> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.loongclaw.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Roadmap And Product

> Public product direction, first-run contract, and roadmap references.

# Roadmap And Product

This page keeps the current public product direction in one place so users,
contributors, and builders can understand the contract Loong is actually
trying to ship.

## Use This Page To Answer

| Question                                                             | Start here                                                          |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Why does Loong exist and what stance shapes it?                      | [Why Loong](/reference/why-loong)                                   |
| What is the shortest public user journey today?                      | [Current Public Product Contract](#current-public-product-contract) |
| What principles shape the product surface?                           | [Product Principles](#product-principles)                           |
| How should I read the roadmap without treating it as marketing copy? | [Roadmap Shape](#roadmap-shape)                                     |
| Where do I go for deeper source material?                            | [Repository Source Material](#repository-source-material)           |

## Who The Current Public Contract Is For

* **Individuals and operators** who want a private assistant they can run locally and trust.
* **Channel and workflow operators** who want the same assistant behavior to extend from the base CLI path into longer-lived delivery surfaces.
* **Developers and extension authors** who need stable seams for providers, tools, channels, memory, and policy.

## Product Principles

* **First value fast**: a new user should reach a useful answer quickly instead of reading architecture before they can do anything.
* **Safe by default**: visible capabilities still sit behind policy, approval, and audit boundaries.
* **Assistant-first surfaces**: the public story should feel like "my assistant can do this", not only "the platform has an adapter".
* **Progressive disclosure**: `onboard`, `ask`, `chat`, and `doctor` carry the common path; deeper runtime detail comes later.
* **One runtime, many surfaces**: local CLI, gateway-owned delivery, and richer future surfaces should reuse the same governed runtime model.
* **Fail loud with a repair path**: when setup or runtime health breaks, Loong should push users toward `doctor` rather than silent failure.

## Current Public Product Contract

The public MVP journey is intentionally short:

1. Install Loong through the documented installer or source path.
2. Run `loong` and let the main TUI own the first-run path when config is missing.
3. Reach a first useful answer with `loong ask` or continue in `loong chat`.
4. Reopen `loong onboard` when you want the deeper guided configuration lane explicitly.
5. Use `loong doctor` when runtime health or setup truth is unclear.
6. Add gateway, channels, memory, and richer operator surfaces only after the base path is healthy.

## Roadmap Shape

The current public roadmap is execution-focused rather than aspirational. The major stages are:

| Stage                                     | Status      | What it means publicly                                                                                                               |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Stage 0: Kernel Contract Freeze           | Done        | the core crate boundaries and kernel contract are already treated as deliberate architecture, not scaffolding                        |
| Stage 1: Baseline Security And Governance | In Progress | approval, policy, plugin governance, and audit stay central to the current runtime story                                             |
| Stage 2: Safe Hotplug Runtime             | Next        | untrusted extension execution should gain stronger runtime isolation instead of relying on soft convention                           |
| Stage 3: Autonomous Integration Expansion | In Progress | provider, protocol, channel, and discovery growth should happen through governed integration surfaces rather than hardcoded one-offs |

## Why This Page Exists

* It defines what the project is actually trying to ship.
* It gives contributors and operators one compact view of the current product contract.
* It keeps roadmap reading grounded in shipped and near-term public work instead of vague positioning.

## Repository Source Material

If you are editing or reviewing the repository-native source material behind
this summary:

* [Why Loong](/reference/why-loong)
* [Product Sense](https://github.com/eastreams/loong/blob/dev/docs/PRODUCT_SENSE.md)
* [Roadmap](https://github.com/eastreams/loong/blob/dev/docs/ROADMAP.md)
* [Product Specs Index](https://github.com/eastreams/loong/blob/dev/docs/product-specs/index.md)