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This page explains a handful of words that come up again and again in Vibex. Once you have read it, the other pages will be much easier to follow.

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The authoritative runtime

The authoritative runtime is the only thing that holds real state: Agent processes, session timelines, workspace files, Git repositories, terminals, provider credentials, and the local database. Every client is just a projection of it. Vibex has two forms of authoritative runtime. They share one core and have identical capabilities: The desktop workbench and the mobile apps are both clients. The desktop uses its own embedded runtime by default; you can also switch it to connect to a remote runtime, at which point it is a client just like your phone. That switch is the Runtime button in the title bar.

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Project

A project is a folder you register in Vibex: it has a name, an icon, and a permanent place in the sidebar. That is the Projects list in the sidebar, and its context menu offers rename, custom icon, delete, and more. A project can hold several workspaces.

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Workspace

A workspace is “using this project in a particular way”. Two modes exist today: One project can have a Local workspace and one or more Worktree workspaces at the same time. That is how you can keep working on the main branch while an Agent tries another approach in an isolated directory. A session always belongs to one specific workspace. Switching workspaces does not carry uncommitted changes across. See Workspaces.

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Session

A session is the complete record of one development task: your input, the Agent’s output, tool calls, approvals, and errors, stored in order as a timeline. A session belongs to the workspace it was created in. New chat in the sidebar creates a session. You can rename, pin, fork, and bulk-delete sessions, or import them from another Agent’s history. See Agent sessions.

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Agents and provider profiles

These are two separate concepts:
  • An Agent is the program that does the work, such as Claude Code, Codex, ZCode, OpenCode, or any ACP-compatible executable. The Agent decides who does the work.
  • A provider profile (called Model provider configuration in the UI) is the connection information an Agent needs in order to call a model service: endpoint, credentials, available models, and thinking depth. It decides which model runs and over which route.
One Agent can have several provider profiles, and you can switch between them before sending a message. The switch only affects later runs; timeline entries already written keep their original run identity. See Agents and provider profiles.

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Scope

Some resources accept a scope. The available values are usually global, user, project, or workspace; the narrower the scope, the less likely you are to disturb other projects. MCP servers currently offer only User and Workspace.

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Channel

The release channel determines the product identity and the data directory: Preview, RC, Stable. All three can be installed side by side, each with its own database, so they never interfere. The channel is baked into the installer and cannot be switched inside the app.

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Pairing

Pairing grants a device access to a particular authoritative runtime. There are two common paths:
  • Desktop → phone: the desktop generates a QR code, and the phone scans it and verifies the checksum.
  • Server → desktop / phone: vibex-server prints a one-time pairing code and connection string that the client enters.
The permission level you pick while pairing determines what that device may do: read_only, approve_only, full_control. The level is set by the initiating side, and a client cannot elevate itself. See Remote access and mobile.