# Requirements and compatibility

Bob runs one Markdown vault through a Rust CLI, Obsidian plugins, and an optional Mac panel. The snapshot above names the exact revisions this site was built from. The floors below are the minimum versions readers need.

## Minimum requirements

- **CLI platforms:** Linux and macOS. The CLI, clipboard discovery, and browser helpers cover both; Mac-only paths note it where they differ.
- **Obsidian:** 1.8.7 or later. Every bundled Bob plugin manifest sets `minAppVersion` 1.8.7, so the floor follows the manifests, not this site's builder version. The mounted [Obsidian plugins inventory](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/plugins/index.md>) is generated from the manifests, making it the source of truth for this floor and current manifest versions.
- **Tasks plugin:** use a current Tasks release with the Dataview task format and the `#task` global filter. The native query engine follows Tasks 8.4.0 filter behavior for `status.symbol`; the parity fixture and goldens run headless without Obsidian. Desktop rendering inside Obsidian still awaits a human pass.
- **Rust:** version 1.95.0 or later from the [Rust toolchain](<https://rust-lang.org/tools/install>). The repository pins 1.95.0 in `rust-toolchain.toml`, and the package declares `rust-version = "1.95"`.
- **Mac Capture (optional):** macOS 26 with Command Line Tools for Xcode 26+ or Xcode 26+, plus a signed or ad-hoc signed `bob` on `PATH`. See [Install](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/mac-capture/install/>), [Build](<https://bobs-org.github.io/develop/mac-capture/build/>), [README › Signing](<https://github.com/bobs-org/bob-mac-capture#signing>), and the [protocol compatibility table](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/mac-capture/protocol/>).

## Tested snapshot

The block above the title renders the rolling snapshot from the site build: per-repository revisions with dirty and branch marks, the build time and builder, tool versions, and `build.json`. Absent checkouts report an unknown revision rather than a guessed one, and optional tool versions appear only when the builder records them.

## Compatibility shims

The installed compatibility binaries map to the preferred interface as follows:

| Compatibility binary | Preferred command |
| --- | --- |
| `bob_notify` | `bob pomodoro notify` |
| `bob_pomodoro` | `bob pomodoro` |
| `tmux_bob_pomodoro` | `bob pomodoro tmux` |

By default they call the same native Rust implementations as the preferred commands. With `BOB_CLI_USE_SCRIPT=1`, the notification and Pomodoro commands and their shims delegate to their embedded shell assets. Native-only commands ignore the fallback setting. Extracted assets are cached in a version-and-content-specific subdirectory of `$XDG_CACHE_HOME/bob-cli/scripts/`. If `XDG_CACHE_HOME` is unset or empty, the base is `$HOME/.cache`; if neither variable is available, Bob uses the system temporary directory.

Old top-level spellings remain as hidden aliases. See [Migration notes](<https://bobs-org.github.io/develop/migration-notes/index.md>).

## Runtime dependencies

Native command execution does not require Bash or Perl. Forced shell fallback with `BOB_CLI_USE_SCRIPT=1` requires Bash, and the Pomodoro-based fallback scripts also require Perl.

The documented workflows use these external-tool integrations:

- `obsidian` CLI plus a running desktop Obsidian vault with the Dataview plugin only when using `bob query --engine obsidian`
- `git` for `bob vault-sync`, Git-backed `bob task archive`, plugin dirty-file checks, and the default `bob plugins` repository refresh; remote operations also need the credentials required by the configured remote
- `notify-send` for desktop notifications from `bob pomodoro notify`; Bob also rings the terminal bell whether or not `notify-send` is available
- platform clipboard tools for `bob capture` clipboard input: `pbpaste` on macOS; `wl-paste`, `xclip`, or `xsel` on Linux; or `tmux show-buffer` in a display-less tmux session (see `BOB_CLIPBOARD_CMD` in [configuration](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/configuration/index.md>) for the exact fallback order)
- `pandoc` and `xelatex` for `bob ref create` Markdown targets, plus the LaTeX packages `bob ref doctor` checks; override pandoc with `BOB_PANDOC_COMMAND`. Doctor prints the `tlmgr install` line for any missing packages
- `uv` and a discovered browser are optional for Mermaid fences in Markdown imports; without them, Mermaid prints as source with a visible note
- `curl` for `bob ref create` PDF URL and arXiv targets; override with `BOB_HIGHLIGHTS_CURL`
- A narration frontend for `bob ref create --listen`, configured as `highlights.listen_command` (`sase listen render ...`). Installing Bob does not install one. The SASE plugin (`sase plugin install listen`) provides `sase listen render {target} -e full -o {audio}`; a direct `sase-listen render ...` setting migrates automatically, and wrappers/shell programs are rejected
- `uv` plus a browser for `bob ref create` web article targets. `uv` fetches Python ≥3.10 and the pinned Playwright, Pillow, and nh3 on first run (override the whole spawn with `BOB_WEB_CLIP_ADAPTER`). Discovery uses Google Chrome at `/opt/google/chrome/chrome`, `/usr/bin/google-chrome`, `/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable`, or the macOS Google Chrome app, then Playwright's bundled Chromium, newest installed revision first. Bundled Chromium launches by its discovered path, so the pinned Playwright's default revision need not be installed (as on apollo after revision 1248 replaced 1234). Current macOS Chrome-for-Testing and legacy Chromium app layouts are supported. Set `BOB_CHROME` to another executable, including a system Chromium package. On Linux, `Xvfb` lets it retry bot-protected sites headed; on macOS the retry uses an off-screen window
- `bash` for the embedded shell fallback and for sourcing `~/.ssh-agent-thing`; the Pomodoro shell fallback additionally uses `perl`
- `uv` for `bob gkeep`: it fetches Python ≥3.10 and the pinned `gkeepapi` on first run (override the whole spawn with `BOB_GKEEP_ADAPTER`)
- `pass` for the default `bob gkeep` token store (`token_command` and `token_store_command` in the `gkeep:` config section)

No old chezmoi script files are required after installation. Cargo installs the Rust binaries, and the binaries carry the script assets they need. Environment variable defaults live in [configuration](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/configuration/index.md>).

## Related

- [Install Bob](<https://bobs-org.github.io/start/install/index.md>)
- [Continue in Obsidian](<https://bobs-org.github.io/start/obsidian/index.md>)
- [Continue with Mac Capture](<https://bobs-org.github.io/start/mac-capture/index.md>)
- [Look up Bob](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/index.md>)
- [Configuration](<https://bobs-org.github.io/reference/configuration/index.md>)
- [Migration notes](<https://bobs-org.github.io/develop/migration-notes/index.md>)