {}).get("timezone")
-    if configured:
-        try:
-            return ZoneInfo(configured)
-        except (KeyError, ValueError, TypeError, OSError) as exc:
-            # KeyError covers ZoneInfoNotFoundError. A bad zone name in
-            # config should fall back to UTC, not blank the card.
-            logger.debug("Unusable timezone %r: %s", configured, exc)
-    return timezone.utc
-
-
-def weekday_for(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], logger,
-                game: Optional[Dict]) -> str:
-    """Weekday abbreviation from the game's start time, or ''."""
-    if not game:
-        return ""
-    raw = game.get("start_time_utc") or game.get("start_time")
-    if not raw:
-        return ""
-    try:
-        start = raw if isinstance(raw, datetime) else datetime.fromisoformat(
-            str(raw).replace("Z", "+00:00"))
-        return WEEKDAY_ABBR[start.astimezone(card_tzinfo(config, logger)).weekday()]
-    except (ValueError, TypeError):
-        return ""
-
-
-def format_game_date(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], logger, date_text: str,
-                     game: Optional[Dict] = None) -> str:
-    """Format an upcoming card's date per scroll_card.date_format."""
-    raw = str(date_text or "").strip()
-    if not raw:
-        return ""
-    fmt = str(scroll_card_option(config, "date_format", "abbrev") or "abbrev")
-    if fmt == "numeric":
-        return raw
-    parts = raw.replace("-", "/").split("/")
-    if not (len(parts) >= 2 and parts[0].strip().isdigit() and parts[1].strip().isdigit()):
-        return raw
-    month, day = int(parts[0]), int(parts[1])
-    if not 1 <= month <= 12:
-        return raw
-    name = MONTH_ABBR[month - 1]
-    if fmt == "numeric_day_first":
-        return f"{day}/{month}"
-    if fmt == "day_first":
-        return f"{day} {name}"
-    if fmt == "weekday":
-        weekday = weekday_for(config, logger, game)
-        return f"{weekday} {name} {day}" if weekday else f"{name} {day}"
-    return f"{name} {day}"
-
-
-def format_game_time(config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]], time_text: str) -> str:
-    """Return the time as-is (12h) or converted to 24h."""
-    raw = str(time_text or "").strip()
-    if not raw or str(scroll_card_option(config, "time_format", "12h")) != "24h":
-        return raw
-    cleaned = raw.upper().replace(" ", "")
-    meridiem = "AM" if cleaned.endswith("AM") else "PM" if cleaned.endswith("PM") else ""
-    if not meridiem:
-        return raw
-    try:
-        hh, _, mm = cleaned[:-2].partition(":")
-        hour, minute = int(hh), int(mm or 0)
-    except ValueError:
-        return raw
-    if not (0 <= hour <= 12 and 0 <= minute <= 59):
-        return raw
-    hour = hour % 12 + (12 if meridiem == "PM" else 0)
-    return f"{hour:02d}:{minute:02d}"
-
-
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Font sizing
-# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#: Per-schema caches, keyed by the schema's absolute path. Keyed rather than
-#: global because each plugin declares its own defaults; keyed rather than
-#: per-class because the helper has no class to hang it on.
-_SCHEMA_FONT_SIZE_CACHE: Dict[str, Dict[str, int]] = {}
-
-
-def schema_font_size(schema_path: str, element_key) -> Optional[int]:
-    """The font_size this plugin's config_schema.json declares, or None.
-
-    Cached per schema path. The plugins cached this on their own class; the
-    path is the same distinction expressed without one, so two plugins never
-    share an entry.
-    """
-    if not element_key:
-        return None
-    cache = _SCHEMA_FONT_SIZE_CACHE.get(schema_path)
-    if cache is None:
-        cache = {}
-        try:
-            import json
-            with open(schema_path) as fh:
-                schema = json.load(fh)
-            props = (schema.get('properties', {})
-                           .get('customization', {})
-                           .get('properties', {}))
-            for key, spec in props.items():
-                size = spec.get('properties', {}).get('font_size', {}).get('default')
-                if size is not None:
-                    cache[key] = int(size)
-        except Exception as exc:
-            # See sports_shared._schema_font_size: an unreadable schema
-            # silently disables the pixel-grid snap for every element.
-            # Built once per schema path, so this cannot repeat per frame.
-            logger.warning(
-                "could not read %s (%s: %s); font sizes will skip their "
-                "pixel grid snap and may render a pixel narrow",
-                schema_path, type(exc).__name__, exc)
-            cache = {}
-        _SCHEMA_FONT_SIZE_CACHE[schema_path] = cache
-    return cache.get(element_key)
-
-
-def resolve_font_size(schema_path: str, element_config, element_key,
-                      default_size, font_name, aliases=None, grid_table=None):
-    """Size to render at: the user's choice, or a grid-snapped default.
-
-    A configured size counts as a real choice only when it differs from
-    the schema default. The web UI writes the whole schema default block
-    on every save, so "font_size == schema default" carries no intent and
-    would otherwise pin every install to an anti-aliased size forever.
-    """
-    configured = (element_config or {}).get('font_size')
-    if configured is not None:
-        try:
-            configured = int(configured)
-            if configured != schema_font_size(schema_path, element_key):
-                return configured
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            pass
-    return crisp_size(font_name, default_size, aliases, grid_table)
-
-
-def unshare_element_fonts(logger, fonts):
-    """Give each colourable element its own face object.
-
-    The colour a draw gets is resolved from the face it was handed, and
-    several of these loaders legitimately hand one object to more than one
-    element -- a size resolver that lands two elements on the same face, a
-    fallback that fills every key from one default, football's narrowing
-    step that deliberately shrinks the clock along with the score. Sharing
-    the object makes the element ambiguous and the colour unresolvable.
-
-    Re-instantiating from the same path and size gives a distinct object
-    with identical metrics, so nothing about the rendering changes; only
-    the ability to tell two elements apart does. Faces that cannot be
-    rebuilt (a BDF loaded through freetype.Face, anything without a usable
-    path) are left shared, and their draws stay white as before.
-    """
-    try:
-        from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype as _load
-    except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-        return fonts
-    seen = {}
-    for key in ELEMENT_FOR_FONT:
-        font = fonts.get(key)
-        if font is None:
-            continue
-        if id(font) not in seen:
-            seen[id(font)] = key
-            continue
-        path, size = getattr(font, "path", None), getattr(font, "size", None)
-        if not path or not size:
-            continue
-        try:
-            fonts[key] = _load(path, size)
-        except (OSError, ValueError, TypeError):
-            logger.debug(
-                "Could not un-share the %s face; it keeps the default colour", key)
-    return fonts

src/common/sports_game_renderer.py

@@ -1,251 +0,0 @@
-"""The scroll/Vegas card geometry the sports scoreboards all share.
-
-Eight scoreboards -- afl, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse,
-nrl and soccer -- each carried their own ``game_renderer.py``. After the card
-helpers moved to ``src/common/sports_card.py`` the settings lookups were
-shared, but the *geometry* was not: nine methods that decide how wide the
-centre gap is, how much room a logo gets, and where an upcoming card's date
-and time land were still eight separate copies. Five were byte-identical
-across all eight plugins; the other four were identical in seven, with a
-different single outlier each time.
-
-That last detail is why this is a mixin rather than free functions. There is
-no per-sport branching to write -- baseball needs its own
-``_draw_upcoming_game_status`` and ``_logo_slot_width``, hockey its own
-``_upcoming_date_and_time``, football its own ``_score_reserve_width``, and
-every one of those is an ordinary override. The seven that agree inherit and
-say nothing.
-
-It is deliberately *only* a mixin: no ``__init__``, no state of its own. The
-plugins' constructors differ in six ways and none of that difference is worth
-unifying, so adoption is one line on the class statement plus deleting the
-methods that now come from here.
-
-What a host class must provide
-------------------------------
-Attributes: ``display_width``, ``display_height``, ``config``, ``fonts``,
-``logger``, ``_team_rankings_cache``.
-
-Methods: ``_draw_text_with_outline(draw, text, position, font, fill=None,
-outline_color=(0, 0, 0))`` -- the one hook whose body genuinely varies -- plus
-the ``sports_card`` delegations ``_scroll_card_option``,
-``_upcoming_center_mode``, ``_vs_text``, ``_element_color``,
-``_format_game_date`` and ``_format_game_time``.
-"""
-
-import math
-from typing import ClassVar, Dict, Tuple
-
-from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
-
-
-class SportsGameRendererMixin:
-    """Shared card geometry for the sports scoreboards. See module docstring."""
-
-    #: Centre strip as a fraction of card width, before clamping.
-    CENTER_GAP_RATIO: ClassVar[float] = 0.28
-    #: Clamp floor for the derived centre gap.
-    CENTER_GAP_MIN_PX: ClassVar[int] = 22
-    #: Clamp ceiling for the derived centre gap.
-    CENTER_GAP_MAX_PX: ClassVar[int] = 40
-    #: Breathing room kept between the score and each logo.
-    _SCORE_LOGO_GUTTER_PX: ClassVar[int] = 4
-    #: Widest score the centre strip must fit. Leagues that can reach three
-    #: digits a side override this with "000-000".
-    _SCORE_PROBE: ClassVar[str] = "00-00"
-
-    # ---- geometry ------------------------------------------------------
-
-    # Non-finite settings are rejected before any int()/round(): "inf" reaches
-    # these from config as a float or a string, passes an `isinstance` plus
-    # `>= 0` check unharmed, and then raises OverflowError out of int() --
-    # which the old `except (TypeError, ValueError)` did not catch, so it
-    # aborted the whole card render. Present in all eight plugins before this
-    # moved to the core; fixing it here fixes it in all eight.
-
-    def _score_reserve_width(self) -> int:
-        """Centre strip the score actually needs, measured rather than assumed.
-
-        The gap was derived from the card width alone (width x
-        CENTER_GAP_RATIO, clamped to CENTER_GAP_MAX_PX) while the score's size
-        comes from config and the element-style resolver. Nothing compared the
-        two, so any score wider than the clamp was drawn over the logos.
-        Measuring it keeps the strip wide enough for whatever font is in play.
-        """
-        try:
-            probe = ImageDraw.Draw(Image.new("RGB", (4, 4)))
-            width = probe.textlength(self._SCORE_PROBE, font=self.fonts['score'])
-            return int(width) + 2 * self._SCORE_LOGO_GUTTER_PX
-        except Exception:
-            self.logger.debug("Score reserve measurement failed", exc_info=True)
-            return 0
-
-    def _center_gap_width(self) -> int:
-        """Width of the middle strip kept clear of logos.
-
-        ``scroll_card.center_gap`` pins it outright; otherwise it scales with
-        the card width between the configurable min and max. 0 restores
-        edge-to-edge logos.
-        """
-        configured = self._scroll_card_option("center_gap")
-        if (isinstance(configured, (int, float))
-                and math.isfinite(configured) and configured >= 0):
-            return int(configured)
-        ratio = self._scroll_card_option("center_gap_ratio", self.CENTER_GAP_RATIO)
-        low = self._scroll_card_option("center_gap_min", self.CENTER_GAP_MIN_PX)
-        high = self._scroll_card_option("center_gap_max", self.CENTER_GAP_MAX_PX)
-        try:
-            ratio, low, high = float(ratio), float(low), float(high)
-            if not (math.isfinite(ratio) and math.isfinite(low)
-                    and math.isfinite(high)):
-                return self.CENTER_GAP_MIN_PX
-            scaled = round(self.display_width * ratio)
-            derived = int(max(int(low), min(int(high), scaled)))
-            # A strip narrower than the score is the bug, not a style choice.
-            # An explicit ``center_gap`` is still honoured above, including 0.
-            return max(derived, self._score_reserve_width())
-        except (TypeError, ValueError, OverflowError):
-            return self.CENTER_GAP_MIN_PX
-
-    def _logo_slot_width(self) -> int:
-        """Per-side logo slot, leaving the center gap clear.
-
-        No longer capped at display_height: the card is sized as two
-        full-height logos plus the measured gap, so what is left after the gap
-        is exactly the logo's share. The cap was what froze the logos at 46px
-        on the old flat 128px card.
-        """
-        available = (self.display_width - self._center_gap_width()) // 2
-        return max(8, available)
-
-    def _logo_cache_key(self, name: str) -> str:
-        """Cache key scoped to the logo slot.
-
-        One cache dict is shared by renderers built for different card widths,
-        so a logo sized for a wide slot must not be handed to a narrow one.
-        """
-        return f"{name}@{self._logo_slot_width()}x{self.display_height}"
-
-    def _layout_offset(self, element: str, axis: str, default: int = 0) -> int:
-        """X/Y nudge for one element, from customization.layout.
-
-        Same block the full-screen scorebug reads (sports.py
-        _get_layout_offset), so a nudge configured in the web UI now moves
-        the element on the scroll/Vegas card too -- previously the schema
-        advertised these offsets but this renderer ignored them.
-        """
-        from src.element_style import layout_offset
-        return layout_offset(self.config, element, axis, default,
-                             getattr(self, "SKIN_MODE", None))
-
-    # ---- upcoming cards ------------------------------------------------
-
-    def _upcoming_date_and_time(self, game: Dict) -> Tuple[str, str]:
-        """(date, time) for an upcoming card, from the extractor's flat keys."""
-        return (
-            str(game.get("game_date", "") or ""),
-            str(game.get("game_time", "") or ""),
-        )
-
-    def _draw_upcoming_center(self, draw: "ImageDraw.ImageDraw", game: Dict) -> None:
-        """Draw the middle of an upcoming card.
-
-        Never a score: an upcoming game has not started, so the extractor's
-        0-0 is noise. Either the VS text (default), the date and time stacked,
-        or nothing at all.
-        """
-        mode = self._upcoming_center_mode()
-        if mode == "none":
-            return
-
-        if mode == "vs":
-            vs_text = self._vs_text()
-            if not vs_text:
-                return
-            vs_width = draw.textlength(vs_text, font=self.fonts['score'])
-            vs_x = (self.display_width - vs_width) // 2 + self._layout_offset('score', 'x_offset')
-            vs_y = (self.display_height // 2) - 3 + self._layout_offset('score', 'y_offset')
-            self._draw_text_with_outline(
-                draw, vs_text, (vs_x, vs_y), self.fonts['score'],
-                fill=self._element_color('score_text')
-            )
-            return
-
-        date_text, time_text = self._upcoming_date_and_time(game)
-        lines = []
-        if self._scroll_card_option("show_date", True):
-            lines.append(self._format_game_date(date_text, game))
-        if self._scroll_card_option("show_time", True):
-            lines.append(self._format_game_time(time_text))
-        lines = [t for t in lines if t]
-        if not lines:
-            return
-        font = self.fonts.get('detail') or self.fonts['time']
-        line_h = 7
-        top = (self.display_height // 2) - (len(lines) * line_h) // 2
-        top += self._layout_offset('score', 'y_offset')
-        for i, line in enumerate(lines):
-            width = draw.textlength(line, font=font)
-            x = (self.display_width - width) // 2 + self._layout_offset('score', 'x_offset')
-            self._draw_text_with_outline(
-                draw, line, (x, top + i * line_h), font,
-                fill=self._element_color('detail_text')
-            )
-
-    def _draw_upcoming_game_status(self, draw: "ImageDraw.ImageDraw", game: Dict) -> None:
-        """Draw the date and time around an upcoming card.
-
-        Time top and date bottom by default; scroll_card.swap_date_time puts
-        the date on top instead. Skipped when the pair is stacked in the
-        middle, which would otherwise print them twice.
-        """
-        if self._upcoming_center_mode() == "date_time":
-            return
-
-        date_raw, time_raw = self._upcoming_date_and_time(game)
-        date_text = (self._format_game_date(date_raw, game)
-                     if self._scroll_card_option("show_date", True) else "")
-        time_text = (self._format_game_time(time_raw)
-                     if self._scroll_card_option("show_time", True) else "")
-
-        if self._scroll_card_option("swap_date_time", False):
-            top_text, top_el, bottom_text, bottom_el = (
-                date_text, 'date', time_text, 'time')
-            top_font = self.fonts.get('detail') or self.fonts['time']
-            bottom_font = self.fonts['time']
-            top_color, bottom_color = 'detail_text', 'period_text'
-        else:
-            top_text, top_el, bottom_text, bottom_el = (
-                time_text, 'time', date_text, 'date')
-            top_font = self.fonts['time']
-            bottom_font = self.fonts.get('detail') or self.fonts['time']
-            top_color, bottom_color = 'period_text', 'detail_text'
-
-        if top_text:
-            top_width = draw.textlength(top_text, font=top_font)
-            top_x = (self.display_width - top_width) // 2 + self._layout_offset(top_el, 'x_offset')
-            top_y = 1 + self._layout_offset(top_el, 'y_offset')
-            self._draw_text_with_outline(
-                draw, top_text, (top_x, top_y), top_font,
-                fill=self._element_color(top_color)
-            )
-
-        if bottom_text:
-            bottom_width = draw.textlength(bottom_text, font=bottom_font)
-            bottom_x = ((self.display_width - bottom_width) // 2
-                        + self._layout_offset(bottom_el, 'x_offset'))
-            # Measured, not a fixed -7: the detail font is 6px in most plugins
-            # but 10px in soccer and nrl, where "Sep 19" ran past the card.
-            ink_bottom = draw.textbbox((0, 0), bottom_text, font=bottom_font)[3]
-            bottom_y = (max(0, self.display_height - ink_bottom - 1)
-                        + self._layout_offset(bottom_el, 'y_offset'))
-            self._draw_text_with_outline(
-                draw, bottom_text, (bottom_x, bottom_y), bottom_font,
-                fill=self._element_color(bottom_color)
-            )
-
-    # ---- rankings ------------------------------------------------------
-
-    def set_rankings_cache(self, rankings: Dict[str, int]) -> None:
-        """Set the team rankings cache for display."""
-        self._team_rankings_cache = rankings

src/common/sports_scroll.py

@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 from PIL import Image
 
-from src.common import scroll_config
 from src.common.scroll_helper import ScrollHelper
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -59,9 +58,13 @@ DEFAULT_SCROLL_SETTINGS: Dict[str, Any] = {
     "dynamic_duration": True,
 }
 
+#: Bounds on the px/second -> px/frame conversion, applied before the helper
+#: sees the value. FPS is *not* clamped here — ScrollHelper.set_target_fps
+#: already does that, and a second copy of the range would drift from it.
+MIN_PIXELS_PER_FRAME = 0.1
+MAX_PIXELS_PER_FRAME = 5.0
+
 #: Pacing to assume when scroll_delay is 0, i.e. the plugin has not set one.
-#: Only used to interpret this module's own px/frame config shape; the speed
-#: bounds and the px/s -> px/frame conversion belong to scroll_config now.
 ASSUMED_FPS_WHEN_UNPACED = 100.0
 
 
@@ -233,75 +236,51 @@ class SportsScrollDisplay:
         """Apply config to the scroll helper. Safe to call again after a change."""
         settings = self._get_scroll_settings()
 
+        scroll_speed = self._coerce_float(settings.get("scroll_speed"), 50.0)
+        scroll_delay = self._coerce_float(settings.get("scroll_delay"), 0.01)
         dynamic_duration = bool(settings.get("dynamic_duration", True))
+
+        self.scroll_helper.set_scroll_delay(scroll_delay)
         self.scroll_helper.set_dynamic_duration_settings(
             enabled=dynamic_duration,
             min_duration=settings.get("min_duration", 30),
             max_duration=settings.get("max_duration", 600),
             buffer=0.2,  # ensure the strip clears the panel completely
         )
+        # Frame-based scrolling: motion advances per rendered frame rather than
+        # per wall-clock second, which is what makes the pacing stable.
+        self.scroll_helper.set_frame_based_scrolling(True)
 
-        # Speed goes through scroll_config, which every other scrolling plugin
-        # already uses. What must NOT happen is handing it this module's
-        # settings dict: the two read the same key names with different
-        # meanings, and the collision is a factor of 1/scroll_delay.
-        #
-        #   sports_scroll: scroll_speed is px/SECOND; scroll_delay is only the
-        #                  frame period used to reach px/frame.
-        #   scroll_config: scroll_speed is px per STEP, so px/s = speed/delay.
-        #
-        # Passing {"scroll_speed": 50.0, "scroll_delay": 0.01} straight through
-        # resolves to 5000 px/s (clamped to 500) instead of 50. So this module
-        # keeps ownership of reading its own config -- _get_scroll_settings
-        # merges the league overrides -- and hands the resolver a plain px/s.
-        pixels_per_second = self._resolve_pixels_per_second(settings)
+        # Config states speed in px/second; frame-based mode wants px/frame.
+        if scroll_delay > 0:
+            pixels_per_frame = scroll_speed * scroll_delay
+        else:
+            pixels_per_frame = scroll_speed / ASSUMED_FPS_WHEN_UNPACED
+        pixels_per_frame = max(
+            MIN_PIXELS_PER_FRAME, min(MAX_PIXELS_PER_FRAME, pixels_per_frame)
+        )
+        self.scroll_helper.set_scroll_speed(pixels_per_frame)
 
-        resolved = scroll_config.configure(
-            self.scroll_helper,
-            plugin_config=None,
-            global_config=self.global_config,
-            default_pixels_per_second=pixels_per_second,
-            display_manager=self.display_manager,
-            plugin_logger=self.logger,
-            refresh_hz=self._resolve_refresh_hz(),
+        effective_pps = (
+            pixels_per_frame / scroll_delay
+            if scroll_delay > 0
+            else pixels_per_frame * ASSUMED_FPS_WHEN_UNPACED
         )
-        self._scroll_settings = resolved
         self.logger.info(
-            "ScrollHelper configured: %s (requested %.1f px/s), "
-            "dynamic_duration=%s",
-            resolved.describe(),
-            pixels_per_second, dynamic_duration,
+            f"ScrollHelper configured: {pixels_per_frame:.2f} px/frame, "
+            f"delay={scroll_delay}s (effective {effective_pps:.1f} px/s from "
+            f"{scroll_speed} px/s config), dynamic_duration={dynamic_duration}"
         )
 
-    def _resolve_pixels_per_second(self, settings: Dict[str, Any]) -> float:
-        """This module's config shape, expressed as plain pixels per second.
-
-        ``scroll_speed`` is already px/s here. ``scroll_delay`` only matters
-        when a caller supplied px/frame instead, which the 0 case covers.
-        """
-        scroll_speed = self._coerce_float(settings.get("scroll_speed"), 50.0)
-        scroll_delay = self._coerce_float(settings.get("scroll_delay"), 0.01)
-        if scroll_delay <= 0:
-            return scroll_speed * ASSUMED_FPS_WHEN_UNPACED
-        return scroll_speed
-
-    def _resolve_refresh_hz(self) -> Optional[float]:
-        """The panel refresh the crisp ladder should be computed against.
-
-        Prefers the configured hardware refresh. Falls back to the global
-        ``target_fps``/``scroll_target_fps`` this module has always honoured:
-        under the old model that key *was* the rate frames were presented at,
-        so it is the faithful translation for anyone who set it. Returning
-        None lets scroll_config apply its own default.
-        """
-        hardware = scroll_config.refresh_hz_from_config(self.global_config)
-        if hardware and hardware != scroll_config.DEFAULT_REFRESH_HZ:
-            return hardware
-        return self._resolve_target_fps() or hardware or None
-
-    def _scroll_frame_hold(self) -> int:
-        """Refreshes to hold each frame for, from the resolved settings."""
-        return getattr(getattr(self, "_scroll_settings", None), "frame_hold", 1)
+        # The reason this module exists upstream: the bundled copies hardcode
+        # ~100 FPS via scroll_delay and never consult the global target.
+        # No hasattr guard here, unlike the plugin copies: they probe because
+        # they may run against an older core, whereas this module ships in the
+        # same release as the ScrollHelper it calls. The helper clamps.
+        target_fps = self._resolve_target_fps()
+        if target_fps:
+            self.scroll_helper.set_target_fps(target_fps)
+            self.logger.info(f"Target FPS set to {target_fps}")
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Frame pumping
@@ -326,16 +305,6 @@ class SportsScrollDisplay:
             if not visible:
                 return False
 
-            # Tell the core the panel is scrolling, and for how many
-            # refreshes to hold each frame. Without this the frame hold is
-            # never applied -- so a speed the ladder made crisp still presents
-            # a new frame every refresh and judders -- and, because deferred
-            # updates only run while nothing is scrolling, core would run
-            # blocking work in the middle of this scroll.
-            if hasattr(self.display_manager, "set_scrolling_state"):
-                self.display_manager.set_scrolling_state(
-                    True, frame_hold=self._scroll_frame_hold())
-
             self.display_manager.image = visible
             self.display_manager.update_display()
             self._frame_count += 1
@@ -362,19 +331,7 @@ class SportsScrollDisplay:
 
     def is_scroll_complete(self) -> bool:
         """True when the strip has scrolled fully past the panel."""
-        complete = self.scroll_helper.is_scroll_complete()
-        if complete:
-            self._release_scrolling_state()
-        return complete
-
-    def _release_scrolling_state(self) -> None:
-        """Tell the core this display is no longer scrolling.
-
-        The scrolling flag and the frame hold are global to the display
-        manager, so leaving them set holds every other plugin's frames too.
-        """
-        if hasattr(self.display_manager, "set_scrolling_state"):
-            self.display_manager.set_scrolling_state(False)
+        return self.scroll_helper.is_scroll_complete()
 
     def reset_scroll(self) -> None:
         """Return the strip to its starting position, keeping the content."""
@@ -392,7 +349,6 @@ class SportsScrollDisplay:
         self._vegas_content_items = []
         self._is_scrolling = False
         self._scroll_start_time = None
-        self._release_scrolling_state()
         self.logger.debug("Scroll display cleared")
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------

src/common/sync_manager.py

@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ from typing import Callable, Optional
 import numpy as np
 from PIL import Image
 
-from src.display_geometry import DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH
-
 # Raw-frame wire format: 8-byte magic + 4-byte header + raw RGB pixels
 # Much faster than PNG: no encode/decode, negligible CPU, same UDP packet size
 _RAW_MAGIC = b'SYNC_RAW'
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ class DisplaySyncManager:
         local_cols = hw.get("cols", 64)
         peer_rows = int(msg.get("rows", 0))
         peer_cols = int(msg.get("cols", 0))
-        peer_chain = int(msg.get("chain", DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH))
+        peer_chain = int(msg.get("chain", 1))
 
         compatible = peer_rows == local_rows and peer_cols == local_cols
 
@@ -591,7 +589,7 @@ class DisplaySyncManager:
             "t": "hello",
             "rows": hw.get("rows", 32),
             "cols": hw.get("cols", 64),
-            "chain": hw.get("chain_length", DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH),
+            "chain": hw.get("chain_length", 1),
         }).encode("utf-8")
         heartbeat = json.dumps({"t": "hb"}).encode("utf-8")
         dest = ("<broadcast>", self.port)
@@ -662,7 +660,7 @@ class DisplaySyncManager:
             "port": self.port,
             "local_rows": hw.get("rows", 32),
             "local_cols": hw.get("cols", 64),
-            "local_chain": hw.get("chain_length", DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH),
+            "local_chain": hw.get("chain_length", 1),
         }
 
         if self.role == SyncRole.STANDALONE:

src/common/text_helper.py

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype
 
 # Shared throwaway draw surface for measuring text without a target canvas.
 _measure_draw = ImageDraw.Draw(Image.new("RGB", (1, 1)))
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ class TextHelper:
                 size = config['size']
                 
                 if font_path.exists():
-                    font = load_truetype(str(font_path), size)
+                    font = ImageFont.truetype(str(font_path), size)
                     fonts[font_name] = font
                     self.logger.debug(f"Loaded font: {font_name} ({font_path}, size {size})")
                 else:

src/config_manager_atomic.py

@@ -7,10 +7,9 @@ and enable recovery from failed saves.
 
 import json
 import os
-import re
 import shutil
 import tempfile
-from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, Any, Optional, List, Tuple
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -20,19 +19,6 @@ from src.exceptions import ConfigError
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
 from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_shared_group_ownership
 
-# Version stamp in a backup's filename: config.json.backup.<version>.
-BACKUP_VERSION_FORMAT = "%Y%m%d_%H%M%S_%f"
-
-# Backups written before the format gained microseconds. Still read, never
-# written, so existing restore points on a rig stay usable after an upgrade.
-LEGACY_BACKUP_VERSION_FORMAT = "%Y%m%d_%H%M%S"
-
-# The numeric collision suffix _create_backup() appends to break a same-tick
-# tie: config.json.backup.<version>-<N>. Only digits count as this suffix, so
-# a hand-copied or renamed backup that happens to end in "-something" isn't
-# mistaken for one and silently mis-parsed.
-_BACKUP_COLLISION_SUFFIX_RE = re.compile(r"^(?P<base>.+)-(?P<collision>\d+)$")
-
 
 class SaveResultStatus(Enum):
     """Status of a save operation."""
@@ -260,34 +246,23 @@ class AtomicConfigManager:
         if not self.backup_dir.exists():
             return backups
         
-        # Look for backup files (format: config.json.backup.<version>)
+        # Look for backup files (format: config.json.backup.YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS)
         config_name = self.config_path.name
         backup_pattern = f"{config_name}.backup.*"
-
+        
         for backup_file in self.backup_dir.glob(backup_pattern):
             try:
-                # The version reported here is what rollback_config() matches
-                # against, so it has to be the exact string in the filename.
-                #
-                # It did not used to be. This read .stem, which drops only the
-                # last dot-component, so for config.json.backup.20240101_120000
-                # parts was ['config', 'json', 'backup'] and parts[-2] was
-                # 'json' -- never 'backup'. The filename branch could not be
-                # reached, every backup fell through to the mtime fallback, and
-                # the version was a second-granularity restamp of the mtime
-                # rather than the name on disk. Two backups a second apart could
-                # therefore report the same version, and rollback would pick
-                # whichever the glob happened to yield first.
-                # Strip the exact prefix the glob just matched, so a config
-                # whose own name contains '.backup.' can't shift the split.
-                timestamp_str = backup_file.name[len(f"{config_name}.backup."):]
-                timestamp = self._parse_backup_version(timestamp_str)
-                if timestamp is None:
-                    # Not a version this code wrote (hand-copied, renamed).
-                    # Order it by mtime, but keep the on-disk version string so
-                    # it can still be named in a rollback.
+                # Extract timestamp from filename
+                # Format: config.json.backup.20240101_120000
+                parts = backup_file.stem.split('.')
+                if len(parts) >= 3 and parts[-2] == 'backup':
+                    timestamp_str = parts[-1]
+                    timestamp = datetime.strptime(timestamp_str, "%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
+                else:
+                    # Fallback: use file modification time
                     timestamp = datetime.fromtimestamp(backup_file.stat().st_mtime)
-
+                    timestamp_str = timestamp.strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
+                
                 # Validate backup file
                 is_valid = self._validate_backup_file(backup_file)
                 
@@ -308,35 +283,6 @@ class AtomicConfigManager:
         
         return backups
     
-    @staticmethod
-    def _parse_backup_version(version: str) -> Optional[datetime]:
-        """
-        Parse the ``<version>`` of a ``config.json.backup.<version>`` filename
-        into the time the backup was taken, or None if it is not a version this
-        class wrote.
-
-        Accepts the current microsecond format and the legacy second-granularity
-        one, with or without the ``-N`` suffix _create_backup() appends to break
-        a collision. When that suffix is present, N is folded into the result
-        as extra microseconds so same-tick collisions still sort in the order
-        they were created rather than tying.
-        """
-        if not version:
-            return None
-        base = version
-        collision = 0
-        match = _BACKUP_COLLISION_SUFFIX_RE.match(version)
-        if match:
-            base = match.group('base')
-            collision = int(match.group('collision'))
-        for fmt in (BACKUP_VERSION_FORMAT, LEGACY_BACKUP_VERSION_FORMAT):
-            try:
-                parsed = datetime.strptime(base, fmt)
-            except ValueError:
-                continue
-            return parsed + timedelta(microseconds=collision) if collision else parsed
-        return None
-
     def validate_config_file(self, config_path: Optional[str] = None) -> ValidationResult:
         """
         Validate a configuration file.
@@ -357,55 +303,19 @@ class AtomicConfigManager:
             return None
         
         try:
-            # Generate backup filename with timestamp.
-            #
-            # This id is the backup's identity: save_config_atomic() returns the
-            # path, rollback_config(backup_version=...) looks the version up, and
-            # the paired secrets backup is found by reusing the same string. At
-            # second granularity two saves inside the same second produced the
-            # same filename, so the second copy2() below silently overwrote the
-            # first backup -- the path a caller was still holding then pointed at
-            # different content, and rolling back to it restored the wrong
-            # config. Microseconds make that collision vanishingly unlikely.
+            # Generate backup filename with timestamp
+            timestamp = datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
             config_name = self.config_path.name
-            backup_secrets = bool(self.secrets_path and self.secrets_path.exists())
-
-            # exists() then copy2() is two steps: two concurrent callers can
-            # both see the path as free and pick the same one, so the second
-            # copy2() silently destroys the first call's restore point.
-            # Reserve the filename(s) with exclusive creation instead -- that
-            # is atomic, so only one caller can ever win a given timestamp.
-            # Each retry bumps the collision suffix, so this always
-            # terminates and stays compatible with _parse_backup_version().
-            collision = 0
-            while True:
-                timestamp = datetime.now().strftime(BACKUP_VERSION_FORMAT)
-                if collision:
-                    timestamp = f"{timestamp}-{collision}"
-                backup_path = self.backup_dir / f"{config_name}.backup.{timestamp}"
-                secrets_backup_path = (
-                    self.backup_dir / f"{self.secrets_path.name}.backup.{timestamp}"
-                    if backup_secrets else None
-                )
-                try:
-                    backup_path.touch(exist_ok=False)
-                except FileExistsError:
-                    collision += 1
-                    continue
-                if secrets_backup_path is not None:
-                    try:
-                        secrets_backup_path.touch(exist_ok=False)
-                    except FileExistsError:
-                        backup_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
-                        collision += 1
-                        continue
-                break
-
+            backup_filename = f"{config_name}.backup.{timestamp}"
+            backup_path = self.backup_dir / backup_filename
+            
             # Copy config file to backup
             shutil.copy2(self.config_path, backup_path)
-
+            
             # Also backup secrets file if it exists
-            if secrets_backup_path is not None:
+            if self.secrets_path and self.secrets_path.exists():
+                secrets_backup_filename = f"{self.secrets_path.name}.backup.{timestamp}"
+                secrets_backup_path = self.backup_dir / secrets_backup_filename
                 shutil.copy2(self.secrets_path, secrets_backup_path)
             
             # Rotate old backups

src/display_controller.py

@@ -119,15 +119,6 @@ class DisplayController:
                 # validator.raise_on_errors()  # Uncomment to fail fast on errors
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning(f"Startup validation could not be completed: {e}")
-
-        # Automatic updates need their health-check units, and this is the
-        # one root process running project code, so it installs them while
-        # automatic updates are on. See src/auto_update_setup.py.
-        try:
-            from src.auto_update_setup import ensure_update_helper
-            ensure_update_helper(self.config)
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.warning("Automatic update setup could not be completed: %s", e)
         
         config_time = time.time()
         self.display_manager = DisplayManager(self.config)
@@ -207,10 +198,6 @@ class DisplayController:
         # the main run loop reconciles (loads/unloads) on its own thread so
         # mutating available_modes never races with rendering.
         self._pending_plugin_reconcile = False
-        # Monotonic stamp of the last mailbox disk read; see
-        # _poll_on_demand_requests. None means "never polled", so the first
-        # call always goes through.
-        self._last_on_demand_poll: Optional[float] = None
         self.on_demand_active = False
         self.on_demand_mode: Optional[str] = None
         self.on_demand_modes: List[str] = []  # All modes for the on-demand plugin
@@ -316,8 +303,40 @@ class DisplayController:
 
             # Check for on-demand plugin filter from cache
             on_demand_config = self.cache_manager.get('display_on_demand_config', max_age=3600)
-            enabled_plugins = self._select_startup_plugins(discovered_plugins, on_demand_config)
+            on_demand_plugin_id = on_demand_config.get('plugin_id') if on_demand_config else None
 
+            if on_demand_plugin_id:
+                logger.info("On-demand mode detected during initialization: filtering to plugin '%s' only", on_demand_plugin_id)
+                # Only load the on-demand plugin, but ensure it's enabled
+                if on_demand_plugin_id not in discovered_plugins:
+                    error_msg = f"On-demand plugin '{on_demand_plugin_id}' not found in discovered plugins"
+                    logger.error(error_msg)
+                    logger.warning("Falling back to normal mode (all enabled plugins)")
+                    on_demand_plugin_id = None
+                    enabled_plugins = [p for p in discovered_plugins if self.config.get(p, {}).get('enabled', False)]
+                else:
+                    plugin_config = self.config.get(on_demand_plugin_id, {})
+                    was_disabled = not plugin_config.get('enabled', False)
+                    if was_disabled:
+                        logger.info("Temporarily enabling plugin '%s' for on-demand mode", on_demand_plugin_id)
+                        if on_demand_plugin_id not in self.config:
+                            self.config[on_demand_plugin_id] = {}
+                        self.config[on_demand_plugin_id]['enabled'] = True
+                    enabled_plugins = [on_demand_plugin_id]
+                    # Set on-demand state from cached config
+                    self.on_demand_active = True
+                    self.on_demand_plugin_id = on_demand_plugin_id
+                    self.on_demand_mode = on_demand_config.get('mode')
+                    self.on_demand_duration = on_demand_config.get('duration')
+                    self.on_demand_pinned = on_demand_config.get('pinned', False)
+                    self.on_demand_requested_at = on_demand_config.get('requested_at')
+                    self.on_demand_expires_at = on_demand_config.get('expires_at')
+                    self.on_demand_status = 'active'
+                    self.on_demand_schedule_override = True
+                    logger.info("On-demand mode: loading only plugin '%s'", on_demand_plugin_id)
+            else:
+                enabled_plugins = [p for p in discovered_plugins if self.config.get(p, {}).get('enabled', False)]
+            
             # Count enabled plugins for progress tracking
             enabled_count = len(enabled_plugins)
             logger.info("Loading %d enabled plugin(s) in parallel (max 4 concurrent)...", enabled_count)
@@ -1248,119 +1267,12 @@ class DisplayController:
         self.on_demand_schedule_override = False
         self._publish_on_demand_state()
 
-    #: Shortest gap between mailbox disk reads. This is called after every
-    #: frame -- about 125 times a second on a scrolling mode -- and the read
-    #: below is deliberately uncached, so without a floor it was 125 disk reads
-    #: per second to find nothing. An on-demand request comes from a person
-    #: clicking in the web UI, so a quarter second of latency is not
-    #: perceptible, and it cuts the read rate by 30x.
-    ON_DEMAND_POLL_INTERVAL = 0.25
-
-    def _select_startup_plugins(self, discovered_plugins: List[str],
-                                on_demand_config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> List[str]:
-        """Which plugins to load at startup, restoring on-demand state if any.
-
-        Every normally-enabled plugin loads, on-demand or not. Loading only the
-        on-demand plugin left every other plugin unavailable for the rest of
-        the process's life whenever the service was restarted while on-demand
-        was still active -- and a restart during an on-demand session is
-        routine, since that is how updates and config changes are applied. The
-        panel came back cycling that one plugin's modes and nothing else, with
-        no way out but clearing the on-demand cache by hand.
-
-        On-demand still resumes on its saved mode; this only widens what gets
-        loaded, so normal rotation has somewhere to return to when it ends.
-        A plugin that is disabled in config but named by the on-demand request
-        is still enabled and added, since otherwise the mode being resumed
-        would have nothing behind it.
-        """
-        enabled_plugins = [p for p in discovered_plugins
-                           if self.config.get(p, {}).get('enabled', False)]
-
-        on_demand_plugin_id = on_demand_config.get('plugin_id') if on_demand_config else None
-        if not on_demand_plugin_id:
-            return enabled_plugins
-
-        if on_demand_plugin_id not in discovered_plugins:
-            logger.error("On-demand plugin '%s' not found in discovered plugins",
-                         on_demand_plugin_id)
-            logger.warning("Falling back to normal mode (all enabled plugins)")
-            return enabled_plugins
-
-        if not self.config.get(on_demand_plugin_id, {}).get('enabled', False):
-            logger.info("Temporarily enabling plugin '%s' for on-demand mode", on_demand_plugin_id)
-            self.config.setdefault(on_demand_plugin_id, {})['enabled'] = True
-            if on_demand_plugin_id not in enabled_plugins:
-                enabled_plugins.append(on_demand_plugin_id)
-
-        # Restore on-demand state from the cached request so it resumes.
-        self.on_demand_active = True
-        self.on_demand_plugin_id = on_demand_plugin_id
-        self.on_demand_mode = on_demand_config.get('mode')
-        self.on_demand_duration = on_demand_config.get('duration')
-        self.on_demand_pinned = on_demand_config.get('pinned', False)
-        self.on_demand_requested_at = on_demand_config.get('requested_at')
-        self.on_demand_expires_at = on_demand_config.get('expires_at')
-        self.on_demand_status = 'active'
-        self.on_demand_schedule_override = True
-        logger.info("On-demand mode detected during initialization: resuming on plugin '%s'; "
-                    "all %d enabled plugin(s) still load normally",
-                    on_demand_plugin_id, len(enabled_plugins))
-        return enabled_plugins
-
-    def _consume_on_demand_request(self, request_id: str) -> None:
-        """Remove the request we just handled from the mailbox.
-
-        Leaving it on disk meant a restart replayed the previous request: the
-        fresh controller read it, activated it and cached it, so the request
-        the caller had just made was ignored and the panel silently showed the
-        earlier plugin.
-
-        Compare before deleting. The web process can post a newer request
-        between the read and this delete; an unconditional delete threw that
-        one away and it was never processed -- the user's second click did
-        nothing. Re-reading uncached and only deleting our own request_id
-        leaves a newer request in the mailbox for the next poll instead.
-
-        This narrows the window rather than closing it: a request landing
-        between the re-read and the delete is still lost. Closing it properly
-        needs an atomic claim (a rename, or a compare-and-delete primitive)
-        that the cache layer does not currently offer, so the honest fix is a
-        smaller window plus this note, not a bigger lock. For start requests
-        processed_id still guards against reprocessing if the delete fails.
-        """
-        try:
-            current = self.cache_manager.get('display_on_demand_request',
-                                             max_age=3600, memory_ttl=0)
-            if not current or current.get('request_id') == request_id:
-                self.cache_manager.delete('display_on_demand_request')
-            else:
-                logger.debug("Newer on-demand request %s arrived while processing "
-                             "%s; leaving it in the mailbox",
-                             current.get('request_id'), request_id)
-        except (OSError, AttributeError, KeyError) as err:
-            logger.debug("Could not clear the on-demand request mailbox: %s", err)
-
     def _poll_on_demand_requests(self) -> None:
         """Poll cache for new on-demand requests from external controllers."""
-        now = time.monotonic()
-        if (self._last_on_demand_poll is not None
-                and now - self._last_on_demand_poll < self.ON_DEMAND_POLL_INTERVAL):
-            return
-        self._last_on_demand_poll = now
-
         try:
             # Use a long max_age (1 hour) to ensure requests aren't expired before processing
-            # The request_id check prevents duplicate processing.
-            #
-            # memory_ttl=0 is required, not optional: this key is a mailbox the
-            # web process writes and this process reads. get() defaults the
-            # in-memory TTL to max_age, so without it the first request read was
-            # pinned in memory for the full hour and every later poll returned
-            # that stale copy -- meaning no second on-demand request was honoured
-            # for an hour, while the API still reported success.
-            request = self.cache_manager.get('display_on_demand_request',
-                                             max_age=3600, memory_ttl=0)
+            # The request_id check prevents duplicate processing
+            request = self.cache_manager.get('display_on_demand_request', max_age=3600)
         except (OSError, RuntimeError, ValueError, TypeError) as err:
             logger.error("Failed to read on-demand request: %s", err, exc_info=True)
             return
@@ -1387,15 +1299,8 @@ class DisplayController:
                 logger.debug("Stop request %s received but on-demand is not active", request_id)
                 # Still update request_id to acknowledge the request
                 self.on_demand_request_id = request_id
-            # Stop requests are deliberately exempt from the request_id/
-            # processed_id guards above, so that a second click stops a mode
-            # that a race left running. Consuming the mailbox is therefore the
-            # only thing that ends the request: without it the same stop was
-            # re-read and re-processed on every poll, forever, logging at
-            # ON_DEMAND_POLL_INTERVAL for the life of the process.
-            self._consume_on_demand_request(request_id)
             return
-
+        
         # For start requests, check if already processed
         if request_id == self.on_demand_request_id:
             logger.debug("On-demand start request %s already processed (instance check)", request_id)
@@ -1413,8 +1318,7 @@ class DisplayController:
         # Mark as processed BEFORE processing (to prevent duplicate processing)
         self.cache_manager.set('display_on_demand_processed_id', request_id, ttl=3600)
         self.on_demand_request_id = request_id
-        self._consume_on_demand_request(request_id)
-
+        
         if action == 'start':
             logger.info("Processing on-demand start request for plugin: %s", request.get('plugin_id'))
             self._activate_on_demand(request)
@@ -1456,28 +1360,34 @@ class DisplayController:
                 return modes[0]
         return plugin_id
 
-    def _on_demand_modes_for_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> List[str]:
-        """Every loaded display mode belonging to `plugin_id`, in rotation order.
-
-        Live modes that actually have content lead, then the rest, then live
-        modes with nothing to show -- so an on-demand request for a sports
-        plugin opens on a game in progress rather than an empty live screen.
-        Returns an empty list when the plugin has no loaded modes.
+    def _populate_on_demand_modes_from_plugin(self) -> None:
         """
+        Populate on_demand_modes from the on-demand plugin's display modes.
+        Called after plugin loading completes when on-demand state is restored from cache.
+        """
+        if not self.on_demand_active or not self.on_demand_plugin_id:
+            return
+        
+        plugin_id = self.on_demand_plugin_id
+        
+        # Get all modes for this plugin
         plugin_modes = self.plugin_display_modes.get(plugin_id, [])
         if not plugin_modes:
             # Fallback: find all modes that belong to this plugin
             plugin_modes = [mode for mode, pid in self.mode_to_plugin_id.items() if pid == plugin_id]
-
+        
         # Filter to only include modes that exist in plugin_modes
         available_plugin_modes = [m for m in plugin_modes if m in self.plugin_modes]
+        
         if not available_plugin_modes:
-            return []
-
+            logger.warning("No valid display modes found for on-demand plugin '%s' after restoration", plugin_id)
+            self.on_demand_modes = []
+            return
+        
         # Prioritize live modes if they exist and have content
         live_modes = [m for m in available_plugin_modes if m.endswith('_live')]
         other_modes = [m for m in available_plugin_modes if not m.endswith('_live')]
-
+        
         # Check if live modes have content
         live_with_content = []
         for live_mode in live_modes:
@@ -1488,57 +1398,18 @@ class DisplayController:
                         live_with_content.append(live_mode)
                 except Exception:
                     pass
-
+        
         # Build mode list: live modes with content first, then other modes, then live modes without content
         if live_with_content:
             ordered_modes = live_with_content + other_modes + [m for m in live_modes if m not in live_with_content]
         else:
             # No live content, skip live modes
             ordered_modes = other_modes
-
+        
         if not ordered_modes:
             # Only live modes available but no content - use them anyway
             ordered_modes = live_modes
-
-        return ordered_modes
-
-    def _apply_on_demand_pin(self, ordered_modes: List[str], resolved_mode: Optional[str],
-                             pinned: bool) -> List[str]:
-        """Narrow an on-demand rotation to the single requested mode when pinned.
-
-        `pinned` reaches the controller from the API and was stored and
-        republished but never acted on, so a pinned request still rotated
-        through every mode the resolved plugin owns. That is the right default
-        for a sports plugin, whose modes are views of one subject
-        (nfl_live/nfl_recent/nfl_upcoming), and the wrong one for a plugin
-        whose modes are unrelated -- each Starlark app is its own widget, so
-        asking for one and getting all of them is not what was requested.
-        """
-        if not pinned or not resolved_mode or resolved_mode not in ordered_modes:
-            return ordered_modes
-        return [resolved_mode]
-
-    def _populate_on_demand_modes_from_plugin(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Populate on_demand_modes from the on-demand plugin's display modes.
-        Called after plugin loading completes when on-demand state is restored from cache.
-        """
-        if not self.on_demand_active or not self.on_demand_plugin_id:
-            return
-
-        plugin_id = self.on_demand_plugin_id
-
-        ordered_modes = self._on_demand_modes_for_plugin(plugin_id)
-        if not ordered_modes:
-            logger.warning("No valid display modes found for on-demand plugin '%s' after restoration", plugin_id)
-            self.on_demand_modes = []
-            return
-
-        # A restart must not silently un-pin: the pin is part of the request
-        # being resumed, and it is restored from the same cached config above.
-        ordered_modes = self._apply_on_demand_pin(
-            ordered_modes, self.on_demand_mode, self.on_demand_pinned)
-
+        
         self.on_demand_modes = ordered_modes
         # Set index to match the restored mode if available, otherwise start at 0
         if self.on_demand_mode and self.on_demand_mode in ordered_modes:
@@ -1593,14 +1464,46 @@ class DisplayController:
         if resolved_mode in self.available_modes:
             self.current_mode_index = self.available_modes.index(resolved_mode)
 
-        ordered_modes = self._on_demand_modes_for_plugin(resolved_plugin_id)
-        if not ordered_modes:
+        # Get all modes for this plugin
+        plugin_modes = self.plugin_display_modes.get(resolved_plugin_id, [])
+        if not plugin_modes:
+            # Fallback: find all modes that belong to this plugin
+            plugin_modes = [mode for mode, pid in self.mode_to_plugin_id.items() if pid == resolved_plugin_id]
+        
+        # Filter to only include modes that exist in plugin_modes
+        available_plugin_modes = [m for m in plugin_modes if m in self.plugin_modes]
+        
+        if not available_plugin_modes:
             logger.error("No valid display modes found for plugin '%s'", resolved_plugin_id)
             self._set_on_demand_error("no-modes")
             return
-
-        ordered_modes = self._apply_on_demand_pin(ordered_modes, resolved_mode, pinned)
-
+        
+        # Prioritize live modes if they exist and have content
+        live_modes = [m for m in available_plugin_modes if m.endswith('_live')]
+        other_modes = [m for m in available_plugin_modes if not m.endswith('_live')]
+        
+        # Check if live modes have content
+        live_with_content = []
+        for live_mode in live_modes:
+            plugin_instance = self.plugin_modes.get(live_mode)
+            if plugin_instance and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'has_live_content'):
+                try:
+                    if plugin_instance.has_live_content():
+                        live_with_content.append(live_mode)
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+        
+        # Build mode list: live modes with content first, then other modes, then live modes without content
+        if live_with_content:
+            ordered_modes = live_with_content + other_modes + [m for m in live_modes if m not in live_with_content]
+        else:
+            # No live content, skip live modes
+            ordered_modes = other_modes
+        
+        if not ordered_modes:
+            # Only live modes available but no content - use them anyway
+            ordered_modes = live_modes
+        
         self.on_demand_active = True
         self.on_demand_mode = resolved_mode  # Keep for backward compatibility
         self.on_demand_modes = ordered_modes
@@ -2178,14 +2081,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                                         types.SimpleNamespace(display=_display_target),
                                         plugin_id,
                                         force_clear=self.force_change,
-                                        display_mode=active_mode if _accepts_display_mode else None,
-                                        # Already resolved and cached above.
-                                        # Without this the executor re-derives
-                                        # it with inspect.signature() against
-                                        # the SimpleNamespace built two lines
-                                        # up -- a fresh callable every call, so
-                                        # nothing there can ever cache.
-                                        accepts_display_mode=_accepts_display_mode
+                                        display_mode=active_mode if _accepts_display_mode else None
                                     )
                                 except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - defensive;
                                     # execute_display catches everything
@@ -2508,15 +2404,6 @@ class DisplayController:
                                 1.0 / display_interval
                             )
 
-                            # Deliberate: frames after the first call
-                            # display() directly rather than through
-                            # PluginExecutor. The executor spawns a thread per
-                            # call, which at this loop's frame rate would cost
-                            # more than the advisory timeout it buys -- and
-                            # that timeout cannot cancel a hung plugin anyway
-                            # (see execute_with_timeout). The first dispatch
-                            # above still goes through it, so load-time
-                            # failures are still caught and recorded.
                             while True:
                                 _frame_start = time.perf_counter()
                                 try:
@@ -2589,15 +2476,6 @@ class DisplayController:
                                 display_interval
                             )
 
-                            # Deliberate: frames after the first call
-                            # display() directly rather than through
-                            # PluginExecutor. The executor spawns a thread per
-                            # call, which at this loop's frame rate would cost
-                            # more than the advisory timeout it buys -- and
-                            # that timeout cannot cancel a hung plugin anyway
-                            # (see execute_with_timeout). The first dispatch
-                            # above still goes through it, so load-time
-                            # failures are still caught and recorded.
                             while True:
                                 time.sleep(display_interval)
                                 self._tick_plugin_updates()

src/display_geometry.py

@@ -1,144 +0,0 @@
-"""Display size from config: the one computation every caller shares.
-
-``DisplayManager`` sizes its canvas from ``display.hardware`` plus
-``display.double_sided``. The web preview, the Starlark magnify default and
-the multi-display sync handshake used to re-derive that size themselves,
-each with its own defaults (``chain_length`` fell back to 2 in one place and
-1 in three others) and none of them applying double-sided mode. They now all
-call this module.
-
-Kept free of hardware imports on purpose: the web interface imports it, and
-``display_manager`` pulls in ``rgbmatrix``.
-"""
-
-import logging
-from typing import Any, Dict, Mapping, Optional, Tuple
-
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-# Match config/config.template.json's display.hardware block.
-DEFAULT_ROWS = 32
-DEFAULT_COLS = 64
-DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH = 2
-DEFAULT_PARALLEL = 1
-
-
-def _display(config: Optional[Mapping[str, Any]]) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
-    # A hand-edited config.json can hold anything here; treat a non-mapping
-    # like a missing block so callers get the defaults, not AttributeError.
-    display = (config or {}).get('display')
-    return display if isinstance(display, Mapping) else {}
-
-
-def _hardware(config: Optional[Mapping[str, Any]]) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
-    hw = _display(config).get('hardware')
-    return hw if isinstance(hw, Mapping) else {}
-
-
-def physical_size(config: Optional[Mapping[str, Any]]) -> Tuple[int, int]:
-    """Width and height of the whole panel chain, in pixels.
-
-    ``cols * chain_length`` by ``rows * parallel``. Raises ``ValueError`` or
-    ``TypeError`` on a non-numeric value, as ``DisplayManager`` does; callers
-    decide their own fallback.
-
-    A non-finite value (``Infinity``, which Python's JSON parser accepts in a
-    hand-edited config.json) raises ``ValueError`` too, not ``OverflowError``,
-    so every caller's existing fallback catches it.
-    """
-    hw = _hardware(config)
-    try:
-        rows = int(hw.get('rows', DEFAULT_ROWS))
-        cols = int(hw.get('cols', DEFAULT_COLS))
-        chain_length = int(hw.get('chain_length', DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH))
-        parallel = int(hw.get('parallel', DEFAULT_PARALLEL))
-    except OverflowError as e:
-        raise ValueError(f"display.hardware size is not finite: {e}") from e
-    return max(1, cols * chain_length), max(1, rows * parallel)
-
-
-def resolve_double_sided(physical_width: int, physical_height: int,
-                         ds_config: Dict[str, Any],
-                         quiet: bool = False) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
-    """Validate the ``display.double_sided`` config against the physical size.
-
-    Returns a dict ``{copies, axis, logical_width, logical_height}`` when the
-    feature is enabled and the physical panel divides evenly into ``copies``
-    along the chosen axis, otherwise ``None`` (single-screen behaviour). Bad
-    config is logged and disabled rather than raised — a misconfigured panel
-    should still light up.
-
-    Only pixels are checked, not whole panels: ``chain_length`` and
-    ``parallel`` don't say which axis a panel lies on once an orientation
-    ``Rotate:`` or U-mapper ``pixel_mapper_config`` rearranges the chain.
-
-    ``quiet`` suppresses the log lines, for callers that run on every web
-    request and would otherwise repeat them on each poll.
-    """
-    def _log(level, *args):
-        if not quiet:
-            logger.log(level, *args)
-
-    if not isinstance(ds_config, dict) or not ds_config.get('enabled', False):
-        return None
-
-    copies = ds_config.get('copies', 2)
-    if not isinstance(copies, int) or copies < 2:
-        _log(logging.WARNING,
-             "double_sided: 'copies' must be an integer >= 2 (got %r); "
-             "disabling double-sided mode", copies)
-        return None
-
-    axis = ds_config.get('axis', 'horizontal')
-    if axis not in ('horizontal', 'vertical'):
-        _log(logging.WARNING,
-             "double_sided: 'axis' must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical' "
-             "(got %r); defaulting to 'horizontal'", axis)
-        axis = 'horizontal'
-
-    # Horizontal splits the chain (panels side by side); vertical splits the
-    # parallel outputs (panels stacked). The split axis must divide evenly.
-    if axis == 'horizontal':
-        if physical_width % copies != 0:
-            _log(logging.WARNING,
-                 "double_sided: physical width %d is not divisible by copies "
-                 "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_width, copies)
-            return None
-        logical_width = physical_width // copies
-        logical_height = physical_height
-    else:
-        if physical_height % copies != 0:
-            _log(logging.WARNING,
-                 "double_sided: physical height %d is not divisible by copies "
-                 "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_height, copies)
-            return None
-        logical_width = physical_width
-        logical_height = physical_height // copies
-
-    _log(logging.INFO,
-         "double_sided enabled: %d copies on %s axis — logical screen %dx%d "
-         "tiled across physical %dx%d", copies, axis, logical_width,
-         logical_height, physical_width, physical_height)
-    return {
-        'copies': copies,
-        'axis': axis,
-        'logical_width': logical_width,
-        'logical_height': logical_height,
-    }
-
-
-def logical_size(config: Optional[Mapping[str, Any]],
-                 quiet: bool = True) -> Tuple[int, int]:
-    """The size plugins draw at and the web preview shows.
-
-    The physical size, divided by ``double_sided.copies`` along its axis when
-    double-sided mode is enabled and valid — the same answer
-    ``DisplayManager.width``/``height`` give.
-    """
-    width, height = physical_size(config)
-    ds = resolve_double_sided(width, height,
-                              _display(config).get('double_sided') or {},
-                              quiet=quiet)
-    if ds is not None:
-        return ds['logical_width'], ds['logical_height']
-    return width, height

src/display_manager.py

@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ else:
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from pathlib import Path
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-from src.common.font_layout import crisp_size, load_truetype, resolve_asset_path
-from src.display_geometry import (
-    DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH, DEFAULT_COLS, DEFAULT_PARALLEL, DEFAULT_ROWS,
-    physical_size, resolve_double_sided,
-)
 import threading
 import time
 from collections import OrderedDict
@@ -60,31 +55,6 @@ from src.common.permission_utils import (
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)  # Set to INFO level
 
-#: The strike 5x7.bdf is drawn at. FreeType renders a BDF at its own fixed
-#: size regardless, but a Face needs an active size before its metrics --
-#: and therefore get_font_height() -- report anything but 0.
-_CALENDAR_FONT_PX = 7
-
-
-def _bdf_native_size(face) -> int:
-    """The pixel height a BDF Face declares, or 0 if it does not say.
-
-    Used only to rescue a Face that was built without ``set_char_size``, so a
-    zero line height never reaches layout code.
-    """
-    try:
-        sizes = getattr(face, "available_sizes", None) or []
-        if sizes:
-            return int(getattr(sizes[0], "height", 0) or 0)
-    except (AttributeError, IndexError, TypeError, ValueError) as exc:
-        # This runs on the measurement path for a face the caller already
-        # holds, so a malformed strike table must degrade to "unknown" rather
-        # than take the display down. Say which face, so a font that is
-        # actually broken is diagnosable rather than silently 8px.
-        logger.debug("Could not read BDF strike size from %r: %s", face, exc)
-    return 0
-
-
 
 class _LogicalMatrix:
     """Proxy that reports a logical (per-screen) size for a physical matrix.
@@ -127,10 +97,62 @@ class _LogicalMatrix:
         setattr(object.__getattribute__(self, "_matrix"), name, value)
 
 
-# Moved to src/display_geometry.py so the web preview, Starlark magnify and
-# sync handshake compute the display size exactly as DisplayManager does
-# without importing rgbmatrix. Aliased here for existing callers.
-_resolve_double_sided = resolve_double_sided
+def _resolve_double_sided(physical_width: int, physical_height: int,
+                          ds_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Validate the ``display.double_sided`` config against the physical size.
+
+    Returns a dict ``{copies, axis, logical_width, logical_height}`` when the
+    feature is enabled and the physical panel divides evenly into ``copies``
+    along the chosen axis, otherwise ``None`` (single-screen behaviour). Bad
+    config is logged and disabled rather than raised — a misconfigured panel
+    should still light up.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(ds_config, dict) or not ds_config.get('enabled', False):
+        return None
+
+    copies = ds_config.get('copies', 2)
+    if not isinstance(copies, int) or copies < 2:
+        logger.warning(
+            "double_sided: 'copies' must be an integer >= 2 (got %r); "
+            "disabling double-sided mode", copies)
+        return None
+
+    axis = ds_config.get('axis', 'horizontal')
+    if axis not in ('horizontal', 'vertical'):
+        logger.warning(
+            "double_sided: 'axis' must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical' "
+            "(got %r); defaulting to 'horizontal'", axis)
+        axis = 'horizontal'
+
+    # Horizontal splits the chain (panels side by side); vertical splits the
+    # parallel outputs (panels stacked). The split axis must divide evenly.
+    if axis == 'horizontal':
+        if physical_width % copies != 0:
+            logger.warning(
+                "double_sided: physical width %d is not divisible by copies "
+                "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_width, copies)
+            return None
+        logical_width = physical_width // copies
+        logical_height = physical_height
+    else:
+        if physical_height % copies != 0:
+            logger.warning(
+                "double_sided: physical height %d is not divisible by copies "
+                "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_height, copies)
+            return None
+        logical_width = physical_width
+        logical_height = physical_height // copies
+
+    logger.info(
+        "double_sided enabled: %d copies on %s axis — logical screen %dx%d "
+        "tiled across physical %dx%d", copies, axis, logical_width,
+        logical_height, physical_width, physical_height)
+    return {
+        'copies': copies,
+        'axis': axis,
+        'logical_width': logical_width,
+        'logical_height': logical_height,
+    }
 
 
 class DisplayManager:
@@ -279,10 +301,10 @@ class DisplayManager:
             runtime_config = self.config.get('display', {}).get('runtime', {})
             
             # Basic hardware settings
-            options.rows = hardware_config.get('rows', DEFAULT_ROWS)
-            options.cols = hardware_config.get('cols', DEFAULT_COLS)
-            options.chain_length = hardware_config.get('chain_length', DEFAULT_CHAIN_LENGTH)
-            options.parallel = hardware_config.get('parallel', DEFAULT_PARALLEL)
+            options.rows = hardware_config.get('rows', 32)
+            options.cols = hardware_config.get('cols', 64)
+            options.chain_length = hardware_config.get('chain_length', 2)
+            options.parallel = hardware_config.get('parallel', 1)
             options.hardware_mapping = hardware_config.get('hardware_mapping', 'adafruit-hat-pwm')
             
             # Performance and stability settings
@@ -350,14 +372,11 @@ class DisplayManager:
             # Create image with the (logical) display dimensions
             self.image = Image.new('RGB', (self.matrix.width, self.matrix.height))
             self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-            self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
             logger.info(f"Image canvas created with dimensions: {self.matrix.width}x{self.matrix.height}")
             
             # Initialize font with Press Start 2P
             try:
-                self.font = load_truetype(
-                    self._font_asset(self._PRESS_START),
-                    crisp_size(self._PRESS_START, 8))
+                self.font = ImageFont.truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 8)
                 logger.info("Initial Press Start 2P font loaded successfully")
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"Failed to load initial font: {e}")
@@ -373,7 +392,13 @@ class DisplayManager:
             # Create a fallback image for web preview using configured dimensions when available
             self.matrix = None
             try:
-                fallback_width, fallback_height = physical_size(self.config)
+                hardware_config = self.config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {}) if self.config else {}
+                rows = int(hardware_config.get('rows', 32))
+                cols = int(hardware_config.get('cols', 64))
+                chain_length = int(hardware_config.get('chain_length', 2))
+                parallel = int(hardware_config.get('parallel', 1))
+                fallback_width = max(1, cols * chain_length)
+                fallback_height = max(1, rows * parallel)
                 # Mirror double-sided in fallback so the preview shows one screen.
                 ds_config = self.config.get('display', {}).get('double_sided', {}) if self.config else {}
                 ds = _resolve_double_sided(fallback_width, fallback_height, ds_config)
@@ -386,7 +411,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
 
             self.image = Image.new('RGB', (fallback_width, fallback_height))
             self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-            self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
             # Simple fallback visualization so web UI shows a realistic canvas
             try:
                 self.draw.rectangle([0, 0, fallback_width - 1, fallback_height - 1], outline=(255, 0, 0))
@@ -531,43 +555,19 @@ class DisplayManager:
                     pass
 
     def _fitting_font(self, lines, width):
-        """The largest font from the usual ladder that fits every line.
-
-        The ladder ends at 4x6 at 5px because a full dotted-quad address --
-        "255.255.255.255", the widest this screen ever shows -- is 66px at
-        6px and a 64px panel has 62 to give it. That used to squeak in only
-        because the measurement depended on which text layout engine the host
-        Pillow had; with the engine pinned it does not, so the rung the
-        worst case actually needs is here rather than implied.
-        """
-        # The middle rung is on the 7px grid; the bottom one is deliberately
-        # not. 4x6 advances the same whether it is asked for 6 or 7 -- the
-        # dotted quad is 66px at both -- so the middle rung costs no width and
-        # gains the fourth column in every glyph, which is the difference
-        # between reading an address off a wall and guessing at it. The 5 rung
-        # is the exception this screen needs: it drops the advance to 4px and
-        # the quad to 51px, the only rung that fits a 64px panel, and no
-        # on-grid size does that. It is the one place in the core that draws
-        # 4x6 off-grid on purpose.
+        """The largest font from the usual ladder that fits every line."""
         candidates = [self.font,
-                      (self._font_asset(self._FOUR_BY_SIX),
-                       crisp_size(self._FOUR_BY_SIX, 6)),
-                      (self._font_asset(self._FOUR_BY_SIX), 5)]
-        narrowest = None
+                      ("assets/fonts/4x6-font.ttf", 6)]
         for candidate in candidates:
             try:
                 font = candidate
                 if isinstance(candidate, tuple):
-                    font = load_truetype(candidate[0], candidate[1])
-                narrowest = font
+                    font = ImageFont.truetype(candidate[0], candidate[1])
                 if all(self.draw.textlength(t, font=font) <= width for t in lines):
                     return font
             except (OSError, ValueError, AttributeError):
                 continue
-        # Nothing fit. Return the smallest face that loaded, not self.font --
-        # falling back to the widest option is how "Initializing" ran off the
-        # side of a 64px panel in the first place.
-        return narrowest or self.font
+        return self.font
 
     def _draw_startup_banner(self, lines, width: int, height: int) -> None:
         """Centre `lines` over whatever the test pattern already drew.
@@ -713,7 +713,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
             # self.image, so swapping the buffer below is enough on its own.
             self.image = Image.new('RGB', (target_w, target_h))
             self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-            self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
             yield
         finally:
             self.matrix = real_matrix
@@ -842,7 +841,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
                 
                 self.image = Image.new('RGB', (width, height))
                 self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-                self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
                 logger.debug("Cleared display in fallback mode")
                 return
                 
@@ -854,7 +852,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
             # Create a new black image
             self.image = Image.new('RGB', (self.matrix.width, self.matrix.height))
             self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-            self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
 
             if not self._capture_mode_active:
                 # Clear both canvases and the underlying matrix to ensure no artifacts.
@@ -924,28 +921,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Error drawing BDF text: {e}", exc_info=True)
 
-    #: The bundled faces, and the size each is *asked* for. Every size here is
-    #: run through `crisp_size`, so a number that drifts off the face's pixel
-    #: grid is snapped rather than rendered anti-aliased -- see the note on
-    #: `extra_small_font` below.
-    _FONT_DIR = "assets/fonts"
-    _PRESS_START = "PressStart2P-Regular.ttf"
-    _FOUR_BY_SIX = "4x6-font.ttf"
-
-    @classmethod
-    def _font_asset(cls, filename: str) -> str:
-        """Install-root-relative path to a bundled face.
-
-        `_load_fonts` named these relative to the process cwd, which holds
-        under the packaged systemd unit (WorkingDirectory is the install root)
-        and nowhere else: the plugin safety harness, `python run.py` from
-        $HOME, or a unit file written without WorkingDirectory all loaded
-        nothing and fell through to `ImageFont.load_default()`. That failure is
-        silent -- the panel just renders in PIL's default face at whatever size
-        the layout was computed for.
-        """
-        return resolve_asset_path(f"{cls._FONT_DIR}/{filename}")
-
     def _load_fonts(self):
         """Load fonts with proper error handling."""
         # Font objects get new id()s after reload, so the text-width cache would
@@ -953,17 +928,16 @@ class DisplayManager:
         self._text_width_cache.clear()
         try:
             # Load Press Start 2P font
-            press_start = self._font_asset(self._PRESS_START)
-            self.regular_font = load_truetype(press_start, crisp_size(self._PRESS_START, 8))
+            self.regular_font = ImageFont.truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 8)
             logger.info("Press Start 2P font loaded successfully")
             
             # Use the same font for small text (currently same size; adjust size here if needed)
-            self.small_font = load_truetype(press_start, crisp_size(self._PRESS_START, 8))
+            self.small_font = ImageFont.truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 8)
             logger.info("Press Start 2P small font loaded successfully")
 
             # Load 5x7 BDF font for calendar events
             try:
-                self.calendar_font_path = self._font_asset("5x7.bdf")
+                self.calendar_font_path = "assets/fonts/5x7.bdf"
                 logger.info(f"Attempting to load 5x7 font from: {self.calendar_font_path}")
                 
                 if not os.path.exists(self.calendar_font_path):
@@ -971,17 +945,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
                 
                 # Load with freetype for proper BDF handling
                 face = freetype.Face(self.calendar_font_path)
-                # A freshly constructed Face has no active size, so
-                # face.size.height is 0 until set_char_size is called -- and
-                # get_font_height() reads exactly that. Without this, every
-                # caller measuring the 5x7 face got 0 and stacked rows on top
-                # of one another; the "Calendar font size: 0 pixels" line
-                # below has been printing the symptom on every start-up.
-                # font_manager._load_bdf_font already does this; the two paths
-                # disagreed about whether a Face was usable for measurement.
-                # 5x7.bdf is a fixed strike, so FreeType renders 7px whatever
-                # is asked for -- this sets the metrics, not the raster.
-                face.set_char_size(_CALENDAR_FONT_PX * 64, _CALENDAR_FONT_PX * 64, 72, 72)
                 logger.info(f"5x7 calendar font loaded successfully from {self.calendar_font_path}")
                 logger.info(f"Calendar font size: {face.size.height >> 6} pixels")
                 
@@ -998,26 +961,11 @@ class DisplayManager:
             self.bdf_5x7_font = self.calendar_font 
             logger.info(f"Assigned calendar_font (type: {type(self.bdf_5x7_font).__name__}) to bdf_5x7_font.")
 
-            # Load 4x6 font as extra_small_font.
-            #
-            # Asked for 6 -- the size the face's name suggests -- for years,
-            # and 6 is off its 7px pixel grid. Plugins draw this face with
-            # `draw.fontmode = "1"`, and the mono rasteriser thresholds each
-            # glyph at 50% coverage, so off-grid every glyph came out 3px wide
-            # instead of 4. The lost column deforms the letterforms rather than
-            # merely thinning them: christmas-countdown rendered "UNTIL" as
-            # "VM1JL" and "CHRISTMAS" as "CHAJS1MAS", and zero loses the left
-            # half of its bowl. Those renders were committed as golden images.
-            #
-            # `crisp_size` snaps it to 7. The advance is unchanged -- 5px per
-            # glyph at either size -- so nothing reflows and no layout gets
-            # tighter; a string is at most a pixel or two wider because the
-            # last glyph finally occupies the width it was always given.
+            # Load 4x6 font as extra_small_font
             try:
-                font_path = self._font_asset(self._FOUR_BY_SIX)
-                size = crisp_size(self._FOUR_BY_SIX, 6)
-                logger.info(f"Attempting to load 4x6 TTF font from: {font_path} at size {size}")
-                self.extra_small_font = load_truetype(font_path, size)
+                font_path = "assets/fonts/4x6-font.ttf"
+                logger.info(f"Attempting to load 4x6 TTF font from: {font_path} at size 6")
+                self.extra_small_font = ImageFont.truetype(font_path, 6)
                 logger.info(f"4x6 TTF extra small font loaded successfully from {font_path}")
             except Exception as font_err:
                 logger.error(f"Failed to load 4x6 TTF font: {font_err}. Falling back.")
@@ -1075,13 +1023,7 @@ class DisplayManager:
         try:
             if isinstance(font, freetype.Face):
                 # For FreeType faces (BDF), the 'height' metric gives the recommended line spacing.
-                height = font.size.height >> 6
-                if height:
-                    return height
-                # A Face constructed without set_char_size reports 0, and a
-                # zero line height collapses every stacked row onto one line.
-                # Fall back to the strike the file declares.
-                return _bdf_native_size(font) or 8
+                return font.size.height >> 6
             else:
                 # For PIL TTF fonts, getmetrics() provides ascent and descent.
                 # The line height is the sum of ascent and descent.
@@ -1343,7 +1285,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
             try:
                 self.image = Image.new('RGB', (self.width, self.height))
                 self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
-                self.draw.fontmode = "1"  # 1-bit text: the panel has no partial brightness, so AA only smears glyphs.
             except (OSError, RuntimeError, ValueError, MemoryError):
                 logger.debug("Canvas reset during cleanup failed", exc_info=True)
         # Reset the singleton state when cleaning up
@@ -1432,14 +1373,6 @@ class DisplayManager:
         # If we've been inactive for the threshold period, consider it not scrolling
         if current_time - self._scrolling_state['last_scroll_activity'] > self._scrolling_state['scroll_inactivity_threshold']:
             self._scrolling_state['is_scrolling'] = False
-            # Drop the hold with the state, exactly as set_scrolling_state(False)
-            # does. This path is the one a scroll takes when it ends without
-            # saying so -- the rotation moves on mid-scroll, or the plugin is
-            # torn down -- and leaving the hold set there means every later
-            # plugin, scrolling or static, is presented at refresh/N until
-            # somebody calls set_scrolling_state(False). The hold must not
-            # outlive the scroll that asked for it, however that scroll ends.
-            self._frame_hold = 1
             return False
             
         return True
@@ -1604,30 +1537,12 @@ class DisplayManager:
                 if parent_dir and str(parent_dir) != '/tmp':  # nosec B108 - guard to skip /tmp for permission ops
                     ensure_directory_permissions(parent_dir, get_assets_dir_mode())
                 self._snapshot_dir_prepared = True
-            # Write atomically: temp then replace. The temp name must be
-            # unique, not "<snapshot>.tmp": /tmp is world-writable and sticky,
-            # and this file is written by whichever user the display service
-            # runs as while tests and tooling run as someone else. A leftover
-            # fixed-name temp owned by another user is then unopenable even by
-            # root (fs.protected_regular refuses O_CREAT on a foreign file in a
-            # sticky dir), which froze the preview and the health check's
-            # liveness proxy until somebody deleted it by hand. Same pattern as
-            # the hardware-status write above.
-            _fd, tmp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(
-                dir=str(snapshot_path_obj.parent),
-                prefix=f".{snapshot_path_obj.name}.", suffix=".tmp")
+            # Write atomically: temp then replace
+            tmp_path = f"{self._snapshot_path}.tmp"
+            self.image.save(tmp_path, format='PNG')
             try:
-                with os.fdopen(_fd, "wb") as _f:
-                    self.image.save(_f, format='PNG')
-                os.chmod(tmp_path, 0o644)
                 os.replace(tmp_path, self._snapshot_path)
             except Exception:
-                # Never leave the temp behind -- that is what made the failure
-                # permanent rather than transient.
-                try:
-                    os.unlink(tmp_path)
-                except OSError:
-                    pass
                 # Fallback to direct save if replace not supported
                 self.image.save(self._snapshot_path, format='PNG')
             # Set proper file permissions after saving

src/font_manager.py

@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import time
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from pathlib import Path
 from PIL import ImageFont
-from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype, resolve_asset_path
 from typing import Dict, Tuple, Optional, Union, Any, List
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -97,8 +96,7 @@ class FontManager:
         self.common_fonts = {
             "press_start": "assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf",
             "four_by_six": "assets/fonts/4x6-font.ttf",
-            "five_by_seven": "assets/fonts/5x7.bdf",
-            "tom_thumb": "assets/fonts/tom-thumb.bdf"
+            "five_by_seven": "assets/fonts/5x7.bdf"
             # Note: cozette_bdf removed - font file not available
             # To re-enable: download cozette.bdf from https://github.com/the-moonwitch/Cozette
             # and add: "cozette_bdf": "assets/fonts/cozette.bdf"
@@ -480,7 +478,7 @@ class FontManager:
                 if font_path.endswith('.bdf'):
                     font = self._load_bdf_font(font_path, size_px)
                 else:
-                    font = load_truetype(font_path, size_px)
+                    font = ImageFont.truetype(font_path, size_px)
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"Error loading font {font_path}: {e}")
                 self.performance_stats["failed_loads"] += 1
@@ -665,14 +663,20 @@ class FontManager:
     def _resolve_asset_path(relative_path: str) -> str:
         """Resolve a repo-relative asset path independently of the process cwd.
 
-        Thin delegate to :func:`src.common.font_layout.resolve_asset_path`,
-        which holds the one definition (``DisplayManager._load_fonts`` needs
-        the same resolution and must not import this class for it). The method
-        stays because plugins probe for it by name to share the core's notion
-        of "install root" -- see the `_resolve_font_path` helpers in the
-        scoreboard plugins.
+        Prefers the working directory (preserving behavior when the process
+        runs from the install root), then falls back to the install root
+        derived from this module's own location. Without the fallback, any
+        process started outside the install root (e.g. the plugin safety
+        harness on CI) silently loses every font and degrades to PIL's
+        default face.
         """
-        return resolve_asset_path(relative_path)
+        if os.path.exists(relative_path):
+            return relative_path
+        install_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+        candidate = install_root / relative_path
+        if candidate.exists():
+            return str(candidate)
+        return relative_path
 
     def _initialize_fonts(self):
         """Initialize font catalog and validate configuration."""
@@ -854,7 +858,7 @@ class FontManager:
                 return {"valid": True, "type": "bdf", "family": "unknown"}
             elif font_path.endswith('.ttf'):
                 # Try to load TTF font
-                load_truetype(font_path, 12)
+                ImageFont.truetype(font_path, 12)
                 return {"valid": True, "type": "ttf", "family": "unknown"}
             else:
                 return {"valid": False, "error": "Unsupported font format"}

src/logo_downloader.py

@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ import json
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 from pathlib import Path
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
-from src.common.font_layout import load_truetype
-from PIL.PngImagePlugin import PngInfo
 from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
 from urllib3.util.retry import Retry
 from src.common.permission_utils import (
@@ -27,96 +25,6 @@ from src.common.permission_utils import (
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-#: PNG text key stamped into a generated placeholder so a later run can tell it
-#: apart from a real logo that happens to be small.
-PLACEHOLDER_MARKER = "ledmatrix_placeholder"
-
-#: Geometry of a generated placeholder, used to recognise ones written before
-#: the marker existed. Those are already on users' disks and would otherwise
-#: never be retried.
-PLACEHOLDER_SIZE = (64, 64)
-PLACEHOLDER_BG = (100, 100, 100, 255)
-
-#: How long a placeholder is trusted before the real logo is attempted again.
-#: A placeholder means the download failed, and download failures are usually
-#: transient (no network at boot, ESPN blipping). Retrying every frame would
-#: hammer the API from a Pi that is also driving a panel; never retrying leaves
-#: the team a grey box forever, which is the bug this exists to avoid.
-PLACEHOLDER_RETRY_SECONDS = 6 * 60 * 60
-
-
-def is_placeholder_logo(filepath: Path) -> bool:
-    """True if the file at ``filepath`` is a generated placeholder, not a logo.
-
-    Checks the marker first, then falls back to matching the placeholder's
-    exact geometry and background colour so files written before the marker was
-    introduced are still recognised.
-    """
-    try:
-        with Image.open(filepath) as img:
-            if img.info.get(PLACEHOLDER_MARKER):
-                return True
-            if img.size != PLACEHOLDER_SIZE:
-                return False
-            return img.convert("RGBA").getpixel((0, 0)) == PLACEHOLDER_BG
-    except Exception:
-        # Unreadable file: not provably a placeholder, and the caller's own
-        # error handling is better placed to deal with it.
-        return False
-
-
-def should_attempt_download(filepath: Path, force_download: bool = False) -> bool:
-    """Whether a real logo is worth (re)fetching for ``filepath``.
-
-    True when nothing is there, when the caller forced it, or when what is
-    there is a placeholder old enough to retry. A *fresh* placeholder says a
-    download just failed, so retrying it immediately would hammer the API for
-    a result that is very unlikely to have changed.
-    """
-    if force_download or not filepath.exists():
-        return True
-    if not is_placeholder_logo(filepath):
-        return False
-    age = placeholder_age_seconds(filepath)
-    return age is None or age >= PLACEHOLDER_RETRY_SECONDS
-
-
-def refresh_placeholder_timestamp(filepath: Path) -> bool:
-    """Restamp a placeholder so a failed retry restarts the back-off clock.
-
-    Without this a stale placeholder stays stale: every later call sees an
-    expired timestamp, retries, fails, and leaves the timestamp untouched --
-    which is a download attempt per call, the opposite of what the back-off is
-    for.
-    """
-    try:
-        if not is_placeholder_logo(filepath):
-            return False
-        metadata = PngInfo()
-        metadata.add_text(PLACEHOLDER_MARKER, str(time.time()))
-        with Image.open(filepath) as img:
-            img.copy().save(filepath, "PNG", pnginfo=metadata)
-        return True
-    except Exception:
-        logger.debug("Could not refresh placeholder timestamp for %s", filepath,
-                     exc_info=True)
-        return False
-
-
-def placeholder_age_seconds(filepath: Path) -> Optional[float]:
-    """Seconds since a placeholder was written, or None if unknown."""
-    try:
-        with Image.open(filepath) as img:
-            stamped = img.info.get(PLACEHOLDER_MARKER)
-        if stamped and stamped != "1":
-            return max(0.0, time.time() - float(stamped))
-    except Exception:
-        pass
-    try:
-        return max(0.0, time.time() - filepath.stat().st_mtime)
-    except OSError:
-        return None
-
 class LogoDownloader:
     """Centralized logo downloader for team logos from ESPN API."""
     
@@ -591,10 +499,8 @@ class LogoDownloader:
             filename = f"{self.normalize_abbreviation(abbreviation)}.png"
             filepath = Path(logo_dir) / filename
             
-            # A placeholder does not count as existing -- it is a previous
-            # failure, and a bulk pass is exactly where it should get another
-            # chance, subject to the same back-off as everywhere else.
-            if not should_attempt_download(filepath, force_download):
+            # Skip if already exists and not forcing download
+            if filepath.exists() and not force_download:
                 logger.debug(f"Skipping {display_name}: {filename} already exists")
                 continue
             
@@ -653,9 +559,8 @@ class LogoDownloader:
             filename = f"{self.normalize_abbreviation(abbreviation)}.png"
             filepath = Path(logo_dir) / filename
             
-            # Same eligibility rule as every other download site: a stale
-            # placeholder is a failed download, not a logo.
-            if not should_attempt_download(filepath, force_download):
+            # Skip if already exists and not forcing download
+            if filepath.exists() and not force_download:
                 logger.debug(f"Skipping {display_name} ({category}, {conference}): {filename} already exists")
                 continue
             
@@ -748,7 +653,7 @@ class LogoDownloader:
             
             # Try to load a font, fallback to default
             try:
-                font = load_truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 12)
+                font = ImageFont.truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 12)
             except (OSError, IOError):
                 try:
                     font = ImageFont.load_default()
@@ -769,16 +674,11 @@ class LogoDownloader:
                 # Fallback without font
                 draw.text((16, 24), text, fill=(255, 255, 255, 255))
             
-            # Stamp it so a later run can tell this apart from a real logo and
-            # retry the download, instead of treating the file's existence as
-            # proof the logo was fetched.
-            metadata = PngInfo()
-            metadata.add_text(PLACEHOLDER_MARKER, str(time.time()))
-            logo.save(filepath, "PNG", pnginfo=metadata)
-
+            logo.save(filepath)
+            
             # Set proper file permissions after saving
             ensure_file_permissions(filepath, get_assets_file_mode())
-
+            
             logger.info(f"Created placeholder logo for {team_abbreviation} at {filepath}")
             return True
             
@@ -870,18 +770,9 @@ def download_missing_logo(league: str, team_id: str, team_abbreviation: str, log
     # Use the exact filepath that was passed in (respects config settings)
     filepath = logo_path
     
-    if filepath.exists() and not should_attempt_download(filepath):
-        # Either a real logo, or a placeholder too fresh to be worth retrying.
+    if filepath.exists():
         logger.debug(f"Logo already exists for {team_abbreviation} ({league})")
         return True
-    if filepath.exists():
-        # A placeholder is a *failed* download wearing the real logo's
-        # filename. Treating it as "already exists" is what pinned a team to a
-        # grey box permanently after one transient failure.
-        logger.info(
-            "Logo for %s (%s) is a placeholder from a failed download; "
-            "retrying the real logo", team_abbreviation, league,
-        )
     
     # Try to download the real logo first
     logger.info(f"Attempting to download logo for {team_abbreviation} from {league}")

src/plugin_system/base_plugin.py

@@ -12,47 +12,11 @@ from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import Dict, Any, Optional, List
 import logging
-import os
-import sys
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
 
 
 _shared_fallback_font_manager: Optional[Any] = None
 
-#: Distinguishes "not looked up yet" from "looked up and not found", so a
-#: plugin with no schema does not re-scan the disk on every frame.
-_UNSET_SCHEMA_PATH = object()
-
-
-class _NullStyleResolver:
-    """Stand-in for ElementStyleResolver when the module is unavailable.
-
-    Only reachable on a core that predates src.element_style, which
-    ``styles`` degrades to rather than raising: every lookup returns the
-    caller's classic values, which is what the plugin drew before styling
-    existed.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, config: Any) -> None:
-        self._config = config
-
-    def style(self, element_key: str, classic_font: str = None,
-              classic_size: int = 8, classic_color: Any = None,
-              mode: Optional[str] = None) -> Any:
-        from types import SimpleNamespace
-        return SimpleNamespace(
-            font=None, color=classic_color or (255, 255, 255), offset=(0, 0),
-            font_name=classic_font, font_size=classic_size,
-            user_forced=False, user_forced_color=False,
-            visible=True, align=None, scale=1.0)
-
-    def offset(self, element_key: str, mode: Optional[str] = None) -> tuple:
-        return (0, 0)
-
-    def offset_value(self, element_key: str, axis: str, default: int = 0,
-                     mode: Optional[str] = None) -> int:
-        return default
-
 
 def _fallback_font_manager() -> Any:
     """Shared FontManager for environments (unit tests, mocks) where the
@@ -99,12 +63,6 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
 
     API_VERSION = "1.0.0"
 
-    #: Which ``customization.modes.<mode>`` overrides :attr:`styles` applies.
-    #: A plugin with one instance per display mode (the scoreboards' live /
-    #: upcoming / recent classes) sets this and every existing style lookup
-    #: becomes mode-aware without changing a call site.
-    STYLE_MODE: Optional[str] = None
-
     def __init__(
         self,
         plugin_id: str,
@@ -302,128 +260,6 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
         self._layout_font_generation = generation
         return context
 
-    @property
-    def styles(self) -> Any:
-        """
-        The user's per-element styling: fonts, sizes, colours, offsets,
-        visibility, alignment and scale, resolved against this plugin's own
-        config_schema.json.
-
-        Every consumer of src.element_style used to repeat the same three
-        things -- a guarded import, finding its own schema file, and
-        rebuilding the resolver when on_config_change swapped the config
-        dict. This is those three things, once.
-
-        Ask for a style by element name, passing what the plugin drew before
-        the user could customise anything::
-
-            title = self.styles.style('title_text',
-                                      classic_font='PressStart2P-Regular.ttf',
-                                      classic_size=8,
-                                      classic_color=(255, 255, 255))
-            x, y = title.offset
-            self.display_manager.draw_text(text, x=x, y=y,
-                                           font=title.font, color=title.color)
-
-        The classic_* arguments matter: when the user has chosen nothing,
-        they come back verbatim, so a plugin that adopts this renders
-        identically until someone actually changes a setting.
-
-        A plugin whose display has modes (a scoreboard's live/upcoming/
-        recent, weather's current/hourly/daily) sets ``STYLE_MODE`` on the
-        class, and every lookup here honours the matching
-        ``customization.modes.<mode>`` overrides without any call site
-        passing a mode. Use :meth:`styles_for` for a one-off mode.
-
-        Never raises: with no schema on disk, or with the element-style
-        module unavailable, lookups fall back to the classic values.
-        """
-        resolver = getattr(self, "_style_resolver", None)
-        # The config dict is swapped wholesale by on_config_change, so
-        # identity is the invalidation signal -- the same check the sports
-        # base classes use.
-        if resolver is not None and resolver._config is self.config:
-            return resolver
-        resolver = self._build_style_resolver(getattr(self, "STYLE_MODE", None))
-        self._style_resolver = resolver
-        return resolver
-
-    def styles_for(self, mode: Optional[str]) -> Any:
-        """:attr:`styles`, bound to ``mode`` instead of ``STYLE_MODE``.
-
-        For a plugin that renders more than one mode from one instance. A
-        plugin with an instance per mode should set ``STYLE_MODE`` instead
-        and leave its call sites alone.
-        """
-        cache = getattr(self, "_style_resolvers_by_mode", None)
-        if cache is None or getattr(self, "_style_resolver_config", None) is not self.config:
-            cache = {}
-            self._style_resolvers_by_mode = cache
-            self._style_resolver_config = self.config
-        if mode not in cache:
-            cache[mode] = self._build_style_resolver(mode)
-        return cache[mode]
-
-    def _build_style_resolver(self, mode: Optional[str]) -> Any:
-        """Construct a resolver for this plugin's config and schema."""
-        try:
-            from src.element_style import (ElementStyleResolver,
-                                           defaults_from_schema_file)
-        except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - core always ships it
-            return _NullStyleResolver(self.config)
-
-        schema_path = self._config_schema_path()
-        defaults = (defaults_from_schema_file(schema_path) if schema_path
-                    else {})
-        return ElementStyleResolver(self.config, defaults, mode=mode)
-
-    def _config_schema_path(self) -> Optional[str]:
-        """This plugin's config_schema.json, or None.
-
-        Looked up from the concrete class's own module rather than from this
-        file: a plugin's subclass lives in its plugin directory, while this
-        module lives in src/plugin_system, where no plugin schema exists.
-        Falls back to the configured plugins directory, including the
-        ledmatrix- prefix form the loader accepts.
-
-        Returning None is safe, not fatal -- the resolver then has no
-        defaults to compare against, so every configured value counts as a
-        deliberate override, which is the conservative reading.
-        """
-        cached = getattr(self, "_config_schema_path_cache", _UNSET_SCHEMA_PATH)
-        if cached is not _UNSET_SCHEMA_PATH:
-            return cached
-
-        path = None
-        try:
-            for candidate in self._schema_path_candidates():
-                if candidate and os.path.isfile(candidate):
-                    path = candidate
-                    break
-        except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
-            self.logger.debug("Could not locate config_schema.json: %s", exc)
-        self._config_schema_path_cache = path
-        return path
-
-    def _schema_path_candidates(self) -> list:
-        """Where a plugin's schema might be, best guess first."""
-        candidates = []
-
-        module = sys.modules.get(type(self).__module__)
-        module_file = getattr(module, "__file__", None)
-        if module_file:
-            candidates.append(os.path.join(
-                os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(module_file)),
-                "config_schema.json"))
-
-        plugins_dir = getattr(self.plugin_manager, "plugins_dir", None)
-        if plugins_dir:
-            for plugin_id in (self.plugin_id, f"ledmatrix-{self.plugin_id}"):
-                candidates.append(os.path.join(
-                    str(plugins_dir), os.path.basename(plugin_id),
-                    "config_schema.json"))
-        return candidates
-
     def draw_fit(self, text: str, box: Any,
                  color: tuple = (255, 255, 255),
                  ladder: Optional[Any] = None,
@@ -684,38 +520,6 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
         """
         return
 
-    def get_update_interval(self) -> Optional[float]:
-        """
-        How often this plugin wants update() called, right now, in seconds.
-
-        The manifest's ``update_interval`` is a single static number, which
-        cannot say "poll me every 15 seconds while a game is in progress and
-        every 15 minutes when nothing is on". Only the plugin knows which is
-        true at any moment, so override this to say so.
-
-        Return None (the default) to accept the manifest/config value.
-
-        Two constraints, both because the scheduler calls this on every tick of
-        the render loop:
-
-        - It must be cheap. Attribute reads only -- no config lookups, no I/O,
-          no locks that a fetch might be holding.
-        - It must not raise. A raising hook is ignored and the static interval
-          used, but a hook that raises every tick also logs every tick.
-
-        Values below PluginManager.MIN_DYNAMIC_UPDATE_INTERVAL are clamped up:
-        a plugin asking for 0 would otherwise busy-wait against its own API.
-
-        Example::
-
-            def get_update_interval(self):
-                # Fast while something is actually live, manifest default otherwise.
-                if any(m.live_games for m in self._live_managers):
-                    return self.config.get("live_update_interval", 15)
-                return None
-        """
-        return None
-
     def has_live_priority(self) -> bool:
         """
         Check if this plugin has live priority enabled.

src/plugin_system/compatibility.py

@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ fixes their version string. See `docs/SPORTS_UNIFICATION.md`, phase B4.
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import re
-from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple
 
 # Below this, the core's self-reported version is not evidence of anything.
@@ -36,45 +35,6 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple
 TRUSTWORTHY_FLOOR: Tuple[int, int, int] = (2, 0, 0)
 
 
-# ``src/__init__.py`` relative to this file: src/plugin_system/ -> src/
-_VERSION_FILE = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / "__init__.py"
-_VERSION_RE = re.compile(r'^__version__\s*=\s*["\']([^"\']+)["\']', re.M)
-
-
-def current_core_version() -> str:
-    """The core version as it is on disk right now, not as it was at import.
-
-    ``from src import __version__`` binds whatever the process loaded at start.
-    The web UI runs as its own long-lived service (``ledmatrix-web.service``),
-    and updating the core replaces files on disk without restarting it -- the
-    update route says so explicitly and asks the user to restart. Its prompt
-    names the *display* service, so a user who follows it leaves the web
-    process holding the old number.
-
-    The plugin store's gate lives in that web process. Stale by one release is
-    exactly the case that matters: every plugin flooring on the release you
-    just installed gets refused, with a message blaming a core version that is
-    already correct on disk. 3.3.0 is the first release where that hits a whole
-    plugin family at once -- all eight sports scoreboards floor there.
-
-    Reading the file costs one stat and a small read per call, and only on the
-    install/update path. Any failure falls back to the imported value, so this
-    can only ever be as wrong as before, never worse.
-    """
-    try:
-        text = _VERSION_FILE.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-        match = _VERSION_RE.search(text)
-        if match:
-            return match.group(1)
-    except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError):
-        pass
-    try:
-        from src import __version__ as imported
-        return imported
-    except Exception:            # noqa: BLE001 - never let this raise
-        return "0.0.0"
-
-
 def parse_semver(value: Any) -> Optional[Tuple[int, int, int]]:
     """Parse ``X.Y.Z`` (extra parts and suffixes ignored) into a comparable
     3-tuple, or ``None`` when unparseable. A leading ``v`` is tolerated."""

src/plugin_system/plugin_executor.py

@@ -76,13 +76,6 @@ class PluginExecutor:
         thread.start()
         thread.join(timeout=timeout)
         
-        # NB: this timeout is advisory. Nothing cancels the thread -- Python
-        # has no way to -- so on expiry the operation keeps running to
-        # completion in the background and only this caller gives up waiting.
-        # A plugin that hangs permanently leaks one daemon thread per attempt.
-        # Callers that hold a resource across the call must release it from
-        # inside the wrapped callable rather than after this returns; see the
-        # _release_display_lock guard inside DisplayController.run().
         if not result_container['completed']:
             error_msg = f"{plugin_context} operation timed out after {timeout}s"
             self.logger.error(error_msg)
@@ -155,8 +148,7 @@ class PluginExecutor:
         plugin_id: str,
         force_clear: bool = False,
         display_mode: Optional[str] = None,
-        timeout: Optional[float] = None,
-        accepts_display_mode: Optional[bool] = None
+        timeout: Optional[float] = None
     ) -> bool:
         """
         Execute plugin display() method with error handling.
@@ -167,9 +159,6 @@ class PluginExecutor:
             force_clear: Whether to force clear display
             display_mode: Optional display mode parameter
             timeout: Timeout in seconds (None = use default)
-            accepts_display_mode: Whether plugin.display() takes a
-                display_mode keyword. Pass it when the caller already knows;
-                None falls back to inspecting the callable.
             
         Returns:
             True if display succeeded, False otherwise
@@ -177,20 +166,10 @@ class PluginExecutor:
         try:
             start_time = time.time()
             
-            # Does display() take a display_mode keyword? The caller usually
-            # knows and caches the answer, so prefer what it passed.
-            #
-            # Inspecting here was not merely redundant, it could never be
-            # cached: display_controller wraps the real plugin in a fresh
-            # SimpleNamespace per call, so inspect.signature() saw a new
-            # callable every time and paid ~55us on a Pi 4 to re-derive a
-            # value the caller had computed one line earlier and stored in
-            # self._plugin_accepts_display_mode.
-            if accepts_display_mode is None:
-                import inspect
-                accepts_display_mode = (
-                    'display_mode' in inspect.signature(plugin.display).parameters)
-            has_display_mode = accepts_display_mode
+            # Check if plugin accepts display_mode parameter
+            import inspect
+            sig = inspect.signature(plugin.display)
+            has_display_mode = 'display_mode' in sig.parameters
             
             # Capture the return value from the plugin's display() method
             if has_display_mode and display_mode:

src/plugin_system/plugin_loader.py

@@ -772,8 +772,8 @@ class PluginLoader:
         newer than the running core. Advisory only — never raises — so a
         plugin that guards optional features with try/except keeps working.
         """
+        from src import __version__ as core_version
         from src.plugin_system import compatibility
-        core_version = compatibility.current_core_version()
 
         compatible, _reason = compatibility.check(manifest, core_version)
         if compatible:

src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ API Version: 1.0.0
 """
 
 import json
-import math
 import queue
 import sys
 import time
@@ -780,68 +779,15 @@ class PluginManager:
 
         return None
 
-    def _dynamic_update_interval(self, plugin_id: str, plugin_instance: Any) -> Optional[float]:
-        """The interval a plugin asks for right now, or None if it has no view."""
-        hook = getattr(plugin_instance, 'get_update_interval', None)
-        if not callable(hook):
-            return None
-        try:
-            requested = hook()
-        except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
-            self.logger.debug(
-                "get_update_interval() failed for %s, using the static interval: %s",
-                plugin_id, exc)
-            return None
-        if requested is None:
-            return None
-        if isinstance(requested, bool):
-            self.logger.debug(
-                "get_update_interval() returned a bool for %s, which is not a number",
-                plugin_id)
-            return None
-        try:
-            requested = float(requested)
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            self.logger.debug(
-                "get_update_interval() returned %r for %s, which is not a number",
-                requested, plugin_id)
-            return None
-        if not math.isfinite(requested):  # NaN / +inf / -inf
-            return None
-        return max(requested, self.MIN_DYNAMIC_UPDATE_INTERVAL)
-
-    #: Floor for a plugin-requested interval. A plugin asking for 0 (or a
-    #: negative) would otherwise be re-entered on every tick of the render
-    #: loop, which is a busy-wait against whatever API it fetches.
-    MIN_DYNAMIC_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 5.0
-
     def _get_plugin_update_interval(self, plugin_id: str, plugin_instance: Any) -> Optional[float]:
         """
         Get the data-fetch interval for a plugin (seconds between update() calls).
 
-        A plugin may implement ``get_update_interval()`` to vary its own cadence
-        at runtime, which the static manifest value cannot express. The case
-        this exists for: a sports scoreboard needs to poll every 15s while a
-        game is in progress and every 15 minutes when nothing is on, and only
-        the plugin knows which is true right now. Returning None from the hook
-        means "no opinion", and the static resolution below applies.
-
-        The hook is called on every scheduling tick, so implementations must be
-        cheap — attribute reads, no config lookups and no I/O. A raising or
-        non-numeric hook is ignored rather than allowed to stop the plugin
-        updating, since a scheduler that propagates a plugin bug stops every
-        other plugin too.
-
-        The static result is cached per plugin_id after the first lookup to
-        avoid calling config_manager.get_config() — which returns a full dict
-        copy — on every tick of the 30-fps display loop. The cache is
-        invalidated when a plugin is loaded or unloaded. The dynamic hook is
-        deliberately *not* cached: caching it would defeat its only purpose.
+        Result is cached per plugin_id after the first lookup to avoid calling
+        config_manager.get_config() — which returns a full dict copy — on every
+        tick of the 30-fps display loop.  The cache is invalidated when a plugin
+        is loaded or unloaded.
         """
-        dynamic = self._dynamic_update_interval(plugin_id, plugin_instance)
-        if dynamic is not None:
-            return dynamic
-
         if plugin_id in self._update_interval_cache:
             return self._update_interval_cache[plugin_id]
 

src/plugin_system/state_reconciliation.py

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Detects and fixes inconsistencies between:
 - State manager state
 """
 
-import json
 from typing import Dict, Any, List, Set
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from enum import Enum
@@ -56,100 +55,6 @@ class ReconciliationResult:
     message: str
 
 
-def secrets_top_level_keys(config_manager) -> Set[str]:
-    """Top-level keys load_config() merges in from the secrets file.
-
-    Deliberately fail-safe: an unreadable, absent, malformed or non-path
-    secrets location narrows this set rather than raising, because a failure
-    here must never break reconciliation.
-    """
-    try:
-        path = config_manager.get_secrets_path()
-        with open(path, 'r') as f:
-            secrets = json.load(f)
-    except (AttributeError, OSError, TypeError, ValueError):
-        return set()
-    return set(secrets) if isinstance(secrets, dict) else set()
-
-
-def ignored_config_keys(config_manager) -> Set[str]:
-    """Config keys that are not plugin ids: system keys plus secrets keys."""
-    return set(StateReconciliation._SYSTEM_CONFIG_KEYS) | secrets_top_level_keys(config_manager)
-
-
-def config_plugin_ids(config: Dict[str, Any], ignored_keys: Set[str]) -> Set[str]:
-    """Plugin ids a loaded config declares.
-
-    Shared with the web interface so a stored verdict is re-checked against the
-    same definition that produced it. ``set(config)`` is NOT equivalent: it also
-    contains system keys, the secrets-file keys load_config() merges in, and
-    non-dict values. Counting any of those as a plugin is exactly what turned a
-    'data' key in the secrets file into a phantom plugin, and using the loose
-    set to re-check findings would clear ones that are still true.
-    """
-    return {k for k, v in (config or {}).items()
-            if isinstance(v, dict) and k not in ignored_keys}
-
-
-def disk_plugin_ids(plugins_dir) -> Set[str]:
-    """Plugin ids actually installed on disk.
-
-    A directory counts only when it is not a standalone backup and its
-    manifest.json parses. A corrupt manifest must not read as installed, or a
-    live "in config but not on disk" finding gets cleared on the strength of an
-    unreadable file.
-    """
-    ids: Set[str] = set()
-    root = Path(plugins_dir)
-    try:
-        if not root.exists():
-            return ids
-        for entry in root.iterdir():
-            if not entry.is_dir() or '.standalone-backup-' in entry.name:
-                continue
-            manifest = entry / "manifest.json"
-            if not manifest.exists():
-                continue
-            try:
-                with open(manifest, 'r') as f:
-                    json.load(f)
-            except (OSError, ValueError):
-                continue
-            ids.add(entry.name)
-    except OSError:
-        return ids
-    return ids
-
-
-def still_unresolved(entries: List[Dict[str, Any]],
-                     config_keys: Set[str],
-                     installed_ids: Set[str]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
-    """Drop stored reconciliation findings that are no longer true.
-
-    The verdict is written once to a status file and served to the web UI from
-    there, and a run that fails to apply a fix also declares it "will not retry
-    automatically". Together those froze a single moment forever: a device whose
-    plugins were all present in config kept being told, for hours, that four of
-    them were missing and should be removed from config.json.
-
-    Entry kinds this cannot re-check are kept, so filtering only ever removes
-    findings that are provably stale.
-    """
-    live: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
-    for entry in entries:
-        kind = entry.get('type')
-        plugin_id = entry.get('plugin_id')
-        if kind == InconsistencyType.PLUGIN_MISSING_IN_CONFIG.value:
-            if plugin_id not in config_keys:
-                live.append(entry)
-        elif kind == InconsistencyType.PLUGIN_MISSING_ON_DISK.value:
-            if plugin_id not in installed_ids:
-                live.append(entry)
-        else:
-            live.append(entry)
-    return live
-
-
 class StateReconciliation:
     """
     State reconciliation system.
@@ -295,26 +200,16 @@ class StateReconciliation:
         'github', 'youtube',
     })
 
-    def _secrets_top_level_keys(self) -> Set[str]:
-        """Top-level keys that load_config() merges in from the secrets file.
-
-        load_config() merges config_secrets.json into the config it returns, so
-        those keys sit alongside plugin ids. _SYSTEM_CONFIG_KEYS named them
-        individually ('github', 'youtube'), which broke the moment anything else
-        was written there: a 'data' key became a phantom plugin, permanently
-        reported as "in config but not on disk". Reading the file keeps this
-        correct no matter what it holds.
-        """
-        return secrets_top_level_keys(self.config_manager)
-
     def _get_config_state(self) -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
         """Get plugin state from config file."""
         state = {}
         try:
             config = self.config_manager.load_config()
-            ignored = self._SYSTEM_CONFIG_KEYS | self._secrets_top_level_keys()
-            for plugin_id in config_plugin_ids(config, ignored):
-                plugin_config = config[plugin_id]
+            for plugin_id, plugin_config in config.items():
+                if not isinstance(plugin_config, dict):
+                    continue
+                if plugin_id in self._SYSTEM_CONFIG_KEYS:
+                    continue
                 state[plugin_id] = {
                     'enabled': plugin_config.get('enabled', True),
                     'version': plugin_config.get('version'),
@@ -328,21 +223,25 @@ class StateReconciliation:
         """Get plugin state from disk (installed plugins)."""
         state = {}
         try:
-            # Membership comes from the shared extractor so the web interface
-            # re-checks stored findings against this same definition; the
-            # manifest is then re-read here only for version/name.
-            for plugin_id in disk_plugin_ids(self.plugins_dir):
-                manifest_path = self.plugins_dir / plugin_id / "manifest.json"
-                try:
-                    with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
-                        manifest = json.load(f)
-                except (OSError, ValueError):  # nosec B112 - raced or corrupt; skip
-                    continue
-                state[plugin_id] = {
-                    'exists_on_disk': True,
-                    'version': manifest.get('version'),
-                    'name': manifest.get('name')
-                }
+            if self.plugins_dir.exists():
+                for plugin_dir in self.plugins_dir.iterdir():
+                    if plugin_dir.is_dir():
+                        plugin_id = plugin_dir.name
+                        if '.standalone-backup-' in plugin_id:
+                            continue
+                        manifest_path = plugin_dir / "manifest.json"
+                        if manifest_path.exists():
+                            import json
+                            try:
+                                with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
+                                    manifest = json.load(f)
+                                state[plugin_id] = {
+                                    'exists_on_disk': True,
+                                    'version': manifest.get('version'),
+                                    'name': manifest.get('name')
+                                }
+                            except Exception:  # nosec B110 - corrupt/unreadable manifest; skip this plugin, outer except logs
+                                pass
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.warning(f"Error reading disk state: {e}")
         return state
@@ -468,18 +367,8 @@ class StateReconciliation:
         """Attempt to fix an inconsistency."""
         try:
             if inconsistency.inconsistency_type == InconsistencyType.PLUGIN_MISSING_IN_CONFIG:
-                config = self.config_manager.load_config()
-                if inconsistency.plugin_id in config:
-                    # Detection said "not in config" but it is there -- the
-                    # config changed under us, or the id came from a key merged
-                    # in from elsewhere. Assigning the stub below would replace
-                    # the real entry: one reported case would have traded 4.9KB
-                    # of league settings for {'enabled': False}. Nothing to fix.
-                    self.logger.info(
-                        "Skipped: %s is already in config; not overwriting it",
-                        inconsistency.plugin_id)
-                    return True
                 # Add plugin to config with default disabled state
+                config = self.config_manager.load_config()
                 config[inconsistency.plugin_id] = {
                     'enabled': False
                 }

src/plugin_system/store_manager.py

@@ -1338,16 +1338,9 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             self.logger.error(f"Plugin not found in registry: {plugin_id}")
             return False
 
-        # Visual skins share the registry. _install_skin_from_info can put one
-        # in skins/, but no current scoreboard plugin renders skins, so the
-        # store refuses them rather than installing something that does
-        # nothing (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md). Manual installs under skins/ and
-        # uninstall_skin are unaffected.
+        # Visual skins share the registry but install to skins/, not to a
+        # plugin directory (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md)
         if (plugin_info.get('type') or 'plugin') == 'skin':
-            from src.skin_system import SKINS_RENDER_SUPPORTED, SKINS_UNSUPPORTED_MESSAGE
-            if not SKINS_RENDER_SUPPORTED:
-                self.logger.error(f"Not installing skin {plugin_id}: {SKINS_UNSUPPORTED_MESSAGE}")
-                return False
             return self._install_skin_from_info(plugin_id, plugin_info, branch)
 
         repo_url = plugin_info.get('repo')
@@ -1474,11 +1467,8 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                 # already had. Allowing it costs them a plugin that raises
                 # ModuleNotFoundError at load and is reported only as one line
                 # in the journal. See docs/SPORTS_UNIFICATION.md (phase B4/B6).
+                from src import __version__ as core_version
                 from src.plugin_system import compatibility
-                # On disk, not as imported: this process may predate the core
-                # update that made the plugin compatible. See
-                # compatibility.current_core_version.
-                core_version = compatibility.current_core_version()
 
                 compatible, reason = compatibility.check(manifest, core_version)
                 if not compatible:
@@ -1596,7 +1586,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
                 manifest = json.load(f)
             
-            requested_id = plugin_id
             plugin_id = plugin_id or manifest.get('id')
             if not plugin_id:
                 return {
@@ -1613,26 +1602,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                     'error': f'Manifest missing required fields: {", ".join(missing_fields)}'
                 }
             
-            # Refuse a plugin that needs a newer core than this one, exactly as
-            # _install_plugin_impl does after its download. Sideloading is an
-            # explicit act rather than an automatic store update, but the floor
-            # is not advice about intent -- it is a statement that the plugin
-            # cannot run here, and letting it through produces the same silent
-            # PluginState.ERROR at load. This was the last of the three routes
-            # in that skipped the check.
-            #
-            # Before the move, so the `finally` below removes the temp tree and
-            # nothing half-installed is left behind.
-            from src.plugin_system import compatibility
-            core_version = compatibility.current_core_version()
-
-            compatible, reason = compatibility.check(manifest, core_version)
-            if not compatible:
-                self.logger.error(
-                    "Refusing to install %s from %s: %s",
-                    plugin_id, repo_url, reason)
-                return {'success': False, 'error': reason}
-
             # Validate version fields consistency (warnings only, not required)
             validation_errors = self._validate_manifest_version_fields(manifest)
             if validation_errors:
@@ -1672,15 +1641,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             
             branch_info = f" (branch: {branch_used})" if branch_used else ""
             self.logger.info(f"Successfully installed plugin from URL: {plugin_id}{branch_info}")
-            # User deliberately (re)installed this plugin -- clear any persistent
-            # uninstall record, exactly as install_plugin() does. Without this the
-            # id stays in config/uninstalled_plugins.json and
-            # purge_uninstalled_plugins(), which runs at every web-app startup,
-            # deletes the directory again: the plugin works for the rest of the
-            # session and is gone after the next reboot.
-            self.forget_uninstalled_plugin(
-                *(pid for pid in (requested_id, plugin_id, manifest.get('id')) if pid)
-            )
             result = {
                 'success': True,
                 'plugin_id': plugin_id,
@@ -2440,66 +2400,7 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                     return plugin_path
         except (OSError, ValueError):
             pass
-
-        # Last resort: the directory name may differ from the id being looked
-        # up. install_plugin() deliberately renames a plugin's directory to the
-        # MANIFEST id when it differs from the REGISTRY id (see the rename near
-        # "doesn't match registry ID" above), so `stocks` in the registry lands
-        # in `ledmatrix-stocks/`. Every lookup above is by directory name, so
-        # update_plugin("stocks") found nothing and reported the plugin as not
-        # installed -- silently, and for good: the user sees no error and stays
-        # on a stale version. Four installed plugins hit this in practice
-        # (leaderboard, music, stocks, weather).
-        #
-        # Deliberately last so the two lookups above keep their exact meaning;
-        # this only runs when a direct hit already failed. See
-        # test_discovery_path_contract.py, which pins that ordering.
-        for search_dir in self._candidate_plugin_dirs():
-            match = self._find_by_manifest_id(search_dir, plugin_id)
-            if match is not None:
-                self.logger.debug(
-                    "Resolved plugin '%s' to %s via its manifest id "
-                    "(directory name differs from the id)", plugin_id, match)
-                return match
-
-        return None
-
-    def _candidate_plugin_dirs(self) -> List[Path]:
-        """Directories that may hold installed plugins, configured one first."""
-        dirs = [self.plugins_dir]
-        try:
-            base = self.plugins_dir if self.plugins_dir.is_absolute()                 else self.plugins_dir.resolve()
-            sibling = base.parent / 'plugins'
-            if sibling != self.plugins_dir:
-                dirs.append(sibling)
-        except (OSError, ValueError):
-            pass
-        return [d for d in dirs if d.exists()]
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def _find_by_manifest_id(search_dir: Path, plugin_id: str) -> Optional[Path]:
-        """A subdirectory of `search_dir` whose manifest declares `plugin_id`.
-
-        Skips half-finished installs: store_manager renames a directory aside
-        with '.standalone-backup-' during install and rollback, and treating
-        one as installed would resurrect a ghost plugin.
-        """
-        try:
-            entries = sorted(search_dir.iterdir())
-        except (OSError, ValueError):
-            return None
-        for entry in entries:
-            if not entry.is_dir() or '.standalone-backup-' in entry.name:
-                continue
-            manifest = entry / 'manifest.json'
-            if not manifest.is_file():
-                continue
-            try:
-                with open(manifest, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as handle:
-                    if json.load(handle).get('id') == plugin_id:
-                        return entry
-            except (OSError, ValueError):
-                continue
+        
         return None
     
     _SKIN_ID_PATTERN = re.compile(r'^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._-]{0,63}$')
@@ -2682,85 +2583,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             self.logger.error(f"Error uninstalling plugin {plugin_id}: {e}")
             return False
     
-    def _gate_pulled_commit(self, plugin_id: str, plugin_path: Path,
-                            previous_sha: Optional[str]) -> bool:
-        """Apply the compatibility gate to a commit that arrived via git pull.
-
-        Every other route into an installed plugin goes through
-        ``install_plugin``, which gates in ``_install_plugin_impl``. This one
-        did not: a ``git pull`` could deliver a manifest flooring above this
-        core and nothing would notice until the plugin failed to load, which
-        surfaces as one line in the journal and a scoreboard that silently
-        stopped appearing.
-
-        Checked after the pull rather than before it, for the same reason
-        ``_install_plugin_impl`` checks after the download: the registry
-        carries no compatibility field, so the incoming floor is only knowable
-        once the new commit is on disk.
-
-        Undone with ``git reset --hard`` rather than by removing the directory.
-        This is a live checkout, the previous commit is still in the object
-        store, and the reset leaves the user on the exact version they were
-        already running -- the same promise ``_reinstall_with_rollback`` makes,
-        reached by the means this path actually has. It is also the gentler
-        option: no window in which the plugin directory does not exist, and no
-        ``.standalone-backup-`` debris if the process dies mid-way.
-
-        A manifest that cannot be read is not evidence of incompatibility, so
-        it allows. ``compatibility.check`` refuses only on evidence for the
-        same reason: a wrong refusal breaks a working install, while a wrong
-        allowance degrades to exactly the behaviour this path had before the
-        gate existed.
-        """
-        manifest_path = plugin_path / "manifest.json"
-        try:
-            with open(manifest_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as mf:
-                manifest = json.load(mf)
-        except (OSError, ValueError) as e:
-            self.logger.warning(
-                "Could not read %s after updating %s (%s); allowing the "
-                "update, as an unreadable manifest declares no floor",
-                manifest_path, plugin_id, e)
-            return True
-
-        from src.plugin_system import compatibility
-        core_version = compatibility.current_core_version()
-
-        compatible, reason = compatibility.check(manifest, core_version)
-        if compatible:
-            return True
-
-        self.logger.error("Refusing the update to %s: %s", plugin_id, reason)
-
-        if not previous_sha:
-            self.logger.error(
-                "Cannot roll %s back: the commit it was on before the pull is "
-                "unknown. It is now on a version this core cannot run — "
-                "reinstall it from the plugin store.", plugin_id)
-            return False
-
-        # Safe by construction: update_plugin returns before pulling unless the
-        # tree was clean or successfully stashed, so there are no uncommitted
-        # tracked edits for --hard to discard. The stash is not popped on the
-        # success path either, so the reset leaves the working tree exactly
-        # where a successful pull would have. Say "commit", not "changes".
-        reset = subprocess.run(
-            ['git', '-C', str(plugin_path), 'reset', '--hard', previous_sha],
-            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60, check=False)
-        if reset.returncode != 0:
-            self.logger.error(
-                "CRITICAL: could not roll %s back to commit %s: %s. It is left "
-                "on a version this core cannot run; "
-                "`git -C %s reset --hard %s` restores it.",
-                plugin_id, previous_sha[:7],
-                (reset.stderr or reset.stdout or '').strip(),
-                plugin_path, previous_sha)
-        else:
-            self.logger.info(
-                "Rolled %s back to commit %s; it stays on the version it was "
-                "already running.", plugin_id, previous_sha[:7])
-        return False
-
     def _reinstall_with_rollback(self, plugin_id: str, plugin_path: Path) -> bool:
         """Replace an installed plugin with a fresh install, atomically.
 
@@ -3038,8 +2860,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                         status_result = type('obj', (object,), {'stdout': '', 'stderr': 'Status check timed out'})()
                     
                     stash_info = ""
-                    # Whether the pull can be undone without destroying work.
-                    tree_is_recoverable = not has_changes
                     if has_changes:
                         self.logger.info(f"Stashing local changes in {plugin_id} before update")
                         try:
@@ -3053,37 +2873,12 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                             )
                             if stash_result.returncode == 0:
                                 stash_info = " (local changes were stashed)"
-                                tree_is_recoverable = True
                                 self.logger.info(f"Stashed local changes (including untracked files) for {plugin_id}")
                             else:
                                 self.logger.warning(f"Failed to stash local changes for {plugin_id}: {stash_result.stderr}")
                         except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
                             self.logger.warning(f"Stash operation timed out for {plugin_id}, proceeding with pull")
 
-                    # Do not pull what cannot be un-pulled.
-                    #
-                    # The compatibility gate below can refuse the commit this
-                    # pull brings down, and its only way back is `git reset
-                    # --hard`, which discards uncommitted tracked edits. Those
-                    # edits are exactly what the stash above exists to protect,
-                    # so a stash that failed or timed out leaves the rollback
-                    # unable to run without destroying them.
-                    #
-                    # A pull does not necessarily refuse on a dirty tree -- git
-                    # merges happily as long as the incoming commit touches
-                    # different files -- so without this the update would
-                    # succeed, the gate would refuse, and the reset would take
-                    # the user's work with it. Refusing here costs an update in
-                    # a case that already went wrong; the alternative costs
-                    # data.
-                    if not tree_is_recoverable:
-                        self.logger.error(
-                            "Refusing to update %s: it has local changes that could "
-                            "not be stashed, and an incompatible update could then "
-                            "only be rolled back by discarding them. Commit or stash "
-                            "them by hand, then update.", plugin_id)
-                        return False
-
                     # Pull from the determined remote branch
                     self.logger.info(f"Pulling from origin/{remote_pull_branch} for {plugin_id}...")
                     pull_result = subprocess.run(
@@ -3106,14 +2901,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                     elif updated_sha:
                         self.logger.info(f"Plugin {plugin_id} updated to commit {updated_sha[:7]}{stash_info}")
 
-                    # The install gate, at the only point on this path where
-                    # it can be answered. Every other route in goes through
-                    # install_plugin, which gates in _install_plugin_impl; this
-                    # one did not, so a pull could deliver a manifest flooring
-                    # above this core and nothing would notice.
-                    if not self._gate_pulled_commit(plugin_id, plugin_path, local_sha):
-                        return False
-
                     self._install_dependencies(plugin_path)
                     return True
 

src/plugin_system/testing/harness.py

@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ via BoundsCheckingDisplayManager, and golden-image comparison.
 import contextlib
 import http.client
 import inspect
-import time
-from datetime import timedelta
 import socket
 import ssl
 import urllib.error
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ from PIL import Image, ImageChops
 
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
 from .bounds_display_manager import BoundsCheckingDisplayManager
-from .loading import load_config_defaults, load_manifest, merge_config
+from .loading import load_config_defaults, load_manifest
 from .sizes import DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES, safe_mode_filename, size_label
 
 logger = get_logger("[Plugin Harness]")
@@ -118,23 +116,14 @@ def list_modes(plugin_instance: Any, manifest: Dict[str, Any], plugin_id: str) -
 
 def _instantiate(plugin_id: str, manifest: Dict[str, Any], plugin_dir: Path,
                  config: Dict[str, Any], mock_data: Dict[str, Any],
-                 display_manager: Any, cache_manager: Any = None) -> Any:
-    """Load and construct a plugin instance with mocked managers.
-
-    Pass ``cache_manager`` to share one cache across the renders of a plugin.
-    Building a fresh one per (size, mode) made every render a cold start, so a
-    plugin that fetches per game or per player re-fetched everything N times --
-    baseball-scoreboard took 840s for nine renders where ~72s was the arithmetic
-    -- and the cache-hit path, which is what a running rig executes almost
-    always, was never exercised.
-    """
+                 display_manager: Any) -> Any:
+    """Load and construct a plugin instance with mocked managers."""
     from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
     from src.plugin_system.testing import MockCacheManager, MockPluginManager
 
-    if cache_manager is None:
-        cache_manager = MockCacheManager()
-        for key, value in (mock_data or {}).items():
-            cache_manager.set(key, value)
+    cache_manager = MockCacheManager()
+    for key, value in (mock_data or {}).items():
+        cache_manager.set(key, value)
 
     loader = PluginLoader()
     plugin_instance, _module = loader.load_plugin(
@@ -171,107 +160,6 @@ def _render_mode(plugin_instance: Any, mode: str) -> Any:
     return plugin_instance.display(force_clear=False)
 
 
-# How many extra frames to drive before believing a mode really draws nothing.
-# A scroll starts with its content off-panel, so frame 1 is legitimately blank;
-# measured across the fleet, content appears by frame 2-4 (f1-scoreboard),
-# frame 4 (ledmatrix-elections) and frame 38 at 64px (ledmatrix-leaderboard).
-EMPTY_RECHECK_FRAMES = 48
-# Seconds to advance the clock between those frames. Scroll position is usually
-# driven by elapsed time, which a frozen clock never provides.
-EMPTY_RECHECK_STEP = 0.05
-
-
-def _has_content(image) -> bool:
-    """True when any pixel is lit above the threshold."""
-    if image is None:
-        return False
-    return image.convert("L").point(
-        lambda p: 255 if p > _LIT_THRESHOLD else 0).getbbox() is not None
-
-
-def _render_mode_again(plugin_instance: Any, mode: str) -> Any:
-    """Draw one more frame WITHOUT force_clear.
-
-    _render_mode passes force_clear=True, which for a scrolling plugin means
-    "reset the scroll to the start" -- so repeating it would redraw frame 1 for
-    ever. The re-check needs the plugin to advance.
-    """
-    sig = inspect.signature(plugin_instance.display)
-    if "display_mode" in sig.parameters:
-        return plugin_instance.display(force_clear=False, display_mode=mode)
-    return plugin_instance.display(force_clear=False)
-
-
-def _settle_empty_frame(inst, mode, dm, result, freezer) -> None:
-    """Give an apparently-empty mode a few frames to draw before believing it.
-
-    One frame is not evidence: a scroll's first frame is its blank scroll-in
-    buffer. Without this, every scrolling plugin was warned about -- 60 of 76
-    warnings on a 44-plugin rig were false, which is the rate at which people
-    stop reading a warning.
-    """
-    if result.error is not None or result.display_returned is False:
-        return
-    if _has_content(result.image):
-        return
-    # The frozen clock is shared by every render in the matrix, so any time this
-    # probe borrows has to be given back -- otherwise a mode that scrolls in
-    # leaves the clock advanced and every later mode renders at the wrong
-    # instant, drifting its golden. Seen as 5 spurious f1_upcoming drifts.
-    resume_at = None
-    if freezer is not None:
-        try:
-            resume_at = freezer()
-        except (AttributeError, TypeError, ValueError):
-            # Not a freezegun factory, or a version whose factory is not
-            # callable. Only used to restore the clock, never load-bearing.
-            resume_at = None
-    try:
-        _settle_loop(inst, mode, dm, result, freezer)
-    finally:
-        if resume_at is not None:
-            try:
-                freezer.move_to(resume_at)
-            except (AttributeError, TypeError, ValueError):
-                pass
-
-
-def _settle_loop(inst, mode, dm, result, freezer) -> None:
-    tick = getattr(freezer, "tick", None) if freezer is not None else None
-    for _ in range(EMPTY_RECHECK_FRAMES):
-        if tick is not None:
-            # timedelta rather than a bare float: freezegun has accepted a
-            # number only since 1.x, and a stale pin would raise here.
-            try:
-                tick(timedelta(seconds=EMPTY_RECHECK_STEP))
-            except (AttributeError, TypeError, ValueError):
-                # Pacing is best-effort; a freezegun that will not take a
-                # timedelta just means this probe runs without advancing time.
-                pass
-        else:
-            # No frozen clock, so the real one has to do the advancing. Without
-            # this the 48 frames run in microseconds, elapsed time stays ~0, and
-            # a scroll driven by elapsed time never moves -- which is exactly
-            # the plugin this check is trying not to slander.
-            time.sleep(EMPTY_RECHECK_STEP)
-        try:
-            result.display_returned = _render_mode_again(inst, mode)
-        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-            # Deliberately broad: this calls a plugin's display(), which can
-            # raise anything. Recorded rather than swallowed -- a mode that
-            # renders one good frame and then crashes on the next is broken,
-            # and returning silently here reported it as passing. The frame
-            # already captured stays on the result so the failure is still
-            # inspectable.
-            result.error = repr(e)
-            return
-        image = dm.get_image()
-        if _has_content(image):
-            result.image = image
-            result.overflow = dm.check_overflow()
-            return
-
-
 def _freeze(freeze_time: Optional[str]):
     """Context manager that freezes wall-clock time when freeze_time is given,
     so time-dependent plugins (clocks, countdowns) render deterministic goldens."""
@@ -305,9 +193,7 @@ def render_plugin_matrix(
     manifest = load_manifest(plugin_dir)
     # Start from config_schema.json defaults so the plugin behaves like a real
     # install; explicit caller config still wins over a schema default.
-    config = merge_config(
-        merge_config({"enabled": True}, load_config_defaults(plugin_dir)),
-        config or {})
+    config = {"enabled": True, **load_config_defaults(plugin_dir), **(config or {})}
     sizes = sizes or DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES
     results: List[RenderResult] = []
 
@@ -316,35 +202,25 @@ def render_plugin_matrix(
     # rendering a smaller one, instead of being clipped into a false pass.
     extent = (max(w for w, _ in sizes), max(h for _, h in sizes))
 
-    # One cache for the whole matrix: see _instantiate. The display manager
-    # stays per-render (the bounds checking depends on that); only fetched data
-    # is shared.
-    from src.plugin_system.testing import MockCacheManager
-    cache_manager = MockCacheManager()
-    for key, value in (mock_data or {}).items():
-        cache_manager.set(key, value)
-
-    with _freeze(freeze_time) as freezer:
+    with _freeze(freeze_time):
         for width, height in sizes:
             results.extend(_render_size(
                 plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data or {},
-                width, height, run_update, extent, cache_manager, freezer,
+                width, height, run_update, extent,
             ))
 
     return results
 
 
 def _render_size(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data,
-                 width, height, run_update, extent,
-                 cache_manager=None, freezer=None) -> List[RenderResult]:
+                 width, height, run_update, extent) -> List[RenderResult]:
     """Render every mode at one size. A fresh instance per mode avoids state leaks."""
     results: List[RenderResult] = []
 
     # Discover modes once per size (instance build can depend on config).
     try:
         probe_dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=width, height=height, overflow_extent=extent)
-        probe = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, probe_dm,
-                             cache_manager)
+        probe = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, probe_dm)
         modes = list_modes(probe, manifest, plugin_id)
     except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — surface any load failure as a result
         return [RenderResult(plugin_id, width, height, "<load>", error=repr(e))]
@@ -353,8 +229,7 @@ def _render_size(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data,
         result = RenderResult(plugin_id, width, height, mode)
         dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=width, height=height, overflow_extent=extent)
         try:
-            inst = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, dm,
-                                cache_manager)
+            inst = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, dm)
             if run_update:
                 try:
                     inst.update()
@@ -373,9 +248,6 @@ def _render_size(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data,
                 result.display_returned = _render_mode(inst, mode)
                 result.image = dm.get_image()
                 result.overflow = dm.check_overflow()
-                # A blank first frame is not proof of a blank mode; see
-                # _settle_empty_frame.
-                _settle_empty_frame(inst, mode, dm, result, freezer)
         except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — a display crash is a real failure
             result.error = repr(e)
         results.append(result)

src/plugin_system/testing/loading.py

@@ -25,70 +25,26 @@ def find_plugin_dir(plugin_id: str, search_dirs: Sequence[Union[str, Path]]) ->
 
 
 def load_manifest(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Load and return manifest.json from a plugin directory.
-
-    Read as UTF-8 explicitly, not in the platform default encoding: JSON is
-    UTF-8 by RFC 8259, but `open()` honours the locale, which is cp1252 on
-    Windows. A manifest carrying any non-ASCII byte (an em dash in a
-    description, a degree sign in a mode name) therefore raised
-    UnicodeDecodeError and aborted the whole `check_plugin.py --all` run on the
-    byte rather than failing just that plugin. The three sibling loaders below
-    read JSON from the same plugin trees and had the same bug.
-    """
+    """Load and return manifest.json from a plugin directory."""
     manifest_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'manifest.json'
     if not manifest_path.exists():
         raise FileNotFoundError(f"No manifest.json in {plugin_dir}")
-    with open(manifest_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
         return json.load(f)
 
 
-def _defaults_from_properties(properties: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Defaults for one `properties` block, recursing into nested objects.
-
-    An object property carries its defaults on its children, not on itself, so
-    reading only the top level dropped everything nested. That is most of the
-    fleet: config organised by league, or under customization/display_options,
-    lost 2,386 defaults across 37 of 44 plugins -- soccer-scoreboard alone lost
-    539 of 565 -- and the harness rendered them with a config no install would
-    ever have.
-    """
-    defaults: Dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for key, prop in (properties or {}).items():
-        if not isinstance(prop, dict):
-            continue
-        if prop.get('type') == 'object' and isinstance(prop.get('properties'), dict):
-            nested = _defaults_from_properties(prop['properties'])
-            if nested:
-                defaults[key] = nested
-        elif 'default' in prop:
-            defaults[key] = prop['default']
-    return defaults
-
-
-def merge_config(base: Dict[str, Any], override: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Deep-merge override onto base, without dropping sibling defaults.
-
-    A shallow merge would let `-c '{"nhl": {"enabled": true}}'` replace the whole
-    nhl subtree and silently discard every other nhl default -- the same class of
-    bug this function exists to fix.
-    """
-    merged = dict(base)
-    for key, value in (override or {}).items():
-        if isinstance(value, dict) and isinstance(merged.get(key), dict):
-            merged[key] = merge_config(merged[key], value)
-        else:
-            merged[key] = value
-    return merged
-
-
 def load_config_defaults(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Extract default values from a plugin's config_schema.json (empty if none)."""
     schema_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'config_schema.json'
     if not schema_path.exists():
         return {}
-    with open(schema_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    with open(schema_path, 'r') as f:
         schema = json.load(f)
-    return _defaults_from_properties(schema.get('properties', {}))
+    defaults: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+    for key, prop in schema.get('properties', {}).items():
+        if isinstance(prop, dict) and 'default' in prop:
+            defaults[key] = prop['default']
+    return defaults
 
 
 def load_harness_spec(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -115,7 +71,7 @@ def load_harness_spec(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     spec_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'test' / 'harness.json'
     if not spec_path.exists():
         return {}
-    with open(spec_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+    with open(spec_path, 'r') as f:
         spec = json.load(f)
 
     # Resolve mock_data path and inline its contents for convenience.
@@ -129,7 +85,7 @@ def load_harness_spec(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
                 f"harness.json references mock_data '{mock_rel}' but "
                 f"{mock_path} does not exist"
             )
-        with open(mock_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as mf:
+        with open(mock_path, 'r') as mf:
             spec['mock_data_contents'] = json.load(mf)
     return spec