Platform
X11 presentation, ALSA output, MIDI, and syscall-level I/O are the current development and test path for the Zag runtime—not Zenith's permanent platform boundary.
Zenith / rebuilding in Zag
the DAW is changing at the root.
Zenith is being rebuilt in pure Zag so the audio contract, renderer, runtime, and workstation can be owned together. X11/Linux is the first development and test target; other platform backends come after the foundation is stable.
Active direction · pure Zag · X11/Linux development first · cross-platform next
zenith / session view120 bpm · 4/4
01:32.440
TRACKS0117334965
DRUMS
BASS
VOX
TEXTURE
INPUT
MIX
FX
MASTER
migration status / source-backed
The compiler, platform, sound engine, and DAW surface are being owned together.
Audio
The engine, mixer, synthesis, effects, sampler, resampling, automation, sequencing, and transport have Zag modules.
Workstation
The pure-Zag entrypoint joins the immediate-mode DAW UI, arrangement, mixer, piano roll, settings, project model, and audio path.
Creative tools
Commands, preset handling, SFZ support, MPE and SysEx, plus the AI provider, agent, tools, and MIDI generation are in the new corpus.
what has been proven / what remains honest
verified
The Zag foundation runs
The pure-Zag desktop spine opens an X11 window, paints the arrangement through the CPU rasterizer, and sends native synth audio through ALSA. X11/Linux is where Zenith is being developed and tested first.
verified
The module corpus is compiling
50 Zag modules compile cleanly through znc’s full-corpus build. The port is organized around real audio, UI, project, and system boundaries—not a demo facade.
in progress
Feature parity becomes product parity
The continuing work is integration, hardening, and UX depth across the full DAW experience—not a claim that the old application has simply been repackaged.
boundaries, stated plainly
- Zenith is developed and tested on X11/Linux first. Other platform backends are planned follow-on work, not a statement that the DAW is Linux-only.
- The audio call graph is being marked @realtime so the compiler can enforce no allocation, locks, or I/O where that contract matters.
- External VST/CLAP hosting conflicts with the zero-C, no-external-.so endgame, so it is deliberately not represented as part of the new-stack promise.
follow the new stack
Build the corpus. Inspect the proof.
The repository carries the Zag migration guide, module graph, compiler hardening notes, and the full-corpus build script. The old build is not presented here as the future of Zenith.
get started
$ git clone https://github.com/Sylorlabs/zenith-daw$ cd zenith-daw$ bash zag/zbuild_all.sh