ACRE
Application Configuration for Research Enablement (ACRE) is ACORN’s versioned configuration format. It keeps application settings—such as data sources, model downloads, synchronization targets, runners, and deployment policy—separate from Research Activity Data (RAD). ACRE files can be reused by other research-enablement applications.
Use an ACRE file
Create .acorn.json, .acorn.jsonc, .acorn.yaml, or .acorn.yml in the project directory. ACORN checks those names in that order. New files should declare schema version 1.0.0:
schemaVersion: 1.0.0
models:
- Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct-GGUF
whitelist:
models:
- Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct-GGUF
Use --config <FILE> when a command should load another filename. Validate and format ACRE independently of RAD:
acorn check .acorn.yaml
acorn format .acorn.yaml --standard acre --dry-run
acorn export --schema --standard acre
Canonical filenames are detected automatically by acorn check. For a custom filename or piped input, add --standard acre.
Attributes
Every top-level attribute is optional. Unknown attributes and unsupported explicit schema versions are rejected.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
schemaVersion | Schema version. Use 1.0.0; omission is accepted as 1.0.0 for compatibility. |
buckets | Research-activity collections to import or download, as source strings or detailed repository objects. |
config | llama-swap, OpenCode, VS Code, and Goose targets updated by acorn sync. |
endpoints | Named HTTP API endpoints with authentication settings and templated resources. |
models | Model IDs, paths, URLs, or detailed download entries. |
powerAutomate | PowerAutomate project routing, package, environment-variable names, and callback settings. |
registries | Named OCI or Harbor profiles used by model sources; credentials remain in environment variables. |
runners | CI/CD runner definitions, including repository scope, executor, tags, and local or remote container host. |
whitelist | Optional bucket and model allowlists. An empty whitelist allows all items. |
workflow | Deployment allowlist for repository workflow paths, formats, actions, outputs, and external effects. |
scriptManifest | Deployment manifest filename or inline authorization policy for executable hooks. |
scripts | Ordered Rhai script paths and their check, format, link, enrich, or validate hooks. |
The complete ACRE specification describes every object field and accepted shorthand. See CLI configuration for working examples, Model workflows for downloads, and Rhai exec for constrained script hooks.