The Spine
Three distinct things sit behind every command: one is a template, one is a running thing, one is where it runs.
| Noun | Is a… | What it is |
|---|---|---|
agent |
definition | a reusable template on disk (.agents/agents/*.md): harness, model, instructions |
unit |
instance | a spawned, registered agent with its own record and its own inbox; the thing you address |
pane |
location | where a unit runs, over a multiplexer (tmux / herdr); managed by the mux layer |
An agent definition is inert: it names no running process. unit register (or unit spawn)
turns a session into an addressable instance with an identity and a mailbox. A pane is neither of
those: it is the multiplexer location a unit happens to occupy right now, and a unit can exist
(headless, --standing) with no pane at all.
This split is why the command groups are shaped the way they are. See CLI: agent for the definition side and CLI: unit for the instance side.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Architecture: how the spine sits inside the two-layer split
- Mail Model: how a
unit’s identity becomes a mailbox address - CLI: unit · CLI: agent · CLI: mux