everything-claude-code/docs/architecture/harness-adapter-compliance.md

Harness Adapter Compliance Matrix

This matrix is the public onramp for teams that want to use ECC across more than one coding harness. It turns the cross-harness architecture into a practical scorecard: what works today, what is instruction-only, what needs an adapter, and what evidence an operator should collect before trusting a setup.

ECC's durable units stay in shared sources:

• skills/*/SKILL.md
• rules/
• commands/
• hooks/hooks.json
• scripts/hooks/
• MCP reference configs
• session and observability contracts

Harness-specific files should only adapt loading, event shape, command names, or platform limits.

Compliance States

State	Meaning
Native	ECC can install or verify the surface directly for this harness.
Adapter-backed	ECC has a thin adapter, plugin, or package surface, but parity differs by harness.
Instruction-backed	ECC can provide the guidance and files, but the harness does not expose the runtime hook/session surface ECC needs for enforcement.
Reference-only	The tool is useful as a design pressure or external runtime, but ECC does not yet ship a direct installer or adapter for it.

Matrix

The matrix below is rendered from scripts/lib/harness-adapter-compliance.js and verified by npm run harness:adapters -- --check.

Harness or runtime	State	Supported assets	Unsupported or different surfaces	Install or onramp	Verification command	Risk notes
Claude Code	Native	Claude plugin assets; skills; commands; hooks; MCP config; local rules; statusline-oriented workflows	Claude-native hooks do not imply parity in other harnesses	./install.sh --profile minimal --target claude; Claude plugin install	npm run harness:audit -- --format json; node scripts/session-inspect.js --list-adapters	Avoid loading every skill by default; keep hooks opt-in and inspectable.
Codex	Instruction-backed	AGENTS.md; Codex plugin metadata; skills; MCP reference config; command patterns	Native hook enforcement and Claude slash-command semantics are not equivalent	./install.sh --profile minimal --target codex; repo-local AGENTS.md review	npm run harness:audit -- --format json	Treat hooks as policy text unless a native Codex hook surface exists.
OpenCode	Adapter-backed	OpenCode package/plugin metadata; shared skills; MCP config; event adapter patterns	Event names, plugin packaging, and command dispatch differ from Claude Code	OpenCode package or plugin surface from this repo	node tests/scripts/build-opencode.test.js; npm run harness:audit -- --format json	Keep hook logic in shared scripts and adapt only event shape at the edge.
Cursor	Adapter-backed	Cursor rules; project-local skills; hook adapter; shared scripts	Cursor hook events and rule loading differ from Claude Code	./install.sh --profile minimal --target cursor	node tests/lib/install-targets.test.js; npm run harness:audit -- --format json	Cursor adapters must preserve existing project rules and avoid silent overwrite.
Gemini	Instruction-backed	Gemini project-local instructions; shared skills; rules; compatibility docs	No full ECC hook parity; ecosystem ports must document drift from upstream ECC	./install.sh --profile minimal --target gemini	node tests/lib/install-targets.test.js	Treat Gemini ports as ecosystem adapters until validated end to end inside Gemini CLI.
Zed-adjacent workflows	Instruction-backed	shared skills; AGENTS.md style project instructions; verification loops	Zed agent surfaces vary; no first-party ECC installer is shipped today	Manual copy from shared ECC sources until adapter requirements settle	npm run harness:audit -- --format json	Do not claim native Zed support before a real adapter and verification path exist.
dmux	Adapter-backed	session snapshots; tmux/worktree orchestration status; handoff exports	dmux is an orchestration runtime, not an install target for skills/rules	node scripts/session-inspect.js --list-adapters; dmux session target inspection	node tests/lib/session-adapters.test.js	Treat dmux events as session/runtime signals, not as a replacement for repo validation.
Orca	Reference-only	worktree lifecycle; review state; notification; provider-identity design pressure	No ECC installer or direct adapter today	Use as a comparison target for worktree/session state requirements	npm run observability:ready	Do not import product-specific assumptions; convert lessons into ECC event fields.
Superset	Reference-only	workspace presets; parallel-agent review loops; worktree isolation design pressure	No ECC installer or direct adapter today	Use as a comparison target for workspace preset taxonomy	npm run observability:ready	Keep ECC portable; do not require a desktop workspace to get basic value.
Ghast	Reference-only	terminal-native pane grouping; cwd grouping; search; notifications	No ECC installer or direct adapter today	Use as a comparison target for terminal-first session grouping	node scripts/session-inspect.js --list-adapters	Preserve terminal ergonomics before adding visual UI assumptions.
Terminal-only	Native	skills; rules; commands; scripts; harness audit; observability readiness; handoffs	No external UI, no automatic session control unless scripts are run explicitly	Clone repo; run commands directly; use minimal profile for project installs	npm run harness:audit -- --format json; npm run observability:ready	This is the fallback contract; every higher-level adapter should degrade to it.

Scorecard Onramp

Use this sequence before asking ECC to make a team or repo setup more autonomous:

npm run harness:adapters -- --check
npm run harness:audit -- --format json
npm run observability:ready
node scripts/session-inspect.js --list-adapters
node scripts/loop-status.js --json --write-dir .ecc/loop-status

Read the result as a setup scorecard, not a product badge:

• harness:adapters -- --check proves this public matrix still matches the adapter source data and required evidence fields.
• harness:audit scores tool coverage, context efficiency, quality gates, memory persistence, eval coverage, security guardrails, and cost efficiency.
• observability:ready proves the repo still exposes the local status, session, tool-activity, risk-ledger, and release-onramp signals.
• session-inspect --list-adapters shows which session surfaces are actually inspectable in the current environment.
• loop-status --json creates a machine-readable handoff/status payload for longer autonomous runs.

Data-Backed Scorecard Contract

Each adapter record exposes:

• id
• state
• supported_assets
• unsupported_surfaces
• install_or_onramp
• verification_commands
• risk_notes
• last_verified_at
• owner
• source_docs

The validator fails if a public adapter claim has no install path, verification command, risk note, owner, source doc, or verification date.

Operating Rules

• Prefer small, additive adapters over harness-specific forks of the same workflow.
• Do not call a harness native until the adapter has an install path and a verification command.
• Keep Codex, Gemini, and Zed surfaces honest when enforcement is instruction-backed rather than runtime-backed.
• Treat reference-only tools as design pressure until ECC has a direct adapter.
• Keep the terminal-only path healthy; it is the portability floor.