Reviewed all 12 CodeRabbit comments on PR #306, verified each against the current code, and fixed the 11 valid ones. The 12th finding is a real code bug (cache_manager.delete() calls in api_helper.py and resource_monitor.py) that's already in the planned follow-up code-fix PR, so it stays out of this docs PR. Fixed: .cursor/plugins_guide.md, .cursor/README.md, .cursorrules - I claimed "there is no --emulator flag" in 3 places. Verified in run.py:19-20 that the -e/--emulator flag is defined and functional (it sets os.environ["EMULATOR"]="true" before the display imports). Other docs I didn't touch (.cursor/plugin_templates/QUICK_START.md, docs/PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT_GUIDE.md) already use the flag correctly. Replaced all 3 wrong statements with accurate guidance that both forms work and explains the CLI flag's relationship to the env var. .cursorrules, docs/GETTING_STARTED.md, docs/WEB_INTERFACE_GUIDE.md, docs/PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT_GUIDE.md - Four places claimed "the plugin loader also falls back to plugins/". Verified that PluginManager.discover_plugins() (src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py:154) only scans the configured directory — no fallback. The fallback to plugins/ exists only in two narrower places: store_manager.py:1700-1718 (store install/update/uninstall operations) and schema_manager.py:70-80 (schema lookup for the web UI form generator). Rewrote all four mentions with the precise scope. Added a recommendation to set plugin_system.plugins_directory to "plugins" for the smoothest dev workflow with dev_plugin_setup.sh symlinks. docs/FONT_MANAGER.md - The "Status" warning told plugin authors to use display_manager.font_manager.resolve_font(...) as a workaround for loading plugin fonts. Verified in src/font_manager.py that resolve_font() takes a family name, not a file path — so the workaround as written doesn't actually work. Rewrote to tell authors to load the font directly with PIL or freetype-py in their plugin. - The same section said "the user-facing font override system in the Fonts tab still works for any element that's been registered via register_manager_font()". Verified in web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py:5404-5428 that /api/v3/fonts/overrides is a placeholder implementation that returns empty arrays and contains "would integrate with the actual font system" comments — the Fonts tab does not have functional integration with register_manager_font() or the override system. Removed the false claim and added an explicit note that the tab is a placeholder. docs/ADVANCED_FEATURES.md:523 - The on-demand section said REST/UI calls write a request "into the cache manager (display_on_demand_config key)". Wrong — verified via grep that api_v3.py:1622 and :1687 write to display_on_demand_request, and display_on_demand_config is only written by the controller during activation (display_controller.py:1195, cleared at :1221). Corrected the key name and added controller file:line references so future readers can verify. docs/ADVANCED_FEATURES.md:803 - "Plugins using the background service" paragraph listed all scoreboard plugins but an orphaned "⏳ MLB (baseball)" bullet remained below from the old version of the section. Removed the orphan and added "baseball/MLB" to the inline list for clarity. web_interface/README.md - The POST /api/v3/system/action action list was incomplete. Verified in web_interface/app.py:1383,1386 that enable_autostart and disable_autostart are valid actions. Added both. - The Plugin Store section was missing GET /api/v3/plugins/store/github-status (verified at api_v3.py:3296). Added it. - The SSE line-range reference was app.py:607-615 but line 619 contains the "Exempt SSE streams from CSRF and add rate limiting" block that's semantically part of the same feature. Extended the range to 607-619. docs/GETTING_STARTED.md - Rows/Columns step said "Columns: 64 or 96 (match your hardware)". The web UI's validation accepts any integer in 16-128. Clarified that 64 and 96 are the common bundled-hardware values but the valid range is wider. Not addressed (out of scope for docs PR): - .cursorrules:184 CodeRabbit comment flagged the non-existent cache_manager.delete() calls in src/common/api_helper.py:287 and src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py:343. These are real CODE bugs, not doc bugs, and they're the first item in the planned post-docs-refresh code-cleanup PR (see /home/chuck/.claude/plans/warm-imagining-river.md). The docs in this PR correctly state that delete() doesn't exist on CacheManager — the fix belongs in the follow-up code PR that either adds a delete() shim or updates the two callers. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Advanced Features Guide
This guide covers advanced LEDMatrix features for users and developers, including Vegas scroll mode, on-demand display, cache management, background services, and permission management.
1. Vegas Scroll Mode
Overview
Vegas scroll mode displays content from multiple plugins in a continuous horizontal scroll, similar to news tickers seen in Las Vegas casinos. Plugins contribute content segments that flow across the display in a seamless ticker-style presentation.
Display Modes
SCROLL (Continuous Scrolling):
- Content scrolls continuously left
- Smooth, fluid motion
- Best for news-ticker style displays
FIXED_SEGMENT (Fixed-Width Block):
- Plugin gets fixed-width block on display
- Content doesn't scroll out of its segment
- Multiple plugins can share the display simultaneously
STATIC (Scroll Pauses):
- Scrolling pauses when content is fully visible
- Displays for specified duration, then resumes scrolling
- Best for content that needs to be fully read
Configuration
Enable Vegas mode in config/config.json:
{
"display": {
"vegas_scroll": {
"enabled": true,
"scroll_speed": 50,
"separator_width": 32,
"plugin_order": ["clock", "weather", "sports"],
"excluded_plugins": ["debug_plugin"],
"target_fps": 125,
"buffer_ahead": 2
}
}
}
Configuration Options:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
enabled |
false |
Enable Vegas scroll mode |
scroll_speed |
50 |
Pixels per second scroll speed |
separator_width |
32 |
Width between plugin segments (pixels) |
plugin_order |
[] |
Plugin display order (empty = auto) |
excluded_plugins |
[] |
Plugins to exclude from Vegas mode |
target_fps |
125 |
Target frame rate |
buffer_ahead |
2 |
Number of panels to render ahead |
Per-Plugin Configuration
Override Vegas behavior for specific plugins:
{
"my_plugin": {
"enabled": true,
"vegas_mode": "scroll",
"vegas_panel_count": 2,
"display_duration": 10
}
}
Per-Plugin Options:
| Setting | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
vegas_mode |
scroll, fixed, static |
Display mode for this plugin |
vegas_panel_count |
1-10 |
Width in panels (1 panel = display width) |
display_duration |
seconds | Pause duration for STATIC mode |
Plugin Integration (Developer Guide)
1. Implement Content Method:
def get_vegas_content(self):
"""
Return PIL Image or list of Images for Vegas mode.
Returns:
PIL.Image or list[PIL.Image]: Content to display
- Single image: fixed-width content
- List of images: multiple segments
- None: skip this cycle
"""
# Example: Return single wide image
img = Image.new('RGB', (256, 32))
# ... render your content ...
return img
# Example: Return multiple segments
return [image1, image2, image3]
2. Specify Content Type:
def get_vegas_content_type(self):
"""
Specify how content should be handled.
Returns:
str: 'multi' | 'static' | 'none'
"""
return 'multi' # Default for most plugins
3. Optionally Specify Display Mode:
def get_vegas_display_mode(self):
"""
Preferred display mode for this plugin.
Returns:
str: 'scroll' | 'fixed' | 'static'
"""
return 'scroll'
def get_supported_vegas_modes(self):
"""
List of supported modes.
Returns:
list: ['scroll', 'fixed', 'static']
"""
return ['scroll', 'static']
Content Rendering Guidelines
Image Dimensions:
- Height: Must match display height (typically 32 pixels)
- Width: Varies by mode:
- SCROLL: Any width (recommended 64-512 pixels)
- FIXED_SEGMENT:
panel_count * display_width - STATIC: Any width, optimized for readability
Color Mode:
- Use RGB color mode
- 24-bit color (8 bits per channel)
Performance Tips:
- Cache rendered images - Render in
update(), not inget_vegas_content() - Keep images small - Larger images use more memory
- Pre-render on update - Don't create images on-demand
- Reuse images - Return same image if content unchanged
Example Integration
Complete example for a weather plugin:
class WeatherPlugin(BasePlugin):
def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
self.vegas_image = None
def update(self):
"""Update data and pre-render Vegas image"""
# Fetch weather data
weather_data = self.fetch_weather()
# Pre-render Vegas image
self.vegas_image = self._render_vegas_content(weather_data)
def _render_vegas_content(self, data):
"""Render weather content for Vegas mode"""
img = Image.new('RGB', (384, 32))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)
# Draw temperature
draw.text((10, 0), f"{data['temp']}°F", fill=(255, 255, 255))
# Draw condition
draw.text((100, 0), data['condition'], fill=(200, 200, 200))
# Draw icon
icon = Image.open(f"assets/{data['icon']}.png")
img.paste(icon, (250, 0))
return img
def get_vegas_content(self):
"""Return cached Vegas image"""
return self.vegas_image
def get_vegas_content_type(self):
return 'multi'
def get_vegas_display_mode(self):
return 'scroll'
def get_supported_vegas_modes(self):
return ['scroll', 'static']
System Architecture
Vegas mode consists of four core components working together to provide smooth 125 FPS continuous scrolling:
Component Overview
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VegasModeCoordinator │
│ Main orchestrator - manages lifecycle and coordination │
└───────┬──────────────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────┘
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ PluginAdapter │ │StreamManager │ │ RenderPipeline │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ Converts │─▶│ Manages │─▶│ 125 FPS render │
│ plugin content│ │ content │ │ Double-buffered │
│ to images │ │ stream with │ │ Smooth scroll │
│ │ │ 1-2 ahead │ │ │
└───────────────┘ │ buffering │ └─────────────────┘
└──────────────┘
1. VegasModeCoordinator
Responsibilities:
- Initialize and coordinate all Vegas mode components
- Manage the high-FPS render loop (target: 125 FPS)
- Handle live priority interruptions
- Process config updates during runtime
- Provide status and control interface
Key Features:
- Thread-safe state management
- Config hot-reload support
- Live priority integration
- Interrupt checking for yielding control back to display controller
- Static pause handling (pauses scroll when content fully visible)
Main Loop:
- Check for interrupts (live priority, on-demand, config updates)
- If static pause active, wait for duration
- Otherwise, delegate to render pipeline for frame rendering
- Sleep to maintain target FPS
2. StreamManager
Responsibilities:
- Manage plugin content streaming with look-ahead buffering
- Coordinate with PluginAdapter to fetch plugin content
- Handle plugin ordering and exclusions
- Optimize content generation timing
Buffering Strategy:
- Buffer Ahead: 1-2 panels (configurable)
- Just-in-Time Generation: Fetch content only when needed
- Memory Efficient: Only keep necessary content in memory
Content Flow:
- Determine which plugins should appear in stream
- Respect
plugin_orderconfiguration (or use default order) - Exclude plugins in
excluded_pluginslist - Request content from each plugin via PluginAdapter
- Compose into continuous stream with separators
Key Methods:
get_stream_content()- Returns current stream content as PIL Imageadvance_stream(pixels)- Advances stream by N pixelsrefresh_stream()- Regenerates stream from current plugins
3. PluginAdapter
Responsibilities:
- Convert plugin content to scrollable images
- Handle different Vegas display modes (SCROLL, FIXED, STATIC)
- Manage fallback for plugins without Vegas support
- Cache plugin content for performance
Plugin Integration:
-
Check for Vegas support:
- Calls
get_vegas_content()if available - Falls back to
display()method if not
- Calls
-
Handle display mode:
- SCROLL: Returns image as-is for continuous scrolling
- FIXED_SEGMENT: Creates fixed-width block (panel_count * display_width)
- STATIC: Marks content for pause-when-visible behavior
-
Content type handling:
multi: Multiple segments (list of images)static: Single static imagenone: Skip this plugin in current cycle
Fallback Behavior:
- If plugin doesn't implement Vegas methods:
- Calls plugin's
display()method - Captures rendered display as static image
- Treats as fixed segment
- Calls plugin's
- Ensures all plugins work in Vegas mode without explicit support
4. RenderPipeline
Responsibilities:
- High-performance 125 FPS rendering
- Double-buffered composition for smooth scrolling
- Scroll position management
- Frame rate control
Rendering Process:
- Fetch Stream Content: Get current stream from StreamManager
- Extract Viewport: Calculate which portion of stream is visible
- Compose Frame: Create frame with visible content
- Double Buffer: Render to off-screen buffer
- Display: Swap buffer to display
- Advance: Update scroll position based on speed and elapsed time
Performance Optimizations:
- Double Buffering: Eliminates flicker
- Viewport Extraction: Only processes visible region
- Frame Rate Control: Precise timing to maintain 125 FPS
- Pre-rendered Content: Plugins pre-render during update()
Scroll Speed Calculation:
pixels_per_frame = (scroll_speed / target_fps)
scroll_position += pixels_per_frame * elapsed_time
Component Interactions
Initialization Flow:
1. VegasModeCoordinator created
2. Coordinator creates PluginAdapter
3. Coordinator creates StreamManager (with PluginAdapter)
4. Coordinator creates RenderPipeline (with StreamManager)
5. All components initialized and ready
Render Loop Flow:
1. Coordinator starts render loop
2. Check for interrupts (live priority, on-demand)
3. RenderPipeline.render_frame():
a. Request current stream from StreamManager
b. StreamManager uses PluginAdapter to get plugin content
c. PluginAdapter calls plugin Vegas methods or fallback
d. Stream content returned to RenderPipeline
e. RenderPipeline extracts viewport and renders
4. Update scroll position
5. Sleep to maintain target FPS
6. Repeat from step 2
Config Update Flow:
1. Config change detected by Coordinator
2. Set _pending_config_update flag
3. On next render loop iteration:
a. Pause rendering
b. Update VegasModeConfig
c. Notify StreamManager of config change
d. StreamManager refreshes stream
e. Resume rendering
Thread Safety
All components use thread-safe patterns:
- Coordinator: Uses
threading.Lockfor state management - StreamManager: Thread-safe content access
- RenderPipeline: Atomic frame composition
- PluginAdapter: Stateless operations (except caching)
Performance Characteristics
Frame Rate:
- Target: 125 FPS
- Actual: 100-125 FPS (depends on content complexity)
- Render time budget: ~8ms per frame
Memory Usage:
- Stream buffer: ~2-3 panels ahead
- Plugin content: Cached in plugin's
update()method - Double buffer: 2x display size
CPU Usage:
- Light load: 5-10% (simple content)
- Heavy load: 15-25% (complex content, many plugins)
- Optimized with numpy for pixel operations
Fallback Behavior
If a plugin doesn't implement Vegas methods:
- System calls the plugin's
display()method - Captures the rendered display as a static image
- Treats it as a fixed segment
This ensures all plugins work in Vegas mode, even without explicit support.
2. On-Demand Display
Overview
On-demand display allows users to manually trigger specific plugins to show immediately on the LED matrix, overriding the normal rotation. This is useful for:
- Quick checks (weather, scores, time)
- Pinning important information
- Testing plugins during development
- Showing specific content to visitors
Priority Hierarchy
On-demand display has the highest priority:
Priority Order (highest to lowest):
1. On-Demand Display (manual trigger)
2. Live Priority (games in progress)
3. Normal Rotation
When on-demand expires or is cleared, the display returns to the next highest priority (live priority or normal rotation).
Web Interface Controls
Each installed plugin has its own tab in the second nav row of the web UI. Inside the plugin's tab, scroll to On-Demand Controls:
- Run On-Demand — triggers the plugin immediately, even if it's disabled in the rotation
- Stop On-Demand — clears on-demand and returns to the normal rotation
The display service must be running. The status banner at the top of the plugin tab shows the active on-demand plugin, mode, and remaining time when something is active.
REST API Reference
The API is mounted at /api/v3 (web_interface/app.py:144).
Start On-Demand Display
POST /api/v3/display/on-demand/start
# Body:
{
"plugin_id": "weather",
"duration": 30, # Optional: seconds (0 = indefinite, null = default)
"pinned": false # Optional: keep until manually cleared
}
# Examples:
# 30-second preview
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/start \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"plugin_id": "weather", "duration": 30}'
# Pin indefinitely
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/start \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"plugin_id": "hockey-scoreboard", "pinned": true}'
Stop On-Demand Display
POST /api/v3/display/on-demand/stop
# Body:
{
"stop_service": false # Optional: also stop display service
}
# Examples:
# Clear on-demand
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/stop
# Stop service too
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/stop \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"stop_service": true}'
Get On-Demand Status
GET /api/v3/display/on-demand/status
# Example:
curl http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/status
# Response:
{
"active": true,
"plugin_id": "weather",
"mode": "weather",
"remaining": 25.5,
"pinned": false,
"status": "active"
}
There is no public Python on-demand API. The display controller's on-demand machinery is internal — drive it through the REST endpoints above (or the web UI buttons), which write a request into the cache manager under the
display_on_demand_requestkey (web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py:1622,1687) that the controller polls atsrc/display_controller.py:921. A separatedisplay_on_demand_configkey is used by the controller itself during activation to track what's currently running (written atdisplay_controller.py:1195, cleared at:1221).
Duration Modes
| Duration | Pinned | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
None |
false |
Use plugin's default duration, auto-clear when expires |
0 |
false |
Indefinite, clears manually or on error |
> 0 |
false |
Timed display, auto-clear after N seconds |
| Any | true |
Pin until manually cleared (ignores duration) |
Use Case Examples
Quick check (30-second preview):
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/start \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"plugin_id": "ledmatrix-weather", "duration": 30}'
Pin important information:
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/start \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"plugin_id": "hockey-scoreboard", "pinned": true}'
# ... later ...
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/stop
Indefinite display:
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/v3/display/on-demand/start \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"plugin_id": "text-display", "duration": 0}'
Testing a plugin during development: the same call works, or just click Run On-Demand in the plugin's tab.
Best Practices
For Users:
- Use timed display as default (prevents forgetting to clear)
- Pin only when necessary
- Clear when done to return to normal rotation
For Developers:
- Validate plugin ID exists before calling
- Provide visual feedback in UI (loading state, status updates)
- Handle concurrent requests gracefully
- Log on-demand activations for debugging
Security Considerations
Authentication:
- Add authentication to API endpoints
- Restrict on-demand to authorized users
Rate Limiting:
- Prevent abuse from rapid requests
- Implement cooldown between activations
Input Validation:
- Sanitize plugin IDs
- Validate duration values
- Check plugin exists before activation
3. On-Demand Cache Management
Overview
On-demand display uses cache keys (managed by src/cache_manager.py —
file-based, not Redis) to coordinate state between the web interface
and the display controller across service restarts. Understanding these
keys helps troubleshoot stuck states.
Cache Keys
1. display_on_demand_request (TTL: 1 hour)
{
"request_id": "uuid-string",
"action": "start|stop",
"plugin_id": "plugin-name",
"mode": "mode-name",
"duration": 30.0,
"pinned": true,
"timestamp": 1234567890.123
}
Purpose: Communication from web interface to display controller When Set: API endpoint receives request Auto-Cleared: After processing or 1 hour TTL
2. display_on_demand_config (No TTL)
{
"mode": "mode-name",
"duration": 30.0,
"pinned": true
}
Purpose: Persistent configuration for display controller When Set: Controller processes start request Auto-Cleared: When on-demand stops
3. display_on_demand_state (Continuously updated)
{
"active": true,
"mode": "mode-name",
"remaining": 25.5,
"pinned": true,
"status": "active|idle|restarting|error"
}
Purpose: Real-time state for web interface status card When Set: Every display loop iteration Auto-Cleared: Never (continuously updated)
4. display_on_demand_processed_id (TTL: 5 minutes)
"uuid-string-of-last-processed-request"
Purpose: Prevents duplicate request processing When Set: After processing request Auto-Cleared: After 5 minutes TTL
When Manual Clearing is Needed
Scenario 1: Stuck in On-Demand State
- Symptom: Display stays on one plugin, won't return to rotation
- Clear:
config,state,request
Scenario 2: Mode Switching Issues
- Symptom: Can't change to different plugin
- Clear:
request,processed_id,state
Scenario 3: On-Demand Not Activating
- Symptom: Button click does nothing
- Clear:
processed_id,request
Scenario 4: After Service Crash
- Symptom: Strange behavior after crash/restart
- Clear: All four keys
Manual Recovery Procedures
Via Web Interface (Recommended):
- Open the Cache tab in the web UI
- Find the
display_on_demand_*entries - Delete them
- Restart display:
sudo systemctl restart ledmatrix
Via Command Line:
The cache is stored as JSON files under one of:
/var/cache/ledmatrix/(preferred when the service has permission)~/.cache/ledmatrix//opt/ledmatrix/cache//tmp/ledmatrix-cache/(fallback)
# Find the cache dir actually in use
journalctl -u ledmatrix | grep -i "cache directory" | tail -1
# Clear all on-demand keys (replace path with the one above)
rm /var/cache/ledmatrix/display_on_demand_*
# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart ledmatrix
Via Python:
from src.cache_manager import CacheManager
cache = CacheManager()
cache.clear_cache('display_on_demand_config')
cache.clear_cache('display_on_demand_state')
cache.clear_cache('display_on_demand_request')
cache.clear_cache('display_on_demand_processed_id')
The actual public method is
clear_cache(key=None)— there is nodelete()method onCacheManager.
Cache Impact on Running Service
IMPORTANT: Clearing cache keys does NOT immediately affect the running controller in memory.
To fully reset:
- Stop the service:
sudo systemctl stop ledmatrix - Clear cache keys (web UI Cache tab or
rmfrom the cache directory) - Clear systemd environment:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload - Start the service:
sudo systemctl start ledmatrix
Automatic Cleanup
The display controller automatically handles cleanup:
- Config key: Cleared when on-demand stops
- State key: Updated every display loop iteration
- Request key: Expires after 1 hour TTL (or after processing)
- Processed ID: Expires after 5 minutes TTL
4. Background Data Service
Overview
The Background Data Service enables non-blocking data fetching through background threading. This prevents the main display loop from freezing during slow API requests, maintaining smooth display rotation.
Benefits
Performance:
- Display loop never freezes during API calls
- Immediate response with cached/partial data
- Complete data loads in background
User Experience:
- No "frozen" display during data updates
- Smooth transitions between plugins
- Faster perceived load times
Architecture:
Cache Check → Background Fetch → Partial Data → Completion → Cache
(0.1s) (async) (<1s) (10-30s) (cache)
Configuration
Enable background service per plugin in config/config.json:
{
"football-scoreboard": {
"enabled": true,
"background_service": {
"enabled": true,
"max_workers": 3,
"request_timeout": 30,
"max_retries": 3,
"priority": 2
}
}
}
Configuration Options:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
enabled |
false |
Enable background service for this plugin |
max_workers |
3 |
Max concurrent background tasks |
request_timeout |
30 |
Timeout per API request (seconds) |
max_retries |
3 |
Retry attempts on failure |
priority |
1 |
Task priority (1=highest, 10=lowest) |
Performance Impact
First Request (Cache Empty):
- Returns partial data: < 1 second
- Background completes: 10-30 seconds
- Subsequent requests use cache: < 0.1 seconds
Subsequent Requests (Cache Hit):
- Returns immediately: < 0.1 seconds
- Background refresh (if stale): async, no blocking
Plugins using the background service
The background data service is used by all of the sports scoreboard
plugins (football, hockey, baseball/MLB, basketball, soccer, lacrosse,
F1, UFC), the odds ticker, and the leaderboard plugin. Each plugin's
background_service block (under its own config namespace) follows the
same shape as the example above.
Error Handling & Fallback
Automatic Retry:
- Exponential backoff (1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, ...)
- Maximum retry attempts configurable
- Logs all retry attempts
Fallback Behavior:
- If background service disabled: reverts to synchronous fetching
- If background fetch fails: returns cached data
- If no cache: returns empty/error state
Testing
# Run background service test
python test_background_service.py
# Check logs for background operations
sudo journalctl -u ledmatrix -f | grep "background"
Monitoring
View Statistics:
from src.background_data_service import BackgroundDataService
service = BackgroundDataService()
stats = service.get_statistics()
print(f"Active tasks: {stats['active_tasks']}")
print(f"Completed: {stats['completed']}")
print(f"Failed: {stats['failed']}")
Enable Debug Logging:
import logging
logging.getLogger('src.background_data_service').setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
5. Permission Management
Overview
LEDMatrix uses a dual-user architecture: the display service runs as root (hardware access), while the web interface runs as a non-privileged user. Centralized permission management ensures both can access necessary files.
Why It Matters
Problem:
- Root service creates files with root ownership
- Web user cannot read/write those files
- Results in
PermissionErrorexceptions
Solution:
- Set group ownership to shared group
- Grant group write permissions
- Use setgid bit for automatic inheritance
Permission Utilities
from src.common.permission_utils import (
ensure_directory_permissions,
ensure_file_permissions,
get_config_file_mode,
get_assets_file_mode,
get_plugin_file_mode,
get_cache_dir_mode
)
# Create directory with correct permissions
ensure_directory_permissions(Path("assets/sports"), get_assets_dir_mode())
# Set file permissions after writing
ensure_file_permissions(Path("config/config.json"), get_config_file_mode())
When to Use Utilities
Use permission utilities when:
- Creating new directories
- Writing configuration files
- Downloading/creating asset files (logos, fonts)
- Creating plugin files
- Writing cache files
Don't use for:
- Reading files (permissions don't change)
- Temporary files in
/tmp - Files in already-managed directories (if parent has setgid)
Permission Standards
File Permissions:
| File Type | Mode | Octal | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Config (main) | rw-r--r-- |
0o644 |
Owner write, all read |
| Config (secrets) | rw-r----- |
0o640 |
Owner write, group read |
| Assets | rw-rw-r-- |
0o664 |
Owner/group write, all read |
| Plugins | rw-rw-r-- |
0o664 |
Owner/group write, all read |
| Cache files | rw-rw-r-- |
0o664 |
Owner/group write, all read |
Directory Permissions:
| Directory Type | Mode | Octal | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| All directories | rwxrwsr-x |
0o2775 |
With setgid bit for inheritance |
Note: The s in rwxrwsr-x is the setgid bit (2000), which makes new files inherit the directory's group ownership.
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Creating Config Directory
from pathlib import Path
from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_directory_permissions, get_config_dir_mode
config_dir = Path("config/plugins")
ensure_directory_permissions(config_dir, get_config_dir_mode())
Pattern 2: Saving Config File
from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_file_permissions, get_config_file_mode
config_path = Path("config/config.json")
with open(config_path, 'w') as f:
json.dump(data, f)
ensure_file_permissions(config_path, get_config_file_mode())
Pattern 3: Downloading Logo
from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_directory_permissions, ensure_file_permissions
from src.common.permission_utils import get_assets_dir_mode, get_assets_file_mode
logo_path = Path("assets/sports/nhl/logo.png")
ensure_directory_permissions(logo_path.parent, get_assets_dir_mode())
# ... download and save logo ...
ensure_file_permissions(logo_path, get_assets_file_mode())
Pattern 4: Creating Plugin File
from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_file_permissions, get_plugin_file_mode
plugin_file = Path("plugins/my-plugin/data.json")
with open(plugin_file, 'w') as f:
json.dump(data, f)
ensure_file_permissions(plugin_file, get_plugin_file_mode())
Pattern 5: Cache Directory Setup
from src.common.permission_utils import ensure_directory_permissions, get_cache_dir_mode
cache_dir = Path("cache/plugin-name")
ensure_directory_permissions(cache_dir, get_cache_dir_mode())
Integration with Core Utilities
These core utilities already handle permissions - you don't need to call permission utilities when using them:
- ConfigManager - Handles config file permissions
- CacheManager - Handles cache file permissions
- LogoHelper - Handles logo file permissions
- PluginManager - Handles plugin file permissions
Manual Fixes
If you encounter permission issues:
# Fix all permissions at once
sudo ./scripts/fix_permissions.sh
# Fix specific directory
sudo chown -R ledpi:ledpi /home/ledpi/LEDMatrix/config
sudo chmod -R 2775 /home/ledpi/LEDMatrix/config
sudo find /home/ledpi/LEDMatrix/config -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
# Verify permissions
ls -la config/
ls -la assets/
Verification
# Check directory has setgid bit
ls -ld assets/
# Should show: drwxrwsr-x (note the 's')
# Check file has correct group
ls -l assets/logo.png
# Should show group 'ledpi'
# Check file permissions
stat -c "%a %n" config/config.json
# Should show: 644 config/config.json
Related Documentation
- PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT.md - Creating plugins with Vegas/on-demand support
- WEB_INTERFACE_GUIDE.md - Using on-demand controls in web UI
- PLUGIN_API_REFERENCE.md - Complete API documentation
- DEVELOPMENT.md - Development environment and testing