Plugin System v3 architecture

Trace plugin lifecycle from static package validation through activation, capability routing and deactivation.

Static packages and sessions

SDK 3.6.0 keeps assembly3.0.0.0. manifestVersion3 declares API/Kinds/services/capabilities/settings/artifact semantics. Installation validates canonical paths/bounds/PE/declarations without execution; versioned installs keep journals.

Explicit Enable→snapshot activation/registration→Host validation/atomic state commit→callable Active session. One implementation per contract; intent/state/RequiresRestart differ.

Ownership

Kind owners route operation capabilities, not DiscoveryProviderId. Reconciliation proposes revision-bound changes. Artifact graphs validate revisions; materializers write isolated Workspaces.

Config-wide RestoreCoordinator receives operation identity/kind/once-only continuation. Ordinary staging differs from Checkout/Merge. The Host owns preflight/Safe Restore/live writes. Recovery-required outcomes prohibit automatic rejoin.

Trust and cancellation

AssemblyLoadContext isolates dependencies, not OS privileges. Declarations gate formal services; plugins retain ambient rights. Catalog binds exact hashes/provenance, which manifests cannot self-award.

Disable removes routing/cancels/drains before bounded Deactivate. Timeouts may retain physical contexts until restart. Journals recover interrupted update/uninstall. Safe Mode preserves intent.

See all15 capabilities and v2 migration.