---
type: Synthesis
tier: 50_AUDITS
strand:
- operations
audience:
- operators
- engineers
difficulty: intermediate
prerequisites:
- Concept_Deployment_Architecture
- Reference_MCP_Servers
tags:
- audit
- 999-seal
- deployment
- substrate
- vps
- rebuild
sources:
- 999_seal_alignment_ingest_2026-04-11.md
- VPS_CONTRAST_ANALYSIS_999_SEAL.md
- DEPLOYMENT_SUMMARY.md
- deployments/README.md
last_sync: '2026-04-11'
confidence: 0.99
---

# Audit: 999_SEAL Runtime Contrast

This audit captures the distinction between **merged 999_SEAL capability** and **live VPS runtime truth**. The repositories are aligned, but the substrate layer is not yet operational on the VPS.

## Alignment Snapshot

| Repository | Commit | State |
|------------|--------|-------|
| `arifOS` | `8b44fc9` | ✅ merged and pushed |
| `A-FORGE` | `1d3699bd4` | ✅ aligned |

## Core Verdict

> **REBUILD REQUIRED** — runtime cannot claim full `999_SEAL` while the VPS is running **0/6 MCP substrates**.

| Metric | Merged Capability | Live VPS Runtime |
|--------|-------------------|------------------|
| Canonical tool surface | ✅ 11 tools aligned | ✅ present in code |
| Deployment gates | ✅ implemented | ⚠️ not yet exercised on rebuilt runtime |
| MCP substrates | ✅ specified in docs/config | ❌ 0/6 running |
| `999_SEAL` runtime claim | target defined | **not yet earned on live substrate layer** |

## Missing Substrate Layer

| Substrate | Runtime State | 999_SEAL Requirement |
|-----------|---------------|----------------------|
| `mcp_time` | ❌ missing | deterministic epoch anchor |
| `mcp_filesystem` | ❌ missing | F1-gated file operations |
| `mcp_git` | ❌ missing | F11 ratified git bridge |
| `mcp_memory` | ❌ missing | entity/relation memory layer |
| `mcp_fetch` | ❌ missing | F9-grounded fetch protection |
| `mcp_everything` | ❌ missing | protocol conformance harness |

## What Landed From Laptop Sync

| Change | Files | Runtime Meaning |
|--------|-------|-----------------|
| 11 canonical MCP tools | `tools.py`, `server.py` | syscall surface aligned |
| Kernel router | `kernel_router.py` | routing upgraded |
| Constitutional breach tests | `constitutional_breach_tests.yaml` | F1-F13 validation harness ready |
| Deploy gate | `deploy_gate.py` | A-H deployment gates ready |

## Operational Reading

The current wiki and repo correctly describe the **target** `999_SEAL` architecture, but operational truth is still gated by infrastructure rebuild. This is a deployment-state gap, not a source-code gap.

## Rebuild Path

1. Create rollback point and backups under `888_HOLD`.
2. Pull or build the six MCP substrate images.
3. Rebuild and relaunch `arifosmcp` with substrates enabled.
4. Run `mcp_inspector_test.py`, deployment gates, and smoke checks.
5. Promote to runtime `999_SEAL` only after all six substrates are healthy.

## Primary Source Trail

- `wiki/raw/999_seal_alignment_ingest_2026-04-11.md`
- `VPS_CONTRAST_ANALYSIS_999_SEAL.md`
- `DEPLOYMENT_SUMMARY.md`
- `deployments/README.md`

## Quick Commands

```bash
python arifosmcp/evals/mcp_inspector_test.py --all
./deployments/deploy.sh vps
./deployments/deploy.sh vps --fast-track
```

## Constitutional Note

`999_SEAL` is only valid when **documentation, code, and live runtime** agree. Until the substrate layer is rebuilt and verified, the correct state is **alignment achieved, runtime pending**.
