Show HN: Break the Wall – take a wall of text apart into parts you can test

Developer Simone Riggi released Break the Wall, an open-source Apache-2.0 alpha macOS app that uses ChatGPT or a local model to split AI-generated text into 3–7 source-linked parts with named connections such as "sends to," "causes" and "supports," letting users test and reassemble the structure. The app requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 13 Ventura or later, is signed ad-hoc and not notarized by Apple, and stores user data locally in ~/Library/Application Support/Break the Wall; PDF documents and repositories as sources are on the roadmap.

AI gives you a wall of text. Break the Wall turns it into source-linked parts you can explore, test and put back together. Open-source alpha · macOS · English & Italian · Apache-2.0 Try the alpha try-the-alpha · How it works how-it-works · Roadmap roadmap · Contribute https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md Note Alpha. Download the app try-the-alpha for Apple Silicon Macs, or run it from source. The prepared examples work without an account. Taking apart your own text or Markdown uses ChatGPT experimental or a local model on your Mac. PDF documents and repositories as sources are on the roadmap roadmap . A useful AI explanation can still be a wall of text: correct-sounding, hard to retain and hard to check. Break the Wall makes its structure explorable: open one part, see what it connects to, and return to the source lines behind it. The question is not only "can I read this?" but "can I explain how its parts work together?" The idea comes from reverse engineering, which takes software apart with evidence for every finding so it can be understood and rebuilt. It is not a course, a summarizer, a chatbot or a flashcard app; review is there only if you want it. See the product definition https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/product.md . | | A chat answer | Break the Wall | |---|---|---| | The whole as an exploded view of 3–7 parts, with sub-assemblies | ❌ | ✅ | | Joints that say how parts connect: sends to, causes, supports, attacks, leads to… | ❌ | ✅ | | Every part linked to exact source lines | ❌ | ✅ | | Predict before each step runs; remove a brick and see if the claim falls | ❌ | ✅ | | A bill of materials that accounts for every line of the source | ❌ | ✅ | | Progress, runs and notes that resume after restart | ❌ | ✅ | Important Source links are checked; explanations can still be wrong. The app checks that every cited line exists in your source, and that every line is either in a part or excluded with a reason. A wrong explanation can still sit next to a correct citation, so read the highlighted lines. | Step | What you do | |---|---| | Disassemble | Explore 3–7 parts per level, with named connections and links to source lines. Open a part to go deeper. | | Run | Predict a process step before it runs, remove a premise from an argument, or apply the whole to a new case. | | Reassemble | If you want, rebuild the structure on a drawing whose names are hidden. | The prepared examples show a release runbook and Mill's harm principle. The same loop works for any subject: only the kind of connection changes mechanism, argument, story . Requirements: a Mac with Apple Silicon M1 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. 1. Download Break-the-Wall-<version -arm64.dmg from the latest release https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/releases . 2. Open it and drag Break the Wall to Applications . 3. Open the app. The first time, macOS does not open it, because the alpha is signed ad-hoc and not notarized by Apple. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security , scroll to Security , choose Open Anyway next to Break the Wall, and confirm. You do this once for each version. To check the download, put the .sha256 file from the release next to the DMG and run: shasum -a 256 -c Break-the-Wall-<version -arm64.dmg.sha256 The app starts clean: the two prepared examples, no account and nothing saved. What you create stays on your Mac in ~/Library/Application Support/Break the Wall , and ChatGPT credentials stay in your Keychain. There are no automatic updates yet: to update, download the DMG of a newer release and replace the app; your data stays where it is. For an Intel Mac, or to change the code. Requirements: macOS, Node.js 22.23.2 and npm 10.9.8 pinned in package.json . git clone https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall.git cd BreakTheWall npm ci npm run build npm start The first npm start downloads Electron's binary for your Mac. Open either prepared example to try the loop without an account. To take apart your own material, choose Take apart a source and paste text or pick a .txt / .md file; generation needs a ChatGPT sign-in or a local model local-models . Development npm run dev Vite + Electron with reload npm run check strict TypeScript + Vitest npm run dev:web renderer only, in a browser no generation npm run eval measure generation on fixed cases see Local development npm run brand render the app icon from docs/images/brand npm run package build the Apple Silicon DMG into release/ Set BTW USER DATA DIR to an absolute path to keep test data separate from your own. More details are in Local development https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/development.md , with links to the product https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/product.md , architecture https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/architecture.md , plans https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/workflow/plans , status https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/STATUS.md and changelog https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md . - Exploded view: the parts drawn as plates on a technical sheet, with balloons, a title block and an automatic layout. Mechanisms and stories run left to right; arguments stack, with the claim above its grounds and attacks or limits beside it. - Numbers in reading order: a part's number follows the arrows: the flow of a mechanism, grounds before the claim they support, the events of a story. The bill of materials numbers parts the same way "2.1.3" . - Room to read: drag the bar under the drawing to make the plates bigger, and the bar between the card and the source to share the row. Sizes are remembered on this device. Inside a sub-assembly, the ↑ control, Escape or Alt+↑ goes back to the level above. - Sub-assemblies, as deep as the source goes: a part can open into its own 3–7 parts, and so on, level after level. Every level accounts for its parent's lines. A part with at least 6 lines of its own can be taken apart on request "Take this part apart", one small request ; a smaller one says why it stops there. Parts outside your question stay closed and hatched, but you can still open them. - Three kinds of joint: mechanism sends to, causes, depends on , argument supports, attacks, limits and story leads to, because . Each kind has a color, a line style and an end mark, so color is never the only cue. - Part card: a short lead what the part is for , then 2–4 points that add the details, marked → then , = stays the same or ⚠ caution , and an optional lens, metaphor with its limit, and critical note. It also lists the part's joints in words, its citations and your notes. - Source pane: numbered lines, the cited lines highlighted, page breaks for documents, and a file picker when there are many sources. A markdown or text source can also be read as a document, beside the card or in a full-window reader with an outline: tables and Mermaid diagrams are drawn, and citations highlight their blocks. HTML inside a source is shown as text, links are not followed and images are not fetched. - Scenario: a setup and instruments for example staging: digest A , then one step at a time. Before a step runs you predict what happens. The step's parts then show as running and its effects land: states, instruments and the explanation, with its source lines. - Load test: remove one brick at a time and see whether the target falls , weakens or holds . Interpretations that the text does not state are labelled. - New case: apply the disassembly to a situation it does not describe, labelled as a constructed case. Optional. The drawing keeps its shape but loses its names; put the parts back by click or drag. The tray never starts in solution order, and item numbers are hidden. A wrong placement names the part with its hint. Interchangeable parts, such as three independent supports, can go in any of their slots. Every source line is in a part, in a joint, or excluded with a reason: context, outside the question, repetition, detail, contains secrets, generated. The view shows the scope a repository snapshot or a document's pages , a strip per source, the items with their line ranges, and file-level exclusions. It also shows the app's own check, which names any forgotten range. - Paper light and blueprint dark , following the system or chosen in the header. Every text color reaches WCAG AA in both themes, checked by a test. - English and Italian interface, following the system or chosen in the header. Content keeps its own language and is never translated by the app. When a disassembly exists in both languages, the player offers the other version, and progress stays separate for each version. Studio takes apart pasted text or .txt / .md files around your question, in three phases: 1. Structure: the parts, their joints and the bill of materials. The app checks it line by line before going on. 2. Parts: one request per top-level part, carrying only that part's lines. 3. Runs: scenarios, load tests or cases, and the reassembly hints. Each phase can be repaired once with the app's findings. When the repair leaves only texts a few characters too long, one small request shortens just those. Nothing is saved as a disassembly unless the whole of it passes. - Suggested break-downs: on the question step, "Suggest break-downs" sends one request and proposes 3–5 questions, each with its kind mechanism, argument, story and the parts it would give. Choosing one fills the question field, which you can still edit. Nothing is sent until you press the button. - The drawing while it is written: once the structure is accepted, Studio draws the top level, and each plate shows whether its part is waiting, being written, done or failed. A part that is done opens its lead and points. - Resume: a failed or cancelled generation keeps what was accepted structure, parts, runs in one draft file in the app's data folder. Studio says what was kept and offers "Resume", which asks only for what is missing, or "Start over". The draft is deleted on success and when a new generation starts. You choose the content language by default, your question's , and you can give the structure and the parts different models, for example a cheaper one for the parts. There are two routes: | Route | Account | Where your source goes | Status | |---|---|---|---| | ChatGPT | Sign in with ChatGPT; uses your plan | OpenAI, over the documented Responses API | Experimental. Disassemblies generated live: in the last check, 4 of 4 public cases valid | | Local model | none | a server on 127.0.0.1 on your Mac | Witnessed for lessons; disassemblies not yet measured | Lessons created before disassemblies stay readable, with their progress, under "Earlier paths". - Storage: disassemblies, lessons, progress and notes stay on your device, written atomically. Progress that no longer matches its disassembly is kept on disk and the session restarts, with a notice. - Interrupted generations: at most one draft, generation-draft.json , with the text generated so far. It never leaves the device and is deleted on success, on "Start over" and when a new generation starts. - Credentials: ChatGPT tokens are encrypted with the macOS Keychain Electron safeStorage and never reach the interface or the logs. - Isolation: the renderer has no Node, filesystem or network access. Every desktop operation goes through narrow, validated IPC calls. Start a model server, open Take apart a source → Generation → Local model , and the app finds it. It probes the default ports and identifies each runtime by its own endpoints. Before first use, it sends a tiny probe to check whether the server really enforces the output format. | Runtime | Default address | How the format is enforced | Observed on Ollama 0.30.8 / llama.cpp b9509 | |---|---|---|---| | llama.cpp server | 127.0.0.1:8080 | /completion with json schema | ✅ enforced | | LM Studio | 127.0.0.1:1234 | response format JSON Schema | not yet tested | | Ollama | 127.0.0.1:11434 | format | depends on the model: ✅ Qwen3.6, | | Other OpenAI-compatible server | any loopback port | response format JSON Schema | depends on the server | Measured on an M4 Pro with 48 GB, using Qwen3.6-35B-A3B Q4 K M through llama.cpp: a lesson took about 1–2 minutes. Disassemblies have not been timed yet. Details are in the local inference trial https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/workflow/research/R-20261022-local-inference.md . llama-server -m Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-Q4 K M.gguf -c 32768 Tip Use a model with at least ~30B parameters and a 32k context. Plan for 32 GB of memory or more. Only addresses on this machine are accepted, so your source never leaves the computer on this route. | Layer | Stack | |---|---| | Desktop host | Electron 45: sandboxed renderer, context isolation, custom btw:// protocol | | Interface | React 19, TypeScript 7, Vite 8, SVG technical drawings, lucide icons, system fonts; markdown-it for sources read as documents, Mermaid for their diagrams loaded on first use | | Disassembly model | zod 4 contract with located findings, bill-of-materials check, deterministic layered layout and pure run/reassembly transitions; independent of React and Electron | | AI routes | Sign in with ChatGPT OAuth + PKCE, Responses API ; Ollama, LM Studio and llama.cpp over loopback | | Storage | atomic JSON files in the app's data folder; credentials via Keychain-backed safeStorage | | Tests | Vitest, Testing Library jsdom : contract, layout geometry, contrast, catalogs, player interactions | Work follows the approved plans P-20261024-disassembly https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/workflow/plans/P-20261024-disassembly/plan.md v7 and P-20261027-macos-dmg https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/docs/workflow/plans/P-20261027-macos-dmg/plan.md v1 . Evidence for each task is in its implementation record. | Phase | Tasks | Status | |---|---|---| | Contract | D1 format and host checks · D2 automatic layout · D3 learner state | ✅ automated tests | | Player | D4 themes and languages · D5 exploded view · D6 run · D7 reassembly and bill of materials · D8 library and store | ✅ automated tests; 🟡 D8 desktop flow being witnessed by the owner | | Generation | D9 two-phase generation and model comparison · D10 Studio and witnessed generation | ✅ code, automated tests and model comparison setup A chosen ; ⏳ witnessed generation | | Depth | D13 depth guided by the source · D14 take a part apart on demand | ✅ code, automated tests and 2 measured expansions | | Player usability | D15 numbers in reading order · D16 back to the level above · D17 resizable panes · D18 rendered markdown source | ✅ code, automated tests and owner check | | Generation usability | D19 length repair · D20 short lead · D21 resume · D22 drawing while generating · D23 suggested break-downs | ✅ code, automated tests, D20 live check 4 of 4 valid and owner check | | Identity and presentation | D24 brand assets · D25 mark and tagline · D26 home opening · D27 app icon · D28–D31 README, images, GitHub page, first release | ✅ identity in the app and this page; pre-release v0.1.0-alpha https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/releases/tag/v0.1.0-alpha | | macOS app | K1–K3 package script, ad-hoc signature, start check · K4–K6 release workflow, install steps, witnessed install | ✅ DMG built and started on Apple Silicon; ⏳ release workflow and witnessed install | | Repository gated | D11 local repository as a source | ⏳ after D9 | | Document gated | D12 PDF document as a source | ⏳ after D9 | Not claimed: learning effectiveness, correctness of generated explanations, platforms other than macOS, Intel builds, or an app signed and notarized by Apple. - Disassembly format with a verified bill of materials - Automatic layout for mechanisms, arguments and stories - Player: exploded view, run, reassemble, bill of materials - Paper and blueprint themes; English and Italian interface - Two-phase generation of disassemblies, with suggested questions, a live drawing and resume - Local models measured on disassemblies - Repositories as a source: snapshot identity, secrets found by content, file-level bill of materials - PDF documents as a source: checked extraction, page citations - Dependency map for repositories, and a reassembly that simulates the effect of a misplaced part - Downloadable macOS app for Apple Silicon ad-hoc signed - Signed and notarized macOS app Apple Developer ID , with updates - Claude code integration Contributions are welcome, from a bug report or a translation fix to a new prepared disassembly. Read CONTRIBUTING.md https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md for the setup, the checks every change passes and the research → plan → implement workflow used for larger changes. - Questions and ideas: Discussions https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/discussions . - Bugs and proposals: issues https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/issues/new/choose , with a form for each. Issues labelled good first issue https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/labels/good%20first%20issue are a good place to start. - Security: report privately, as described in SECURITY.md https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/SECURITY.md . - Conduct: everyone taking part follows the Code of Conduct https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/CODE OF CONDUCT.md . - Changes: each version is described in the changelog https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md . Break the Wall is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/LICENSE . See NOTICE https://github.com/simoneriggi92/BreakTheWall/blob/main/NOTICE for attribution.