Release Notes: Stateless Provider Runtime

Phase: PLAN-20250218-STATELESSPROVIDER.P10
Version target: v0.5.0 (core, cli, vscode companion)

Highlights

Stateless provider runtime with per-context SettingsService instances.
New CLI runtime helper APIs for provider switching, profiles, and diagnostics.
Enhanced documentation and migration guidance for teams embedding LLxprt Code.
Release validation suite refreshed for the new architecture.

Breaking changes

SettingsService is no longer a singleton. Consumers must operate through the active ProviderRuntimeContext.
GenerateChatOptions now delivers settings, config, and runtime. Provider implementations are expected to use these instead of global imports.
Deprecated provider hooks (setConfig, clearState, clearAuth, clearAuthCache) will be removed in the next minor cycle.
CLI command handlers rely on runtimeSettings helpers; any out-of-tree extensions should do the same.

Migration summary

Follow the Stateless Provider migration guide to update integrations.
Adopt the new API references for ProviderRuntimeContext, runtimeSettings helpers, and the updated provider interface.
Refresh subagent workflows to call createProviderRuntimeContext() before mutating provider state.

Testing guidance

Run the full verification suite before publishing artifacts:

npm run lint -- --cache
npm run typecheck
npm run test

For downstream consumers, add integration coverage that spins up multiple runtime contexts (CLI + at least one subagent) to confirm settings isolation.

Deprecations

Provider methods setConfig, clearState, clearAuth, and clearAuthCache are flagged for removal in the next release.
Legacy helpers that assumed a global SettingsService will throw if no active runtime is registered.

Known issues

Providers that bypass the runtime helpers may still share credentials inadvertently. Ensure all command handlers and automation flows go through the helper surface.
Legacy scripts that rely on implicit contexts should call createProviderRuntimeContext() during bootstrap.