---
title: "Lifecycle"
description: "The six steps from lint to exec that every pack passes before a command runs, how to read availability, and where the store keeps its state."
canonical: https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/docs/concepts/lifecycle
---

# Lifecycle

> The six steps from lint to exec that every pack passes before a command runs, how to read availability, and where the store keeps its state.

Every step is a CLI command you can observe, and each one fails closed. When a
command will not run, `hcpx availability` gives the reason, so an agent reads it
before planning and never meets the denial mid-run.

```text
lint → install → activate → connect → availability → exec
```

| Step | Command | What changes | Proves |
|------|---------|--------------|--------|
| Lint | `hcpx lint <dir>` | Nothing | Policy covers every command and trigger; Skill present and naming the same commands; wrap is named or pass-through |
| Install | `hcpx install <dir>` | Pack copied to `$HCP_HOME/packs/<id>/` | The three files are valid and stored |
| Activate | `hcpx activate <id>` | Pack on this session; Skill copied to `$HCP_HOME/skills/<id>/SKILL.md` | The session may use it |
| Connect | `hcpx connect <id>` | Binding minted through the hub | Credentials exist for this Principal. Skipped when mode is `public` |
| Availability | `hcpx availability <id>` | Nothing | Which commands this Principal may run right now, and why not |
| Exec | `hcpx exec <id> <verb>` | The world | Grant → confirm → mint → Adapter → sandbox → result |

## Availability

Availability reports four flags per pack, with `executable` per command, and
every `false` carries a reason.

| Flag | Meaning | False when |
|------|---------|------------|
| installed | Present in the store | Never installed, or uninstalled |
| activated | On the harness session | Installed but not activated |
| connected | Binding minted | Non-public pack that has not run `connect` |
| executable | This command passes grants now | Any of the above, or `missing verb.exec.read` / `missing verb.exec.write` |

```bash
hcpx availability ledger --json
```

```json
{
  "pack_id": "ledger",
  "status": ["installed", "activated"],
  "installed": true,
  "activated": true,
  "connected": false,
  "adapter_kind": "wrap",
  "skill_present": true,
  "verbs": [
    { "verb_key": "setup.status", "operation": "read",  "land": "local", "executable": true },
    { "verb_key": "transfer",     "operation": "write", "land": "local", "executable": false, "reason": "missing verb.exec.write" }
  ],
  "capabilities": [
    { "capability": "pack.install",    "granted": true },
    { "capability": "pack.connect",    "granted": true },
    { "capability": "verb.exec.read",  "granted": true },
    { "capability": "verb.exec.write", "granted": false },
    { "capability": "sense.enable",    "granted": false }
  ]
}
```

## The store

The first run of `hcpx` creates the store and installs the `hcp-cli` bootstrap
pack, so a working pack is always there to exec against. Set `HCP_HOME` to move
the store, for example in CI or to keep a project store apart from a personal
one.

```text
$HCP_HOME/                 default ~/.hcp
  packs/<id>/              installed packs — the three files
  skills/<id>/SKILL.md     Skill copies, written on activate
  state.json               activated · connected · grants
```

## Activate and connect

Install puts a pack in the store and activate puts it on a session, so a
runtime can hold many packs and expose a few, and a host generates surfaces
from exactly the activated set. Host wiring with `hcpx adopt` is a separate,
optional step.

Connect applies to Binding modes `user`, `local` and `mothership`. It needs
`pack.connect`, a capability apart from daily writes, and is the only step that
mints a long-lived credential, while health commands report and never connect.

## Deactivate and uninstall

```bash
hcpx deactivate ledger     # leaves the pack in the store, removes it from the session
hcpx uninstall ledger      # removes the directory
```

A runtime can also turn off a pack's triggers alone without touching the CLI
wrap.

## Related

- [Build runtimes](/docs/runtimes)
- [CLI reference](/docs/reference/cli)
- [Specification: Lifecycle](/docs/specification/lifecycle)

## Sitemap

- [Documentation](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/docs)
- [Packs](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/packs)
- [Glossary](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/docs/reference/glossary)
- [llms.txt](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/llms.txt)
- [llms-full.txt](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/llms-full.txt)
- [OpenAPI](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/openapi.json)
- [MCP](https://harnesscontextprotocol.io/mcp)