---
name: v0.1-known-limitations
type: release
tags: [release, v0.1, known-limitations, trust, user-facing]
description: "User-facing known-limitations doc for Lumotia v0.1. Written for end-users not engineers — every limitation states what works, what doesn't, what the workaround is, and when (if ever) the limitation is expected to lift. This is the trust document. Linked from README + the public release notes."
---

# Lumotia v0.1 — known limitations

This is the honest list. Every entry below names something that **does not work the way you might expect it to** in this release. Read it before you install. We'd rather have you walk in clear-eyed than disappointed.

If something you find isn't on this list, it's a real bug — please tell us. If something on this list lifts in a later release, it'll be removed from this file and called out in the changelog.

## Platforms + power

### Long dictation sessions may be throttled by the OS

Lumotia is designed for sit-down dictation, not always-on transcription. Long sessions (10+ minutes) work fine on every platform, but the OS itself may decide to slow Lumotia down if it thinks the app is idle.

| Platform | Behaviour | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | The compositor's idle hooks may dim the screen, lock the session, or suspend after the OS-level inactivity timeout. Lumotia does not currently inhibit those. | Wrap launch with `systemd-inhibit --what=idle:sleep:handle-lid-switch lumotia` if you need a long uninterrupted session. Or raise your screen-lock timeout in system settings. |
| macOS | App Nap may pause Lumotia after the window loses focus. We've coded the protection but the runtime verification on Apple Silicon hardware is still in progress for this release. | Keep the Lumotia window focused for long sessions. As a global override: `defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSAppSleepDisabled -bool YES` (revert with `-bool NO` after). |
| Windows | Sleep prevention is not yet wired. Long sessions can be paused by your power plan's sleep timer. | Set your active power plan's sleep timeout to "Never" while dictating. |

Closing this gap is on the path to v0.2 if a real user reports a session-loss; otherwise it stays known.

## Cloud transcription is not available in this release

Lumotia is **local-only** in v0.1. All transcription happens on your device using a Whisper model you download once. Nothing leaves your machine for transcription.

A cloud-provider plumbing crate exists in the codebase but is intentionally not exposed: there's no setting to enable it, no UI to enter an API key, and no path that sends audio to a remote service. We will only ship cloud-provider support when we can ship it with the right defaults (off, BYOK, clearly labelled, never required).

## Model Context Protocol (MCP) server access

Lumotia includes an optional MCP server (`lumotia-mcp`) you can wire into Claude Desktop, Cline, or any MCP-capable client. It is:

- **Read-only.** No tool can create, edit, or delete transcripts or tasks.
- **Local-only.** Communicates over stdio. No network listener. No remote access.
- **Off by default.** You must explicitly launch it and add it to your MCP client's configuration.

The honest thing to flag: when you wire `lumotia-mcp` into an MCP client, that client gets read access to **your entire transcript history and task list**. There is no per-row permission system in v0.1. Treat it the same way you'd treat giving an MCP client access to a folder of personal notes — only enable it if you trust the client end-to-end. We'll add a permission boundary in a later release.

## AI cleanup + extraction failure modes

Lumotia uses a local LLM (downloaded once, runs on your device) for transcript cleanup and task extraction. Like any model, it can fail. The product is designed so that **no AI failure ever loses your transcript**.

What happens on a failure:

| What fails | What you see | What's preserved |
|---|---|---|
| LLM cleanup throws an error | Sidebar status chip flashes "failed"; transcript stays at rule-based cleanup (fillers removed, repetition collapsed, British-English applied) | Your raw transcript text is unchanged |
| Task extraction throws | Tasks still get extracted, just via a rule-based regex+verb-list extractor instead of the LLM | Your transcript text is unchanged; tasks still appear |
| Content tag extraction throws | A "Tagging failed" toast appears; no tags applied | Your transcript text is unchanged; you can retry |
| LLM hangs mid-generation | The sidebar status chip may stay on "Cleaning up" indefinitely until you restart the app | Your raw transcript is preserved; the rest of the app still works while the chip is stuck |

The hanging-chip case is the only soft edge. Closing it (with a timeout wrap on the LLM call) is on the v0.2 hygiene track.

## Settings page is in progressive-disclosure mode

The Settings page has six sections covering everything that matters for v0.1: Start Here, Transcription basics, Models, Privacy, Accessibility, Advanced. A full visual regroup with grouped progressive-disclosure cards is planned for v0.2.

If you can't find a setting, it's almost certainly under **Advanced**.

## Internal engine refactor still in progress

Some internal engine refactors (alternative transcription provider plumbing) are partly landed but not yet wired through every code path. This **does not affect** the default local Whisper transcription path you use as a user. It means alternative providers aren't selectable in v0.1.

## Soft-touch nudging is frontend-driven only

Lumotia's nudge system reacts to what happens **inside the app** — task completions, timer state, ritual progress, window focus. It does not yet watch what's happening on the rest of your system (keyboard activity in other apps, active-window changes, etc.) — that's a v0.2-or-later expansion.

In practice this means: Lumotia won't nudge you because you've been idle in another window. It will nudge you based on the rhythm of your Lumotia session itself. If that's the wrong default for you, you can turn nudges off entirely in Settings.

## What's NOT in v0.1 (call-outs people often ask about)

- **No Garden Inbox / review cards / suggested routing.** This is the v0.2 marquee feature.
- **No related notes / backlinks across transcripts.** v0.2.
- **No Obsidian plugin.** v0.2.
- **No mobile companion app.** Not on the current track.
- **No cloud sync.** Not on the current track.
- **No premium voices / paid tier expansion.** v1.0 commercial track.

## Reporting issues

If you hit something not on this list, please file an issue at the link in the README. Include:

- Platform (Linux/macOS/Windows + version)
- Lumotia version (Settings → About)
- What you did
- What you expected
- What actually happened

Crash dumps (if any) live at `<app-data-dir>/crashes/` — attaching the most recent file helps us a lot.

---

This list is what we know. If we discover more, we'll add to it.
