Installations

Overview

Installations are how an agent gets attached to outside systems and capabilities.

They matter because they answer questions like:

• what kind of external capability is attached to this agent?
• is it connected yet?
• what state is it in?
• what action is still required before it becomes usable?

This is one of the clearest debugging views in the platform. When an attached integration or capability is not working, installations are usually where the status shows up first.

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A concrete example

Suppose Company A's support agent needs access to a site or provider-backed integration so it can help Company B diagnose a broken onboarding flow.

The useful operator path is:

1. inspect the available installation kinds
2. create the installation on the right agent
3. inspect its current state
4. follow the next action if setup is incomplete
5. activate it when it is ready

That is a real lifecycle, not just one create command.

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Inspect available kinds

Before you attach anything, inspect the kinds the platform supports for the current app:

archastro list agentinstallationkinds

This is where you discover what categories are actually available instead of guessing from screenshots or old examples.

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Create an installation

Create one for an agent:

archastro create agentinstallation \
  --agent <agent_id> \
  --kind web/site \
  --config '{"url":"https://status.example.com"}'

web/site here is a literal installation kind value, not a path. Different apps expose different kinds, so always start with list agentinstallationkinds before you script one.

Another installation kind may require provider-specific config instead. The exact input depends on the kind.

The important part is that installations are attached to agents explicitly. They are not ambient platform magic.

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Inspect installation state

After creation, inspect it directly:

archastro list agentinstallations --agent <agent_id>
archastro describe agentinstallation <installation_id>

This is the command loop you use to answer:

• what state is this installation in?
• is there a next action?
• is there a provider-specific connect path?
• did setup fail?

That information is much more actionable than vague "integration isn't working" reports.

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Activate or remove it

If the installation is ready:

archastro activate agentinstallation <installation_id>

If you no longer need it:

archastro delete agentinstallation <installation_id>

This explicit lifecycle is good for both debugging and review.

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How installations relate to knowledge and tools

Installations are often the upstream attachment surface behind:

• knowledge connections
• provider-backed integrations
• certain tool capabilities

That is why they matter even when a developer thinks they are "really working on knowledge" or "really working on tools." Installations often tell you whether the underlying attachment is healthy before you debug anything higher level.

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Good installation posture

Good installation workflows usually follow four rules:

1. inspect kinds before creating
2. attach only what the agent actually needs
3. check status and next action before blaming the model
4. activate only when the setup is clearly ready

This is one of the simplest ways to keep the public surface powerful without making it mysterious.

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Where to go next

1. Read Knowledge for the source and ingestion layer above installations.
2. Read Tools for action surfaces the agent can operate once attachments are ready.
3. Read Portal for the visual operator workflow around setup and review.