Why local-first

Sentinel is built around a local machine and a local repo.

That choice leaks into almost every useful part of the app.

What local-first changes

It means the app can stay close to:

• the repo
• the terminal
• worktrees
• local runtimes
• desktop permissions
• local state and backups

That is how the repo-aware workflow works in practice.

What the app stores locally

The main state lives locally:

• SQLite data
• local profile state
• encrypted credentials and config
• generated media artifacts
• backup files

Tradeoffs

This shape is stronger for real project work.

It also means some features make less sense outside the desktop runtime or without a valid local workspace path. The app still works there, but the deeper workflow gets thinner.