# Project pack: Fava @ b89d5f5

Facts about **Fava** for an AI following the [BespokeAI handover guide](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/guide/v4.md). Pinned to one version; never changes after publication.

> Fava is the browser front end for Beancount, a plain-text accounting system. You keep your money records in a text file, and Fava turns it into balance sheets, income statements, budgets, charts and a searchable journal. Your books are plain files you can version and keep forever.

## Setup path (checked 2026-11-03)
- **Start here, no Docker:** Install it with its language package manager. No Docker.
- Offer Docker only if the person asks or this path fails. The commands further down may use Docker; they are not the starting point.
- Verdict source: https://beancount.github.io/fava/usage.html
- You may be unable to download source archives or run commands in this session. The person downloads and runs things; if you cannot fetch something, give any changed file in full in chat with its path.

## Version and source
- Repository: https://github.com/beancount/fava
- Pinned commit: `b89d5f5e58bad7d8c84523946d4c41dd94f3765c`. Use exactly this version.
- Zip the person can download in a browser: https://github.com/beancount/fava/archive/b89d5f5e58bad7d8c84523946d4c41dd94f3765c.zip
- Fresh checkout (only if you have a shell and git): use the commands below in an empty folder. If this exact source is already checked out, keep your branch and use the development command; do not clone again or reset local changes.
- Official docs: https://beancount.github.io/fava/usage.html
- Live demo: https://fava.pythonanywhere.com/example-with-budgets/income_statement/. Read-only example ledger. No real data.
- Licence: **MIT**. Free to use, change and share, even commercially. Keep the original copyright notice.

## Commands from the pinned source
- Developer commands (they may use Docker):

  ```sh
  git clone https://github.com/beancount/fava bespoke-fava
  cd bespoke-fava
  git checkout --detach b89d5f5e58bad7d8c84523946d4c41dd94f3765c
  # Prepare development requirements and local configuration first.
  python3 -m venv .venv
  . .venv/bin/activate
  pip install -e .
  make -C frontend install
  fava src/fava/help/example.beancount
  ```

- Separate trial of the current upstream release (not your changes; sample data and a separate data directory only):

  ```sh
  pip install fava
  fava path/to/your-ledger.beancount
  # then open http://localhost:5000
  ```
- Tools these commands use: Python 3.10+; Node for front-end development
- Develop: `fava src/fava/help/example.beancount`
- Test: `make test`
- Check/lint: `make lint`
- Stack: python, typescript, svelte (Flask, Svelte, Beancount). Difficulty for a non-developer with an AI: **moderate**. A Python web app with a Svelte front end. Most personal changes are Beancount settings, reports and Fava extensions, not forks. Learning Beancount itself is the bigger hill.
Personal data: **yes**. Stored in: Your Beancount ledger files and any attached documents on disk. Secrets are entered by the person, never in chat.

---
Later, only when a step needs it: [reference.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/fava/b89d5f5/r3/reference.md) (customisation points, must-keep-working, data and costs, coding conventions) · [hosting.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/fava/b89d5f5/r3/hosting.md) (long-term hosting; hosts are paid third parties) · [bespoke.yaml](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/fava/b89d5f5/r3/bespoke.yaml) · [SKILL.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/fava/b89d5f5/r3/SKILL.md)