Does the DLC stay on Archon, or move to a new plugin that does not run on it? #677

Question

Does the DLC stay on Archon, or move to a new plugin that does not run on it?

Answer

It leaves Archon. The DLC moves into a new plugin with a different but related name. unic-archon-dlc is not migrated in place. The maintainer decided this on 2026-10-30, after a review with project managers and architects.

Why

Since 0.9.0, Archon has removed every way for a Consumer or a Practice Pack to give a workflow node an MCP server, a plugin or a skill without editing the Box YAML that unic-archon-dlc ships. Measured on Archon 0.13.0 with Claude Code 2.1.312, in throwaway repositories, for Archon 0.9.0 stops workflow nodes inheriting MCP servers:

• A node gets an MCP server only when its own YAML declares mcp:, as a path or as { path, optional: true }. A list, an inline server, ${VAR}, $VAR, $INPUTS.x and a workflow-level mcp: all fail or are ignored.
• A declared server that cannot connect fails the node before its first turn, also with optional: true.
• A node loads no plugin unless its YAML names it in plugins:. A project enabledPlugins does not change that.
• The Skill tool refuses a skill the node does not name in skills:. A skill read as a file, through a pointer in CLAUDE.md, works.
• settingSources: [project] with a root .mcp.json gives the node no MCP tools.
• Upstream's AGENTS.md says workflow nodes start without ambient skills, plugins or MCP servers. Its direction.md says a caller cannot override a child workflow's capability policy. No roadmap item changes this.
• Three minor versions in a row broke the Boxes: 0.9.0 (ambient MCP and skills), 0.12.0 (plugins and interactive:) and 0.13.0 (a failing server fails the node).

So every Consumer-specific server, and every Practice Pack, would need an edit to a file the DLC owns. The first Practice Pack, for end-to-end tests with Playwright, brings its own MCP server, skills and possibly plugins.

What follows

• An ADR in the new plugin's first pull request records this decision. It supersedes unic-archon-dlc's ADR-0011 and ADR-0033.
• A new wayfinder map charts the migration. Its destination states the need, not a tool: the DLC runs without Archon, and a Consumer or a Practice Pack can add a server, skill or plugin without editing a shipped Box. A research ticket compares candidates, Claude Code's own tools among them.
• Is run 4 still worth running on Archon, now that the plugin is being replaced? decides what happens to run 4 and the tickets in front of it.
• Until the migration lands, the Consumer stays on Archon 0.13.0.