{"clean-is-not-ready-to-spend":{"description":"A valid AI workflow can still waste money. Nika now separates legal files from workflows that are ready for a paid run.","file":"2026-08-21-clean-is-not-ready-to-spend.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"arm64-ai-workflows-on-linux-servers":{"description":"A practical path from a native ARM64 Nika binary to checked, sandboxed and traceable AI workflows on a headless Linux host.","file":"2026-08-21-arm64-ai-workflows-on-linux-servers.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-access-layer-is-an-operating-contract":{"description":"From v0.108.0 to v0.111.0, Nika separated the model you choose from the path that reaches it, cut the workflow language to its durable core, added an explicit scheduler and turned check into an authoring loop.","file":"2026-08-20-the-access-layer-is-an-operating-contract.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"workflow-ecosystem-field-guide":{"description":"Choose deliberately among model providers, local runtimes, builtins, MCP servers and coding-agent surfaces without turning the workflow into vendor glue.","file":"2026-08-19-workflow-ecosystem-field-guide.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-run-keeps-its-receipt":{"description":"A trace is more than a log: it can replay without effects, resume verified work, expose one task, export to OpenTelemetry and assemble a redacted evidence pack.","file":"2026-08-08-the-run-keeps-its-receipt.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-registry-reproves-everything":{"description":"A workflow registry where nothing is taken on faith: every entry is content-pinned to an exact source revision and re-proven by CI (hash, certificate, advisories). The npm-of-workflows, minus the trust-me.","file":"2026-07-14-the-registry-reproves-everything.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-mcp-server-you-didnt-build":{"description":"Everyone is learning how to build an MCP server. For your workflows, skip the tutorial: the nika binary already is one. Read-only tools let any agent audit a plan and learn the language from the thing that enforces it.","file":"2026-07-11-the-mcp-server-you-didnt-build.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-local-forecast":{"description":"explain --forecast computes duration and cost priors from your own recorded runs: stats over .nika/traces/, honest ranges at two runs, percentiles at five. Never a model call, never the network.","file":"2026-07-11-the-local-forecast.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-chain-of-custody":{"description":"A recorded run is a text file, and text files can be edited. nika trace verify recomputes the hash chain: one changed word in history breaks every line after it, and the run's printed head closes the loop.","file":"2026-07-11-the-chain-of-custody.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-run-that-waits":{"description":"The approval gate is a task in the file, not a Slack thread: a plan fails closed on nika:prompt, and the human's answer rides the resume.","file":"2026-07-10-the-run-that-waits.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-resume-story":{"description":"kill -9 a run mid-flight, then resume it: finished work never runs twice. Durability as a file property, shown from the real journal.","file":"2026-07-10-the-resume-story.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-one-task-rerun":{"description":"Regenerate one block without re-running the world: --task scopes a fresh run to a task and its upstream, --from re-rolls what the hashes cannot see.","file":"2026-07-10-the-one-task-rerun.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-run-becomes-evidence":{"description":"Every journal line now carries a hash chain: verify names the first broken link, reproduce classifies every task, and the journal attests which engine wrote it. Trust, but verify. Then verify.","file":"2026-07-07-the-run-becomes-evidence.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"time-travel-for-real":{"description":"Every debugger replays the past by re-running it. Nika's past is a file, so stepping backward is free, breakpoints live in your YAML, and F5 debugs a run that already happened.","file":"2026-07-06-time-travel-for-real.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-editor-tells-the-truth":{"description":"A green badge is a claim. We audited the editor extension against the engine the way you'd audit a client against a server, and found the badge lying. Here is the contract that keeps it honest now.","file":"2026-07-06-the-editor-tells-the-truth.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"media-are-workflow-citizens":{"description":"Images and speech now render inside workflows under the same discipline as everything else: permit-gated saves, sha256 provenance, honest warnings, real cost on the ledger, and the sovereign path first.","file":"2026-07-06-media-are-workflow-citizens.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-trace-you-can-replay":{"description":"Every run leaves a flight recorder: a deterministic AI audit trail you can replay like a film, never re-execute by accident.","file":"2026-07-05-the-trace-you-can-replay.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"the-cost-line":{"description":"The audit prices every token before it is spent: ceilings on generations, budgets on loops, and a $0.00 that means it.","file":"2026-07-05-the-cost-line.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"dag-for-free":{"description":"The wiring is all you write: with: for data, after: for order. The plan falls out of the file: parallel waves, drawn before anything runs.","file":"2026-06-12-dag-for-free.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"},"what-survived-the-first-version":{"description":"Strip away the early claims and four technical bets remain: file, graph, model choice and a local engine.","file":"2026-01-what-survived-the-first-version.md","author":"Thibaut Melen"}}

the journal · by tag

Engine

Every post filed under Engine, newest first, one register of 7 the journal keeps. The shelf lens on the journal filters the same set in place.

20postsin this register
7tagsthe journal keeps
49posts in the journalall registers together
2026-08-21latestnewest first below

20Clean is not ready to spendA valid AI workflow can still waste money. Nika now separates legal files from workflows that are ready for a paid run.2026-08-21 · 6 min 19AI workflows on ARM64 Linux servers, without the missing safety stepA practical path from a native ARM64 Nika binary to checked, sandboxed and traceable AI workflows on a headless Linux host.2026-08-21 · 6 min 18The access layer is an operating contractFrom v0.108.0 to v0.111.0, Nika separated the model you choose from the path that reaches it, cut the workflow language to its durable core, added an explicit scheduler and turned check into an authoring loop.retrospective · 2026-08-20 · 6 min 17A field guide to the Nika workflow ecosystemChoose deliberately among model providers, local runtimes, builtins, MCP servers and coding-agent surfaces without turning the workflow into vendor glue.retrospective · 2026-08-19 · 8 min 16The run keeps its receiptA trace is more than a log: it can replay without effects, resume verified work, expose one task, export to OpenTelemetry and assemble a redacted evidence pack.retrospective · 2026-08-08 · 6 min 15The registry re-proves everythingA workflow registry where nothing is taken on faith: every entry is content-pinned to an exact source revision and re-proven by CI (hash, certificate, advisories). The npm-of-workflows, minus the trust-me.2026-07-14 · 4 min 14The MCP server you didn't have to buildEveryone is learning how to build an MCP server. For your workflows, skip the tutorial: the nika binary already is one. Read-only tools let any agent audit a plan and learn the language from the thing that enforces it.2026-07-11 · 3 min 13The forecast is localexplain --forecast computes duration and cost priors from your own recorded runs: stats over .nika/traces/, honest ranges at two runs, percentiles at five. Never a model call, never the network.2026-07-11 · 3 min 12The chain of custodyA recorded run is a text file, and text files can be edited. nika trace verify recomputes the hash chain: one changed word in history breaks every line after it, and the run's printed head closes the loop.2026-07-11 · 3 min 11The run that waits for youThe approval gate is a task in the file, not a Slack thread: a plan fails closed on nika:prompt, and the human's answer rides the resume.2026-07-10 · 3 min 10The resume storykill -9 a run mid-flight, then resume it: finished work never runs twice. Durability as a file property, shown from the real journal.2026-07-10 · 3 min 09The one-task re-runRegenerate one block without re-running the world: --task scopes a fresh run to a task and its upstream, --from re-rolls what the hashes cannot see.2026-07-10 · 3 min 08The run becomes evidenceEvery journal line now carries a hash chain: verify names the first broken link, reproduce classifies every task, and the journal attests which engine wrote it. Trust, but verify. Then verify.2026-07-07 · 3 min 07Time travel, for realEvery debugger replays the past by re-running it. Nika's past is a file, so stepping backward is free, breakpoints live in your YAML, and F5 debugs a run that already happened.2026-07-06 · 2 min 06The editor tells the truthA green badge is a claim. We audited the editor extension against the engine the way you'd audit a client against a server, and found the badge lying. Here is the contract that keeps it honest now.2026-07-06 · 3 min 05Media are workflow citizensImages and speech now render inside workflows under the same discipline as everything else: permit-gated saves, sha256 provenance, honest warnings, real cost on the ledger, and the sovereign path first.2026-07-06 · 3 min 04The trace you can replayEvery run leaves a flight recorder: a deterministic AI audit trail you can replay like a film, never re-execute by accident.2026-07-05 · 2 min 03The cost lineThe audit prices every token before it is spent: ceilings on generations, budgets on loops, and a $0.00 that means it.2026-07-05 · 2 min 02The plan you get for freeThe wiring is all you write: with: for data, after: for order. The plan falls out of the file: parallel waves, drawn before anything runs.retrospective · 2026-06-12 · 3 min 01What survived the first versionStrip away the early claims and four technical bets remain: file, graph, model choice and a local engine.retrospective · January 2026 · 4 min

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