Capability and deployment matrix
Choose a deployment based on its workspace, storage, approval, and API support. Most capabilities come from the shared engine and server.
Shared server capabilities
When configured, mecated and mecak8s provide the same core capabilities:
- the agent loop, core tools, permissions, approvals, posture, and model routing;
- project instructions, rules, skills, commands, soul, memory, named agents, and streaming-HTTP MCP sources;
- durable sessions, event logs, scheduling, Subagents, Parallel, Teams, and multimodal input; and
- gRPC and HTTP/SSE session APIs.
Some features require additional configuration, model support, project trust, or durable storage. A connected client uses the server's capabilities.
Deployment differences
| Need | mecated | mecak8s | mecatui embedded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run a general-purpose server | ✓ | ✓ | Starts one locally |
| Workspace and Shell namespace | Host-local workspace | Configured pod workspace or no-FS profile | Host-local workspace |
| gRPC API | ✓ | ✓ | Private Unix socket |
| HTTP/SSE API | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| Durable state | Optional configured backend | Redis-backed when configured | JSONL store by default |
| Kubernetes leases and drain handling | No | ✓ | No |
| Interactive permission approvals | Opt | Headless by default | ✓ |
| ACP editor integration | ✓, mecated acp only | No | No |
Choose a deployment
Use mecated for a general client/server deployment
mecated is the general-purpose server for environments outside Kubernetes. It
serves gRPC and HTTP/SSE, can use local or configured storage, and supports
optional server features such as MCP, schedules, and ACP.
Choose mecated for separate client and server processes, a host-local
workspace, ACP editor integration, or direct control of storage and networking.
Use mecak8s for Kubernetes-native operation
mecak8s serves the same agent and APIs with cloud-native defaults: Redis
stores session state and durable events, Kubernetes leases coordinate ownership
across replicas, and readiness/drain behavior suits a deployment controller.
When an operator configures a workspace, its filesystem tools and any Shell
command run in the harness pod namespace, not on a remote caller’s machine.
Without --workspace, mecak8s creates no-FS sessions by default. mecak8s is
headless by default, so unresolved permission asks need an explicit
headless-reviewer strategy or are denied. ACP is intentionally not available in
this deployment.
Use embedded mecatui for local interactive work
Running bare mecatui starts an in-process server behind a private Unix gRPC
socket. It uses local server configuration and displays permission requests in
the TUI.
Its durable store defaults to a per-workspace JSONL location under XDG state.
Use --no-store for in-memory state or --store-dir to choose another
location.
Workspace and Shell execution
Filesystem tools and Shell operate in the namespace where the harness runs. In
mecak8s, that normally means the pod’s workspace and command environment, not
the client’s machine. A remote client does not upload or share its local
checkout. See Execution environments for the
workspace, runner, no-FS, child-environment, and reattachment model.
ACP editor integration
ACP is a local mecated integration. It creates a session using the editor
client’s working directory. When the editor supports read/write access, ACP can
install a shell-less editor-buffer environment for that session. ACP resume
restores conversation state but does not yet restore the editor-buffer override.
Feature availability at runtime
Optional feature availability depends on the server's configuration and registered tools. Check the capability snapshot returned when you create a session rather than assuming a feature is enabled because a deployment can support it.