---
title: Follow the activation lifecycle
description: Trace Runtime Configuration, Context, Extension Plan construction, Snapshot preflight, and sequential registration.
sidebar:
  label: Lifecycle
---

Each activation builds one Snapshot for the active OpenCode location.

1. **Resolve the active location**

    Vector calls the pinned host's `agent.list()` operation and maps its location into `cwd` and `project`.

2. **Resolve Runtime Configuration**

    When the builder declares `runtimeConfig`, Vector reads global then project JSON, merges the values, and validates
    the result once with the supplied Standard Schema. Without that option, it skips file discovery and supplies an
    empty Runtime Configuration object.

3. **Compute additional Context**

    A builder with `computeContext` calls it once with the base location fields, then adds the returned properties to
    the Context shared by bound callbacks.

4. **Build the Extension Plan**

    Vector calls the captured configuration `build(context)` callback. The callback selects reusable Extension
    Definitions and supported defaults.

5. **Materialize the candidate Snapshot**

    Every selected Extension Definition other than an External Skill builds with the same Context. External Skill
    descriptors and ordered Instruction File sources remain in an internal candidate form.

6. **Resolve Global Instructions**

    Vector canonicalizes and reads each selected Instruction File once. A failure stops activation before any host
    transform registration.

7. **Resolve External Skills**

    Vector resolves Local Skills from canonical directories and Managed Skills from the shared user cache or their
    remote sources. A failure stops activation before any host transform registration.

8. **Preflight the Snapshot**

    Vector checks duplicate identities and required relationships across the complete concrete Snapshot before
    registration.

9. **Register with OpenCode**

    Vector always invokes `agent.transform`. That transform applies Vector Agent Definitions, appends Global
    Instructions to every returned agent system, and selects the default agent in that order. Vector registers each
    remaining host domain sequentially only when that domain has selected extensions or an applicable default.

Instruction File resolution, External Skill resolution, and preflight prevent host registration for their failures. Once registration starts, Vector does not roll back transforms that already succeeded if a later host operation fails.

Use [Troubleshoot](/activate/troubleshoot) to recover at each seam. See [Context](/api/context), [Runtime Configuration](/api/runtime-config), and [Extensions](/api/extensions) for the values in this lifecycle.