Operator Guide

Normal development uses up to three processes:

Process	Purpose	Default endpoint
Ollama	Optional local model runtime	http://127.0.0.1:11434
Pioneer backend	API, persistence, Chat, Flow, scheduler, and Machine evidence	http://127.0.0.1:8420
Vite frontend	Browser development interface	http://127.0.0.1:1420

Use Starting Pioneer for exact commands. After startup, verify the backend, provider, profile ID, and Pioneer home in Machine. Do not infer the environment from a directory name or browser tab.

Which surface answers which question?

Question	Surface
What is configured now?	Settings, Models, or current Canvas
What is installed or resident?	Models and Machine
What actually ran?	Executions
What did one conversation/tool/approval record?	Sessions
Does a Memory record exist or retrieve?	Memory Browse or Recall
What operational detail surrounded a failure?	Logs
What does the canonical manual say?	Docs

Restart boundaries

Provider settings, defaults, tool enablement, and a custom workspace apply live through their supported UI. Backend Python source changes require restart unless you deliberately started with reload. PIONEER_HOME and startup environment changes always require a new backend process.

Durable sessions, Saved Flows, Memory, execution history, application logs, attachments, and profile configuration survive normal restart. Live streams, pending approval waiters, runtime-only mounts, in-memory agents, and Machine trend samples do not.