Executable Preservation - Bryant McGill

# Executable Preservation **Entity class:** Concept or analytic term **Domain:** Software Preservation / Continuity Infrastructure **Doc Type:** Canonical Bridge Concept **Maturity:** Evolving ## Definition **Executable preservation is the preservation of code, interpreters, dependencies, configuration, hardware assumptions and operational knowledge required to make a digital state run meaningfully in the future.** ## Scope Bit preservation alone can leave an object unreadable or inert. Executable preservation may require source and binaries, build records, schemas, virtualized environments, emulators, test fixtures, models, licenses, device interfaces and documented external services. Periodic restoration exercises establish that the package remains viable. ## Continuity Boundary An executable package is not necessarily a running continuant. Activation can create risk, instantiate a successor or alter a preserved state through migration. [[wiki/Continuity Due Process|Continuity Due Process]], [[wiki/Personal Authoritative State|Personal Authoritative State]] and [[wiki/Restoration Disclosure|Restoration Disclosure]] govern that transition. [[wiki/Continuity Election|Continuity Election]] and [[wiki/Continuity Disposition|Continuity Disposition]] must distinguish permission to build or preserve the executable from permission to schedule it. **Reconstruction authorization is not activation authorization.** Tests should be designed to avoid accidentally creating sustained person-bearing execution when the election permits only dormant preservation. ## Key Insight **Preserving what a system was requires preserving enough of the world in which it could become active again.** ## See Also [[wiki/Long-Term Digital Preservation|Long-Term Digital Preservation]], [[wiki/Technical Obsolescence|Technical Obsolescence]], [[wiki/Operational Continuity|Operational Continuity]], [[wiki/Crypto Agility|Crypto Agility]] ## Relationships  This entry is routed through [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]], [[collections/Neurotech|Neurotech]], and [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]]. Its source context is developed in [[articles/Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta|Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta]], [[articles/Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer|Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer]], and [[articles/The Architecture of Continuity and Emerging Neuroinformatics Standards|The Architecture of Continuity and Emerging Neuroinformatics Standards]]. Status-qualified source edges are preserved in the terminal Research Edges section.  ## Read First in the Wiki  - [[wiki/Carrier and Cargo|Carrier and Cargo]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Civilizational Payload|Civilizational Payload]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Continuity Due Process|Continuity Due Process]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Continuity Election|Continuity Election]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Long-Term Digital Preservation|Long-Term Digital Preservation]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Personal Authoritative State|Personal Authoritative State]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Restoration Disclosure|Restoration Disclosure]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system. - [[wiki/Technical Obsolescence|Technical Obsolescence]] — supplies the related concept or analytic term context needed to place **Executable Preservation** within the wider system.  ## Research Edges  #### Host–residual infrastructure patch — 2026-09-10 **Collections:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] · [[collections/Neurotech|Neurotech]] · [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] **Canonical source article:** [[articles/Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta|Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta]] **Related acquisition source:** [[articles/Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer|Technologies for Consciousness Mapping and Transfer]] **Relationship source:** [[research/Mind Uploading and AI Host-Residual Ecosystem Relationship Graph - 2026-09-10|Mind Uploading and AI Host-Residual Ecosystem Relationship Graph — 2026-09-10]] #### Outgoing typed edges - **HR-0642 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Continuity Due Process|Continuity Due Process]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. - **HR-0643 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Continuity Election|Continuity Election]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. - **HR-0644 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Long-Term Digital Preservation|Long-Term Digital Preservation]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. - **HR-0645 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Personal Authoritative State|Personal Authoritative State]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. - **HR-0646 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Restoration Disclosure|Restoration Disclosure]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. - **HR-0647 — `wiki_links_to` → [[wiki/Technical Obsolescence|Technical Obsolescence]]** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Executable Preservation.md`. #### Incoming typed edges - **HR-0301 — [[wiki/Carrier and Cargo|Carrier and Cargo]] `wiki_links_to` → this entry** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Carrier and Cargo.md`. - **HR-0321 — [[wiki/Civilizational Payload|Civilizational Payload]] `wiki_links_to` → this entry** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Civilizational Payload.md`. - **HR-0740 — [[wiki/Long-Term Digital Preservation|Long-Term Digital Preservation]] `wiki_links_to` → this entry** — **EXISTING WIKI EDGE**; evidence `WIKI_ARCHIVE`. Direct internal link currently present in `Long-Term Digital Preservation.md`.