strengthen repo verification and runtime coverage

Add clearer app docs plus targeted desktop, CLI, web, and worker tests so cross-surface regressions are caught earlier and the repo is easier to navigate.

apps/rowboatx/README.md

@@ -1,36 +1,38 @@
-This is a [Next.js](https://nextjs.org) project bootstrapped with [`create-next-app`](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/cli/create-next-app).
+# RowboatX Frontend
 
-## Getting Started
+`apps/rowboatx` is the newer frontend for the local Rowboat runtime. It is a Next.js UI that renders chat, artifacts, tools, and resource views on top of a runtime provided by `apps/cli` or another host shell.
 
-First, run the development server:
+## What Lives Here
+
+- Main chat/dashboard page in `app/page.tsx`
+- Shared UI primitives and AI-oriented components under `components/`
+- Static export configuration in `next.config.ts`
+
+## Runtime Expectations
+
+This frontend is not self-contained. It expects one of the following to exist at runtime:
+
+- `window.config.apiBase` for direct backend requests
+- `/api/stream` for SSE run events
+- `/api/rowboat/*` endpoints for local resource browsing and editing
+
+In practice, this means the UI is meant to be served by a shell or proxy that also provides the local runtime APIs.
+
+## Local Development
 
 ```bash
+npm install
 npm run dev
-# or
-yarn dev
-# or
-pnpm dev
-# or
-bun dev
 ```
 
-Open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) with your browser to see the result.
+Build the static export:
 
-You can start editing the page by modifying `app/page.tsx`. The page auto-updates as you edit the file.
+```bash
+npm run build
+```
 
-This project uses [`next/font`](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/optimizing/fonts) to automatically optimize and load [Geist](https://vercel.com/font), a new font family for Vercel.
+## Notes For Contributors
 
-## Learn More
-
-To learn more about Next.js, take a look at the following resources:
-
-- [Next.js Documentation](https://nextjs.org/docs) - learn about Next.js features and API.
-- [Learn Next.js](https://nextjs.org/learn) - an interactive Next.js tutorial.
-
-You can check out [the Next.js GitHub repository](https://github.com/vercel/next.js) - your feedback and contributions are welcome!
-
-## Deploy on Vercel
-
-The easiest way to deploy your Next.js app is to use the [Vercel Platform](https://vercel.com/new?utm_medium=default-template&filter=next.js&utm_source=create-next-app&utm_campaign=create-next-app-readme) from the creators of Next.js.
-
-Check out our [Next.js deployment documentation](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/deploying) for more details.
+- Changes here should preserve the assumption that the backend lives outside this app.
+- If you add a new runtime endpoint, document the expected contract in the host surface that provides it.
+- For repo-level ownership and status, see the root `ARCHITECTURE.md`.