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[Feature]: Add a lightweight local profile for evaluation and contributor development #676

Description

@Fangjj0621

Is there an existing issue for the same feature?

  • I have checked the existing issues.

Is your feature request related to a problem?

As a developer evaluating Astra, the minimum useful setup is too infrastructure-heavy. Before I can validate the agent loop, tools, context behavior, or SDK integration, I need to understand and configure Rust, Node.js, Docker Compose, MatrixOne, Memoria, an embedding endpoint, an LLM endpoint, authentication secrets, and sometimes an Edge Runner.

That setup may be reasonable for production, but it is a poor evaluation and contribution path. It also makes failures hard to localize: a first-run failure can come from the runtime, database bootstrap, memory service, embeddings, model registry, credentials, or Runner binding.

Describe the feature you'd like

Provide a supported lightweight local profile intended for evaluation, SDK development, and contributor tests:

astra dev up --lite

The profile should start with one command and use local development implementations for durable state and memory, while keeping the same public API and runtime semantics where possible. It should not claim production durability.

Minimum useful scope:

  • local single-user authentication bootstrap;
  • one configured model endpoint;
  • local durable state backend;
  • local memory backend or memory-disabled mode with an explicit diagnostic;
  • CLI/TUI and HTTP API;
  • deterministic health/preflight output explaining what is and is not available;
  • optional Edge attachment for filesystem/shell work.

Acceptance criteria

  • A fresh developer can reach a working chat/API flow with one bootstrap command and one model credential.
  • MatrixOne and hosted Memoria are not required for the lite profile.
  • The profile clearly identifies non-production guarantees.
  • The same SDK/API examples run against lite and full profiles.
  • A diagnostic command reports missing model, embedding, memory, database, and Runner dependencies separately.
  • CI exercises the complete lite quickstart from a clean environment.

Additional information

This is not a request to weaken the production topology. It is a request to separate “evaluate/contribute to Astra” from “operate the full enterprise stack.”

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