skills/sync-tripit/scripts/runtime-state.mjs owns and is the only reader/writer of INSTALL_DIRECTORY/.sync-runtime.json. The installer calls seal only after a successful staged dependency installation, and check before reusing it. Both commands emit a JSON result with operation, ready, path and requestedVersion; the installer consumes it and emits its own single result.

Schema version 1 is one JSON object: schema_version (1), requestedVersion (release semver), and files (relative managed file paths to SHA-256 hex strings). The owner inventories the entrypoint, package metadata, library files and npm's hidden lock. It checks their live bytes, installed package directories and local resolution of required dependencies. It never imports the application or reads .env. The snapshot proves installation completion, not authorization.

A missing, malformed, older, or mismatched-version snapshot means no usable prior state. A mismatch with the live filesystem also requires repair. The installer stages a fresh pinned installation and the owner writes a new version-1 snapshot. A newer schema refuses both checking and sealing with exit 4 and an actionable reader-update diagnostic; it is never overwritten by an older owner. Configuration is preserved. There are no readers in another release pipeline.