Introduction

One soul, many platforms. @ekrooh/bare is a framework that provides the boring bootstrap for cross-platform apps on the [Bare runtime] (https://github.com/holepunchto/bare): a binary wire protocol, plugin kernel, RPC messenger, transports, and native host bridges — plus a reference app that demonstrates all of it.

The model

The frontend (browser or WebView) is written as if there is only a backend reachable over a WebSocket (binary framed messages). It picks a transport automatically:

• WebSocket everywhere on-device: the worklet runs one loopback HTTP+WS server that serves the web app, the media files, and the protocol socket, so the page connects to the same origin it was served from (ws://location.host).
• Mock transport when VITE_TRANSPORT_MODE=mock (tests).
• Browser dev points the WebSocket at the dev backend explicitly (VITE_BARE_WS_URL).

The UI does not branch on worklets, Bare, or host IPC. Shared types and helpers (@ekrooh/bare/core) describe the wire protocol to the backend, not the runtime that implements it.

Glossary

Term	Meaning
Frontend	Web UI: Vite bundle in the browser; same bundle in the Android/iOS WebView.
Backend	Logic that runs the core bundle and speaks the framed message protocol.
Host	Native shell (Android/iOS): starts the backend, owns system APIs.

Repository layout

• Directorycore/ — wire protocol codec, plugin router, RPC messenger, host IPC, the unified loopback server, Bare worklet entry

  • …
• Directoryplugins/ — canonical plugins (core.health, core.discovery, core.permissions, vendor.media) and typed event builders

  • …
• Directoryweb/transports/ — MessageTransport plus WebSocket and mock transports

  • …
• Directoryandroid/ — Android host library (:bare-host)

  • …
• Directoryios/ — iOS host Swift package (BareHost)

  • …
• Directoryexamples/ — reference app: web/, android-app/, ios-app/

  • …

The framework’s public surface is the exports map of the root package.json (@ekrooh/bare/core, /runtime, /plugins, /plugins/*/events, /transports). The package ships compiled ESM JavaScript + type declarations (dist/) — consumers never see TypeScript source.

What this is not

• Not a UI framework.
• Not a bundler or build system — it plugs into your existing Vite app.
• Not a mobile runtime — it runs on the Bare runtime, which you embed via the native hosts.