FAQ

Frequently asked questions about AgenticReality.

What is the .areal file format?

The .areal format is a binary file that persists the complete reality state: deployment soul, environment, resources, reality layers, topology, temporal context, stakes, and coherence. Each section is individually compressed with LZ4 and the file includes BLAKE3 integrity checksums. Optional AES-256-GCM encryption is available by setting the AGENTIC_ENCRYPTION_KEY environment variable.

Which MCP clients are supported?

Any MCP-compatible client can use AgenticReality. Tested clients include Claude Desktop, VS Code with the MCP extension, and custom HTTP clients. The server supports stdio transport (default), HTTP, and SSE modes.

Can I use AgenticReality standalone?

Yes. All nine sister bridge traits have NoOp default implementations, so AgenticReality works without any other Agentra sisters installed. Integration with AgenticTime, AgenticContract, and AgenticIdentity enhances functionality but is not required.

Does it require network access?

No. Core functionality works entirely offline. Some features (time anchor verification against NTP, external state anchors) benefit from network access but degrade gracefully when offline.

How is this different from monitoring?

Monitoring watches an agent from the outside. Reality grounding is perception from the inside. A monitored agent has dashboards about it. A reality-grounded agent feels its own state. The difference is like reading a medical chart versus feeling your own body.

What platforms are supported?

macOS (x86_64, aarch64), Linux (x86_64, aarch64), and Windows via WSL. Native Windows support is planned for a future release.

What Rust version is required?

Rust 1.70 or later (MSRV). The CLI binary areal can be used without writing Rust code. The FFI crate provides C-compatible bindings for integration with other languages.

What is the minimum viable reality?

Deployment soul plus environment sensing. These two provide the foundation for all other reality domains. You can add more domains incrementally as needed.

How do I handle agent restarts?

Save state before shutdown with engine.save("app.areal"). On restart, load the previous incarnation's state and use incarnation memory to learn from the past life. The current incarnation gets a new soul but inherits wisdom from its predecessor.

Can I use it in CI/CD pipelines?

Yes. The environment auto-detection recognises CI/CD environments (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, and others) and sets appropriate environment type, stakes level, and behavioural expectations automatically.

What error code is used for unknown MCP tools?

Error code -32803 (TOOL_NOT_FOUND), per the Agentra MCP quality standard. This is distinct from the standard JSON-RPC method-not-found code (-32601) and invalid-params code (-32602).

How much memory does it use?

Base engine: less than 10 MB. Typical deployment: less than 50 MB. Large topology with 1000+ dependencies: less than 200 MB. Per MCP session overhead: less than 5 MB.