Agent Architecture

Windsurf

Windsurf has transitioned into Devin Desktop. The archive keeps the Windsurf row for compatibility and history, but the current architecture should point readers to Devin Desktop as the maintained desktop command center with ACP, agents, Spaces, extensions, and MCP servers.

Source reviewed #36Checked 2026-07-06

Setup guide Source

Run type

Desktop

Adapter

mcp-only

Source

Closed / product homepage

Stars

Frontier

Archive Context

This page is one host entry inside the full architecture archive and keeps multi-surface products visible instead of collapsing them into a single run type.

42 host archive

Host page

windsurf

Run cohort

Desktop: 9

Archive route

/agents

Host Surface Perspectives

The host is the primary architecture boundary. Each runnable surface below separates what the host owns from what agent-connector can safely install for Windsurf.

1 surface entry

Desktop

desktop

Host entry: A desktop app or standalone editor owns window state, sign-in, project indexing, embedded terminal behavior, and local product storage.
Host owns: The desktop host owns orchestration UI, model routing, approval UX, background jobs, and any cloud or app-store managed extension points.
Connector role: agent-connector can write documented workspace/global config and content files, but it does not replace the desktop runtime or UI shell. Current wired connector surfaces: MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory.
Implementation consequence: Desktop surfaces need source-review separation because product pages often document capabilities while runtime state lives in app-managed storage. No visible host-native gap is currently tracked for this surface.

Verified Architecture

Source-checked on 2026-07-06. These notes are intentionally separate from the generated surface matrix below.

Sequence #36

Source pass

Current source review findings are kept as the first architecture section so readers can separate external evidence from the generated local coverage model.

Windsurf is now presented through Devin Desktop branding, so the page treats it as a desktop IDE/product surface rather than an open product repository.
The adapter's architecture stays mcp-only for lifecycle interception: workflows, skills, rules, and MCP can be represented without claiming a user-installable hook layer.
The source link remains an official product destination, while deeper file-path claims must continue to come from adapter evidence and platform research.

Runtime boundary

The historical Windsurf row should now be read as a desktop IDE transition row. Devin Desktop owns the IDE shell, local and cloud agent coordination, ACP connections, Spaces, extensions, and migration from Windsurf settings.

The current product messaging states that Windsurf is now Devin Desktop.
The desktop host can manage local and cloud agents from one IDE command center.
The coverage page should preserve Windsurf as a legacy label while pointing users to the maintained architecture.

MCP registration

Devin Desktop advertises MCP servers and extensions as part of the desktop command center. The connector archive should mark MCP as desktop-host integration while avoiding assumptions about old Windsurf paths after migration.

MCP setup belongs to the current Devin Desktop host for new claims.
Existing Windsurf user settings may migrate, but migration does not prove stable connector paths.

Hook bridge

The current connector matrix treats Windsurf as MCP-only. Agent orchestration through Devin Cloud, Devin Local, Codex, Claude, OpenCode, or Cascade is a host capability, but it does not create a generic Windsurf lifecycle hook bridge.

ACP can connect desktop UI to external agents and should be diagrammed as a protocol edge.
The downstream agent may have hooks, but those hooks belong to the downstream runtime unless Devin Desktop exposes its own bridge.

Content surfaces

The post-Windsurf content model includes Spaces, worktrees, extensions, MCP servers, IDE settings, and agent context shared between local and cloud execution. These are desktop workspace surfaces rather than terminal dot-file content.

Spaces are important because they bind context and git worktrees across agents.
Extensions and workflows should be represented as host configuration surfaces, not connector commands by default.

Marketplace and host-only affordances

The important host-only affordance is the desktop command center that can manage Devin Cloud, Devin Local, Codex, Claude, OpenCode, Cascade, and ACP-compatible agents. That makes Windsurf/Devin Desktop a layered-host case similar to Zed and OpenHands.

The page should visually distinguish the legacy Windsurf label from the current Devin Desktop product.
JetBrains continuation and settings migration are product support facts, not direct adapter implementation evidence.

Host-specific shape

Windsurf is a desktop IDE host with MCP, workflows-as-commands, skills, and rules memory; it has no confirmed user-installable lifecycle hook layer.

Form factor: Desktop.
Native surfaces: MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory.
Wired surfaces: MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory.
Visible gaps: none.

Hooks

No user-installable lifecycle hook boundary is confirmed for this host.

MCP

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace and affordances

Current install is a direct native-file write path; any package artifact is manual unless a driver is added.

Runtime handlers: none.
User-visible affordances: Users see managed commands + skills + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary..

Known Limits

Treat Windsurf as a legacy row whose current maintained product is Devin Desktop.
Do not assume old Windsurf file paths remain valid after migration.
Downstream agent capabilities should remain separated from Devin Desktop host capabilities.

Evidence checked

Devin Desktop Windsurf website Devin Desktop docs Devin Desktop / Windsurf official page

Architecture Diagram

Host-specific flow for the Desktop surface.

mcp-only

1
Entry point: Desktop
Desktop or standalone editor app reads global/product storage plus workspace files before handing control to its embedded agent runtime.
2
Connector package
defineConnector package declares server, hooks, content, memory, and actions.
3
Adapter module: windsurf
mcp-only renderer at src/adapters/windsurf/index.ts.
4
Native host artifacts
Adapter writes MCP config + content files + memory/rules through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
5
Runtime boundary
host calls MCP tools through its client
6
User-visible surface
Users see managed commands + skills + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.
7
Coverage ceiling
4/4 native surfaces wired. No visible host-native gap in the current coverage matrix.

Component Diagram

Static parts of the Windsurf integration and which side owns each one.

Windsurf host
Desktop surface owns the model loop, UI shell, config discovery, and native lifecycle for this integration.
agent-connector package
Normalizes connector declarations into MCP, hook, memory, content, and action payloads before delegating to a host adapter.
windsurf adapter
Implements the mcp-only translation layer in src/adapters/windsurf/index.ts.
Native artifacts
Adapter writes MCP config + content files + memory/rules through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
Runtime bridge
host calls MCP tools through its client
User-visible surface
Users see managed commands + skills + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.

Runtime Sequence Flow

Message order from install to runtime for the Desktop surface.

1 · User / project
Choose host adapter
Install or update starts against Windsurf; the selected surface is Desktop.
2 · agent-connector
Resolve connector declaration
The package reads connector metadata and routes it to the windsurf adapter instead of exposing a generic host contract.
3 · windsurf adapter
Render host-native shape
Adapter writes MCP config + content files + memory/rules through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
4 · Windsurf
Host loads artifacts
host calls MCP tools through its client
5 · Agent runtime
Run through host boundary
Users see managed commands + skills + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.
6 · Coverage matrix
Expose remaining ceiling
4/4 native surfaces wired. No visible host-native gap in the current coverage matrix.

Architecture Archive

The same five study axes are rendered for every host: runtime shape, hooks, MCP, memory, and host-only affordances.

Host-specific shape

Windsurf is a desktop IDE host with MCP, workflows-as-commands, skills, and rules memory; it has no confirmed user-installable lifecycle hook layer.

Form factor: Desktop.
Native surfaces: MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory.
Wired surfaces: MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory.
Visible gaps: none.

Hooks

No user-installable lifecycle hook boundary is confirmed for this host.

MCP

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace and affordances

Current install is a direct native-file write path; any package artifact is manual unless a driver is added.

Runtime handlers: none.
User-visible affordances: Users see managed commands + skills + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary..

Special Feature Inventory

Host-specific capabilities separated from the generic surface matrix: lifecycle hooks, MCP registration, memory/rules, marketplace delivery, and UI or content affordances owned by the host.

Lifecycle hooks

Not confirmed

No user-installable lifecycle hook boundary is confirmed for this host.

MCP registration

Wired

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory and rules

Wired

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace delivery

Direct files

Current install is a direct native-file write path; any package artifact is manual unless a driver is added.

Host-only affordances

2/2 wired

Wired host affordances: Commands, Skills. Host-native gaps: none. Not confirmed: Subagents, Statusline handler, Action affordances.

Source Review Notes

Latest source pass for host-specific architecture details. This is separate from generated adapter coverage and local drift guards.

Checked 2026-07-06Open review source

Devin Desktop / Windsurf official page

Windsurf is now presented through Devin Desktop branding, so the page treats it as a desktop IDE/product surface rather than an open product repository.
The adapter's architecture stays mcp-only for lifecycle interception: workflows, skills, rules, and MCP can be represented without claiming a user-installable hook layer.
The source link remains an official product destination, while deeper file-path claims must continue to come from adapter evidence and platform research.

Evidence Map

Each host page ties public source evidence to the local adapter and drift guards that keep the rendered archive aligned with code.

Product source

Official product homepage or public tracker used when no open product repository is confirmed.

external

Open source

Local adapter implementation

Defines the install/uninstall behavior, native config rendering, capability flags, and any runtime parse/format bridge for this host.

local

src/adapters/windsurf/index.ts

Platform metadata and host-native matrix

Records the form factor, public source target, ranking source, native host surfaces, and current agent-connector coverage cells.

local

site/src/platform-data.ts

Architecture drift guard

Asserts that every registered host has a page, diagram, host-specific brief, source link, form-factor band, and adapter-aligned surface data.

local

tests/docs/platform-drift.test.ts

Runtime Shape

The host accepts MCP registration, but has no confirmed hook bridge for agent-connector to call.

MCP registration: Wired through this adapter
Hook bridge: No confirmed hook surface

Connector Surfaces

Static content

MCP server, Commands, Skills, Memory

Runtime handlers

No runtime handler surfaces wired

Surface Matrix

Wired means agent-connector installs it now. Host native marks support we know about but have not wired yet.

SurfaceStatus

MCP server

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Hooks

Static content

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A

Commands

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Skills

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Subagents

Static content

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A

Memory

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Statusline handler

Runtime handler

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A

Action affordances

Runtime handler

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A