Cross-platform behavior

Understand equivalent Linux, macOS, and Windows contracts without assuming identical paths or tools.

Linux, macOS, and Windows are first-class Follower Machine platforms. They share domain outcomes and conformance contracts, not raw paths or command output.

Platform seams

Capability	Linux	macOS	Windows
Scheduler	systemd user timer	launchd user agent	Task Scheduler
Secure credential provider	Secret Service	Keychain	Credential Manager
Common package recipe	apt, npm, uv, cargo, source	Homebrew, npm, uv, cargo, source	winget, npm, uv, cargo, source
User path syntax	POSIX	POSIX	Windows

MachineState converts platform operations into domain values. Synchronization does not compare raw OS-specific output or pretend paths are interchangeable strings.

Paths and targets

Profile targets reject parent traversal, null bytes, and globs. Use explicit platform mapping where a target differs; do not publish a Source Machine's absolute path as though it were portable.

Agent harness path allowlists are local to the follower. Configure Windows paths on Windows and POSIX paths on Linux or macOS.

Atomic file replacement uses a sibling temporary file, durability synchronization where supported, and rename. Symlink, permission, cancellation, timeout, and output-limit behavior is implemented by each real platform adapter and returns typed errors when unavailable.

Equivalent does not mean identical

A resource can have the same desired capability on all platforms while using different package names, scheduler definitions, credential providers, path separators, and verification evidence.

Installation Recipes

Keep platform recipe records independent. A tool can use apt on Linux, Homebrew on macOS, and winget on Windows. npm, uv, cargo, and source recipes can span platforms only when their own evidence supports that claim.

Never choose a recipe solely because its package name resembles a package on another platform.

Schedules

The calendar remains a local-time domain value. The adapter renders it for the native scheduler. Inspect the installed result rather than copying a systemd definition to another platform:

canonfig schedule set daily@00:00 --timezone Europe/Paris
canonfig schedule status

Noninteractive operation

All native jobs use the same canonical apply command:

canonfig sync --apply --no-input

No platform may wait for a prompt during a scheduled run. Missing secure storage, login, elevation, or another human-only capability becomes Human Action Required with platform-specific instructions.

Source endpoint limitation

The shipped source server accepts loopback hosts only on every platform. Remote exposure, port forwarding, or a public listener is outside the verified C11 CLI contract.