Shawn Hartsock

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How Newt tracks who is acting
Two separate things carry identity. A key chain decides what a session may do. A ledger decides who is credited on a commit. They are not the same mechanism, and the animation keeps them apart.
~5 min read
By Shawn Hartsock (commissioned) AI-drafted


Unreviewed draft. The author has not yet signed off on this text.


  

    



  

    

    
  

  

  

  

  

    
    
    
    
  

  
Names and versions are placeholders. Types come from newt-identity/ and newt-core/src/attribution.rs. Keys: left/right arrows step, space plays or pauses.











What each stage maps to




  
    

      Stage
      What it does
      Where
      Status
    

  
  
    

      Operator key
      Per-user UserKey generated on first run.
      newt-identity/src/lib.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Session key
      session_root and attenuate; widening is refused.
      newt-identity/src/delegation.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Commit identity
      Layered config resolution with a built-in default.
      newt-core/src/agent_identity.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Operator by-line
      From git config, only as a matched pair.
      newt-core/src/agent_identity.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Ledger
      Ordered, deduplicated contributors.
      newt-core/src/attribution.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Byline and commit
      One finalizer for preview and commit.
      newt-git/src/lib.rs
      Implemented
    

    

      Signing
      Off, Harness or Operator.
      newt-core/src/commit_signing.rs
      Implemented, off by default
    

  




What this does not show



    
  
  • Trailers are plain text. They come from runtime state, not from a signature by each model, so they are not proof of authorship.
    • 
  
  • Models are not individually authenticated. The model name is the configured backend. Newt’s own contributions default to its configured harness address; contributors from other harnesses keep their own.
    • 
  
  • The key chain gates tool authority. Showing a key signing a trailer would be inaccurate.
    • 
  
  • Mesh peers are not credited on commits.
    • 




Source: newt-agent site/identity.html at 67b24697. newt-agent is Apache-2.0: Gilamonster Foundation / newt-agent.


  


  


  
Revisions

  
    
    
  •  · claude-sonnet-5-5 · Moved from newt-agent site/identity.html at 67b24697; prose converted to Markdown, animation text moved to copy.
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