From 17da0c023451d1bb045048219ecdbbcbb37eaab1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: MiTHRAL <mithral@mithral.local>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:08:15 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] docs: rewrite README for Sanctum self-hosted setup

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 README.md | 79 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------
 1 file changed, 52 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 58a6feb..36cfe51 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,20 +1,36 @@
 <div align="center">
-<h1>Sanctum</h1>
-A self-hosted Revolt desktop client for Windows and Linux, built on top of <a href="https://github.com/stoatchat/for-desktop">Stoat for Desktop</a>.
-Connects exclusively to <a href="https://mithraic.space">mithraic.space</a>.
+
+# Sanctum
+
+**A private, self-hosted desktop client for [mithraic.space](https://mithraic.space)**  
+Built on [Revolt](https://revolt.chat) — open source, no tracking, no telemetry, no nonsense.  
+Windows & Linux. Auto-updates from your own server.
+
 </div>
-<br/>
 
-## Installation
+---
 
-Download the latest release from [git.mithraic.cloud/ad3laid3/sanctum/releases](https://git.mithraic.cloud/ad3laid3/sanctum/releases).
+## What is this?
+
+Sanctum is a custom fork of [Stoat for Desktop](https://github.com/stoatchat/for-desktop), hardwired to connect exclusively to **mithraic.space** — a self-hosted Revolt instance. It replaces the default branding, icons, and update pipeline with a fully self-contained setup hosted on a private Forgejo instance.
+
+No reliance on external services. Updates come from `git.mithraic.cloud`. Builds run on a self-hosted CI runner. Everything stays in-house.
+
+---
+
+## Installing
+
+Grab the latest build from the [Releases page](https://git.mithraic.cloud/ad3laid3/sanctum/releases).
+
+### Linux
 
-**Linux (zip):**
 ```bash
+# extract to your local apps folder
 mkdir -p ~/.local/share/sanctum
-unzip sanctum-linux-x64-*.zip -d ~/.local/share/sanctum/
-# create a .desktop launcher
-cat > ~/.local/share/applications/sanctum.desktop <<EOF
+unzip Sanctum-linux-x64-*.zip -d ~/.local/share/sanctum/
+
+# register it as a desktop app
+cat > ~/.local/share/applications/sanctum.desktop << EOF
 [Desktop Entry]
 Name=Sanctum
 Exec=$HOME/.local/share/sanctum/sanctum
@@ -25,41 +41,41 @@ StartupWMClass=sanctum
 EOF
 ```
 
-**Windows (zip):**  
-Extract the zip and run `sanctum.exe`.
+Then search for **Sanctum** in your app launcher and you're in.
 
-The app checks for updates automatically on launch and will notify you when a new version is available.
+### Windows
 
-## Development
+Extract the zip, run `sanctum.exe`. That's it.
 
-Before getting started, install:
+---
 
-- Git
-- Node.js
-- pnpm (`corepack enable`)
+## Auto-updates
+
+Sanctum checks for new releases on every launch. When a newer version is available on `git.mithraic.cloud`, you'll get a desktop notification — click it to download. No background processes, no silent installs.
+
+---
+
+## Building from source
+
+You'll need Git, Node.js, and pnpm (`corepack enable`).
 
 ```bash
-# clone the repository
 git clone https://git.mithraic.cloud/ad3laid3/sanctum
 cd sanctum
-
-# install dependencies
 pnpm i --frozen-lockfile
-
-# start the app (connects to mithraic.space)
 pnpm start
 ```
 
-### Building releases
+### Releasing a new build
 
-CI runs automatically when a version tag is pushed:
+Push a version tag and CI does the rest — compiles Linux and Windows builds, creates a release, and uploads artifacts automatically.
 
 ```bash
 git tag v1.x.x
 git push origin v1.x.x
 ```
 
-To build locally:
+### Building locally
 
 ```bash
 # Linux (deb + zip)
@@ -69,4 +85,13 @@ PLATFORM=linux pnpm make
 pnpm make --platform win32 --arch x64
 ```
 
-Artifacts are written to `out/make/`.
+Output lands in `out/make/`.
+
+---
+
+## Tech
+
+- [Electron](https://www.electronjs.org/) + [electron-forge](https://www.electronforge.io/)
+- [Revolt](https://revolt.chat) open-source chat backend
+- [Forgejo](https://forgejo.org/) for self-hosted git + CI
+- Discord Rich Presence via [discord-rpc](https://github.com/discordjs/RPC)