Conceptual Positioning

The POSIX Analogy

To understand what MPLP governs, it is helpful to view it through the lens of system-level interfaces rather than networking protocols.

Non-Normative

Conceptual Lens Only: This is a conceptual lens for understanding, not a compatibility claim. MPLP is not POSIX and does not implement POSIX APIs. This analogy is for positioning purposes only.

The MPLP specification is analogous to POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface), not TCP/IP.

Why POSIX?

Just as POSIX defines the standard interface between applications and the operating system kernel, MPLP defines the standard lifecycle interface between an AI agent and its environment (the "Agent OS").

1

System-Level Interfaces

How components interact at critical lifecycle boundaries: Context, Planning, and Confirmation.

2

Semantic Contracts

What signals, states, and invariants are expected for a system to be considered "governable".

3

Behavioral Expectations

How conforming implementations should behave under specific protocol conditions.

"POSIX ensures that source code can be ported across operating systems. MPLP ensures that agent governance can be ported across models, frameworks, and vendors."

Conceptual Correspondences(Informative)

  • →POSIX "standard interface" → MPLP "schema-defined lifecycle interface" (Context / Plan / Confirm / Trace)
  • →POSIX syscalls & contracts → MPLP module contracts & kernel duties (invariants, failure semantics)
  • →POSIX conformance tests → MPLP Golden Flows & evidence-based verdicts (Validation Lab consumes evidence only)
  • →POSIX portability → MPLP portability across substrates (models / frameworks / runtimes / vendors)
  • →POSIX logs/debugging → MPLP Trace & Evidence Pack (replayable, auditable artifacts)

Boundary: This is an analogy for conceptual positioning only. MPLP is not POSIX, does not implement an OS or runtime, and this page does not define normative requirements or any POSIX compatibility claim.

Read the detailed conceptual mapping in the Documentation→

Note: This analogy is informative and intended to help with conceptual positioning.
For the normative specification, see the Official Documentation.