Broker Packs
OpenAlice 0.81 moves live broker SDKs into optional, versioned Broker Packs. The installed core contains Alice, UTA Core, and the Mock simulator; integrations for CCXT, Alpaca, IBKR, LeverUp, and Longbridge are downloaded only when you choose a broker or public crypto data source that needs them.
This keeps a fresh OpenAlice installation smaller and lets research, Chat, Issues, Inbox, and the simulator work even when no live broker support is installed.
Three separate layers
| Layer | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| UTA Core | Accounts, approvals, snapshots, FX, HTTP, and the common broker interface |
| Broker Pack | One broker engine plus its external SDK dependencies |
| Market-data routing | Whether an installed engine participates in K-lines and contract discovery |
Installing a Pack does not create an account, enable live trading, or turn on a public data source. Disabling a data source also does not uninstall its Pack.
Install from the Trading UI
OpenAlice surfaces Pack installation where it is needed:
- choosing a broker stops before the credential form and offers Install or Repair when its engine is absent;
- existing accounts show which Pack is missing;
- enabling a public Binance, OKX, or Bybit data source first requires the CCXT Pack;
- an already enabled source can still be disabled when its Pack is missing.
The installation transaction:
- selects the exact OpenAlice version, operating system, and architecture;
- downloads the matching catalog and Pack archive;
- verifies the published SHA-256 checksum and package identity;
- extracts into an immutable, content-addressed release directory;
- atomically switches the active Pack pointer;
- restarts UTA so it can load the new engine.
Failure before the pointer switch leaves the previous active release intact. Repair creates a new immutable copy rather than overwriting files a Windows UTA process may still have open.
Pack mapping
| Pack | Used by |
|---|---|
ccxt | Binance, OKX, Bybit, Bitget, Hyperliquid, custom CCXT, and keyless public crypto data |
alpaca | Alpaca paper and live accounts |
ibkr | TWS and IB Gateway accounts |
longbridge | Longbridge accounts |
leverup | LeverUp accounts |
| Built-in Mock | Local simulator; no download required |
Pack availability is platform-specific. The 0.81 release publishes catalogs and archives for macOS Arm64, macOS Intel, Windows x64, and Linux x64.
Some native dependencies have operating-system requirements. For example, the current Longbridge Linux Pack requires glibc 2.39; OpenAlice rejects an incompatible host before loading the native module instead of crashing UTA.
Installed location
Packs are replaceable runtime state under the selected complete data home:
<OPENALICE_HOME>/runtime/broker-packs/<engine>/
├── active.json
└── releases/
└── <openalice-version>-<content-id>/
They are intentionally outside portable data/. Back up user data,
Workspaces, sealing.key, and credentials; reinstall Broker Packs after moving
to a different machine or architecture.
See Data & Credentials for complete home selection and backup boundaries.
Missing or degraded Pack
A missing Pack affects only the accounts and data sources that require that engine:
- Alice and Workspace Chat remain usable;
- UTA Core still starts;
- the Mock simulator remains available;
- other installed engines remain independent;
- OpenAlice never silently falls back to another market-data provider.
Use Repair when checksum, extraction, or runtime validation reports a damaged Pack. If a platform requirement is unsupported, move the Runtime to a compatible host rather than bypassing the check.
Safety boundary
Broker Packs change how integration code is distributed, not the trading approval model. Adding a Pack does not grant an agent permission to execute. Accounts still follow UTA, Trading as Git, and the configured manual/AI push policy.
Start with Mock, paper, demo, or testnet accounts. Validate connection, account reads, staging, approval, push, synchronization, and recovery before live funds.
Next Steps
- Trading Setup — Install support and configure an account.
- Unified Trading Account — Understand the core interface Packs implement.
- Trading as Git — Review the approval boundary after installation.
- Data & Credentials — See where replaceable runtime state lives.