A local-first, multi-protocol API development client powered by a native C-Core engine. Note: We are currently transitioning our C-Core to Swift for improved memory safety and modern concurrency.

LightBase is a local API development client that combines a C99 backend with a Python gateway bridge and a browser-based UI. Every request, collection, and environment is stored as plain JSON files you can version-control with Git — no accounts, no cloud sync, no telemetry.

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Architecture

          
   Browser UI     ←→     Python Bridge             ←→     C-Core Engine      
  (HTML/CSS/JS)  HTTP    (ThreadingHTTPServer)     IPC    (libcore.so)       
                                                   TCP                       
  • API Studio          • Route dispatcher               • OpenSSL TLS 1.3   
  • SQL Console         • Advanced features              • Lock-free pool    
  • Flow Builder        • Plugin executor                • Security module   
  • Security Tab        • Export engine                   • mmap telemetry    
  • Dashboards          • Auth handler                   • Git watcher       
          
                                                          
                                       127.0.0.1:8001
                          workspace/               (TLV binary protocol)
                           (Git-able)
                         

Layer Responsibilities

• Native Desktop UI — Lightweight HTML/CSS/JS client rendered in a native desktop window (via pywebview/WebKit2), featuring glassmorphism design, protocol tabs, security dashboard, and real-time displays.
• Python Bridge — Multi-threaded HTTP gateway (ThreadingHTTPServer on port 8000) that proxies requests to the C-Core, runs advanced features, manages plugins, and spins up the PyWebView window natively.
• C-Core (libcore.so) — Multi-threaded native engine handling TLS networking, SQLite queries, telemetry logging, AES crypto, Git reactive state, and AI inference via a binary TLV protocol over TCP 127.0.0.1:8001

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Quick Start

Installation via Package Managers

LightBase is natively available for Arch Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Arch Linux (AUR)

If you are on Arch Linux, Manjaro, or EndeavourOS, you can install LightBase directly from the Arch User Repository (AUR) using yay:

yay -S lightbase

macOS (Homebrew) [Dependencies ONLY... Build Yourself]

For macOS, you can use Homebrew:

brew install cmake pkg-config openssl sqlite libgit2 python curl
make

Windows (MSYS2) [Dependencies ONLY... Build Yourself]

For Windows, we recommend using MSYS2:

pacman -S --noconfirm --needed mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc mingw-w64-x86_64-pkg-config mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-sqlite3 mingw-w64-x86_64-libgit2 mingw-w64-x86_64-python mingw-w64-x86_64-python-pip curl
make

Manual Install (Build from Source)

git clone https://github.com/Aarav90-cpu/LightBase.git
cd LightBase
make install-deps    # Auto-detects your distro and installs packages
make                 # Build C-Core + install Python deps
sudo make install    # System-wide install (appears in app menu!)

After install, launch from your app menu or terminal:

lightbase

Supported OS

OS	Package Manager	Note
macOS	brew	Native ARM64 / x86_64
Windows	MSYS2 pacman	MinGW64 target
Arch	pacman	Arch, Manjaro

make install-deps automatically detects your distro and runs the correct package manager.

Manual Steps (if you prefer)

# 1. Build
make

# 2. Run locally (without system install)
make run

Make Targets

Command	Description
make	Build C-Core + install Python deps
make install-deps	Auto-detect distro, install system packages
make build	Build C-Core only
make run	Start the bridge server (port 8000)
make test	Run full test suite (75 tests, 24 categories)
sudo make install	System-wide install → app menu + lightbase command
sudo make uninstall	Remove system-wide install
make clean	Remove build artifacts, caches, logs
make dist	Create production distribution bundle

Boot Output

[C-Core Pool] Asynchronous Interceptor Grid deployed with 8 active threads!
[Security]  HMAC-SHA256 signing key initialized (mlock+dontdump).
[Bridge]  Security module armed (HMAC + rate limiter + path guard + SQL sanitizer).
[Bridge]  Git reactive watcher armed.
[Bridge] LightBase API → http://localhost:8000 

Run Tests

make test     # Runs test_all.py (75 tests across 24 categories)

Clean Up

make clean    # Remove build artifacts, caches, logs, temp files

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Security API Reference

Endpoint	Description
POST /security/status	Full security module status report
POST /security/sign	HMAC-SHA256 sign a payload
POST /security/verify	Verify payload signature
POST /security/validate_path	Check path for traversal attacks
POST /security/validate_sql	Check SQL for injection patterns
POST /security/ip/add	Add IP allow/block rule
POST /security/ip/remove	Remove IP rule
POST /security/ip/list	List all IP rules
POST /security/ip/check	Check if IP is allowed
POST /security/session/create	Create session token with TTL
POST /security/session/validate	Validate session token
POST /security/session/revoke	Revoke session token
POST /security/session/list	List active sessions
POST /security/audit/log	Read audit trail
POST /security/audit/clear	Clear audit trail
POST /security/max_size/set	Set max request size
POST /security/max_size/get	Get max request size

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Documentation

For complete feature documentation, usage guides, and API reference:

→ User Guide

Covers all features including API Studio protocols, test scripts, visual flows, plugin system, AI workflows, exports, built-in security features, and advanced workflows.

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CLI Usage

Run headless requests without the UI:

# Via the included CLI script
./bridge/lb-cli.sh httpbin.org /get GET

# Or directly via curl
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/request \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method":"GET","hostname":"httpbin.org","path":"/get","headers":[]}'

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License

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

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Built with ❤️ — 100% local, zero cloud dependencies.