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* docs: document ACP runtime integration * docs: link ACP runtime guide from entrypoints Generated-By: looper 0.7.5 (runner=fixer, agent=opencode, model=openai/gpt-5.4)
116 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
116 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
# New agent runtime expectations: ACP over stdio
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This note documents the preferred integration shape for a new Open Design agent runtime.
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## Recommendation
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New agent runtimes should expose an **ACP over stdio** CLI mode.
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In practice, Open Design expects to spawn a local executable and speak JSON-RPC over the child process streams:
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```text
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Open Design daemon
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└─ spawn your-agent acp
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├─ stdin <- ACP JSON-RPC requests/responses
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├─ stdout -> ACP JSON-RPC responses/notifications
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└─ stderr -> logs and diagnostics only
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```
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If the runtime's real implementation is a local or remote server, keep that detail behind a thin CLI wrapper:
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```text
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your-agent acp
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└─ connects to your runtime server / SDK / model backend
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```
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That wrapper keeps Open Design on the standard ACP subprocess transport and avoids requiring a daemon-side network transport adapter.
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## Why stdio, not an ACP server?
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The ACP protocol uses JSON-RPC, but transport matters.
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The ACP transport documentation defines **stdio** as communication over standard input and standard output. In that transport, the client launches the agent as a subprocess, the agent reads from `stdin`, writes protocol messages to `stdout`, and writes logs to `stderr`.
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ACP's remote HTTP/WebSocket transport is still described as a draft/proposal rather than the established compatibility path. Open Design's implemented ACP adapters therefore use stdio subprocesses today.
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## Messages Open Design sends
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For `streamFormat: 'acp-json-rpc'`, Open Design currently drives a session with these JSON-RPC methods:
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1. `initialize`
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- Sent first.
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- Includes Open Design client metadata and `clientCapabilities`.
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2. `session/new`
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- Creates a working session.
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- Includes the project working directory.
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- May include MCP server descriptors when the runtime is allowed to use Open Design-provided tools.
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3. `session/set_config_option` or `session/set_model` *(optional)*
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- Sent when the user selected a non-default model.
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- Open Design prefers `session/set_config_option` when `session/new` reports a model config option; otherwise it falls back to `session/set_model`.
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4. `session/prompt`
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- Sends the composed user/system prompt as text content.
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- A successful response marks the prompt as complete.
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5. `session/cancel`
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- Sent on user cancellation when a session exists and stdin is still writable.
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## Messages Open Design expects from the agent
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The runtime should support the corresponding JSON-RPC responses and notifications:
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1. Response to `initialize`.
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2. Response to `session/new`.
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- Must include a usable `sessionId`.
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- Should report the current model if available.
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- Should report model config options if model selection is supported through config options.
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3. Notifications using `session/update`.
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- Open Design currently maps:
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- `agent_thought_chunk` to thinking output.
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- `agent_message_chunk` to assistant text output.
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4. Optional `session/request_permission` requests.
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- Open Design auto-selects an approve/allow-style option when available.
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- If no acceptable option is present, the turn fails fast.
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5. Response to `session/prompt`.
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- Should include usage metadata when available.
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- This response tells Open Design the turn is finished.
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## Process lifecycle expectations
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- Keep protocol messages on `stdout` parseable as JSON-RPC lines.
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- Write human-readable logs and diagnostics to `stderr`.
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- Return clear JSON-RPC errors for protocol failures.
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- After `session/prompt` completes, either exit cleanly when stdin closes or tolerate Open Design sending `SIGTERM` after a short grace period.
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- Implement `session/cancel` if possible. Open Design falls back to process termination when the transport is no longer usable.
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- Avoid interactive terminal prompts. If permission is required, use ACP permission requests instead.
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## Open Design adapter shape
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An ACP runtime definition in Open Design is intentionally small:
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```ts
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export const myAgentDef = {
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id: 'my-agent',
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name: 'My Agent',
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bin: 'my-agent',
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versionArgs: ['--version'],
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fallbackModels: [{ id: 'default', label: 'default' }],
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buildArgs: () => ['acp'],
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streamFormat: 'acp-json-rpc',
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} satisfies RuntimeAgentDef;
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```
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Existing examples include Devin, Hermes, Kimi, Kiro, Kilo, and Vibe runtime definitions under `apps/daemon/src/runtimes/defs/`.
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## Fact sources
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- ACP transport documentation: <https://agentclientprotocol.com/protocol/transports>
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- ACP uses JSON-RPC.
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- The stdio transport uses standard input and standard output.
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- In stdio mode, the client launches the agent as a subprocess.
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- The agent reads from `stdin`, writes protocol messages to `stdout`, and uses `stderr` for logs.
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- ACP remote transport RFD: <https://agentclientprotocol.com/rfds/streamable-http-websocket-transport>
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- Describes Streamable HTTP / WebSocket as the proposed remote transport direction.
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- Notes that ACP's standard transport has historically been stdio and that a standard remote transport is still being defined.
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- Open Design implementation:
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- `apps/daemon/src/acp.ts` implements the ACP JSON-RPC session lifecycle.
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- `apps/daemon/src/server.ts` spawns ACP runtimes as child processes with piped stdio.
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- `apps/daemon/src/runtimes/defs/*.ts` contains existing ACP runtime definitions using `streamFormat: 'acp-json-rpc'`.
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