# IDEA.md — Project Idea

## What is this?

sethLabels is a deployment fork of [glabels-qt](https://github.com/j-evins/glabels-qt) — a Qt-based desktop application for designing and printing labels, business cards, and similar small-format documents (with CSV mail-merge and barcode support).

The fork exists to layer Seth's deployment-specific concerns (packaging, install paths, default templates, branding, any local patches) on top of upstream without forking the whole project lifecycle. Goal is to keep the diff small enough to rebase onto upstream `master` periodically.

## Problem it solves

Need a reliable, scriptable label designer/printer for homelab + household use (shipping labels, equipment tags, drive labels for the tank pool, cable labels, etc.). Upstream glabels-qt is solid but has no published Debian 13 / current-Ubuntu binaries and the build needs some hand-holding. This fork bakes a known-good build recipe + any local templates + deployment scripts into one repo.

## Constraints / preferences

- **Upstream:** https://github.com/j-evins/glabels-qt (track this, don't drift). The glabels.org team are the real authors — strict-zero source-patch policy preserves their attribution end-to-end.
- **Stack:** Qt6 6.2 + CMake + C++ (confirmed by reading upstream `CMakeLists.txt:119`).
- **Target install hosts:** any Debian-family Linux (Debian 13 / Ubuntu LTS) for `.deb` + AppImage; any macOS for Homebrew tap. Steel141 is a *build host*, not a deploy target. CT for headless print serving optional/later. Windows deferred.
- **Branding/customization:** zero — this is a packaging fork, not a rebrand. Strict-zero policy forbids icon/string/UI edits.
- **License:** glabels-qt is GPL-3.0 — preserved automatically (we never touch upstream files).
- **Repo:** live at `git.sethpc.xyz/Seth/sethLabels`. Eventually-public on GitHub once the build/release pipeline is battle-tested.
- **Eventual public-flip:** when promoted to a formal public fork on GitHub, brew tap source URL flips Gitea→GitHub (one-line tap formula edit), and CI is added via GitHub Actions calling the same `scripts/` shell scripts unmodified.
