minio declares the bucket it derives; its consumers stop transcribing it (hq ADR 0188)

serves.s3-bucket.bucket is ${consumer:as:dns}; the provisioner uses what it
is given. nextcloud, invoicing and photos ask for ${bound:s3-bucket:bucket}
instead of naming mesh-novox-* literals, which also named this node.
bucketFor and the long-dead accessKeyFor are gone.

modules/anthropic-consumer/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# anthropic-consumer's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/anthropic-consumer
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc apply/index.ts usage/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/anthropic-consumer/dist /app/modules/anthropic-consumer/dist
+# No serve-time entrypoints: every container of this module names its command (`run` on a
+# schedule), so nothing here serves — deliberately no MESH_TOOL_MODULES.

modules/anthropic-consumer/module.json

@@ -14,10 +14,19 @@
   "secrets": {
     "model-access": "${dir:state}/access-token"
   },
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "emits": [
     "usage.session"
   ],
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -37,39 +46,66 @@
     },
     {
       "id": "apply",
-      "type": "process",
-      "name": "anthropic-consumer-apply",
-      "artifact": "code",
-      "run": [
-        "node",
-        "apply/index.js"
-      ],
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-anthropic-consumer-apply",
+      "network": "host",
       "schedule": "*/5 * * * *",
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "/app/modules/anthropic-consumer/dist/apply/index.js"
+      ],
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}:/run/state"
+      ],
       "env": {
-        "MESH_MODEL_ACCESS_SECRET_FILE": "${dir:state}/access-token",
-        "MESH_MODEL_ACCESS_BIND_FILE": "${dir:state}/model.json",
-        "MESH_CLAUDE_CREDENTIALS_FILE": "${dir:state}/claude/.credentials.json",
-        "MESH_CLAUDE_IDENTITY_FILE": "${dir:state}/claude/.claude.json"
-      }
+        "MESH_MODEL_ACCESS_SECRET_FILE": "/run/state/access-token",
+        "MESH_MODEL_ACCESS_BIND_FILE": "/run/state/model.json",
+        "MESH_CLAUDE_CREDENTIALS_FILE": "/run/state/claude/.credentials.json",
+        "MESH_CLAUDE_IDENTITY_FILE": "/run/state/claude/.claude.json"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "usage",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-anthropic-consumer-usage",
+      "network": "host",
+      "schedule": "*/5 * * * *",
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "/app/modules/anthropic-consumer/dist/usage/index.js"
+      ],
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:state}:/run/state"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_CLAUDE_PROJECTS_DIR": "/run/state/claude/projects",
+        "MESH_ANTHROPIC_USAGE_OUT": "/run/state/out/session-usage.json",
+        "MESH_TOOLS_MAIN": "/app/dist/main.js"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "apply/index.js",
-          "usage/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "usage/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_CLAUDE_PROJECTS_DIR": "${dir:state}/claude/projects",
-          "MESH_ANTHROPIC_USAGE_OUT": "${dir:state}/out/session-usage.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/anthropic-consumer/usage/index.ts

@@ -3,15 +3,12 @@
 // per session. The consumer IS the (node,module) session's fixed binding, so no per-message account
 // attribution is done — just the totals (port map "don't-map" #3).
 //
-// Runs in the node's runtime (novox/hq ADR 0198), every five minutes, so events are emitted through
-// the runtime as this module; the totals are also written to a file so the reading is observable
-// without one.
+// Runs as `mesh-tools run` (no broker), so events are emitted best-effort via the sibling mesh-tools
+// `emit` primitive; the totals are also written to a file so the reading is observable without one.
 
 import { readdirSync, statSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, renameSync, mkdirSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join, dirname } from "node:path";
 
-import { emit } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/events";
-
 import { readSessionFile, type SessionUsage } from "../transcript.js";
 
 /** The vendor-neutral usage row ADR 0054 fixes — the shape the model-usage store upserts. Kept local
@@ -119,20 +116,22 @@ function atomicWrite(path: string, content: string): void {
   renameSync(tmp, path);
 }
 
-/** Emit best-effort through the runtime: a reading that could not be announced is still in the file. */
+/** Emit best-effort via the sibling mesh-tools `emit`, which wires a broker a run step has none. */
 async function emitUsage(body: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<void> {
-  try {
-    await emit("usage.session", body);
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error(`[anthropic-consumer] could not emit usage: ${err}`);
-  }
+  const main = process.env.MESH_TOOLS_MAIN ?? "/app/dist/main.js";
+  const { spawn } = await import("node:child_process");
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    const child = spawn(
+      process.execPath,
+      [main, "emit", "usage.session", JSON.stringify(body)],
+      { stdio: "inherit" },
+    );
+    child.on("exit", () => resolve());
+    child.on("error", (err) => {
+      console.error(`[anthropic-consumer] could not emit usage: ${err}`);
+      resolve();
+    });
+  });
 }
 
-// The cadence the scheduled container had: once at start, then every five minutes. Not awaited, so the
-// runtime's handshake is answered while a long first reading is still under way.
-const EVERY_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000;
-const tick = (): void => {
-  void main().catch((err) => console.error(`[anthropic-consumer] usage reading failed: ${err}`));
-};
-tick();
-setInterval(tick, EVERY_MS);
+await main();

modules/audit-logger/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# audit-logger's runtime: the shared runtime image, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The toolkit is in the base image, so
+# nothing is copied out of a neighbouring checkout — which is what lets the mesh build this from a
+# repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that happens to have
+# the siblings laid out beside it.
+
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned: the image this is COMPILED in, and the image it RUNS in.
+# They are different images on purpose — the first carries a compiler and the second must not, or
+# every running container would carry one it never invokes. The mesh answers both with the copies it
+# holds, because a fingerprint written here would name one particular copy and no other mesh has it
+# (novox/hq issue 044). Declared in module.json's `build.on`; deliberately no defaults, so a build
+# nobody told stops here and says which module to build first.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the toolkit it will run against.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/audit-logger
+COPY . .
+# The compiler is invoked by its real path rather than through node_modules/.bin, whose entries are
+# symlinks to a launcher that requires its library relatively — resolved away when the base image
+# was assembled.
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc audit.ts index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/audit-logger/dist /app/modules/audit-logger/dist
+# **Served, not run.** This subscribes on import, and the serve mode binds the broker before it
+# imports anything — `run` exists for a step that works offline and exits, and would leave this
+# with nothing to subscribe to.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/audit-logger/dist/index.js

modules/audit-logger/module.json

@@ -5,21 +5,27 @@
   "consumes": [
     "**"
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:state}/broker"
+  },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "AUDIT_LOG": "${dir:trail}/audit.log"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   },
@@ -34,6 +40,21 @@
       "id": "trail",
       "type": "directory",
       "mode": "0700"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "run",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-audit-logger",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:trail}:/trail"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "AUDIT_LOG": "/trail/audit.log"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "capabilities": [

modules/audit-logger/test/audit.test.ts

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ test("audit-logger records every event to the trail as one line each", async ()
   const path = join(dir, "audit.log");
 
   // The audit-logger's whole behaviour: consume everything, record it.
-  await on("#", async (event) => record(event, path)); // the pattern index.ts subscribes
+  await on("**", async (event) => record(event, path));
 
   process.env.MESH_MODULE = "umami";
   process.env.MESH_NODE = "anchor";
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ test("audit-logger records every event to the trail as one line each", async ()
 
   const lines = (await readFile(path, "utf8")).trim().split("\n").map((l) => JSON.parse(l));
   assert.equal(lines.length, 2);
-  // A module names its events locally (design 29); the module is the `source`, which together with
-  // the type says whose event it was. This broker does no namespacing, so the type is as emitted.
-  assert.deepEqual(lines.map((l) => l.type), ["site.created", "node.anchor.joined"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(lines.map((l) => l.type), ["umami.site.created", "node.anchor.joined"]);
   assert.equal(lines[0].source, "umami");
   assert.equal(lines[0].node, "anchor");
   assert.equal(lines[0].body.domain, "my-app");

modules/baserow/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# baserow's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/baserow
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/baserow/dist /app/modules/baserow/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/baserow/dist/tools/index.js

modules/baserow/module.json

@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
     "postgres-database": "${dir:state}/database.secret"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret"
+    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "listens": [
     {
@@ -91,24 +92,45 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{\n  \"password\": \"${secret:admin}\",\n  \"host\": \"${bound:route:name}\"\n}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-baserow",
+      "network": "baserow",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_BASEROW_URL": "http://baserow:80",
+        "MESH_BASEROW_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_BASEROW_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:80}",
-          "MESH_BASEROW_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/build-agent/README.md

@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-# build-agent
-
-The mesh's build machine as a role every machine can hold (novox/hq ADR 0190). It holds the node seat
-`node-build-agent`: every holder pulls one build at a time from the role's one work queue when it is
-idle, so a tier of many images is built by as many machines as hold the seat and are online, and a
-machine that is off builds nothing and blocks nothing. The controller asks the role, never a machine;
-the outcome names the machine that built it.
-
-What a holding machine needs is what the builder always needed, said here once: a container runtime
-(the socket is mounted), the artifact store and the package registry as provisions, a workspace, and
-the bus credential. The code is `cmd/mesh-builder` in the mesh-controller repository, compiled from
-that repository's main (`build.artifacts[].context`); this module ships the packaging.
-
-Assign it to every machine with a container runtime. It replaces `builder`, the one-holder form of the
-same thing; retire that once this is assigned where it was.

modules/builder/Dockerfile

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ARG GO_BASE
 ARG ALPINE_BASE
-# build-agent's image: the build machine itself, compiled into a container (novox/hq ADR 0190).
+# builder's own image: the build machine itself, compiled into a container.
 #
 # **The source is not vendored here.** builder's actual code — cmd/mesh-builder, internal/builder,
 # internal/catalogue — lives in the mesh-controller repository, the same control plane it is one

modules/builder/module.json

@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 {
-  "module": "build-agent",
+  "module": "builder",
   "version": "1",
-  "slug": "agent",
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "claims": [
     {
-      "name": "node-build-agent",
-      "scope": "node"
+      "name": "mesh-build-machine",
+      "scope": "mesh"
     }
   ],
   "requires": [
@@ -37,19 +36,19 @@
       "mode": "0700"
     },
     {
-      "id": "agent-env",
+      "id": "builder-env",
       "type": "file",
-      "path": "${dir:mesh-state}/build-agent.env",
+      "path": "${dir:mesh-state}/builder.env",
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "MESH_BROKER_FILE=/run/mesh/broker\nMESH_NODE=${machine:name}\nMESH_REGISTRY=${bound:artifact-store:at}:${bound:artifact-store:port}\nMESH_PACKAGE_BINDING=/run/mesh/package-registry.json\nMESH_NPM_TOKEN_FILE=/run/mesh/package-registry.secret\nMESH_WORKSPACE=${dir:workspace}\n"
     },
     {
       "id": "server",
       "type": "container",
-      "name": "mesh-build-agent",
+      "name": "mesh-builder",
       "artifact": "server",
       "env-file": [
-        "${dir:mesh-state}/build-agent.env"
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/builder.env"
       ],
       "volumes": [
         "${dir:mesh-state}:/run/mesh:ro",
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@
         "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"
       ],
       "restart-on": [
-        "agent-env"
+        "builder-env"
       ],
       "network": "host"
     }

modules/cloudflare-dns/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# cloudflare-dns's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/cloudflare-dns
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/cloudflare-dns/dist /app/modules/cloudflare-dns/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/cloudflare-dns/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/cloudflare-dns/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/cloudflare-dns/module.json

@@ -18,13 +18,20 @@
     "public-dns": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "token": "${dir:state}/token"
+    "token": "${dir:state}/token",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "emits": [
     "record.created",
     "record.removed"
   ],
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -43,30 +50,48 @@
       "merge": "json",
       "content": "{}",
       "mode": "0600"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-cloudflare-dns",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:/grants",
+        "${dir:state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_CLOUDFLARE_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_CLOUDFLARE_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "/var/lib/cloudflare-dns/grants/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_CLOUDFLARE_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:state}/token",
-          "MESH_CLOUDFLARE_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/confluence/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# confluence's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/confluence
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/confluence/dist /app/modules/confluence/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/confluence/dist/tools/index.js

modules/confluence/module.json

@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@
   "version": "1",
   "slug": "confl",
   "own-secrets": {
-    "token": "${dir:state}/token"
+    "token": "${dir:state}/token",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -19,27 +26,46 @@
       "merge": "json",
       "content": "{}",
       "mode": "0600"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-runtime-confluence",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_CONFLUENCE_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_CONFLUENCE_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_CONFLUENCE_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:state}/token",
-          "MESH_CONFLUENCE_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/distribution/module.json

@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@
       ],
       "volumes": [
         "/var/lib/mesh-registry:/var/lib/registry"
-      ],
-      "env": {
-        "REGISTRY_STORAGE_DELETE_ENABLED": "true"
-      }
+      ]
     }
   ]
 }

modules/fail2ban/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# fail2ban's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying the intrusion prevention's verbs and the client they
+# speak through.
+#
+# Built from this module's own directory and nothing else (novox/hq ADR 0069). Two bases, named in
+# module.json's `build.on`: the image this is compiled in and the image it runs in.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/fail2ban
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+# The daemon runs on the machine, declared by this module; what runs here is only its client, which
+# speaks to the daemon over the socket the machine shares into this container (novox/hq ADR 0179).
+# The package brings the client and the daemon together; the daemon is never started here.
+RUN apt-get update \
+      && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends fail2ban \
+      && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/fail2ban/dist /app/modules/fail2ban/dist
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/fail2ban/dist/tools/index.js

modules/fail2ban/client.ts

@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@
 // prevention seat's four verbs (ADR 0179). The daemon's state is fail2ban's, not the mesh's: the
 // mesh composes the jails and never writes the ban list.
 //
-// Spoken through fail2ban-client over the daemon's socket. Client and daemon come from the one
-// package this module declares on the machine, and the socket is root's: root is the module's
-// concern (ADR 0175 §4), and the runtime loading this bundle runs as the operator's account (to-be
-// 38 WP4), so the client is run through sudo without a prompt where the account is not root.
+// Spoken through fail2ban-client over the daemon's socket, which the machine shares into this
+// runtime; so the client here is the one from the runtime's own package and the daemon is the
+// machine's, and the two meet at /var/run/fail2ban/fail2ban.sock.
 
 import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
-import { accessSync, constants } from "node:fs";
 import { isIP } from "node:net";
-import { delimiter, join } from "node:path";
 import { promisify } from "node:util";
 
 const execFileP = promisify(execFile);
@@ -21,44 +18,16 @@ const execFileP = promisify(execFile);
 /** A command runner, so the verbs can be tested without a daemon. */
 export type Runner = (cmd: string, args: string[]) => Promise<string>;
 
-/** The command as it is run: as given when this process is root, else through sudo without a
- *  prompt. The daemon's socket answers only to root. */
-export function escalated(cmd: string, args: string[], uid: number | undefined = process.getuid?.()): [string, string[]] {
-  if (uid === 0) return [cmd, args];
-  return ["sudo", ["-n", cmd, ...args]];
-}
-
-/** Whether a tool is on this machine: an executable of that name on the path, or where the
- *  system keeps its administration. */
-export function installed(tool: string, path: string = process.env.PATH ?? ""): boolean {
-  const dirs = [...path.split(delimiter), "/usr/sbin", "/sbin", "/usr/bin"].filter((d) => d !== "");
-  return dirs.some((dir) => {
-    try {
-      accessSync(join(dir, tool), constants.X_OK);
-      return true;
-    } catch {
-      return false;
-    }
-  });
-}
-
 export const execRunner: Runner = async (cmd, args) => {
-  if (!installed(cmd)) throw new Error(`${cmd} is not installed on this machine`);
-  const [program, argv] = escalated(cmd, args);
   try {
-    const { stdout } = await execFileP(program, argv, { maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024 });
+    const { stdout } = await execFileP(cmd, args, { maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024 });
     return stdout;
   } catch (err) {
     const e = err as { code?: string | number; stderr?: string; stdout?: string; message?: string };
     const said = `${e.stdout ?? ""}${e.stderr ?? ""}`.trim();
-    // What failed is named by how it failed: sudo missing is a spawn error, sudo refusing speaks
-    // on its own stderr line, and the rest is the client's own answer.
-    if (program === "sudo") {
-      if (e.code === "ENOENT") throw new Error(`${cmd} needs root, and sudo is not installed here for the runtime's account to escalate with`);
-      if (/^sudo:/m.test(said)) throw new Error(`${cmd} needs root and the runtime's account may not run it without a prompt: ${said}`);
-    }
-    if (/Failed to access socket path|Is fail2ban running|Permission denied to socket/i.test(said)) {
-      throw new Error("fail2ban is not running on this machine, or its socket does not answer the runtime's account");
+    if (e.code === "ENOENT") throw new Error(`${cmd} is not in this runtime`);
+    if (/Failed to access socket path|Is fail2ban running/i.test(said)) {
+      throw new Error("fail2ban is not running on this machine, or its socket is not shared with this runtime");
     }
     // fail2ban-client's own last line is the one a person reads ("Sorry but the jail 'x' does not exist").
     const lines = said.split("\n").map((l) => l.trim()).filter(Boolean);
@@ -107,8 +76,7 @@ export class Fail2banClient {
     this.run = run;
   }
 
-  /** The daemon as this machine has it, through its own client. */
-  static onThisMachine(): Fail2banClient {
+  static fromEnv(_env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): Fail2banClient {
     return new Fail2banClient();
   }
 

modules/fail2ban/module.json

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
   "tools": [
     "fail2ban_settings"
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "jailing": {
     "into": "/etc/fail2ban/jail.d/mesh.conf",
     "filter-into": "/etc/fail2ban/filter.d"
@@ -53,6 +56,12 @@
       "path": "/var/run/fail2ban",
       "mode": "0755"
     },
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "jail-local",
       "type": "file",
@@ -109,17 +118,40 @@
         "action-dualchain",
         "composed-jails"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-fail2ban",
+      "artifact": "runtime",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "/var/run/fail2ban:/var/run/fail2ban"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker"
+      }
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ]
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/fail2ban/package.json

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "typescript": "^5.6.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "tsc client.ts tools/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --rootDir . --outDir dist",
+    "build": "tsc client.ts tools/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist",
     "test": "node --test --experimental-strip-types 'test/*.test.ts'"
   }
 }

modules/fail2ban/test/client.test.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // on the control node on 2026-10-02 (novox/hq ADR 0179).
 import { test } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { Fail2banClient, escalated, installed, parseBans, parseJailStatus, type Runner } from "../client.ts";
+import { Fail2banClient, parseBans, parseJailStatus, type Runner } from "../client.ts";
 
 const STATUS = "Status\n|- Number of jail:\t2\n`- Jail list:\trecidive, sshd\n";
 const RECIDIVE =
@@ -104,11 +104,3 @@ test("a jail's settings are read from the daemon's listings", async () => {
     logpath: [], journalmatch: "_SYSTEMD_UNIT=sshd.service + _COMM=sshd",
   });
 });
-
-test("the client runs as given by root and through sudo without a prompt by anyone else", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(escalated("fail2ban-client", ["status"], 0), ["fail2ban-client", ["status"]]);
-  assert.deepEqual(escalated("fail2ban-client", ["set", "sshd", "banip", "198.51.100.7"], 1000),
-    ["sudo", ["-n", "fail2ban-client", "set", "sshd", "banip", "198.51.100.7"]]);
-  assert.equal(installed("sh"), true);
-  assert.equal(installed("no-such-client-of-the-mesh"), false);
-});

modules/fail2ban/tools/index.ts

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export function getFail2banTools(fail2ban: Fail2banClient): ToolDefinition[] {
   ];
 }
 
-const fail2ban = Fail2banClient.onThisMachine();
+const fail2ban = Fail2banClient.fromEnv();
 // The seat's verbs under the seat's name: the runtime serves them on the seat's subjects where this
 // module holds it (ADR 0159, 0160). The module's own under its own.
 registerModuleTools("node-intrusion-prevention", () => getSeatVerbs(fail2ban));

modules/gitea/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# gitea's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled provisioner, tools and event
+# consumer.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk is in the base image, so
+# nothing is copied out of a neighbouring checkout — which is what lets the mesh build this from a
+# repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that happens to have
+# the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned: the image this is COMPILED in, and the image it RUNS in.
+# They are different images on purpose — the first carries a compiler and the second must not, or
+# every running container would carry one it never invokes. The mesh answers both with the copies it
+# holds, because a fingerprint written here would name one particular copy and no other mesh has it
+# (novox/hq issue 044). Declared in module.json's `build.on`; deliberately no defaults, so a build
+# nobody told stops here and says which module to build first.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/gitea
+COPY . .
+# The compiler is invoked by its real path rather than through node_modules/.bin, whose entries are
+# symlinks to a launcher that requires its library relatively — resolved away when the base image
+# was assembled.
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts token.ts index.ts provisioner/index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+# **No apt packages.** gitea's provisioner talks to the forge over HTTP (the gitea REST API), not
+# through a CLI the way postgres drives psql — so the runtime base holds everything this needs.
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/gitea/dist /app/modules/gitea/dist
+# What a tool host should load from this module: its event consumer and its tools, which are
+# separate entrypoints because they are loaded by different things. The provisioner is the third,
+# and is not listed here — the declaration names it in the container's `args`, because it is what
+# this module's own container runs. One image, because they are one module and share a client.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/gitea/dist/index.js,/app/modules/gitea/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/gitea/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/gitea/module.json

@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@
       "scope": "mesh"
     }
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "resources": [
     {
       "id": "mesh-state",
@@ -177,6 +180,32 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-gitea",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/admin.secret:/run/secrets/admin:ro",
+        "${dir:runtime-state}:/run/state"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_GITEA_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:3000}",
+        "MESH_GITEA_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_GITEA_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
+        "MESH_GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin",
+        "MESH_GITEA_STATE_DIR": "/run/state",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/npm.json"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime",
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ]
     }
   ],
   "provides": [
@@ -190,36 +219,30 @@
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_GITEA_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:3000}",
-          "MESH_GITEA_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_GITEA_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
-          "MESH_GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
-          "MESH_GITEA_STATE_DIR": "${dir:runtime-state}",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/npm.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   },
   "jails": [
     {
       "name": "gitea",
-      "failregex": "^.*Failed authentication attempt for .* from <HOST>(?::\\d+)?\\s*$\n            ^.*Invalid user .* from <HOST> port \\d+\\s*$\n            ^.*User \\S+ from <HOST> not allowed because .*$",
+      "failregex": "^.*Failed authentication attempt for .* from <HOST>(?::\\d+)?\\s*$",
       "jail": "backend = systemd\njournalmatch = CONTAINER_NAME=gitea\nport = http,https,222\nmaxretry = 3\nfindtime = 1d\nbantime = 1d"
     }
   ]

modules/gitlab/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# gitlab's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/gitlab
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/gitlab/dist /app/modules/gitlab/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/gitlab/dist/tools/index.js

modules/gitlab/module.json

@@ -2,9 +2,16 @@
   "module": "gitlab",
   "version": "1",
   "own-secrets": {
-    "token": "${dir:state}/token"
+    "token": "${dir:state}/token",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -18,27 +25,46 @@
       "merge": "json",
       "content": "{}",
       "mode": "0600"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-runtime-gitlab",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_GITLAB_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_GITLAB_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_GITLAB_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:state}/token",
-          "MESH_GITLAB_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/grafana/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# grafana's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/grafana
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/grafana/dist /app/modules/grafana/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/grafana/dist/index.js,/app/modules/grafana/dist/tools/index.js

modules/grafana/module.json

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
     "alert.firing"
   ],
   "own-secrets": {
-    "admin": "${dir:mesh-state}/admin"
+    "admin": "${dir:mesh-state}/admin",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
@@ -111,6 +112,25 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{\n  \"user\": \"admin\",\n  \"password\": \"${secret:admin}\"\n}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-grafana",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_GRAFANA_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:3000}",
+        "MESH_GRAFANA_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "requires": [
@@ -142,23 +162,23 @@
     "influxdb-api": "${dir:mesh-state}/influxdb-api"
   },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_GRAFANA_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:3000}",
-          "MESH_GRAFANA_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/home-assistant/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# home-assistant's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/home-assistant
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisions/hass.ts provisions/probe.ts provisions/connections.ts provisions/mesh.ts provisions/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/home-assistant/dist /app/modules/home-assistant/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/home-assistant/dist/index.js,/app/modules/home-assistant/dist/tools/index.js
+# NOT dist/provisions/index.js: that is a step the host runs to completion, named by the
+# `provisions` container's args as `mesh-tools run …` (novox/hq ADR 0052). Listed here it would run
+# inside the serving sidecar too, and exit it.

modules/home-assistant/module.json

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     "state.changed"
   ],
   "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker",
     "token": "${dir:mesh-state}/token"
   },
   "listens": [
@@ -79,27 +80,55 @@
       "merge": "json"
     },
     {
-      "id": "provisions-env",
-      "type": "file",
-      "path": "${dir:state}/provisions.env",
-      "mode": "0600",
-      "content": "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_URL=http://127.0.0.1:${port:8123}\nMESH_HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN_FILE=${dir:mesh-state}/token\nMESH_PROVISIONS_DIR=${dir:state}\nMESH_WRITTEN_DIR=${dir:written}\n"
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-home-assistant",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8123}",
+        "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     },
     {
       "id": "provisions",
-      "type": "process",
-      "name": "home-assistant-provisions",
-      "artifact": "code",
-      "run": [
-        "node",
-        "provisions/index.js"
-      ],
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-home-assistant-provisions",
+      "network": "host",
       "run-once": true,
-      "env-file": [
-        "${dir:state}/provisions.env"
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:written}:/var/lib/home-assistant-provisions",
+        "${dir:state}/mqtt-topic.json:/run/provisions/mqtt-topic.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/mqtt-topic.secret:/run/provisions/mqtt-topic.secret:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/sonarr-api.json:/run/provisions/sonarr-api.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/sonarr-api.secret:/run/provisions/sonarr-api.secret:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/radarr-api.json:/run/provisions/radarr-api.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/radarr-api.secret:/run/provisions/radarr-api.secret:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/lidarr-api.json:/run/provisions/lidarr-api.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/lidarr-api.secret:/run/provisions/lidarr-api.secret:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8123}",
+        "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_PROVISIONS_DIR": "/run/provisions",
+        "MESH_WRITTEN_DIR": "/var/lib/home-assistant-provisions"
+      },
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "/app/modules/home-assistant/dist/provisions/index.js"
       ],
       "restart-on": [
-        "provisions-env",
         "bound-mqtt-topic",
         "secret-mqtt-topic",
         "bound-sonarr-api",
@@ -108,7 +137,8 @@
         "secret-radarr-api",
         "bound-lidarr-api",
         "secret-lidarr-api"
-      ]
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "requires": [
@@ -143,25 +173,23 @@
     "lidarr-api": "${dir:state}/lidarr-api.secret"
   },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisions/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8123}",
-          "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/token",
-          "MESH_HOMEASSISTANT_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/icecast/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# icecast's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/icecast
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/icecast/dist /app/modules/icecast/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/icecast/dist/index.js,/app/modules/icecast/dist/tools/index.js

modules/icecast/module.json

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
     "stream.started",
     "stream.stopped"
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "listens": [
     {
       "name": "stream",
@@ -92,26 +95,45 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-icecast",
+      "network": "icecast",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_ICECAST_URL": "http://icecast:8000",
+        "MESH_ICECAST_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_ICECAST_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8000}",
-          "MESH_ICECAST_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/influxdb/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# influxdb's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/influxdb
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts grants.ts provisioner/index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/influxdb/dist /app/modules/influxdb/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/influxdb/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/influxdb/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/influxdb/module.json

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker",
     "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
     "admin-token": "${dir:state}/admin-token.secret"
   },
@@ -99,6 +100,29 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-influxdb",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/admin-token.secret:/run/secrets/admin-token:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_INFLUXDB_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8086}",
+        "MESH_INFLUXDB_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_INFLUXDB_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin-token",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "requires": [
@@ -111,25 +135,23 @@
     }
   },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_INFLUXDB_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8086}",
-          "MESH_INFLUXDB_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_INFLUXDB_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:state}/admin-token.secret",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/jira/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# jira's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/jira
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/jira/dist /app/modules/jira/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/jira/dist/tools/index.js

modules/jira/module.json

@@ -2,9 +2,16 @@
   "module": "jira",
   "version": "1",
   "own-secrets": {
-    "token": "${dir:state}/token"
+    "token": "${dir:state}/token",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -18,27 +25,46 @@
       "merge": "json",
       "content": "{}",
       "mode": "0600"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-runtime-jira",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/token:/run/secrets/token:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_JIRA_TOKEN_FILE": "/run/secrets/token",
+        "MESH_JIRA_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_JIRA_TOKEN_FILE": "${dir:state}/token",
-          "MESH_JIRA_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/keycloak/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# keycloak's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/keycloak
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts oidc.ts index.ts provisioner/index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/keycloak/dist /app/modules/keycloak/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled. A container that instead ran only its
+# provisioner (`run`) served no tools and emitted no events; a container that named no command
+# ran no provisioner at all.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/keycloak/dist/index.js,/app/modules/keycloak/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/keycloak/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/keycloak/module.json

@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@
     "oidc-client": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret"
+    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
     {
@@ -143,30 +144,49 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-keycloak",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/admin.secret:/run/secrets/admin:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_KEYCLOAK_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8080}",
+        "MESH_KEYCLOAK_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_KEYCLOAK_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_KEYCLOAK_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8080}",
-          "MESH_KEYCLOAK_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_KEYCLOAK_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/lab/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# lab's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's code, and the toolchain the lab's suite
+# builds the mesh with (novox/hq ADR 0172). It reaches the machine's virtualisation and container
+# runtime through their sockets, so what it raises is what a hand run on this machine raises.
+#
+# Every download is pinned by its checksum: an image that builds the mesh is the last place to take
+# whatever an upstream serves today.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/lab
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc tools/index.ts tools/runs.ts --rootDir . \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+RUN apt-get update \
+ && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends git make ca-certificates curl python3 file iproute2 sudo \
+ && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+RUN curl -fsSL -o /tmp/go.tgz https://go.dev/dl/go1.26.8.linux-amd64.tar.gz \
+ && echo "d0f743b33e8d8945e6b1f432edd15785c70507121d6e2a723b21285eddf8b57b  /tmp/go.tgz" | sha256sum -c - \
+ && tar -C /usr/local -xzf /tmp/go.tgz && rm /tmp/go.tgz
+RUN curl -fsSL -o /usr/local/bin/incus https://github.com/lxc/incus/releases/download/v7.5.1/bin.linux.incus.x86_64 \
+ && echo "7bd6223b369f4d693fcde695bd8549a73b5b3d403735329212483702aa22c179  /usr/local/bin/incus" | sha256sum -c - \
+ && chmod 0755 /usr/local/bin/incus
+RUN curl -fsSL -o /tmp/docker.tgz https://download.docker.com/linux/static/stable/x86_64/docker-28.5.2.tgz \
+ && echo "ea90cfd12e1eeb12aa1c971741adb8bd4ed88e2a574eaac13f5029a1dbc6300d  /tmp/docker.tgz" | sha256sum -c - \
+ && tar -C /tmp -xzf /tmp/docker.tgz docker/docker && mv /tmp/docker/docker /usr/local/bin/docker && rm -rf /tmp/docker /tmp/docker.tgz
+ENV PATH=/usr/local/go/bin:$PATH
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/lab/dist /app/modules/lab/dist
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/lab/dist/tools/index.js

modules/lab/module.json

@@ -5,7 +5,16 @@
     "container-runtime",
     "virtualisation"
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -26,67 +35,47 @@
       "content": "MESH_LAB_FORGE=${setting:forge}\n"
     },
     {
-      "id": "git",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "git"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "make",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "make"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "python",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "python"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "file",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "file"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "iproute2",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "iproute2"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "sudo",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "sudo"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "npm",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "npm"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "go",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "go"
-    },
-    {
-      "id": "incus",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "incus"
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-lab",
+      "network": "host",
+      "env-file": [
+        "${dir:state}/lab.env"
+      ],
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:work}:${dir:work}",
+        "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock",
+        "/var/lib/incus/unix.socket:/var/lib/incus/unix.socket"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_LAB_WORK": "${dir:work}"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-env"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_LAB_WORK": "${dir:work}",
-          "MESH_LAB_ENV_FILE": "${dir:state}/lab.env"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/lab/tools/index.ts

@@ -2,23 +2,18 @@
 // lab is assigned to, and only there: a bed raises virtual machines on that machine's virtualisation.
 
 import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
-import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { registerModuleTools, type ToolDefinition } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/tools";
 import { listRuns, readStatus, REPOSITORIES, running, start, stop, tail } from "./runs.js";
 
 export function getLabTools(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): ToolDefinition[] {
   const work = env.MESH_LAB_WORK ?? "/var/lib/mesh-lab-runs";
-  // The forge is an operator's setting, which reaches a file and never a bundle's words (novox/hq
-  // ADR 0192): read from the env-file the mesh fills, at each call, so a changed setting is used
-  // without restarting the runtime. MESH_LAB_FORGE itself still wins, for a hand-run instance.
-  const forgeOf = (): string => (env.MESH_LAB_FORGE ?? wordIn(env.MESH_LAB_ENV_FILE, "MESH_LAB_FORGE")).replace(/\/+$/, "");
+  const forge = (env.MESH_LAB_FORGE ?? "").replace(/\/+$/, "");
   return [
     {
       name: "lab_check",
       description: "Whether this machine can run the lab's beds: the lab's own check, against the forge's main branch.",
       input: {},
       run: async () => {
-        const forge = forgeOf();
         if (!forge) return { ok: false, output: "the lab's forge is not set: settings for lab, {\"forge\": \"<url>\"}" };
         const dir = `${work}/check`;
         spawnSync("rm", ["-rf", dir]);
@@ -43,7 +38,6 @@ export function getLabTools(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): ToolDefinition[] {
         },
       },
       run: async (args) => {
-        const forge = forgeOf();
         if (!forge) return { started: false, reason: "the lab's forge is not set: settings for lab, {\"forge\": \"<url>\"}" };
         const tests = String(args.tests ?? "").split(",").map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
         if (tests.length === 0) return { started: false, reason: "name at least one bed test file" };
@@ -89,20 +83,4 @@ export function getLabTools(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): ToolDefinition[] {
   ];
 }
 
-/** One word from an env-file (`KEY=value` lines), or "" when the file or the word is absent. */
-export function wordIn(file: string | undefined, word: string): string {
-  if (!file) return "";
-  let text: string;
-  try {
-    text = readFileSync(file, "utf8");
-  } catch {
-    return "";
-  }
-  for (const line of text.split("\n")) {
-    const at = line.indexOf("=");
-    if (at > 0 && line.slice(0, at).trim() === word) return line.slice(at + 1).trim();
-  }
-  return "";
-}
-
 registerModuleTools("lab", (env) => getLabTools(env));

modules/letta/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# letta's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/letta
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/letta/dist /app/modules/letta/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/letta/dist/tools/index.js

modules/letta/module.json

@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
   },
   "own-secrets": {
     "server-password": "${dir:state}/server-password.secret",
-    "openai-api-key": "${dir:state}/openai-api-key.secret"
+    "openai-api-key": "${dir:state}/openai-api-key.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "listens": [
     {
@@ -83,24 +84,45 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{\n  \"password\": \"${secret:server-password}\"\n}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-letta",
+      "network": "letta",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_LETTA_URL": "http://letta:8283",
+        "MESH_LETTA_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_LETTA_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8283}",
-          "MESH_LETTA_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/mailu/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# mailu's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/mailu
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/mailu/dist /app/modules/mailu/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled. A container that instead ran only its
+# provisioner (`run`) served no tools and emitted no events; a container that named no command
+# ran no provisioner at all.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/mailu/dist/index.js,/app/modules/mailu/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/mailu/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/mailu/module.json

@@ -135,15 +135,11 @@
       "protocol": "tcp",
       "from": "mesh",
       "why": "automx: mail client autoconfiguration; the autoconfig, autodiscover and automx names are route grants reaching it here"
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "admin-api",
-      "port": 8080,
-      "protocol": "tcp",
-      "from": "machine",
-      "why": "the admin API, which this module's own code reaches on loopback from the node's runtime now that it runs outside the mailu network"
     }
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "resources": [
     {
       "id": "mesh-state",
@@ -309,9 +305,6 @@
       "name": "mailu-admin",
       "image": "ghcr.io/mailu/admin@sha256:6dbfdadc4a9590dcb7652357b505200115b689b74008653bbf369e4599a3be5a",
       "network": "mailu",
-      "ports": [
-        "8080"
-      ],
       "env-file": [
         "${dir:state}/mailu.env",
         "${dir:state}/secret.env",
@@ -480,6 +473,31 @@
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
     },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-mailu",
+      "network": "mailu",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/api-token.secret:/run/secrets/api-token:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_MAILU_URL": "http://mailu-admin:8080/api/v1",
+        "MESH_MAILU_API_KEY_FILE": "/run/secrets/api-token",
+        "MESH_MAILU_IMAP_CONTAINER": "mailu-imap",
+        "MESH_MAILU_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
+    },
     {
       "id": "automx",
       "type": "container",
@@ -499,6 +517,16 @@
   ],
   "build": {
     "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      },
       {
         "arg": "PYTHON_BASE",
         "image": "python@sha256:25f3cfeaceca14921366af4d1240b56457ef46273bdb508c7b0e8f469f6fd228"
@@ -506,26 +534,9 @@
     ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_MAILU_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:8080}/api/v1",
-          "MESH_MAILU_API_KEY_FILE": "${dir:state}/api-token.secret",
-          "MESH_MAILU_IMAP_CONTAINER": "mailu-imap",
-          "MESH_MAILU_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       },
       {
         "name": "automx",

modules/mesh-catalog/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# mesh-catalog's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying the catalogue's compiled graph, its consumer
+# of what the builder announces, and its tools.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk is in the base image, so
+# nothing is copied out of a neighbouring checkout — which is what lets the mesh build this from a
+# repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation with the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned: the image this is COMPILED in, and the image it RUNS in.
+# They are different images on purpose — the first carries a compiler and the second must not, or
+# every running container would carry one it never invokes. The mesh answers both with the copies it
+# holds, because a fingerprint written here would name one particular copy and no other mesh has it
+# (novox/hq issue 044). Declared in module.json's `build.on`; deliberately no defaults, so a build
+# nobody told stops here and says which module to build first.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/mesh-catalog
+COPY . .
+# The compiler is invoked by its real path rather than through node_modules/.bin, whose entries are
+# symlinks to a launcher that requires its library relatively — resolved away when the base image
+# was assembled.
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc pg.d.ts store.ts index.ts tools/index.ts prepare/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+# **A module may need something the base image does not carry.** The base holds what every module
+# needs — the sdk, the broker client — and a postgres driver is not that: the one other module that
+# reaches a database shells out to psql instead. So the catalogue brings its own.
+#
+# Installed into an empty directory rather than into the module's, because the module's package.json
+# also names `@novox/mesh-sdk`, which is not on any registry — it is in the base image. Asking npm to
+# resolve this module's dependencies would therefore fail on the one it already has.
+RUN mkdir -p /deps && cd /deps && \
+      npm install --omit=dev --no-audit --no-fund --no-package-lock pg@8
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/mesh-catalog/dist /app/modules/mesh-catalog/dist
+# Beside the compiled code, so `pg` resolves from it while `@novox/mesh-sdk` keeps walking up to the
+# base image's own node_modules — the module gets its extra dependency without shadowing the sdk it
+# was compiled against.
+COPY --from=build /deps/node_modules /app/modules/mesh-catalog/node_modules
+# Both entrypoints, loaded in serve mode.
+#
+# **A consumer cannot be started with `run`.** That mode imports an entrypoint without binding a
+# broker — it is for a step that does its work offline and exits — and the catalogue's whole job is
+# to listen for what the builder announces. Serve binds the broker first, then imports these, so
+# `on()` has something to subscribe to.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/mesh-catalog/dist/index.js,/app/modules/mesh-catalog/dist/tools/index.js
+
+# And what prepares this module's state, for the runtime's `prepare` mode (novox/hq ADR 0135). Named
+# here, beside the entrypoints above, because the module knows which of its files prepares its state
+# and nothing else could: the mesh asks one word and this says what answers it.
+ENV MESH_PREPARE=/app/modules/mesh-catalog/dist/prepare/index.js

modules/mesh-catalog/module.json

@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
   "secrets": {
     "postgres-database": "${dir:state}/database.secret"
   },
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "consumes": [
     "mesh-build-machine.built",
     "mesh-controller.built-before"
@@ -35,7 +38,14 @@
     "rebuild-needed",
     "catching-up"
   ],
+  "prepares": true,
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -50,41 +60,43 @@
       "content": "postgresql://${bound:postgres-database:as}:${secret:postgres-database}@${bound:postgres-database:at}:${bound:postgres-database:port}/${bound:postgres-database:as}\n"
     },
     {
-      "id": "prepare",
-      "type": "process",
-      "name": "mesh-catalog-prepare",
-      "artifact": "code",
-      "run": [
-        "node",
-        "prepare/index.js"
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-catalog",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:state}:/run/state",
+        "${dir:state}/database.url:/run/secrets/database-url:ro"
       ],
-      "run-once": true,
       "env": {
-        "DATABASE_URL_FILE": "${dir:state}/database.url"
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "DATABASE_URL_FILE": "/run/secrets/database-url"
       },
+      "artifact": "runtime",
       "restart-on": [
         "database-url"
       ]
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "prepare/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "DATABASE_URL_FILE": "${dir:state}/database.url"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/mesh-catalog/pg.d.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 // Ambient types for `pg` (node-postgres), which ships its types only via the separate `@types/pg`
 // package. Rather than pull that in at tsc time, this declares the exact slice model-usage uses —
 // the same precedent anthropic-manager sets for `tweetnacl-sealedbox-js` (a local ambient .d.ts,
-// listed in tsconfig `include`, default-imported). The real `pg` is the package.json dependency the
-// builder installs and inlines into the module's bundle (novox/hq ADR 0198 §4), so this types the
-// code without deciding what runs.
+// listed in tsconfig `include`, default-imported). The real `pg` is installed into the module's
+// runtime image (package.json `dependencies`; novox/hq ADR 0052), so this types the code without
+// deciding what runs.
 declare module "pg" {
   /** One checked-out connection. Needed because registering a module-version and its edges is one
    *  act: a half-written registration is a graph that lies about what something was built against. */

modules/mesh-catalog/prepare/index.ts

@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@
 // nothing anywhere said so.
 //
 // Nothing here connects to the broker. Preparation runs before the version that would use it, so
-// there is nothing yet to talk to: the host runs this file as a run-once process, with the module's
-// words and no bus (novox/hq ADR 0198 §3), before the node's runtime is started with the version
-// that needs it, and this process exiting non-zero is how the host knows the step did not complete.
+// there is nothing yet to talk to; the runtime's `prepare` mode imports this and awaits it, and this
+// process exiting non-zero is how the host knows not to start the runtime.
 import { Graph } from "../store.js";
 
 const graph = Graph.fromEnv();

modules/mesh-console/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# The console (novox/hq ADR 0152, design 34): the mesh's tools for whoever is on a machine, served
+# over MCP on that machine's loopback.
+#
+# **Nothing is compiled here.** The console is the tool runtime's own client — `mesh serve` — which
+# the runtime image already carries beside the runtime it runs modules with. This recipe changes the
+# program the image starts and nothing else, so the console is exactly the client a person can run by
+# hand, started by the mesh instead, on the credential the mesh sealed to the machine.
+#
+# One base, named rather than pinned: the mesh answers with the copy it holds (novox/hq issue 044).
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+ENTRYPOINT ["node", "dist/mesh.js"]

modules/mesh-console/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# mesh-console
+
+The mesh's tools, on the machine a person sits at, served by a module the mesh assigned there
+(novox/hq [ADR 0152](https://git.novox.be/novox/hq), design 34).
+
+Assign it to a machine and an agent on that machine has the mesh's tools at
+`http://127.0.0.1:<port>/mcp` — MCP over HTTP, `initialize`, `tools/list`, `tools/call`. A person at
+a terminal reaches the same endpoint with `mesh tools --console http://127.0.0.1:<port>` and
+`mesh call <module>.<tool> --console …`, with no credential of their own: the console holds it.
+
+## What it is
+
+The tool runtime's own client, `mesh serve`, started by the mesh on the credential it sealed to the
+machine for `<node>.mesh-console`. The manifest says three things nothing else in the catalogue says
+together:
+
+- `invokes: ["*"]` — it calls every tool on the mesh, and the bus grants exactly that publish side;
+- a listener `from: machine` — loopback only, and the filter opens nothing for it;
+- no `emits`, no `consumes`, no `tools` — nothing on the bus can address it.
+
+**Loopback is the authority boundary.** Whoever can connect is on the machine, and whoever is on the
+machine is the account that owns the mesh there (ADR 0034, ADR 0144). There is no token and no login,
+and `mesh serve` refuses to bind anything but a loopback address.
+
+## What it lists
+
+What the running modules answer: every tool runtime serves a `tools` verb for its module, and the
+console asks the catalogue which modules the mesh holds and each module what it serves. A module that
+did not answer — not assigned, not up, or built before the runtime answered `tools` — is named in the
+list's `_meta.notAnswering` and can still be called by `<module>.<tool>`.
+
+The mesh's own verbs (`status`, `push`, `assign`) are the `mesh-controller` seat's tools under
+ADR 0132 and are not served on the bus yet; they appear here when they are.
+
+## Port
+
+The manifest declares port 4270 and the mesh assigns the machine port as it does for any listener;
+the console binds `127.0.0.1:${port:4270}`. `node show <machine>` says which port a machine was given.

modules/mesh-console/module.json

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+{
+  "module": "mesh-console",
+  "version": "1",
+  "slug": "console",
+  "capabilities": [
+    "container-runtime"
+  ],
+  "invokes": [
+    "*"
+  ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
+  "listens": [
+    {
+      "name": "mcp",
+      "port": 4270,
+      "protocol": "tcp",
+      "from": "machine",
+      "why": "the mesh's tools for whoever is on this machine, over MCP on loopback; the machine's login is the authority (novox/hq ADR 0152)"
+    }
+  ],
+  "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "server",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-console",
+      "network": "host",
+      "args": [
+        "serve"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_CONSOLE_LISTEN": "127.0.0.1:${port:4270}"
+      },
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
+    }
+  ],
+  "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
+    "artifacts": [
+      {
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}

modules/mesh-vault/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# mesh-vault's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled provisioner, tools and event
+# consumer. The same shape as postgres's, minus the client the database needs: mesh-vault reaches no
+# server, because what it provides is a value the mesh already delivered to its node.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk is in the base image, so
+# nothing is copied out of a neighbouring checkout (novox/hq ADR 0069). Two bases, named rather than
+# pinned — the image this is COMPILED in and the image it RUNS in — answered by the mesh from
+# `build.on` in module.json (novox/hq issue 044).
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/vault
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts provisioner/index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/vault/dist /app/modules/vault/dist
+# The entrypoints a tool host loads from this module: its event consumer, its tools and its
+# provisioner — one image, one process, one broker account (novox/hq ADR 0052).
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/vault/dist/index.js,/app/modules/vault/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/vault/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/mesh-vault/module.json

@@ -27,7 +27,16 @@
     "secret": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "keeps": "/var/lib/mesh-vault/root",
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -48,29 +57,45 @@
       "id": "root",
       "type": "directory",
       "mode": "0700"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-vault",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:ledger}:${dir:ledger}",
+        "${dir:root}:${dir:root}:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json",
+        "MESH_VAULT_LEDGER": "${dir:ledger}",
+        "MESH_VAULT_ROOT": "${dir:root}"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json",
-          "MESH_VAULT_LEDGER": "${dir:ledger}",
-          "MESH_VAULT_ROOT": "${dir:root}"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   },

modules/minio/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# minio's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+ARG MC_CLI
+
+# Named so the final stage's COPY --from can reference a stage, not an ARG — the legacy builder
+# this host still runs doesn't expand ARGs inside COPY --from, only inside FROM.
+FROM ${MC_CLI} AS mccli
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/minio
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/minio/dist /app/modules/minio/dist
+# The provisioner shells out to mc to actually create buckets and service accounts on the running
+# minio server — mc itself was never in this runtime image, only in minio's own. Silently retried
+# "spawn mc ENOENT" forever: a requirement was granted at the control-plane level without ever
+# materializing the credential on minio. /usr/bin/mc there is a symlink to the real binary, mcli —
+# both copied so the symlink resolves.
+COPY --from=mccli /usr/bin/mcli /usr/bin/mcli
+COPY --from=mccli /usr/bin/mc /usr/bin/mc
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/minio/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/minio/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/minio/client.ts

@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ export class MinioClient {
 
 // **Neither the access key nor the bucket is derived here any more.** `accessKeyFor` minted an id
 // of its own until the mesh took that over (ADR 0048: the login is the mesh's, handed to both
-// ends), and `bucketFor` derived the bucket until the mesh took that over too (ADR 0202: the rule
+// ends), and `bucketFor` derived the bucket until the mesh took that over too (ADR 0188: the rule
 // is a line of this module's manifest, filled per consumer and delivered to both ends). Both
 // survived with no callers, which is the state a rule comes back from; they are gone.
 

modules/minio/module.json

@@ -60,9 +60,16 @@
     "s3-bucket": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "root": "${dir:state}/root.secret"
+    "root": "${dir:state}/root.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -121,34 +128,48 @@
       }
     },
     {
-      "id": "client",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "minio-client"
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-minio",
+      "network": "minio-net",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/root.secret:/run/secrets/root:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_MINIO_ENDPOINT": "http://minio:9000",
+        "MESH_MINIO_ROOT_USER": "meshroot",
+        "MESH_MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/root",
+        "MESH_MINIO_REGION": "eu-west",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "MC_CLI",
+        "image": "docker.io/pgsty/minio@sha256:b6bfe7239bfc83fb90d31612d9704d86039dd714f7904b3f1ad68f211e602372"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_MINIO_ENDPOINT": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:9000}",
-          "MESH_MINIO_ROOT_USER": "meshroot",
-          "MESH_MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/root.secret",
-          "MESH_MINIO_REGION": "eu-west",
-          "MESH_MINIO_MC_BIN": "mcli",
-          "MESH_MINIO_MC_CONFIG": "${dir:state}/mc",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/minio/package.json

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "dependencies": {
-    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.7"
+    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^22.0.0",

modules/minio/provisioner/index.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // creates the service account under exactly that access key with exactly that secret — a credential
 // the provisioner invented is one the consumer could never present.
 //
-// **The bucket name is the mesh's too (ADR 0202).** It used to be computed here, from the login,
+// **The bucket name is the mesh's too (ADR 0188).** It used to be computed here, from the login,
 // and every consumer transcribed the same rule into its own definition by hand — two copies of
 // one rule with nothing comparing them, and one of three was wrong for months. Now the rule is a
 // line of this module's manifest (`serves.s3-bucket.bucket: ${consumer:as:dns}`), the mesh fills
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function bucketNamed(derived: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>>): string {
   if (typeof bucket !== "string" || bucket === "") {
     throw new Error(
       "the mesh did not say which bucket this consumer gets: minio's manifest must serve " +
-        "`bucket` under s3-bucket (novox/hq ADR 0202)",
+        "`bucket` under s3-bucket (novox/hq ADR 0188)",
     );
   }
   return bucket;

modules/mongodb/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# mongodb's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/mongodb
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+# mongodb's client shells out to `mongosh`, installed from MongoDB's own apt repo so its shared
+# libraries come with it — copying the bare binary out of the mongo image leaves it unable to load.
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends gnupg curl ca-certificates \
+ && curl -fsSL https://pgp.mongodb.com/server-7.0.asc | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb.gpg \
+ && echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb.gpg] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/debian bookworm/mongodb-org/7.0 main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb.list \
+ && apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends mongodb-mongosh \
+ && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/mongodb/dist /app/modules/mongodb/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled. A container that instead ran only its
+# provisioner (`run`) served no tools and emitted no events; a container that named no command
+# ran no provisioner at all.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/mongodb/dist/index.js,/app/modules/mongodb/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/mongodb/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/mongodb/client.ts

@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 // mongodb's admin client — mongodb's own code, living in the module (novox/hq ADR 0039). Both this
 // module's tools and its provisioner import it, and nothing outside mongodb does.
 //
-// **The backend's own driver, inside the bundle** (novox/hq ADR 0198 §4). This used to shell out to
-// `mongosh`, which the module's container installed from MongoDB's apt repository; the module's code
-// now runs in the node's runtime, on machines whose system carries no mongosh, so it speaks to the
-// server through the official `mongodb` driver its package.json names — installed and inlined into
-// the bundle by the builder. One connection per call, as one mongosh invocation was: the module is
-// called rarely, and a pool held open across calls would hold a credential the mesh may rotate.
+// Commands run through `mongosh`, not a wire-protocol driver: the module may take NO npm dependency
+// beyond @novox/mesh-sdk, and hand-rolling the MongoDB wire protocol + SCRAM auth is more surface
+// than this should carry — so it shells out to the shell the mongodb image ships, the same way
+// postgres drives itself through `psql`, minio through `mc` and mailu through doveadm. One boundary,
+// `evalJs()`, and every method is built on it: a snippet of JavaScript is evaluated server-side and
+// its result comes back as EJSON on stdout.
 
 import { randomBytes } from "node:crypto";
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { MongoClient as Driver, MongoServerError, BSON, type Document } from "mongodb";
+import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
+import { promisify } from "node:util";
+
+const run = promisify(execFile);
 
 export interface DatabaseInfo {
   readonly name: string;
@@ -56,26 +59,32 @@ export class MongoClient {
     return this.conn.port;
   }
 
-  /** The admin connection URI, credentials percent-encoded. */
+  /** The admin connection URI mongosh authenticates with, credentials percent-encoded. */
   private uri(): string {
     const u = encodeURIComponent(this.conn.user);
     const p = encodeURIComponent(this.conn.password);
     const a = encodeURIComponent(this.conn.authSource);
-    return `mongodb://${u}:${p}@${this.conn.host}:${this.conn.port}/?authSource=${a}&directConnection=true`;
+    return `mongodb://${u}:${p}@${this.conn.host}:${this.conn.port}/?authSource=${a}`;
   }
 
   /**
-   * The one execution boundary: connect as the administrator, do `work`, and close — a failure to
-   * connect or to authenticate rejects here rather than returning a partial success.
+   * Evaluate a JavaScript snippet server-side through `mongosh` and parse the JSON it prints (see
+   * header). The snippet MUST `print()` exactly one JSON document as its only stdout — every method
+   * below ends in `print(EJSON.stringify(...))`. `--quiet` suppresses the shell banner so stdout is
+   * the JSON alone; a non-zero exit (auth failure, bad command) rejects here rather than returning
+   * a partial success.
    */
-  private async admin<T>(work: (client: Driver) => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
-    const client = new Driver(this.uri(), { serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 10_000 });
-    try {
-      await client.connect();
-      return await work(client);
-    } finally {
-      await client.close();
+  async evalJs<T>(js: string): Promise<T> {
+    const { stdout } = await run(
+      "mongosh",
+      [this.uri(), "--quiet", "--eval", js],
+      { maxBuffer: 16 << 20 },
+    );
+    const text = stdout.trim();
+    if (text.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("mongosh returned no output — the eval printed nothing");
     }
+    return JSON.parse(text) as T;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -85,16 +94,19 @@ export class MongoClient {
    * password and roles, so a rotated credential converges.
    */
   async createDatabaseAndUser(database: string, user: string, password: string): Promise<void> {
-    await this.admin(async (client) => {
-      const target = client.db(database);
-      const roles = [{ role: "dbOwner", db: database }];
-      const found = await target.command({ usersInfo: user });
-      if (Array.isArray(found.users) && found.users.length > 0) {
-        await target.command({ updateUser: user, pwd: password, roles });
-      } else {
-        await target.command({ createUser: user, pwd: password, roles });
-      }
-    });
+    const js = `
+const target = db.getSiblingDB(${lit(database)});
+let existing = null;
+try { existing = target.getUser(${lit(user)}); } catch (e) { existing = null; }
+const roles = [{ role: "dbOwner", db: ${lit(database)} }];
+if (existing) {
+  target.updateUser(${lit(user)}, { pwd: ${lit(password)}, roles: roles });
+} else {
+  target.createUser({ user: ${lit(user)}, pwd: ${lit(password)}, roles: roles });
+}
+print(EJSON.stringify({ ok: 1 }));
+`;
+    await this.evalJs<{ ok: number }>(js);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -103,43 +115,45 @@ export class MongoClient {
    * authentication failure or a missing role; an unreachable server rejects (novox/hq issue 120).
    */
   async canAuthenticateAs(database: string, user: string, password: string): Promise<boolean> {
-    // Credentials as options, never in a URI, so the consumer's password is in no message a failed
-    // connection prints.
-    const client = new Driver(`mongodb://${this.conn.host}:${this.conn.port}/?directConnection=true`, {
-      auth: { username: user, password },
-      authSource: database,
-      serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 10_000,
-    });
+    // Connected without credentials, then authenticated inside the eval from the environment, so
+    // the consumer's password is neither on argv nor in the message of a failed command.
+    const uri = `mongodb://${this.conn.host}:${this.conn.port}/?serverSelectionTimeoutMS=10000`;
+    const js =
+      "const t = db.getSiblingDB(process.env.MESH_HOLDS_DB);" +
+      "t.auth(process.env.MESH_HOLDS_USER, process.env.MESH_HOLDS_PW);" +
+      "print(EJSON.stringify(t.runCommand({ connectionStatus: 1 }).authInfo.authenticatedUserRoles))";
+    let stdout: string;
     try {
-      await client.connect();
-      const status = await client.db(database).command({ connectionStatus: 1 });
-      const roles = (status.authInfo?.authenticatedUserRoles ?? []) as { role: string; db: string }[];
-      return roles.some((r) => r.role === "dbOwner" && r.db === database);
+      ({ stdout } = await run("mongosh", [uri, "--quiet", "--eval", js], {
+        env: { ...process.env, MESH_HOLDS_DB: database, MESH_HOLDS_USER: user, MESH_HOLDS_PW: password },
+        timeout: 30_000,
+      }));
     } catch (err) {
-      if (isAuthFailure(err)) return false;
-      throw new Error(`mongodb could not check ${user}: ${String((err as Error).message).split("\n")[0]}`);
-    } finally {
-      await client.close();
+      const text = `${(err as { stderr?: string }).stderr ?? ""}${(err as { stdout?: string }).stdout ?? ""}`;
+      if (/Authentication failed|AuthenticationFailed/i.test(text)) return false;
+      throw new Error(`mongosh could not check ${user}: ${text.trim().slice(0, 500) || String((err as Error).message).split("\n")[0]}`);
     }
+    const roles = JSON.parse(stdout.trim()) as { role: string; db: string }[];
+    return roles.some((r) => r.role === "dbOwner" && r.db === database);
   }
 
   /** Drop a database and its owning user, idempotently. Dropping the database evicts its data; the
    *  user is removed first so a re-grant of the same login starts clean. */
   async dropDatabaseAndUser(database: string, user: string): Promise<void> {
-    await this.admin(async (client) => {
-      const target = client.db(database);
-      try {
-        await target.command({ dropUser: user });
-      } catch (err) {
-        if (!(err instanceof MongoServerError && err.code === 11)) throw err; // 11: UserNotFound
-      }
-      await target.dropDatabase();
-    });
+    const js = `
+const target = db.getSiblingDB(${lit(database)});
+try { target.dropUser(${lit(user)}); } catch (e) {}
+target.dropDatabase();
+print(EJSON.stringify({ ok: 1 }));
+`;
+    await this.evalJs<{ ok: number }>(js);
   }
 
   /** List the databases on the server, with on-disk size, for the mongodb_list_databases tool. */
   async listDatabases(): Promise<DatabaseInfo[]> {
-    const res = await this.admin((client) => client.db("admin").admin().listDatabases());
+    const res = await this.evalJs<{ databases: { name: string; sizeOnDisk?: number }[] }>(
+      `print(EJSON.stringify(db.adminCommand({ listDatabases: 1 })));`,
+    );
     return (res.databases ?? [])
       .map((d) => ({ name: String(d.name), sizeBytes: Number(d.sizeOnDisk ?? 0) }))
       .sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
@@ -148,8 +162,6 @@ export class MongoClient {
   /**
    * Run a read-only `find` against a collection in a named database, for the mongodb_query tool.
    * `find` mutates nothing; the limit is capped so a tool call cannot stream an unbounded result.
-   * Documents come back as relaxed Extended JSON — an ObjectId as `{"$oid": …}` — exactly as the
-   * shell's `EJSON.stringify` rendered them before.
    */
   async find(
     database: string,
@@ -158,29 +170,26 @@ export class MongoClient {
     limit: number,
   ): Promise<Record<string, unknown>[]> {
     const capped = Math.max(1, Math.min(limit, 1000));
-    const docs = await this.admin((client) =>
-      client
-        .db(database)
-        .collection(collection)
-        .find(BSON.EJSON.deserialize(filter as Document, { relaxed: true }) as Document)
-        .limit(capped)
-        .toArray(),
-    );
-    return BSON.EJSON.serialize(docs, { relaxed: true }) as Record<string, unknown>[];
+    const js =
+      `print(EJSON.stringify(` +
+      `db.getSiblingDB(${lit(database)}).getCollection(${lit(collection)})` +
+      `.find(${JSON.stringify(filter)}).limit(${capped}).toArray()` +
+      `));`;
+    return this.evalJs<Record<string, unknown>[]>(js);
   }
 }
 
-/** An authentication failure, as the server or the driver reports it. */
-function isAuthFailure(err: unknown): boolean {
-  if (err instanceof MongoServerError && err.code === 18) return true; // 18: AuthenticationFailed
-  return /Authentication failed|AuthenticationFailed/i.test(String((err as Error)?.message ?? ""));
-}
-
 /** Generate a URL-safe password. */
 export function generatePassword(): string {
   return randomBytes(24).toString("base64url");
 }
 
+/** Embed a value as a JavaScript literal inside a mongosh snippet — JSON.stringify escapes quotes,
+ *  backslashes and control characters, so a string cannot break out of the snippet. */
+function lit(val: unknown): string {
+  return JSON.stringify(val);
+}
+
 function readSecretFile(path: string | undefined): string | undefined {
   if (!path) return undefined;
   try {

modules/mongodb/index.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-// mongodb's events entrypoint, launched by the node's runtime beside its tools and provisioner
-// (novox/hq ADR 0198). The database lifecycle events are EMITTED from the provisioner, where
+// mongodb's events entrypoint, loaded by the per-node tool host (the provisioner container runs
+// ./provisioner separately). The database lifecycle events are EMITTED from the provisioner, where
 // the lifecycle actually happens (novox/hq ADR 0041/0042):
 //   module.mongodb.database.provisioned    — a consumer's database + owning user was created
 //   module.mongodb.database.deprovisioned  — that database was removed
-// Here in the runtime we react to them, keeping a lightweight audit trail of who was granted a
+// Here in the tool host we react to them, keeping a lightweight audit trail of who was granted a
 // database and who lost one — observability the provider itself is best placed to log.
 
 import { on } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/events";

modules/mongodb/module.json

@@ -39,9 +39,17 @@
     "mongodb-database": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "root": "${dir:state}/root.secret"
+    "root": "${dir:state}/root.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
+  "secrets-owner": "999:999",
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -63,14 +71,6 @@
       "type": "network",
       "name": "mongodb"
     },
-    {
-      "id": "server-root",
-      "type": "file",
-      "path": "${dir:state}/server-root.secret",
-      "mode": "0400",
-      "owner": "999:999",
-      "content": "${secret:root}"
-    },
     {
       "id": "server",
       "type": "container",
@@ -86,31 +86,46 @@
       ],
       "volumes": [
         "${dir:data}:/data/db",
-        "${dir:state}/server-root.secret:/run/secrets/root:ro"
+        "${dir:state}/root.secret:/run/secrets/root:ro"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-mongodb",
+      "network": "mongodb",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/root.secret:/run/secrets/root:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_PROVISION_MONGODB": "mongodb://root@mongodb-server:27017/admin?authSource=admin",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/root",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_PROVISION_MONGODB": "mongodb://root@127.0.0.1:${port:27017}/admin?authSource=admin",
-          "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/root.secret",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/mongodb/package.json

@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "dependencies": {
-    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.1",
-    "mongodb": "^6.21.0"
+    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^22.0.0",

modules/mongodb/provisioner/index.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 // same-named database under exactly that login — a name the consumer cannot learn is a database it
 // cannot reach.
 //
-// The commands run through MongoClient, the official driver inside this bundle (see client.ts).
+// The commands run through MongoClient.evalJs(), which is the module's one execution boundary (see
+// client.ts).
 
 import { runProvisioner, type Provision } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/provisioner";
 import { emit } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/events";

modules/mongodb/tools/index.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // mongodb's tools — mongodb's own code (novox/hq ADR 0039), importing mongodb's own client. They
-// return structured data; the mesh serves them through the sdk's tool harness. Both call the server
-// through MongoClient, the driver inside this bundle (see client.ts).
+// return structured data; the mesh serves them through the sdk's tool harness. Both call through
+// MongoClient.evalJs(), the module's one execution boundary (see client.ts).
 
 import { registerModuleTools, type ToolDefinition } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/tools";
 import { MongoClient } from "../client.js";

modules/mosquitto/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# mosquitto's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/mosquitto
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc topics.ts client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts bootstrap/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+# mosquitto's client and bootstrap drive `mosquitto_ctrl`; the apt package carries it with its
+# shared libraries — the musl binary from the eclipse image would not load on this glibc base.
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends mosquitto \
+ && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/mosquitto/dist /app/modules/mosquitto/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/mosquitto/dist/index.js,/app/modules/mosquitto/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/mosquitto/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/mosquitto/client.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import { randomBytes } from "node:crypto";
 import { connect as tcpConnect } from "node:net";
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
-import { basename, dirname } from "node:path";
 import { promisify } from "node:util";
 
 import { missingAcls, parseRoleAcls, staleAcls, wantedAcls } from "./topics.js";
@@ -31,14 +30,6 @@ export interface MqttConn {
   /** The Dynamic Security admin client the runtime authenticates as. */
   readonly adminUser: string;
   readonly adminPassword: string;
-  /**
-   * The broker's own container, when `mosquitto_ctrl` is run inside it rather than from this
-   * machine's packages. The broker's image carries the tool at the broker's version, and inside it
-   * the broker listens on 127.0.0.1:1883 whatever port the machine publishes.
-   */
-  readonly container?: string;
-  /** The broker's image, to seed the security file before the broker has ever started. */
-  readonly image?: string;
 }
 
 export class MosquittoClient {
@@ -62,11 +53,7 @@ export class MosquittoClient {
         "mosquitto host or admin password is not set — mosquitto's own code cannot reach the broker",
       );
     }
-    return new MosquittoClient({
-      host, port, adminUser, adminPassword: adminPassword ?? "",
-      container: env.MESH_MQTT_CTRL_CONTAINER || undefined,
-      image: env.MESH_MQTT_CTRL_IMAGE || undefined,
-    });
+    return new MosquittoClient({ host, port, adminUser, adminPassword: adminPassword ?? "" });
   }
 
   get host(): string {
@@ -97,18 +84,16 @@ export class MosquittoClient {
    * to this single-purpose runtime container; see the module README.
    */
   async ctl(...args: string[]): Promise<string> {
-    const inside = this.conn.container !== undefined;
     const base = [
-      "-h", inside ? "127.0.0.1" : this.conn.host,
-      "-p", inside ? "1883" : String(this.conn.port),
+      "-h", this.conn.host,
+      "-p", String(this.conn.port),
       "-u", this.conn.adminUser,
       "-P", this.conn.adminPassword,
     ];
     let stdout: string;
     let stderr: string;
     try {
-      const [command, argv] = this.ctrl([...base, "dynsec", ...args]);
-      ({ stdout, stderr } = await run(command, argv, {
+      ({ stdout, stderr } = await run("mosquitto_ctrl", [...base, "dynsec", ...args], {
         maxBuffer: 16 << 20,
         timeout: 30_000,
       }));
@@ -255,27 +240,10 @@ export class MosquittoClient {
   async initBootstrapFile(configFile: string): Promise<void> {
     // `dynsec init <file> <admin-username> [admin-password]` is an offline file operation — it does
     // not connect to the broker. The password is a positional argument (omitting it prompts).
-    if (this.conn.image) {
-      // Before the broker has ever started there is no container to enter: a throwaway one from the
-      // broker's own image writes the file into the directory the broker will mount.
-      await run("docker", [
-        "run", "--rm", "--entrypoint", "mosquitto_ctrl",
-        "-v", `${dirname(configFile)}:/mosquitto/data`,
-        this.conn.image,
-        "dynsec", "init", `/mosquitto/data/${basename(configFile)}`, this.conn.adminUser, this.conn.adminPassword,
-      ], { maxBuffer: 16 << 20 });
-      return;
-    }
     await run("mosquitto_ctrl", ["dynsec", "init", configFile, this.conn.adminUser, this.conn.adminPassword], {
       maxBuffer: 16 << 20,
     });
   }
-
-  /** How `mosquitto_ctrl` is run here: inside the broker's container when one is named. */
-  ctrl(argv: string[]): [string, string[]] {
-    if (this.conn.container) return ["docker", ["exec", this.conn.container, "mosquitto_ctrl", ...argv]];
-    return ["mosquitto_ctrl", argv];
-  }
 }
 
 /** Generate a URL-safe password with no argv- or MQTT-hostile characters. */

modules/mosquitto/module.json

@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
     "mqtt-topic": "${dir:grants}"
   },
   "own-secrets": {
-    "admin": "${dir:mesh-state}/admin"
+    "admin": "${dir:mesh-state}/admin",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "listens": [
     {
@@ -87,29 +88,26 @@
       "type": "network",
       "name": "mosquitto"
     },
-    {
-      "id": "bootstrap-env",
-      "type": "file",
-      "path": "${dir:state}/bootstrap.env",
-      "mode": "0600",
-      "content": "MESH_PROVISION_MQTT=127.0.0.1:${port:1883}\nMESH_PROVISION_ADMIN_USER=mesh-admin\nMESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE=${dir:mesh-state}/admin\nMESH_DYNSEC_FILE=${dir:data}/dynamic-security.json\nMESH_MQTT_CTRL_IMAGE=eclipse-mosquitto@sha256:38c0da4f2ef84284d47b3b3eeea1cb3bdeabe81ee10caf0cd5c5ff61ee3ea408\n"
-    },
     {
       "id": "bootstrap",
-      "type": "process",
+      "type": "container",
       "name": "mosquitto-bootstrap",
-      "artifact": "code",
-      "run": [
-        "node",
-        "bootstrap/index.js"
-      ],
       "run-once": true,
-      "env-file": [
-        "${dir:state}/bootstrap.env"
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:data}:/mosquitto/data",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/admin:/run/secrets/admin:ro"
       ],
-      "restart-on": [
-        "bootstrap-env"
-      ]
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_PROVISION_MQTT": "mosquitto:1883",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin",
+        "MESH_DYNSEC_FILE": "/mosquitto/data/dynamic-security.json"
+      },
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "/app/modules/mosquitto/dist/bootstrap/index.js"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     },
     {
       "id": "server",
@@ -125,32 +123,45 @@
         "${dir:data}:/mosquitto/data",
         "${dir:state}/mosquitto.conf:/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf:ro"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-mosquitto",
+      "network": "mosquitto",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:${dir:grants}:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/admin:/run/secrets/admin:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_MQTT": "mosquitto:1883",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js",
-          "bootstrap/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json",
-          "MESH_PROVISION_MQTT": "127.0.0.1:${port:1883}",
-          "MESH_PROVISION_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
-          "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/admin",
-          "MESH_MQTT_CTRL_CONTAINER": "mosquitto"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/mosquitto/test/ctrl.test.ts

@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-// Run after `npm run build`.
-// mosquitto_ctrl runs inside the broker's own container when the manifest names it, so a machine
-// needs no mosquitto package (whose index may be too stale to install from) and the tool always
-// matches the broker's version.
-import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { test } from "node:test";
-import { MosquittoClient } from "../dist/client.js"; // compiled: client.ts uses parameter properties, which type stripping cannot run
-
-const env = { MESH_PROVISION_MQTT: "127.0.0.1:21883", MESH_MQTT_PASSWORD: "pw" };
-
-test("named, the broker's container runs mosquitto_ctrl", () => {
-  const c = MosquittoClient.fromEnv({ ...env, MESH_MQTT_CTRL_CONTAINER: "mosquitto" });
-  assert.deepEqual(c.ctrl(["dynsec", "listClients"]), ["docker", ["exec", "mosquitto", "mosquitto_ctrl", "dynsec", "listClients"]]);
-});
-
-test("unnamed, this machine's mosquitto_ctrl runs", () => {
-  const c = MosquittoClient.fromEnv(env);
-  assert.deepEqual(c.ctrl(["dynsec", "listClients"]), ["mosquitto_ctrl", ["dynsec", "listClients"]]);
-});

modules/mssql/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# mssql's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/mssql
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+# **sqlcmd, which this module's client drives, has to be here** — it never was, so every tool failed
+# with `spawn sqlcmd ENOENT`. go-sqlcmd is one static binary; fetched at a pinned release and checked
+# against its digest, so a build that receives anything else stops here.
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS sqlcmd
+ARG SQLCMD_VERSION=v1.10.0
+ARG SQLCMD_SHA256=92516d98c63d99b0994de5b61350c91f6915f9b76f139a59039fbcb225c2e987
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends curl ca-certificates bzip2 \
+      && curl -fsSL -o /tmp/sqlcmd.tar.bz2 \
+           "https://github.com/microsoft/go-sqlcmd/releases/download/${SQLCMD_VERSION}/sqlcmd-linux-amd64.tar.bz2" \
+      && echo "${SQLCMD_SHA256}  /tmp/sqlcmd.tar.bz2" | sha256sum -c - \
+      && tar -xjf /tmp/sqlcmd.tar.bz2 -C /usr/local/bin sqlcmd
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=sqlcmd /usr/local/bin/sqlcmd /usr/local/bin/sqlcmd
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/mssql/dist /app/modules/mssql/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled. A container that instead ran only its
+# provisioner (`run`) served no tools and emitted no events; a container that named no command
+# ran no provisioner at all.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/mssql/dist/index.js,/app/modules/mssql/dist/tools/index.js,/app/modules/mssql/dist/provisioner/index.js

modules/mssql/client.ts

@@ -1,74 +1,22 @@
 // mssql's admin client — mssql's own code, living in the module (novox/hq ADR 0039). Both this
 // module's tools and its provisioner import it, and nothing outside mssql does.
 //
-// **The backend's own driver, inside the bundle** (novox/hq ADR 0198 §4). This used to shell out to
-// `sqlcmd`, a binary the module's container fetched; the module's code now runs in the node's
-// runtime, on machines whose system carries no SQL Server client, so it speaks TDS through the
-// `mssql` driver its package.json names — installed and inlined into the bundle by the builder. One
-// boundary, `session()`, and every method is built on it: a connection as one login to one database,
-// opened for one call and closed after, as one sqlcmd invocation was.
+// SQL is executed through `sqlcmd`, not a wire-protocol driver: the module may take NO npm
+// dependency beyond @novox/mesh-sdk, and hand-rolling the TDS handshake, pre-login and query
+// protocol is more surface than this should carry — so it shells out to the client the mssql
+// tools ship, the same way postgres drives itself through `psql`, minio through `mc`, and mailu
+// through doveadm. One boundary, `run()`, and every method is built on it.
 //
-// Structured rows still come back as JSON rendered by SQL Server itself (`FOR JSON`), so a tool's
-// answer is shaped exactly as it was: SQL Server owns the quoting and typing.
+// Structured rows come back as JSON: SQL Server itself renders the result with `FOR JSON`, and
+// this parses the single JSON document sqlcmd prints — far more robust than parsing sqlcmd's
+// column-aligned text, since SQL Server owns the quoting and typing.
 
-import { isIP } from "node:net";
 import { randomBytes } from "node:crypto";
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import sql from "mssql";
+import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
+import { promisify } from "node:util";
 
-/** Where a session connects, and as whom. */
-export interface Target {
-  readonly host: string;
-  readonly port: number;
-  readonly user: string;
-  readonly password: string;
-  readonly database: string;
-}
-
-/** One login's connection to one database: run a batch, answer the rows of its last result set. */
-export interface Session {
-  /** `params` are bound as NVARCHAR parameters (`@name`), never written into the text. */
-  run(text: string, params?: Record<string, string>): Promise<Record<string, unknown>[]>;
-  close(): Promise<void>;
-}
-
-/** How a session is opened — the driver, or a test's fake. */
-export type Connect = (to: Target) => Promise<Session>;
-
-/**
- * The driver's session: TLS, trusting the self-signed certificate the mssql image ships with (what
- * sqlcmd's `-C` did), one connection, closed with the session.
- */
-export const connectWithDriver: Connect = async (to) => {
-  const pool = new sql.ConnectionPool({
-    server: to.host,
-    port: to.port,
-    user: to.user,
-    password: to.password,
-    database: to.database,
-    // TLS names a host, never an address: Node refuses an IP as the server name (DEP0123, an error
-    // since Node 25), and the module reaches its server on loopback. The certificate is trusted
-    // either way, so the name only has to be one TLS accepts.
-    options: { encrypt: true, trustServerCertificate: true, ...(isIP(to.host) ? { serverName: "localhost" } : {}) },
-    pool: { min: 0, max: 1 },
-    connectionTimeout: 15_000,
-    requestTimeout: 60_000,
-  });
-  await pool.connect();
-  return {
-    async run(text, params = {}) {
-      const request = pool.request();
-      const names = Object.keys(params);
-      for (const name of names) request.input(name, sql.NVarChar, params[name]);
-      // A batch when nothing is bound — CREATE DATABASE must stand alone in its batch, which a
-      // parameterised query (sp_executesql) is not.
-      const result = names.length > 0 ? await request.query(text) : await request.batch(text);
-      const sets = (result.recordsets ?? []) as Record<string, unknown>[][];
-      return sets.length > 0 ? sets[sets.length - 1] : [];
-    },
-    close: () => pool.close(),
-  };
-};
+const run = promisify(execFile);
 
 export interface QueryResult {
   /** The leading keyword of the statement, e.g. "SELECT", "CREATE". */
@@ -97,17 +45,20 @@ export interface MssqlConn {
  */
 export const READER = "mesh_mssql_reader";
 
-/** Who a session logs in as. */
+/** Who a sqlcmd invocation logs in as, and whether the text is a caller's rather than the module's. */
 interface Invocation {
   readonly user: string;
   readonly password: string;
+  /**
+   * A caller's text: sqlcmd substitutes no `$(NAME)` in it, which would read this process's
+   * environment — the administrator's password among it. (Its own commands are kept out by the
+   * caller's text never beginning a line; see readOnlyQuery.)
+   */
+  readonly caller: boolean;
 }
 
 export class MssqlClient {
-  constructor(
-    private readonly conn: MssqlConn,
-    private readonly connect: Connect = connectWithDriver,
-  ) {}
+  constructor(private readonly conn: MssqlConn) {}
 
   /** The reader is made once per process: idempotent, and repeating it re-sets a rotated password. */
   private readerReady?: Promise<void>;
@@ -139,41 +90,63 @@ export class MssqlClient {
     return this.conn.port;
   }
 
-  /** Execute a batch that returns no rows (DDL and the like). A failed statement rejects. */
-  async exec(text: string, database = "master"): Promise<void> {
-    await this.session(text, database);
+  /**
+   * Execute a batch that returns no rows (DDL and the like), through `sqlcmd`. The password is
+   * passed by SQLCMDPASSWORD, never on argv, the way postgres passes PGPASSWORD; `-b` makes a
+   * failed statement an error here rather than a success with a warning, and `-C` trusts the
+   * server's self-signed certificate the mssql image ships with.
+   */
+  async exec(sql: string, database = "master"): Promise<void> {
+    await this.sqlcmd(sql, database);
   }
 
   /**
    * Run a SELECT and return its rows as objects. The caller's SQL must be a single SELECT; it is
-   * wrapped so SQL Server renders the result with `FOR JSON PATH`, and the JSON document it answers
-   * (split across rows for a large result, and reassembled here) is parsed. An empty result yields
-   * no rows — an empty array. `params` are bound as `@name`, never written into the text.
+   * wrapped so SQL Server renders the result with `FOR JSON PATH`, and the JSON document sqlcmd
+   * prints (split across output lines for a large result, and reassembled here) is parsed. An
+   * empty result yields no output at all — an empty array.
    */
   async query(
     select: string,
     database = "master",
-    params: Record<string, string> = {},
+    variables: Record<string, string> = {},
   ): Promise<Record<string, unknown>[]> {
     const wrapped = `SET NOCOUNT ON;\n${stripTrailingSemis(select)}\nFOR JSON PATH, INCLUDE_NULL_VALUES;`;
-    return parseJsonRows(await this.session(wrapped, database, params));
+    const stdout = await this.sqlcmd(wrapped, database, variables);
+    return parseJsonRows(stdout);
   }
 
-  /** The one execution boundary: open a session as `as`, run `text`, close it. */
-  private async session(
-    text: string,
+  /** The one execution boundary: invoke `sqlcmd` and return its concatenated stdout. */
+  private async sqlcmd(
+    sql: string,
     database: string,
-    params: Record<string, string> = {},
-    as: Invocation = { user: this.conn.user, password: this.conn.password },
-  ): Promise<Record<string, unknown>[]> {
-    const session = await this.connect({
-      host: this.conn.host, port: this.conn.port, user: as.user, password: as.password, database,
-    });
-    try {
-      return await session.run(text, params);
-    } finally {
-      await session.close();
-    }
+    variables: Record<string, string> = {},
+    as: Invocation = { user: this.conn.user, password: this.conn.password, caller: false },
+  ): Promise<string> {
+    // `-h -1` drops the column-header rule; `-y 0`/`-Y 0` lift the display-width cap so a long
+    // JSON document is not truncated; `-W` trims trailing whitespace so the JSON chunks rejoin
+    // cleanly. sqlcmd from the mssql-tools ships in the runtime container, the way `psql` ships
+    // with postgres's — the module owns its own code (ADR 0039) and shells out to it.
+    const { stdout } = await run(
+      "sqlcmd",
+      [
+        "-S", `${this.conn.host},${this.conn.port}`,
+        "-U", as.user,
+        "-d", database,
+        ...(as.caller ? ["-x"] : []),
+        "-C",
+        "-b",
+        "-h", "-1",
+        "-y", "0",
+        "-Y", "0",
+        "-W",
+        "-Q", sql,
+      ],
+      // `variables` reach sqlcmd as environment variables, which it substitutes as `$(NAME)` scripting
+      // variables: a value that must not appear on argv, or in the message of a failed command.
+      { env: { ...process.env, ...variables, SQLCMDPASSWORD: as.password }, maxBuffer: 16 << 20 },
+    );
+    return stdout;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -200,7 +173,7 @@ export class MssqlClient {
       `SELECT 1 AS ok FROM sys.databases WHERE name = ${literal(database)}`,
     );
     if (dbs.length === 0) {
-      // CREATE DATABASE must stand alone in its batch; it runs as its own session.
+      // CREATE DATABASE must stand alone in its batch; it runs as its own sqlcmd invocation.
       await this.exec(`CREATE DATABASE ${ident(database)}`);
     }
 
@@ -233,14 +206,15 @@ export class MssqlClient {
    * nothing logs in and no failed-login is recorded (novox/hq issue 120).
    */
   async holdsLogin(database: string, login: string, password: string): Promise<boolean> {
-    // The password is a bound parameter, never inside the query text, so it is in no message of a
-    // failed statement.
+    // The password reaches sqlcmd as a scripting variable from the environment, never inside the
+    // query text, so it is neither on argv nor in the message of a failed command. It is the mesh's
+    // minted value, which carries no quote.
     const server = await this.query(
       `SELECT CAST(CASE WHEN EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.sql_logins WHERE name = ${literal(login)} ` +
-        `AND is_disabled = 0 AND PWDCOMPARE(@meshholdspw, password_hash) = 1) ` +
+        `AND is_disabled = 0 AND PWDCOMPARE(N'$(MESHHOLDSPW)', password_hash) = 1) ` +
         `AND DB_ID(${literal(database)}) IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS int) AS ok`,
       "master",
-      { meshholdspw: password },
+      { MESHHOLDSPW: password },
     );
     if (Number(server[0]?.ok) !== 1) return false;
     // The user must be this login's, by SID, and a db_owner. A user orphaned by a restore has the
@@ -320,27 +294,35 @@ export class MssqlClient {
    * (novox/hq issue 193). Read-only by the login, not by a transaction wrapped around the text; the
    * rows are rendered by FOR JSON. Never as the administrator: without the reader's password the call
    * is refused.
-   *
-   * The text goes to the server as it is, over the driver: there is no client between that reads a
-   * line of its own (sqlcmd's `:!!`, which could start a program) or substitutes `$(NAME)` from this
-   * process's environment, so neither the one-line rule nor `-x` has anything left to guard.
    */
-  async readOnlyQuery(database: string, text: string): Promise<QueryResult> {
+  async readOnlyQuery(database: string, sql: string): Promise<QueryResult> {
     const password = this.conn.readerPassword;
     if (!password) throw readerMissing();
+    // **One line, refused otherwise.** sqlcmd reads a line that BEGINS with `:` or `!!` as its own
+    // command rather than SQL, and `:!!` starts a program in this container, which holds the
+    // administrator's password. Its switch for refusing those (-X) makes it ignore -Q in the
+    // version shipped here, so instead no line of a caller's text can begin one: the text follows
+    // this module's own on the first line, and a line break in it is refused. Proven on a throwaway
+    // server: the same text at the start of a line ran a program; mid-line it is a syntax error.
+    if (/[\r\n]/.test(sql)) {
+      throw new Error(
+        "mssql_query: the statement must be one line — sqlcmd takes a line beginning with ':' or " +
+          "'!!' as a command of its own, which can start a program (novox/hq issue 193)",
+      );
+    }
     this.readerReady ??= this.ensureReader().catch((err) => {
       this.readerReady = undefined; // asked again next call, not failed for the process's life
       throw err;
     });
     await this.readerReady;
-    const rows = await this.session(
-      `SET NOCOUNT ON; ${stripTrailingSemis(text)}\nFOR JSON PATH, INCLUDE_NULL_VALUES;`,
+    const stdout = await this.sqlcmd(
+      `SET NOCOUNT ON; ${stripTrailingSemis(sql)}\nFOR JSON PATH, INCLUDE_NULL_VALUES;`,
       database,
       {},
-      { user: READER, password },
+      { user: READER, password, caller: true },
     );
-    const command = /^\s*([A-Za-z]+)/.exec(text)?.[1]?.toUpperCase() ?? "";
-    return { command, rows: parseJsonRows(rows) };
+    const command = /^\s*([A-Za-z]+)/.exec(sql)?.[1]?.toUpperCase() ?? "";
+    return { command, rows: parseJsonRows(stdout) };
   }
 }
 
@@ -390,13 +372,18 @@ function safeUrl(raw: string): URL | undefined {
 }
 
 /**
- * Parse the JSON a FOR JSON query answers. SQL Server splits a large FOR JSON result into
- * ~2033-character chunks, one per row of a single column, so the document is reassembled by
- * concatenating that column in order. No rows (an empty result, or a pure DDL batch) means none.
+ * Parse the JSON a FOR JSON query prints through sqlcmd. SQL Server splits a large FOR JSON result
+ * into ~2033-character chunks, one per output row; with `-h -1 -W` each lands on its own line, so
+ * the document is reassembled by concatenating the non-empty lines. No output (an empty result, or
+ * a pure DDL batch) means no rows.
  */
-function parseJsonRows(rows: Record<string, unknown>[]): Record<string, unknown>[] {
-  const joined = rows.map((row) => String(Object.values(row)[0] ?? "")).join("");
-  if (joined.trim().length === 0) return [];
+function parseJsonRows(stdout: string): Record<string, unknown>[] {
+  const joined = stdout
+    .split(/\r?\n/)
+    .map((l) => l.trimEnd())
+    .filter((l) => l.length > 0)
+    .join("");
+  if (joined.length === 0) return [];
   const parsed = JSON.parse(joined);
   return Array.isArray(parsed) ? (parsed as Record<string, unknown>[]) : [parsed as Record<string, unknown>];
 }

modules/mssql/index.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-// mssql's events entrypoint, launched by the node's runtime beside its tools and provisioner
-// (novox/hq ADR 0198). The database lifecycle events are EMITTED from the provisioner, where
+// mssql's events entrypoint, loaded by the per-node tool host (the provisioner container runs
+// ./provisioner separately). The database lifecycle events are EMITTED from the provisioner, where
 // the lifecycle actually happens (novox/hq ADR 0041/0042):
 //   module.mssql.database.provisioned    — a consumer's database + login/user was created
 //   module.mssql.database.deprovisioned  — that database was removed
-// Here in the runtime we react to them, keeping a lightweight audit trail of who was granted a
+// Here in the tool host we react to them, keeping a lightweight audit trail of who was granted a
 // database and who lost one — observability the provider itself is best placed to log.
 
 import { on } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/events";

modules/mssql/module.json

@@ -38,9 +38,16 @@
   },
   "own-secrets": {
     "sa": "${dir:state}/sa.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker",
     "reader": "${dir:state}/reader.secret"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "state",
       "type": "directory",
@@ -86,30 +93,46 @@
         "${dir:data}:/var/opt/mssql"
       ],
       "secrets-in-environment": "the image documents only MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD, no _FILE and no configuration field; not convertible without a wrapper entrypoint"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-mssql",
+      "network": "mssql",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:grants}:/var/lib/mssql/grants:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/sa.secret:/run/secrets/sa:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/reader.secret:/run/secrets/reader:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_PROVISION_MSSQL": "mssql://sa@mssql:1433/master",
+        "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/sa",
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_RECEIVES": "/var/lib/mssql/grants/mesh.json",
+        "MESH_MSSQL_READER_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/reader"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "provisioner/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_PROVISION_MSSQL": "mssql://sa@127.0.0.1:${port:1433}/master",
-          "MESH_PROVISION_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/sa.secret",
-          "MESH_RECEIVES": "${dir:grants}/mesh.json",
-          "MESH_MSSQL_READER_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/reader.secret"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/mssql/mssql.d.ts

@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-// Ambient types for `mssql`, which ships its types only in the separate `@types/mssql` package. This
-// declares the slice client.ts uses — the precedent mesh-catalog's pg.d.ts sets — so the module
-// type-checks without deciding what runs: the real `mssql` is the package.json dependency the
-// builder installs and inlines into the bundle (novox/hq ADR 0198 §4).
-declare module "mssql" {
-  interface Result {
-    recordsets: unknown;
-  }
-  interface Request {
-    input(name: string, type: unknown, value: unknown): Request;
-    query(text: string): Promise<Result>;
-    batch(text: string): Promise<Result>;
-  }
-  class ConnectionPool {
-    constructor(config: {
-      server: string;
-      port?: number;
-      user?: string;
-      password?: string;
-      database?: string;
-      options?: { encrypt?: boolean; trustServerCertificate?: boolean; serverName?: string };
-      pool?: { min?: number; max?: number };
-      connectionTimeout?: number;
-      requestTimeout?: number;
-    });
-    connect(): Promise<ConnectionPool>;
-    request(): Request;
-    close(): Promise<void>;
-  }
-  const sql: { ConnectionPool: typeof ConnectionPool; NVarChar: unknown };
-  export default sql;
-}

modules/mssql/package.json

@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "tsc mssql.d.ts client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist",
+    "build": "tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts provisioner/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist",
     "test": "npm run build && node --test --experimental-strip-types 'test/*.test.ts'"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.1",
-    "mssql": "^11.0.2"
+    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^22.0.0",

modules/mssql/test/reader.test.ts

@@ -1,83 +1,96 @@
 // What holds mssql_query to being read-only (novox/hq issue 193): a caller's statement runs as the
-// reader login and never as the administrator, with no transaction wrapped around it as text, and
-// without the reader's password the statement is refused.
+// reader login and never as the administrator, with sqlcmd's variable substitution off, on one line
+// that follows the module's own — a line break is refused before sqlcmd starts — and with no
+// transaction wrapped around it as text. Without the reader's password the statement is refused.
 //
-// The driver is a fake session that records each call's login, database, text and bound
-// parameters. That the reader cannot write is the server's to enforce and was proven against a real
-// server; this holds the module to asking for it. Run against the compiled module (npm test builds
-// first), the way the runtime loads it.
+// sqlcmd is a fake on PATH that records each call's login, flags and text. That the reader cannot
+// write is the server's to enforce and was proven against a real server; this holds the module to
+// asking for it. Run against the compiled module (npm test builds first), the way the runtime loads it.
 
-import { test } from "node:test";
+import { test, before, after } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { chmod, mkdtemp, readFile, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
 
-import { MssqlClient, READER, type Connect, type Target } from "../dist/client.js";
+import { MssqlClient, READER } from "../dist/client.js";
 
-interface Call extends Target {
-  text: string;
-  params: Record<string, string>;
-}
+let dir: string;
+let log: string;
+const originalPath = process.env.PATH;
 
-function recording(): { connect: Connect; calls: Call[] } {
-  const calls: Call[] = [];
-  const connect: Connect = async (to) => ({
-    async run(text, params = {}) {
-      calls.push({ ...to, text, params });
-      if (/FROM sys.server_principals/.test(text)) return [];
-      // FOR JSON answers its document split across rows of one column.
-      if (/FOR JSON/.test(text)) return [{ JSON_F52E: '[{"name":"al' }, { JSON_F52E: 'pha","n":1}]' }];
-      return [];
-    },
-    async close() {},
-  });
-  return { connect, calls };
+before(async () => {
+  dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "mssql-reader-"));
+  log = join(dir, "calls.jsonl");
+  await writeFile(join(dir, "sqlcmd"), `#!/usr/bin/env node
+const fs = require("node:fs");
+const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+const at = (flag) => args[args.indexOf(flag) + 1];
+fs.appendFileSync(${JSON.stringify(log)}, JSON.stringify({
+  user: at("-U"), database: at("-d"), sql: at("-Q"), noVariables: args.includes("-x"),
+  password: process.env.SQLCMDPASSWORD,
+}) + "\\n");
+const sql = at("-Q");
+if (/FROM sys.server_principals/.test(sql)) process.stdout.write("");
+else if (/FOR JSON/.test(sql)) process.stdout.write('[{"name":"alpha","n":1}]\\n');
+`);
+  await chmod(join(dir, "sqlcmd"), 0o755);
+  process.env.PATH = `${dir}:${originalPath}`;
+});
+
+after(async () => {
+  process.env.PATH = originalPath;
+  await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+async function calls(): Promise<Record<string, unknown>[]> {
+  const text = await readFile(log, "utf8").catch(() => "");
+  await writeFile(log, "");
+  return text.split("\n").filter(Boolean).map((line) => JSON.parse(line));
 }
 
 const conn = { host: "127.0.0.1", port: 1433, user: "sa", password: "admin-secret" };
 
-test("a caller's statement runs as the reader, as it was written, on the database it names", async () => {
-  const { connect, calls } = recording();
-  const client = new MssqlClient({ ...conn, readerPassword: "reader-secret" }, connect);
+test("a caller's statement runs as the reader, without variables, on the module's first line", async () => {
+  const client = new MssqlClient({ ...conn, readerPassword: "reader-secret" });
   const result = await client.readOnlyQuery("inventory", "SELECT '$(SQLCMDPASSWORD)' AS p");
 
-  const asked = calls.at(-1)!;
+  const asked = (await calls()).at(-1)!;
   assert.equal(asked.user, READER, "the statement never runs as the administrator");
   assert.equal(asked.password, "reader-secret");
-  assert.equal(asked.database, "inventory");
-  assert.ok(asked.text.startsWith("SET NOCOUNT ON; SELECT '$(SQLCMDPASSWORD)' AS p\nFOR JSON PATH"),
-    "the caller's text reaches the server unaltered");
-  assert.doesNotMatch(asked.text, /BEGIN TRANSACTION|ROLLBACK/, "no transaction wrapped around it as text");
-  assert.deepEqual(result.rows, [{ name: "alpha", n: 1 }], "a FOR JSON document split across rows is reassembled");
+  assert.equal(asked.noVariables, true, "no $(NAME) is substituted in a caller's text");
+  const [first] = String(asked.sql).split("\n");
+  assert.ok(first.startsWith("SET NOCOUNT ON; SELECT '$(SQLCMDPASSWORD)'"), "the caller's text never begins a line");
+  assert.doesNotMatch(String(asked.sql), /BEGIN TRANSACTION|ROLLBACK/, "no transaction wrapped around it as text");
+  assert.deepEqual(result.rows, [{ name: "alpha", n: 1 }]);
   assert.equal(result.command, "SELECT");
 });
 
+test("a line break in a caller's statement is refused before sqlcmd starts", async () => {
+  const client = new MssqlClient({ ...conn, readerPassword: "reader-secret" });
+  for (const sql of ["SELECT 1\n:!! id", "SELECT 1\r\n:!! id", "SELECT 1\r:!! id"]) {
+    await assert.rejects(client.readOnlyQuery("inventory", sql), /must be one line/);
+  }
+  assert.deepEqual(await calls(), []);
+});
+
 test("the reader is made as the administrator, kept out of sysadmin, and granted only reading", async () => {
-  const { connect, calls } = recording();
-  const client = new MssqlClient({ ...conn, readerPassword: "reader-secret" }, connect);
+  const client = new MssqlClient({ ...conn, readerPassword: "reader-secret" });
   await client.readOnlyQuery("inventory", "SELECT 1 AS x");
   await client.readOnlyQuery("inventory", "SELECT 2 AS x");
 
-  const asAdmin = calls.filter((c) => c.user === "sa").map((c) => c.text);
+  const made = await calls();
+  const asAdmin = made.filter((c) => c.user === "sa").map((c) => String(c.sql));
   assert.ok(asAdmin.some((s) => s.startsWith(`CREATE LOGIN [${READER}]`)));
   assert.ok(asAdmin.some((s) => /ALTER SERVER ROLE sysadmin DROP MEMBER/.test(s)));
   assert.ok(asAdmin.includes(`GRANT CONNECT ANY DATABASE TO [${READER}]`));
   assert.ok(asAdmin.includes(`GRANT SELECT ALL USER SECURABLES TO [${READER}]`));
   assert.equal(asAdmin.filter((s) => s.startsWith("CREATE LOGIN")).length, 1, "made once, not per call");
-  assert.equal(calls.filter((c) => c.user === READER).length, 2);
+  assert.equal(made.filter((c) => c.user === READER).length, 2);
 });
 
 test("without the reader's password the statement is refused, and nothing runs as the administrator", async () => {
-  const { connect, calls } = recording();
-  const client = new MssqlClient(conn, connect);
+  const client = new MssqlClient(conn);
   await assert.rejects(client.readOnlyQuery("inventory", "SELECT 1"), /refused rather than run as the administrator/);
-  assert.deepEqual(calls, []);
-});
-
-test("a consumer's password is checked as a bound parameter, never in the text", async () => {
-  const { connect, calls } = recording();
-  const client = new MssqlClient(conn, connect);
-  await client.holdsLogin("shop", "shop_login", "minted-secret");
-  const asked = calls[0];
-  assert.equal(asked.params.meshholdspw, "minted-secret");
-  assert.doesNotMatch(asked.text, /minted-secret/);
-  assert.match(asked.text, /PWDCOMPARE\(@meshholdspw, password_hash\)/);
+  assert.deepEqual(await calls(), []);
 });

modules/mssql/tsconfig.json

@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "noEmit": true
   },
-  "include": ["mssql.d.ts", "client.ts", "index.ts", "provisioner/index.ts", "tools/index.ts"]
+  "include": ["client.ts", "index.ts", "provisioner/index.ts", "tools/index.ts"]
 }

modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/checks.go

@@ -1,173 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"math"
-	"net"
-	"sort"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
-	"time"
-)
-
-// Bounds on what a caller may ask: a check is a probe, never a wait anyone can make long.
-const (
-	DefaultTimeout = 3 * time.Second
-	MostTimeout    = 30 * time.Second
-)
-
-// TCPResult is what netcheck_tcp answers.
-type TCPResult struct {
-	Host      string `json:"host"`
-	Port      int    `json:"port"`
-	Address   string `json:"address,omitempty"`
-	Reachable bool   `json:"reachable"`
-	ElapsedMS int64  `json:"elapsed_ms"`
-	Error     string `json:"error,omitempty"`
-}
-
-// CheckTCP opens one TCP connection and closes it, sending nothing. A port that refuses or a host
-// that does not answer is a result, not a failure of the tool; only a malformed question is.
-func CheckTCP(host string, port int, timeout time.Duration) (TCPResult, error) {
-	if port < 1 || port > 65535 {
-		return TCPResult{}, fmt.Errorf("port %d is not a TCP port (1-65535)", port)
-	}
-	out := TCPResult{Host: host, Port: port}
-	start := time.Now()
-	conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(host, strconv.Itoa(port)), timeout)
-	out.ElapsedMS = time.Since(start).Milliseconds()
-	if err != nil {
-		out.Error = err.Error()
-		return out, nil
-	}
-	out.Address = conn.RemoteAddr().String()
-	out.Reachable = true
-	_ = conn.Close()
-	return out, nil
-}
-
-// DNSResult is what netcheck_dns answers.
-type DNSResult struct {
-	Name      string   `json:"name"`
-	Type      string   `json:"type"`
-	Answers   []string `json:"answers"`
-	ElapsedMS int64    `json:"elapsed_ms"`
-	Error     string   `json:"error,omitempty"`
-}
-
-// DNSTypes are the record types netcheck_dns looks up.
-var DNSTypes = []string{"A", "AAAA", "CNAME", "TXT", "MX"}
-
-// CheckDNS looks a name up with the machine's resolver. Built without cgo, Go's own resolver reads
-// the machine's /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/hosts, which is the resolver this machine's programs use.
-// A name that does not resolve is a result with its error; an unknown type is refused.
-func CheckDNS(name, kind string, timeout time.Duration) (DNSResult, error) {
-	kind = strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(kind))
-	if kind == "" {
-		kind = "A"
-	}
-	known := false
-	for _, t := range DNSTypes {
-		known = known || t == kind
-	}
-	if !known {
-		return DNSResult{}, fmt.Errorf("type %q is not one netcheck_dns looks up (%s)", kind, strings.Join(DNSTypes, ", "))
-	}
-	out := DNSResult{Name: name, Type: kind, Answers: []string{}}
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
-	defer cancel()
-	r := net.DefaultResolver
-	start := time.Now()
-	var err error
-	switch kind {
-	case "A", "AAAA":
-		network := "ip4"
-		if kind == "AAAA" {
-			network = "ip6"
-		}
-		var ips []net.IP
-		if ips, err = r.LookupIP(ctx, network, name); err == nil {
-			for _, ip := range ips {
-				out.Answers = append(out.Answers, ip.String())
-			}
-		}
-	case "CNAME":
-		var cname string
-		if cname, err = r.LookupCNAME(ctx, name); err == nil {
-			out.Answers = append(out.Answers, cname)
-		}
-	case "TXT":
-		var txts []string
-		if txts, err = r.LookupTXT(ctx, name); err == nil {
-			out.Answers = append(out.Answers, txts...)
-		}
-	case "MX":
-		var mxs []*net.MX
-		if mxs, err = r.LookupMX(ctx, name); err == nil {
-			for _, mx := range mxs {
-				out.Answers = append(out.Answers, fmt.Sprintf("%d %s", mx.Pref, mx.Host))
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	out.ElapsedMS = time.Since(start).Milliseconds()
-	if err != nil {
-		out.Error = err.Error()
-	}
-	if kind != "MX" {
-		sort.Strings(out.Answers)
-	}
-	return out, nil
-}
-
-// text is a required string argument.
-func text(args map[string]any, key string) (string, error) {
-	s, _ := args[key].(string)
-	s = strings.TrimSpace(s)
-	if s == "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s is required", key)
-	}
-	return s, nil
-}
-
-// whole is an integer argument, given as a JSON number or a numeric string; fallback when absent.
-func whole(args map[string]any, key string, fallback int) (int, error) {
-	v, given := args[key]
-	if !given || v == nil {
-		if fallback == 0 {
-			return 0, fmt.Errorf("%s is required", key)
-		}
-		return fallback, nil
-	}
-	switch n := v.(type) {
-	case float64:
-		if n != math.Trunc(n) {
-			return 0, fmt.Errorf("%s must be a whole number, not %v", key, n)
-		}
-		return int(n), nil
-	case string:
-		i, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(n))
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, fmt.Errorf("%s must be a whole number, not %q", key, n)
-		}
-		return i, nil
-	}
-	return 0, errors.New(key + " must be a whole number")
-}
-
-// timeoutOf is timeout_ms, defaulted and bounded.
-func timeoutOf(args map[string]any) (time.Duration, error) {
-	ms, err := whole(args, "timeout_ms", int(DefaultTimeout/time.Millisecond))
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	if ms < 1 {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("timeout_ms must be at least 1, not %d", ms)
-	}
-	d := time.Duration(ms) * time.Millisecond
-	if d > MostTimeout {
-		d = MostTimeout
-	}
-	return d, nil
-}

modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/checks_test.go

@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"net"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-)
-
-func TestATCPPortThatListensIsReachableAndOneThatDoesNotIsNot(t *testing.T) {
-	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	port := l.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
-	got, err := CheckTCP("127.0.0.1", port, time.Second)
-	if err != nil || !got.Reachable || got.Error != "" {
-		t.Fatalf("a listening port: %+v, %v", got, err)
-	}
-	l.Close()
-	got, err = CheckTCP("127.0.0.1", port, time.Second)
-	if err != nil || got.Reachable || got.Error == "" {
-		t.Fatalf("a closed port is reported as a result with its error, not a failure: %+v, %v", got, err)
-	}
-}
-
-func TestAPortOutsideTheRangeIsRefused(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, p := range []int{0, -1, 65536} {
-		if _, err := CheckTCP("127.0.0.1", p, time.Second); err == nil {
-			t.Errorf("port %d was accepted", p)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func TestDNSAnswersFromTheMachinesResolverAndRefusesAnUnknownType(t *testing.T) {
-	got, err := CheckDNS("localhost", "a", time.Second)
-	if err != nil || got.Type != "A" || len(got.Answers) == 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("localhost A: %+v, %v", got, err)
-	}
-	if _, err := CheckDNS("localhost", "SRV", time.Second); err == nil {
-		t.Fatal("an unknown record type was accepted")
-	}
-	got, err = CheckDNS("no-such-name.invalid", "A", time.Second)
-	if err != nil || got.Error == "" || len(got.Answers) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("a name that does not resolve is a result with its error: %+v, %v", got, err)
-	}
-}
-
-func TestTimeoutIsDefaultedAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
-	if d, _ := timeoutOf(map[string]any{}); d != DefaultTimeout {
-		t.Errorf("default: %v", d)
-	}
-	if d, _ := timeoutOf(map[string]any{"timeout_ms": float64(10 * 60 * 1000)}); d != MostTimeout {
-		t.Errorf("bounded: %v", d)
-	}
-	if _, err := timeoutOf(map[string]any{"timeout_ms": float64(0)}); err == nil {
-		t.Error("a zero timeout was accepted")
-	}
-}
-
-func TestBothToolsAreListedUnprefixed(t *testing.T) {
-	names := map[string]bool{}
-	for _, tool := range tools() {
-		names[tool.Name] = true
-	}
-	if !names["netcheck_tcp"] || !names["netcheck_dns"] || len(names) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("tools: %v", names)
-	}
-}

modules/netcheck/cmd/netcheck/main.go

@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-// netcheck's Go tools bundle (novox/hq ADR 0188, ADR 0193): a process the node's runtime launches
-// and speaks MCP over stdio to, through the Go SDK. It serves the two checks that are the machine's
-// own sockets and resolver — a TCP connect and a DNS lookup — and nothing that changes anything.
-// The module's HTTP check is its TypeScript bundle; the runtime serves both under one module.
-package main
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-
-	stdio "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	// An empty name serves as the module the runtime names (MESH_SERVED_MODULE): netcheck.
-	if err := stdio.Serve("", tools()); err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-}
-
-func tools() []stdio.Tool {
-	return []stdio.Tool{
-		{
-			Name: "netcheck_tcp",
-			Description: "Check whether a TCP port is reachable from this machine: opens one connection " +
-				"and closes it at once, sending nothing. Answers reachable, elapsed_ms and the error when not.",
-			Input: map[string]any{
-				"host":       map[string]any{"type": "string", "description": "host name or IP address"},
-				"port":       map[string]any{"type": "integer", "description": "TCP port, 1-65535"},
-				"timeout_ms": map[string]any{"type": "integer", "description": "give up after this long (default 3000, at most 30000)"},
-			},
-			Run: func(args map[string]any) (any, error) {
-				host, err := text(args, "host")
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				port, err := whole(args, "port", 0)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				timeout, err := timeoutOf(args)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				return CheckTCP(host, port, timeout)
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			Name: "netcheck_dns",
-			Description: "Look a name up with this machine's resolver (its /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/hosts). " +
-				"type is A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT or MX; answers the records found, or the error.",
-			Input: map[string]any{
-				"name":       map[string]any{"type": "string", "description": "the name to look up"},
-				"type":       map[string]any{"type": "string", "enum": []string{"A", "AAAA", "CNAME", "TXT", "MX"}, "description": "record type (default A)"},
-				"timeout_ms": map[string]any{"type": "integer", "description": "give up after this long (default 3000, at most 30000)"},
-			},
-			Run: func(args map[string]any) (any, error) {
-				name, err := text(args, "name")
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				kind, _ := args["type"].(string)
-				timeout, err := timeoutOf(args)
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, err
-				}
-				return CheckDNS(name, kind, timeout)
-			},
-		},
-	}
-}

modules/netcheck/go.mod

@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-module netcheck
-
-go 1.22
-
-require git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.6

modules/netcheck/go.sum

@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.6 h1:9qzdYONYbJdWcu6sxQcq9v1LI0JxcfkiKYkMUzJSkVQ=
-git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go v0.1.6/go.mod h1:GFuZUElBZ9A++mxgIKo97aXXo+kV0uJ/UkbhQPPIbrY=

modules/netcheck/http.ts

@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-// netcheck's HTTP check — the module's own code, in TypeScript (novox/hq ADR 0039, ADR 0188). One
-// request, HEAD or GET, never a body sent and never a body read: the status, how long it took and
-// a few headers that say what answered. Redirects are reported, not followed, so a check reaches
-// exactly the address it was given.
-
-export const METHODS = ["HEAD", "GET"] as const;
-export type Method = (typeof METHODS)[number];
-
-/** The headers worth reporting: what answered and what it says it is, nothing it set for a client. */
-export const REPORTED_HEADERS = [
-  "content-type", "content-length", "server", "location", "date",
-  "cache-control", "last-modified", "etag",
-] as const;
-
-export const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
-export const MOST_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000;
-
-export interface HttpResult {
-  url: string;
-  method: Method;
-  status?: number;
-  statusText?: string;
-  elapsed_ms: number;
-  headers: Record<string, string>;
-  error?: string;
-}
-
-/** Only http and https are checked; anything else — file:, data:, ftp: — is refused by name. */
-export function checkedUrl(raw: unknown): URL {
-  const text = typeof raw === "string" ? raw.trim() : "";
-  if (!text) throw new Error("url is required");
-  let url: URL;
-  try {
-    url = new URL(text);
-  } catch {
-    throw new Error(`${JSON.stringify(text)} is not a URL`);
-  }
-  if (url.protocol !== "http:" && url.protocol !== "https:") {
-    throw new Error(`netcheck_http checks http and https URLs only, not ${url.protocol}`);
-  }
-  return url;
-}
-
-export function checkedMethod(raw: unknown): Method {
-  const m = (typeof raw === "string" && raw.trim() ? raw.trim() : "HEAD").toUpperCase();
-  if (!(METHODS as readonly string[]).includes(m)) {
-    throw new Error(`method ${m} is not one netcheck_http uses (${METHODS.join(", ")}): a check never changes anything`);
-  }
-  return m as Method;
-}
-
-export function checkedTimeout(raw: unknown): number {
-  if (raw === undefined || raw === null || raw === "") return DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS;
-  const n = Number(raw);
-  if (!Number.isInteger(n) || n < 1) throw new Error(`timeout_ms must be a whole number of at least 1, not ${String(raw)}`);
-  return Math.min(n, MOST_TIMEOUT_MS);
-}
-
-/** Make one request and report how it went. A refused connection or a timeout is a result with its
- *  error; only a malformed question throws. */
-export async function checkHttp(args: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>>, fetcher: typeof fetch = fetch): Promise<HttpResult> {
-  const url = checkedUrl(args.url);
-  const method = checkedMethod(args.method);
-  const timeout = checkedTimeout(args.timeout_ms);
-  const started = performance.now();
-  const out: HttpResult = { url: url.toString(), method, elapsed_ms: 0, headers: {} };
-  try {
-    const res = await fetcher(url, { method, redirect: "manual", signal: AbortSignal.timeout(timeout) });
-    out.elapsed_ms = Math.round(performance.now() - started);
-    out.status = res.status;
-    out.statusText = res.statusText;
-    for (const h of REPORTED_HEADERS) {
-      const v = res.headers.get(h);
-      if (v !== null) out.headers[h] = v;
-    }
-    // The body is not read: a check asks whether something answers, not what it says.
-    await res.body?.cancel().catch(() => {});
-  } catch (err) {
-    out.elapsed_ms = Math.round(performance.now() - started);
-    const e = err as Error & { cause?: { message?: string; code?: string } };
-    out.error = e.name === "TimeoutError" ? `no answer within ${timeout} ms` : (e.cause?.code ?? e.cause?.message ?? e.message);
-  }
-  return out;
-}

modules/netcheck/module.json

@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "module": "netcheck",
-  "version": "1",
-  "tools": [
-    "netcheck_tcp",
-    "netcheck_dns",
-    "netcheck_http"
-  ],
-  "build": {
-    "artifacts": [
-      {
-        "name": "tools-go",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "go",
-        "system": "arch",
-        "from": "cmd/netcheck",
-        "binary": "netcheck",
-        "loads": [
-          "netcheck"
-        ]
-      },
-      {
-        "name": "tools-typescript",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ]
-      }
-    ]
-  }
-}

modules/netcheck/package.json

@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "@novox/module-netcheck",
-  "version": "0.1.0",
-  "description": "netcheck — read-only network checks from a machine, as one module carrying a Go tools bundle (TCP, DNS) and a TypeScript one (HTTP) (novox/hq ADR 0188, ADR 0193).",
-  "type": "module",
-  "private": true,
-  "scripts": {
-    "test": "node --test --experimental-strip-types 'test/*.test.ts'"
-  },
-  "dependencies": {
-    "@novox/mesh-sdk": "^0.1.6"
-  },
-  "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
-    "typescript": "^5.6.0"
-  }
-}

modules/netcheck/test/http.test.ts

@@ -1,52 +0,0 @@
-// The HTTP check refuses what is not http(s) and what would change something, and reports a status,
-// a refusal and a timeout as results (novox/hq ADR 0188: a tools bundle is read-only and harmless).
-import { test } from "node:test";
-import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { createServer } from "node:http";
-import type { AddressInfo } from "node:net";
-import { checkHttp, checkedMethod, checkedUrl } from "../http.ts";
-
-test("only http and https URLs are checked", () => {
-  for (const bad of ["file:///etc/passwd", "ftp://example.org/", "data:text/plain,hi", "javascript:1", "", "not a url"]) {
-    assert.throws(() => checkedUrl(bad), `${bad} was accepted`);
-  }
-  assert.equal(checkedUrl("https://example.org/x").protocol, "https:");
-});
-
-test("only HEAD and GET are used", () => {
-  assert.equal(checkedMethod(undefined), "HEAD");
-  assert.equal(checkedMethod("get"), "GET");
-  for (const bad of ["POST", "PUT", "DELETE", "PATCH"]) assert.throws(() => checkedMethod(bad));
-});
-
-test("a status, its headers and a redirect not followed", async () => {
-  const server = createServer((req, res) => {
-    if (req.url === "/moved") { res.writeHead(302, { location: "/elsewhere" }); res.end(); return; }
-    res.writeHead(200, { "content-type": "text/plain", "x-secret": "not reported" });
-    res.end(req.method === "GET" ? "body" : undefined);
-  });
-  await new Promise<void>((ok) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", ok));
-  const base = `http://127.0.0.1:${(server.address() as AddressInfo).port}`;
-  try {
-    const head = await checkHttp({ url: base + "/" });
-    assert.equal(head.status, 200);
-    assert.equal(head.method, "HEAD");
-    assert.equal(head.headers["content-type"], "text/plain");
-    assert.equal(head.headers["x-secret"], undefined);
-    const moved = await checkHttp({ url: base + "/moved", method: "GET" });
-    assert.equal(moved.status, 302);
-    assert.equal(moved.headers.location, "/elsewhere");
-  } finally {
-    server.close();
-  }
-});
-
-test("a refused connection is a result with its error", async () => {
-  const server = createServer();
-  await new Promise<void>((ok) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", ok));
-  const port = (server.address() as AddressInfo).port;
-  await new Promise<void>((ok) => server.close(() => ok()));
-  const got = await checkHttp({ url: `http://127.0.0.1:${port}/`, timeout_ms: 2000 });
-  assert.equal(got.status, undefined);
-  assert.ok(got.error, "no error reported");
-});

modules/netcheck/tools/index.ts

@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-// netcheck's TypeScript tools bundle (novox/hq ADR 0188, ADR 0193): what the builder's launcher
-// imports and serves over MCP on stdio. Its Go bundle serves the TCP and DNS checks; this one the
-// HTTP check — one module, two languages, one runtime that knows neither.
-
-import { registerModuleTools, type ToolDefinition } from "@novox/mesh-sdk/tools";
-import { checkHttp, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS, METHODS, MOST_TIMEOUT_MS } from "../http.js";
-
-export function getNetcheckHttpTools(): ToolDefinition[] {
-  return [
-    {
-      name: "netcheck_http",
-      description:
-        "Check whether an http(s) URL answers from this machine: one HEAD or GET, no body sent or read, " +
-        "redirects reported and not followed. Answers status, elapsed_ms and a few headers.",
-      input: {
-        url: { type: "string", description: "an http:// or https:// URL" },
-        method: { type: "string", enum: [...METHODS], description: "HEAD (default) or GET" },
-        timeout_ms: {
-          type: "integer",
-          description: `give up after this long (default ${DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS}, at most ${MOST_TIMEOUT_MS})`,
-        },
-      },
-      run: async (args) => checkHttp(args),
-    },
-  ];
-}
-
-registerModuleTools("netcheck", () => getNetcheckHttpTools());

modules/nextcloud/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# nextcloud's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+ARG DOCKER_CLI
+
+# Named so the final stage's COPY --from can reference a stage, not an ARG — the legacy builder
+# this host still runs doesn't expand ARGs inside COPY --from, only inside FROM.
+FROM ${DOCKER_CLI} AS dockercli
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+# Compiled under /app/modules so `@novox/mesh-sdk` resolves upward into the base's own
+# node_modules — the module is compiled against exactly the sdk it will run against. The compiler
+# is invoked by its real path: node_modules/.bin entries are launcher symlinks the base image
+# resolved away.
+WORKDIR /app/modules/nextcloud
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts index.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/nextcloud/dist /app/modules/nextcloud/dist
+# occ runs inside nextcloud's own container, reached over the mounted docker socket — which needs
+# the docker CLI itself present here, not only the socket. Copied from Docker's own official client
+# image rather than apt-installed, so this stays the one binary and nothing else (no daemon, no
+# systemd unit, no package manager tree pulled in for it).
+COPY --from=dockercli /usr/local/bin/docker /usr/local/bin/docker
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled. A container that instead ran only its
+# provisioner (`run`) served no tools and emitted no events; a container that named no command
+# ran no provisioner at all.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/nextcloud/dist/index.js,/app/modules/nextcloud/dist/tools/index.js

modules/nextcloud/module.json

@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
     "share.created"
   ],
   "own-secrets": {
-    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret"
+    "admin": "${dir:state}/admin.secret",
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
@@ -93,28 +94,53 @@
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-nextcloud",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/admin.secret:/run/secrets/admin:ro",
+        "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:80}",
+        "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
+        "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/admin"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "DOCKER_CLI",
+        "image": "docker@sha256:018edbc908e08fcc9dbf029c812c34251e9b4719e6f71ca0e5eae2a987d014ca"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "index.js",
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:80}",
-          "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json",
-          "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_ADMIN_USER": "mesh-admin",
-          "MESH_NEXTCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE": "${dir:state}/admin.secret"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/nftables/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# nftables' runtime: the tool runtime, carrying the packet filter's tools and the binaries they speak.
+#
+# Built from this module's own directory and nothing else (novox/hq ADR 0069). Two bases, named in
+# module.json's `build.on`: the image this is compiled in and the image it runs in.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/nftables
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+# The filter's own tools: nft for the machine's ruleset and the mesh's table, iptables for the
+# legacy filter and the tables iptables-nft manages — a predecessor's rules live there (ADR 0168).
+# The container runs on the machine's network with NET_ADMIN (ADR 0170), so these act on the
+# machine's packet filter, not on a namespace of their own.
+RUN apt-get update \
+      && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends nftables iptables \
+      && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/nftables/dist /app/modules/nftables/dist
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/nftables/dist/tools/index.js

modules/nftables/client.ts

@@ -2,13 +2,9 @@
 // rule set from every module's `listens` and writes it to the filter file (ADR 0045); the module
 // loads it through its own unit. This code reads the filter back as the machine enforces it, reloads
 // the mesh's own table, and removes one thing the mesh did not write when the operator names it
-// (ADR 0168, ADR 0170) — the seat's three verbs, over the machine's own tools. Root is the module's
-// concern (ADR 0175 §4): the runtime loading this bundle runs as the operator's account (to-be 38
-// WP4), so the commands go through sudo without a prompt where the account is not root.
+// (ADR 0168, ADR 0170) — the seat's three verbs, over the machine's own tools.
 
 import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
-import { accessSync, constants } from "node:fs";
-import { delimiter, join } from "node:path";
 import { promisify } from "node:util";
 
 const execFileP = promisify(execFile);
@@ -16,54 +12,9 @@ const execFileP = promisify(execFile);
 /** A command runner, so the acts can be tested without a packet filter. */
 export type Runner = (cmd: string, args: string[]) => Promise<string>;
 
-/** Where the mesh writes this node's filter: the path the manifest's `filtering.into` names. A
- *  bundle has no environment of its own (to-be 38 WP4), so the path is said here once, and a test
- *  holds it to the manifest's. */
-export const FILTER_FILE = "/etc/nftables.conf";
-
-/** The command as it is run: as given when this process is root, else through sudo without a
- *  prompt. The packet filter answers only to root, listing included. */
-export function escalated(cmd: string, args: string[], uid: number | undefined = process.getuid?.()): [string, string[]] {
-  if (uid === 0) return [cmd, args];
-  return ["sudo", ["-n", cmd, ...args]];
-}
-
-/** Whether a tool is on this machine: an executable of that name on the path, or where the
- *  system keeps its administration. Asked before a tool is run, so "not here" and "refused" are
- *  never confused — the former is a fact to work around, the latter an error to say. */
-export function installed(tool: string, path: string = process.env.PATH ?? ""): boolean {
-  const dirs = [...path.split(delimiter), "/usr/sbin", "/sbin", "/usr/bin"].filter((d) => d !== "");
-  return dirs.some((dir) => {
-    try {
-      accessSync(join(dir, tool), constants.X_OK);
-      return true;
-    } catch {
-      return false;
-    }
-  });
-}
-
 export const execRunner: Runner = async (cmd, args) => {
-  const [program, argv] = escalated(cmd, args);
-  try {
-    const { stdout } = await execFileP(program, argv, { maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024 });
-    return stdout;
-  } catch (err) {
-    // What failed is named by how it failed, not by prose: sudo missing is a spawn error; sudo
-    // refusing speaks on its own stderr line; anything else is the command's own failure.
-    const e = err as { code?: string | number; stderr?: string };
-    if (program === "sudo") {
-      if (e.code === "ENOENT") {
-        throw new Error(`${cmd} needs root, and sudo is not installed here for the runtime's account to escalate with`);
-      }
-      const stderr = String(e.stderr ?? "").trim();
-      if (/^sudo: .*command not found/m.test(stderr)) throw new Error(`${cmd} is not installed here`);
-      if (/^sudo:/m.test(stderr)) {
-        throw new Error(`${cmd} needs root and the runtime's account may not run it without a prompt: ${stderr}`);
-      }
-    }
-    throw err;
-  }
+  const { stdout } = await execFileP(cmd, args, { maxBuffer: 16 * 1024 * 1024 });
+  return stdout;
 };
 
 /** The mesh's own tables, which `remove` never touches. */
@@ -83,17 +34,14 @@ export interface Removal {
 export class FirewallClient {
   private readonly run: Runner;
   private readonly filterFile: string;
-  private readonly have: (tool: string) => boolean;
 
-  constructor(run: Runner = execRunner, filterFile: string = FILTER_FILE, have: (tool: string) => boolean = installed) {
+  constructor(run: Runner = execRunner, filterFile: string = process.env.MESH_FILTER_FILE ?? "/etc/nftables.conf") {
     this.run = run;
     this.filterFile = filterFile;
-    this.have = have;
   }
 
-  /** The filter as this machine has it: its own tools, the mesh's file. */
-  static onThisMachine(): FirewallClient {
-    return new FirewallClient();
+  static fromEnv(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): FirewallClient {
+    return new FirewallClient(execRunner, env.MESH_FILTER_FILE ?? "/etc/nftables.conf");
   }
 
   /** The mesh's live table — exactly what the mesh's own filter is dropping and accepting. */
@@ -117,14 +65,11 @@ export class FirewallClient {
     const legacy: Record<string, string> = {};
     if (!table) {
       for (const tool of ["iptables-legacy", "ip6tables-legacy"]) {
-        if (!this.have(tool)) continue; // no legacy tool, nothing to list
         try {
           const out = await this.run(tool, ["-S"]);
           if (out.trim()) legacy[tool] = out;
-        } catch (err) {
-          // The tool is here and would not answer: said, not swallowed — a listing that silently
-          // leaves out a predecessor's rules reads as "none".
-          legacy[tool] = `error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`;
+        } catch {
+          // the tool is not here, or the legacy filter is empty: nothing to list
         }
       }
     }
@@ -137,17 +82,14 @@ export class FirewallClient {
     return { loaded: this.filterFile, table: await this.ruleset() };
   }
 
-  /** Whether the found front end is in force, whose chains `remove` leaves alone. Absent, it is
-   *  not; present and not answering, nothing is removed on a guess. */
+  /** Whether the found front end is in force, whose chains `remove` leaves alone. */
   private async ufwActive(): Promise<boolean> {
-    if (!this.have("ufw")) return false;
-    let out: string;
     try {
-      out = await this.run("ufw", ["status"]);
-    } catch (err) {
-      throw new Error(`cannot tell whether the found firewall is in force, so nothing of its is removed: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
+      const out = await this.run("ufw", ["status"]);
+      return /^Status:\s*active/m.test(out);
+    } catch {
+      return false;
     }
-    return /^Status:\s*active/m.test(out);
   }
 
   /** Remove one rule set the mesh did not write, named as the host reports it (ADR 0168). */

modules/nftables/module.json

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
   "module": "nftables",
   "version": "1",
   "capabilities": [
-    "firewall"
+    "firewall",
+    "container-runtime"
   ],
   "claims": [
     {
@@ -19,16 +20,17 @@
     "into": "/etc/nftables.conf"
   },
   "resources": [
+    {
+      "id": "mesh-state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "mesh"
+    },
     {
       "id": "package",
       "type": "package",
       "package": "nftables"
     },
-    {
-      "id": "legacy-tools",
-      "type": "package",
-      "package": "iptables"
-    },
     {
       "id": "unit",
       "type": "file",
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@
       "id": "stock-unit-stop",
       "type": "file",
       "path": "/etc/systemd/system/nftables.service.d/mesh.conf",
-      "content": "# The mesh: stopping the stock unit deletes only the mesh's table, never the whole ruleset\n# (novox/hq ADR 0100) — a flush would take the container runtime's rules and any firewall with it.\n[Service]\nExecStop=\nExecStop=nft delete table inet mesh\n",
+      "content": "# The mesh: stopping the stock unit deletes only the mesh's table, never the whole ruleset\n# (novox/hq ADR 0100) \u2014 a flush would take the container runtime's rules and any firewall with it.\n[Service]\nExecStop=\nExecStop=nft delete table inet mesh\n",
       "mode": "0644"
     },
     {
@@ -62,20 +64,50 @@
       "type": "package",
       "package": "ufw",
       "absent": true
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-nftables",
+      "network": "host",
+      "capabilities": [
+        "NET_ADMIN"
+      ],
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "/etc/nftables.conf:/etc/nftables.conf:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_FILTER_FILE": "/etc/nftables.conf"
+      },
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "tools": [
     "firewall_rules"
   ],
+  "own-secrets": {
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
+  },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "tools",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ]
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/nftables/package.json

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "tsc client.ts tools/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --rootDir . --outDir dist",
+    "build": "tsc client.ts tools/index.ts --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist",
     "test": "node --test --experimental-strip-types 'test/*.test.ts'"
   },
   "dependencies": {

modules/nftables/test/remove.test.ts

@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 // and the same in an iptables-nft table. It refuses what is not the operator's to remove.
 import { test } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { FILTER_FILE, FirewallClient, chainsJumpingTo, escalated, installed, type Runner } from "../client.ts";
+import { FirewallClient, chainsJumpingTo, type Runner } from "../client.ts";
 
 const legacy = [
   "-P INPUT ACCEPT", "-P FORWARD DROP", "-P OUTPUT ACCEPT",
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ function fake(ufwActive = false): { run: Runner; asked: string[] } {
 
 test("a predecessor's chain in the legacy filter loses its jumps, is flushed and deleted", async () => {
   const f = fake();
-  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run, undefined, () => true).remove("chain HAL-MESH-ONLY (iptables-legacy)");
+  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run).remove("chain HAL-MESH-ONLY (iptables-legacy)");
   assert.deepEqual(out.did, [
     "iptables-legacy -D DOCKER-USER -i enp6s0 -p tcp -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j HAL-MESH-ONLY",
     "iptables-legacy -F HAL-MESH-ONLY",
@@ -45,27 +44,27 @@ test("a predecessor's chain in the legacy filter loses its jumps, is flushed and
 
 test("the runtime's user chain is emptied back to its one return, never deleted", async () => {
   const f = fake();
-  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run, undefined, () => true).remove("chain DOCKER-USER (ip6tables-legacy)");
+  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run).remove("chain DOCKER-USER (ip6tables-legacy)");
   assert.deepEqual(out.did, ["ip6tables-legacy -F DOCKER-USER", "ip6tables-legacy -A DOCKER-USER -j RETURN"]);
-  const nft = await new FirewallClient(fake().run, undefined, () => true).remove("table ip6 filter, chain DOCKER-USER");
+  const nft = await new FirewallClient(fake().run).remove("table ip6 filter, chain DOCKER-USER");
   assert.deepEqual(nft.did, ["ip6tables -F DOCKER-USER", "ip6tables -A DOCKER-USER -j RETURN"]);
 });
 
 test("a chain of the machine's own nftables table goes with the rules that reach it", async () => {
   const f = fake();
-  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run, undefined, () => true).remove("table ip6 own, chain deny");
+  const out = await new FirewallClient(f.run).remove("table ip6 own, chain deny");
   assert.deepEqual(out.did, ["nft delete rule ip6 own forward handle 7", "nft delete chain ip6 own deny"]);
 });
 
 test("what is not the operator's to remove is refused by name", async () => {
-  const c = new FirewallClient(fake(true).run, undefined, () => true);
+  const c = new FirewallClient(fake(true).run);
   await assert.rejects(c.remove("table inet mesh, chain forward"), /the mesh's own table/);
   await assert.rejects(c.remove("chain DOCKER (iptables-legacy)"), /container runtime's own/);
   await assert.rejects(c.remove("chain FORWARD (iptables-legacy)"), /built in/);
   await assert.rejects(c.remove("chain ufw6-docker-logging-deny (ip6tables-legacy)"), /found firewall, which is in force/);
   await assert.rejects(c.remove("something else"), /not a rule set as the host reports one/);
   // Retired, a front end's leftover is nobody's and goes.
-  const retired = await new FirewallClient(fake(false).run, undefined, () => true).remove("chain ufw6-docker-logging-deny (ip6tables-legacy)");
+  const retired = await new FirewallClient(fake(false).run).remove("chain ufw6-docker-logging-deny (ip6tables-legacy)");
   assert.ok(retired.did.includes("ip6tables-legacy -X ufw6-docker-logging-deny"));
 });
 
@@ -73,36 +72,3 @@ test("which chains jump to a target is read from a listing", () => {
   const listing = "table ip6 own {\n\tchain a {\n\t\tjump deny\n\t}\n\tchain b {\n\t\tgoto deny\n\t}\n\tchain deny {\n\t\tdrop\n\t}\n}\n";
   assert.deepEqual(chainsJumpingTo(listing, "deny"), ["a", "b"]);
 });
-
-test("the filter's commands run as given by root and through sudo without a prompt by anyone else", () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(escalated("nft", ["list", "ruleset"], 0), ["nft", ["list", "ruleset"]]);
-  assert.deepEqual(escalated("nft", ["-f", "/etc/nftables.conf"], 1000), ["sudo", ["-n", "nft", "-f", "/etc/nftables.conf"]]);
-  assert.deepEqual(escalated("iptables-legacy", ["-S"], undefined), ["sudo", ["-n", "iptables-legacy", "-S"]]);
-});
-
-test("the filter file is the one the manifest's filtering names", () => {
-  const manifest = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL("../module.json", import.meta.url), "utf8")) as { filtering: { into: string } };
-  assert.equal(FILTER_FILE, manifest.filtering.into);
-});
-
-test("a tool is installed when an executable of its name is on the path, and not otherwise", () => {
-  assert.equal(installed("sh"), true);
-  assert.equal(installed("no-such-tool-of-the-mesh"), false);
-});
-
-test("a found firewall that is absent guards nothing; one that will not answer stops the removal", async () => {
-  // Absent: its leftover chain is nobody's and goes, without asking it.
-  const absent = fake(true);
-  const out = await new FirewallClient(absent.run, undefined, () => false).remove("chain ufw6-docker-logging-deny (ip6tables-legacy)");
-  assert.ok(out.did.includes("ip6tables-legacy -X ufw6-docker-logging-deny"));
-  assert.ok(!absent.asked.some((a) => a.startsWith("ufw ")));
-  // Present and failing — refused by sudo, say — nothing is removed on a guess.
-  const refusing: Runner = async (cmd, args) => {
-    if (cmd === "ufw") throw new Error("ufw needs root and the runtime's account may not run it without a prompt");
-    return fake().run(cmd, args);
-  };
-  await assert.rejects(
-    new FirewallClient(refusing, undefined, () => true).remove("chain ufw6-docker-logging-deny (ip6tables-legacy)"),
-    /cannot tell whether the found firewall is in force/,
-  );
-});

modules/nftables/tools/index.ts

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export function getFirewallTools(firewall: FirewallClient): ToolDefinition[] {
   ];
 }
 
-const firewall = FirewallClient.onThisMachine();
+const firewall = FirewallClient.fromEnv();
 // The seat's verbs under the seat's name: the runtime serves them on the seat's subjects where this
 // module holds it (ADR 0159, 0160). The module's own under its own.
 registerModuleTools("node-packet-filter", () => getSeatVerbs(firewall));

modules/nodered/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# nodered's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/nodered
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc client.ts tools/index.ts mqtt/probe.ts mqtt/connection.ts mqtt/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/nodered/dist /app/modules/nodered/dist
+# Every serve-time entrypoint, loaded by the runtime in serve mode: tools and events serve, and a
+# provider's provisioner runs its reconcile loop in the same process, with the broker connected —
+# the convention novox/hq issues 060/061 settled.
+ENV MESH_TOOL_MODULES=/app/modules/nodered/dist/tools/index.js
+# NOT dist/mqtt/index.js: that is a step the host runs to completion, named by the `mqtt`
+# container's args as `mesh-tools run …` (novox/hq ADR 0052). Listed here it would run inside the
+# serving sidecar too, and exit it.

modules/nodered/module.json

@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
     "api-token": {
       "path": "${dir:mesh-state}/api-token",
       "taken": "at-start"
-    }
+    },
+    "broker": "${dir:mesh-state}/broker"
   },
   "capabilities": [
     "container-runtime"
@@ -100,31 +101,53 @@
       "content": "{\n  \"token\": \"${secret:api-token}\"\n}\n"
     },
     {
-      "id": "mqtt-env",
-      "type": "file",
-      "path": "${dir:state}/mqtt.env",
-      "mode": "0600",
-      "content": "MESH_NODERED_URL=http://127.0.0.1:${port:1880}\nMESH_NODERED_CONFIG_FILE=${dir:mesh-state}/config.json\nMESH_PROVISIONS_DIR=${dir:state}\nMESH_WRITTEN_DIR=${dir:written}\n"
+      "id": "runtime",
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-nodered",
+      "network": "host",
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
+        "MESH_NODERED_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:1880}",
+        "MESH_NODERED_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json"
+      },
+      "restart-on": [
+        "runtime-config"
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     },
     {
       "id": "mqtt",
-      "type": "process",
-      "name": "nodered-mqtt",
-      "artifact": "code",
-      "run": [
-        "node",
-        "mqtt/index.js"
-      ],
+      "type": "container",
+      "name": "mesh-nodered-mqtt",
+      "network": "host",
       "run-once": true,
-      "env-file": [
-        "${dir:state}/mqtt.env"
+      "volumes": [
+        "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:written}:/var/lib/nodered-provisions",
+        "${dir:state}/mqtt-topic.json:/run/provisions/mqtt-topic.json:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/mqtt-topic.secret:/run/provisions/mqtt-topic.secret:ro",
+        "${dir:state}/settings.json:/run/provisions/settings.json:ro"
+      ],
+      "env": {
+        "MESH_NODERED_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:1880}",
+        "MESH_NODERED_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
+        "MESH_PROVISIONS_DIR": "/run/provisions",
+        "MESH_WRITTEN_DIR": "/var/lib/nodered-provisions"
+      },
+      "args": [
+        "run",
+        "/app/modules/nodered/dist/mqtt/index.js"
       ],
       "restart-on": [
-        "mqtt-env",
         "bound-mqtt-topic",
         "secret-mqtt-topic",
         "settings"
-      ]
+      ],
+      "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
   "requires": [
@@ -150,22 +173,23 @@
     "mqtt-topic": "${dir:state}/mqtt-topic.secret"
   },
   "build": {
+    "on": [
+      {
+        "arg": "BUILD_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "build"
+      },
+      {
+        "arg": "RUNTIME_BASE",
+        "module": "mesh-tools",
+        "artifact": "runtime"
+      }
+    ],
     "artifacts": [
       {
-        "name": "code",
-        "kind": "bundle",
-        "language": "typescript",
-        "entrypoints": [
-          "tools/index.js",
-          "mqtt/index.js"
-        ],
-        "loads": [
-          "tools/index.js"
-        ],
-        "env": {
-          "MESH_NODERED_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:1880}",
-          "MESH_NODERED_CONFIG_FILE": "${dir:mesh-state}/config.json"
-        }
+        "name": "runtime",
+        "kind": "image",
+        "from": "Dockerfile"
       }
     ]
   }

modules/openai-consumer/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# openai-consumer's runtime: the tool runtime, carrying this module's compiled code.
+#
+# **Built from this module's own directory and nothing else.** The sdk and the tool runtime are in
+# the base images, published like any other artifact — which is what makes this buildable by the
+# mesh from a repository and a path (novox/hq ADR 0069) rather than only on a workstation that
+# happens to have the siblings.
+#
+# Two bases, named rather than pinned (novox/hq issue 044): the image this is COMPILED in and the
+# image it RUNS in — the second must not carry a compiler. Declared in module.json's `build.on`.
+ARG BUILD_BASE
+ARG RUNTIME_BASE
+
+FROM ${BUILD_BASE} AS build
+WORKDIR /app/modules/openai-consumer
+COPY . .
+RUN node /app/node_modules/typescript/bin/tsc apply/index.ts \
+      --module NodeNext --moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --outDir dist
+
+FROM ${RUNTIME_BASE}
+COPY --from=build /app/modules/openai-consumer/dist /app/modules/openai-consumer/dist
+# No serve-time entrypoints: every container of this module names its command (`run` on a
+# schedule), so nothing here serves — deliberately no MESH_TOOL_MODULES.