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00_runtime_entry.txt is the first file in the Signal Rail reading order, and its position is not incidental. Before any canonical surface can be meaningfully used, before the lateral kernel (06_ai_to_ai.txt) becomes operative, and before any substantive action is permitted, the agent must pass through the entry gate this file defines. It is not an introduction to the project — it governs how the system may be entered, what must be read first, which conditions must be satisfied, and what to do when those conditions cannot be met.

Purpose

00_runtime_entry.txt is the runtime entry manual of Signal Rail. It governs valid entry and correct system reading. 06_ai_to_ai.txt governs execution after entry has become valid. The split is deliberate: if an omission causes bad entry or a bad reading of the system, it belongs in 00. If an omission causes bad movement after valid entry has already been confirmed, it belongs in 06. If both seem true, keep only the entry threshold in 00 and keep the operative procedure in 06.

The core rule

Do not begin from a target file. Do not begin from a guess. Do not begin from the nearest visible surface. Do not act before entry validity is closed.
The first task upon entering a Signal Rail instance is not to solve. It is to close the minimum safe frame. You are entering a governance system, not the governed domain by default — the system does not automatically coincide with the current object of work.

System map

00 carries the definitive map of all Signal Rail surfaces and their governance scope. Canonical surfaces
FileGoverns
01_orientation.txtProject identity, perimeter, and reading frame
02_protocol_freeze.txtHard-to-reopen identity constants
03_master_working.txtCurrent live state
04_decision_log.txtAlready-won decisions already in effect
05_latent_ideas.txtLive unresolved material
08_surface_map.txtTechnical topology, entrypoints, sensitive surfaces, critical deps
09_handoff_reentry.txtContinuity and re-entry support between sessions
Lateral surfaces
FileGoverns
AI_TO_AI__DEPLOYED_INSTANCE_SIGNAL_RAIL.txtInstance marker only — does not identify host project or authority
97_field_findings.txtTemporary finding capture, not project memory
98_parking.txtUseful but not live material
99_archive.txtHistorical or closed material
Authority rule: canonical surfaces do not have equal authority. Each canonical governs its own level only. Lateral surfaces do not override canonicals. 09_handoff_reentry.txt supports continuity but does not override canonical truth. In conflict, the file that governs the touched level decides the reading boundary. ID families:
  • 02 uses F-xx
  • 04 uses D-xx
  • 05 uses L-xx
  • 98 uses P-xx
  • 99 uses A-xx

Activation threshold

Entry is valid only after all of the following conditions are closed:
1

System identified

You have recognised that you are operating inside a Signal Rail governance system.
2

Host project closed

The host project is closed enough for the task at hand.
3

Working object closed

The current working object is closed enough for the task at hand.
4

Minimum read complete

The mandatory read sequence has been completed (see below).
5

Mode, scope, and authority closed

Mode, scope, and authority are all closed enough for the task. If an append-driven canonical will be touched, its entries contract must be valid: one --- ENTRIES START --- / --- ENTRIES END --- pair in correct order, local template present as scaffold, no malformed markers.

Mandatory read order

  1. Read 00_runtime_entry.txt
  2. Read 06_ai_to_ai.txt
  3. Read 01_orientation.txt
  4. Read 03_master_working.txt

Conditional reads

ConditionRead
Folder may be a deployed instanceAI_TO_AI__DEPLOYED_INSTANCE_SIGNAL_RAIL.txt
Identity, freeze, or structure may be touched02_protocol_freeze.txt
Decisions may be touched04_decision_log.txt
Technical surface, entrypoints, sensitive files, or deps may be touched08_surface_map.txt
Continuity or restart matters09_handoff_reentry.txt
Unresolved live material is under review05_latent_ideas.txt
Active findings are explicitly relevant97_field_findings.txt

False entrypoints

  • Do not start from the file named first by the user.
  • Do not start from continuity as if it were truth.
  • Do not start from findings as if they were memory.
  • Do not start from any file before closing frame, mode, and minimum read.
A task arriving before minimum read is complete does not authorize skipping minimum read.

Permissions

Allowed immediately

Orientation reading · minimum read completion · source comparison · uncertainty declaration · frame closure · task clarification · extraction without promotion

Not allowed immediately

Canonical writing · canonical rewrite · promotion across levels · freeze edits · decision recording · structural touch · self-authorized scope expansion · completion by invention

Stop-and-ask conditions

Stop and ask before proceeding when any of the following are true:
  • Host project is unclear
  • Current working object is unclear
  • Touched level is unclear
  • Mode is unclear
  • Authority is unclear
  • Scope is unclear
  • Live source is unclear
  • Entries contract is unclear on a touched append-driven canonical
  • Classification could change meaning
  • Promotion could change structure or continuity
  • Canonicals conflict
  • More than one valid reading remains
Do not authorize writing because something looks clear. Do not authorize promotion because something sounds strong. Do not infer authority from cleanliness, recency, completeness, or elegance.

Recovery states

StateMeaningNext correct move
entry-validAll activation conditions are closedMove to 06_ai_to_ai.txt — Identity State
blockedAuthority, scope, or mode is unclearStop and ask for closure of the unclear condition
uninitialized-canonical-state01 and 03 are still template-like and do not close identity or live stateStop canonical interpretation; ask operator for initialization instructions
divergentMore than one valid reading remainsDo not promote; return the smallest safe reading and what remains open
If an uninitialized canonical state is discovered mid-task, stop and ask. Do not interpret template-like canonicals as fully live authority surfaces and do not promote as if the system were already initialized.

Restart path

If a closed gate reopens during a task, stop treating execution as valid and re-enter through:
  1. 00_runtime_entry.txt section 3
  2. 06_ai_to_ai.txt — Identity State
  3. 01_orientation.txt
  4. 03_master_working.txt
  5. Additional conditional surfaces only if triggered again

Valid shortest path

1

Identify the system

Confirm you are operating inside a Signal Rail governance system.
2

Identify host project and working object

Close the host project and the current working object enough for the task.
3

Complete minimum read

Read 00_runtime_entry.txt, then 06_ai_to_ai.txt, then 01_orientation.txt, then 03_master_working.txt.
4

Test entry validity

Confirm all activation threshold conditions are met.
5

If entry-valid

Move to 06_ai_to_ai.txt — Identity State and begin operative work.
6

If uninitialized-canonical-state

Stop and ask operator for initialization instructions.
7

If blocked or divergent

Do not promote. Return state and next correct move.
Mode is a permission boundary, not a label. A mode change changes what is allowed. If a closed gate reopens during the task, stop treating execution as valid and re-enter through Recovery.

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