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Almathal Handbook

ADR-0016: Central Manifest Registry

Accepted

Date: 2026-06-10

Context

Manifest storage options:

  • In-repo: Manifests live next to the source code of each library. Requires upstream coordination; risks accidental corruption by generated codebases.
  • Central registry: Manifests live in a platform-owned repository. No upstream coordination; full quality control.
  • Hybrid: Central registry mirrors upstream when present; falls back to platform-authored Manifests otherwise.

For MVP, simplicity favors the central registry. Upstream contribution becomes possible later but isn’t a launch requirement.

Decision

Manifests live in a central platform-owned registry. The repository is separate from any upstream library code. The registry contains:

  • All Adapter Manifests
  • All Module Manifests
  • The Capability namespace
  • The Contract registry
  • The Archetype catalog

Upstream library code stays at its original public location. The platform never forks or rehosts library source code — only metadata about it.

Rationale

  • No upstream maintainer coordination required for MVP.
  • Volatile generated codebases cannot accidentally corrupt Manifest data.
  • Quality and provenance remain under platform control.
  • Single backup/audit/governance target instead of distributed.

Consequences

  • The platform team owns Manifest maintenance indefinitely.
  • Updates to underlying libraries require platform-team Manifest updates (handled by the Curation Pipeline).
  • Future upstream contribution is a v1 or v2 strategic move, not blocked by this decision.

Open Considerations

  • Optional verified artifact mirror (ADR-0017) is a separate decision about caching the underlying artifacts.

References