agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack
Universal Agentic Stack guide
This section is the Atlas field guide to the 11-layer agentic stack. It is meant to answer practical questions such as:
Pages in this section
Start with the section hub, then move sideways into adjacent pages when you need more detail.
The stack is easiest to understand if you read it as four connected bands rather than 11 unrelated boxes.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/00-orientation.md
This page is for the question people usually ask first: "Where does this framework or product fit?"
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/01-builder-fit.md
This is the full map in one place. Use it when you want the shape of the whole stack before you read the detailed layer reference.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/02-landscape-diagram.md
Use this checklist when someone says "this tool is an agent platform" or "this framework does everything." It forces the classification into concrete responsibilities instead of labels.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/03-placement-checklist.md
Worked Examples
PageThis page shows how the stack works on real product shapes. The goal is not to produce one perfect label. The goal is to identify where the value is concentrated and which layers are delegated.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/04-worked-examples.md
Most stack mistakes come from overloaded language, not from missing diagrams. This page untangles the terms that people reuse too loosely.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/05-common-confusions.md
Reading Paths
PageUse one of these short paths if you do not want to read the entire section linearly.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/06-reading-paths.md
This page compresses the handbook into one comparison surface. Use it when you want to compare product shapes quickly before reading the detail pages.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/07-comparison-matrix.md
Review Template
PageUse this page when you want to review one real product against the stack in a consistent way.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/08-review-template.md
FAQ
PageBecause different products own different responsibilities. The stack is useful only if it preserves those boundaries instead of rewarding the broadest label.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/09-faq.md
Derived from graph/stack-layers/layers. There are no modeled nested layer nodes; responsibilities/examples/fit notes are attributes on each top-level layer.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/layers.md
This page shows exactly which graph files drive the stack pages in this section. It is the traceability view for readers who want to verify that the prose and diagram come from the graph rather than hand-maintained copies.
wiki/agent-generate/universal-agentic-stack/source-map.md
Documented graph nodes
Records linked directly from this page’s Page node.
Universal Agentic Stack
This section is the Atlas field guide to the 11-layer agentic stack. It is meant to answer practical questions such as:
- "What exactly does this product own?"
- "What is delegated to the host?"
- "Why does this polished tool still not count as a full agent platform?"
- "Where do plugins, tools, gateways, workspaces, approvals, and UI surfaces actually belong?"
Use it to place products, frameworks, runtimes, plugins, and interfaces in the right part of the system instead of flattening everything into one vague "agent" bucket.
Start here
If you only read three pages, read them in this order:
1. `00-orientation.md` 2. `04-worked-examples.md` 3. `03-placement-checklist.md`
Start with the page that matches your question
| Page | Best for |
|---|---|
| `00-orientation.md` | Learning the layer groups and the basic reading model. |
| `01-builder-fit.md` | Placing LangGraph, custom-agent builders, coding agents, and gateways correctly. |
| `02-landscape-diagram.md` | Seeing the whole stack at once in one visual map. |
| `03-placement-checklist.md` | Classifying a real tool or product step by step. |
| `04-worked-examples.md` | Seeing complete stack placements for common product shapes. |
| `05-common-confusions.md` | Untangling the terms people mix up most often. |
| `06-reading-paths.md` | Following a short reading path based on your role or goal. |
| `07-comparison-matrix.md` | Comparing common product shapes against the full stack at a glance. |
| `08-review-template.md` | Reusing the stack as a repeatable product-review format. |
| `09-faq.md` | Answering the most common stack questions directly. |
| `layers.md` | Reading the full layer-by-layer reference from the graph. |
| `source-map.md` | Tracing every page claim back to the graph files that generated it. |
What this section helps you do
- Separate the model itself from the provider that serves it and the transport that carries requests.
- Distinguish the agent core from the runtime around it and the platform above it.
- Place plugins, installed skills, subagents, tool servers, and extension systems in the right layer.
- Understand which layers a framework owns and which layers it delegates to an IDE, host app, CI runner, cloud platform, or user shell.
The core habit
Do not ask "What is this product?" in the singular. Ask:
1. Which layers does it own? 2. Which layers does it expose? 3. Which layers does it delegate?
That framing is the difference between a fuzzy taxonomy and an actually useful system map.
Fast takeaways
- Most confusion comes from mixing Layers 4, 5, and 6: core, runtime, and platform are related but not the same thing.
- Many real products span multiple adjacent layers, but very few span the whole stack cleanly.
- Workspace, execution, and sandbox are operational layers, not just implementation details.
- Presentation and interaction are separate from the compute path: a great UI does not tell you where the agent logic really lives.
Good reading paths
- If you are evaluating a framework claim, start with `01-builder-fit.md`, then read `04-worked-examples.md`.
- If you are classifying a real product, jump to `03-placement-checklist.md`, then confirm against `layers.md`.
- If you keep mixing up plugins, tools, runtime, and platform, read `05-common-confusions.md`.
- If you want a one-screen comparison across product shapes, open `07-comparison-matrix.md`.
- If you want to review a specific product systematically, use `08-review-template.md`.
- If you want direct answers instead of a guided path, open `09-faq.md`.
- If you want the shortest guided route for your role, open `06-reading-paths.md`.