@elizaos/plugin-local-inference 2.0.0-beta.1 → 2.0.11-beta.7

package/src/services/memory-arbiter.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,1000 @@
+/**
+ * Memory Arbiter — single in-process owner of every model handle (text,
+ * embedding, vision-language, ASR, TTS, image generation) for the local
+ * inference stack. WS1 deliverable.
+ *
+ * Why this exists
+ * ---------------
+ * The current code has every plugin loading independently:
+ *
+ *   - `plugin-local-inference` owns the text + voice GGUFs through
+ *     `LocalInferenceEngine` + `SharedResourceRegistry`.
+ *   - `plugin-vision` loads its own TF.js / face-api models with no
+ *     shared budget.
+ *   - `plugin-aosp-local-inference` runs the bun:ffi llama.cpp binding
+ *     in its own world, also with no shared budget.
+ *
+ * On a 6 GB iPhone or an 8 GB low-tier Android, that means loading a
+ * vision model on top of a text model gets the app jetsam'd / lmkd-killed
+ * before the planner even runs.
+ *
+ * The arbiter is the single seam every consumer goes through to acquire
+ * a model. It owns the eviction policy across modalities (the existing
+ * `ResidentModelRole` priority table + memory-pressure signals from the
+ * platform), it owns the queue for capability swaps (a vision-describe
+ * arriving while the text model is generating waits its turn rather than
+ * triggering a parallel load that OOMs), and it owns the
+ * `vision-embedding-cache` so repeat frames don't re-pay the projector.
+ *
+ * What this module does NOT do
+ * ----------------------------
+ *   - It does not implement any model loader. Loaders are passed in via
+ *     `registerCapability(...)` by the plugins that own the binding
+ *     (plugin-local-inference for text/embedding, plugin-vision for
+ *     vision-describe, plugin-image-gen for diffusion, etc.).
+ *   - It does not download models, probe hardware, or render UI. Those
+ *     are the existing `Downloader`, `probeHardware`, and Settings UI
+ *     concerns.
+ *   - It does not run on a worker thread. One process, one event loop —
+ *     the arbiter coordinates async work via promises only.
+ *
+ * Consumer contract
+ * -----------------
+ * Capability handlers register themselves at boot:
+ *
+ *   ```ts
+ *   arbiter.registerCapability({
+ *     capability: "vision-describe",
+ *     residentRole: "vision",
+ *     load: async (modelKey) => loadQwen3VL(modelKey),
+ *     unload: async (handle) => handle.dispose(),
+ *     run: async (handle, req) => handle.describe(req.imageBytes),
+ *   });
+ *   ```
+ *
+ * Then anyone can call:
+ *
+ *   ```ts
+ *   const result = await arbiter.requestVisionDescribe({
+ *     modelKey: "qwen3-vl-4b",
+ *     imageBytes: pixels,
+ *   });
+ *   ```
+ *
+ * The arbiter handles:
+ *   1. Acquiring (or reusing) the handle for `qwen3-vl-4b`.
+ *   2. If a different capability holds the active model and we need to
+ *      swap, evicting it first.
+ *   3. Running the request.
+ *   4. Releasing the handle (refcounted; the handle stays loaded until
+ *      pressure or idle eviction reclaims it).
+ *
+ * Telemetry
+ * ---------
+ * The arbiter emits typed events:
+ *   - `model_load`     — a handle came online (capability, modelKey, ms)
+ *   - `model_unload`   — a handle went offline (capability, modelKey, reason)
+ *   - `memory_pressure` — pressure level changed (level, source, freeMb?)
+ *   - `eviction`       — a role was evicted (capability, modelKey, reason)
+ *   - `capability_run` — a request completed (capability, modelKey, ms)
+ *
+ * The runtime observability layer subscribes via `onEvent(...)`.
+ */
+
+import type {
+	MemoryPressureEvent,
+	MemoryPressureLevel,
+	MemoryPressureSource,
+} from "./memory-pressure";
+import {
+	VisionEmbeddingCache,
+	type VisionEmbeddingEntry,
+} from "./vision-embedding-cache";
+import {
+	createEvictableModelRole,
+	type EvictableModelRole,
+	RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY,
+	type ResidentModelRole,
+	type SharedResourceRegistry,
+} from "./voice/shared-resources";
+
+/**
+ * Capability identifiers the arbiter routes between. One per consumer
+ * surface — keep this list short; new capabilities should be added
+ * deliberately, not on a whim.
+ */
+export type ArbiterCapability =
+	| "text"
+	| "embedding"
+	| "vision-describe"
+	| "image-gen"
+	| "transcribe"
+	| "speak";
+
+/**
+ * Map a capability to the resident-role bucket the existing
+ * `SharedResourceRegistry` already tracks. Adding a new capability MUST
+ * extend this map so the eviction priority is well-defined.
+ */
+const CAPABILITY_ROLE: Readonly<Record<ArbiterCapability, ResidentModelRole>> =
+	{
+		text: "text-target",
+		embedding: "embedding",
+		"vision-describe": "vision",
+		// Image-gen has no slot in `ResidentModelRole` today. We park it on
+		// `vision` priority so it co-evicts with the VL model — both are
+		// GPU-heavy weights with similar lifecycles.
+		"image-gen": "vision",
+		transcribe: "asr",
+		speak: "tts",
+	};
+
+/** The opaque handle returned by `acquire`. Callers MUST `release` it. */
+export interface ArbiterHandle<TBackend = unknown> {
+	readonly capability: ArbiterCapability;
+	readonly modelKey: string;
+	readonly backend: TBackend;
+	/**
+	 * Increment the refcount so the handle is shared. Returns the same
+	 * underlying handle. Useful when one consumer hands the handle to
+	 * another mid-flight.
+	 */
+	retain(): void;
+	/** Decrement the refcount. When it hits zero the role becomes evictable. */
+	release(): Promise<void>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * What a capability handler tells the arbiter about itself. The arbiter
+ * uses these to load on demand, run requests, and unload under pressure.
+ */
+export interface CapabilityRegistration<TBackend, TRequest, TResult> {
+	capability: ArbiterCapability;
+	/**
+	 * Optional override for the resident-role priority. Defaults to the
+	 * `CAPABILITY_ROLE` map; pass when a specific binding has different
+	 * eviction semantics than the default for its capability.
+	 */
+	residentRole?: ResidentModelRole;
+	/**
+	 * Best-effort estimate of bytes the model occupies in RAM/VRAM once
+	 * loaded. Used by telemetry only — eviction picks by *priority*, not by
+	 * size, so a wrong estimate doesn't change behaviour. 0 when unknown.
+	 */
+	estimatedMb?: number;
+	/** Load the backend for a given model key. Called at most once per (capability, modelKey). */
+	load: (modelKey: string) => Promise<TBackend>;
+	/** Tear the backend down. The arbiter stops referencing it after this resolves. */
+	unload: (backend: TBackend) => Promise<void>;
+	/** Run one request through the backend. */
+	run: (backend: TBackend, request: TRequest) => Promise<TResult>;
+}
+
+interface ResidentEntry {
+	capability: ArbiterCapability;
+	modelKey: string;
+	backend: unknown;
+	residentRole: ResidentModelRole;
+	estimatedMb: number;
+	refCount: number;
+	loadedAtMs: number;
+	/**
+	 * Wall-clock of the most recent `acquire`. Drives the fit-to-budget LRU
+	 * eviction path (`evictToFit`): when a new load would exceed the usable
+	 * RAM budget, the least-recently-used evictable entries are dropped first.
+	 */
+	lastUsedAt: number;
+	roleId: string;
+}
+
+/** Telemetry event the runtime observability layer can subscribe to. */
+export type ArbiterEvent =
+	| {
+			type: "model_load";
+			capability: ArbiterCapability;
+			modelKey: string;
+			loadMs: number;
+			atMs: number;
+	  }
+	| {
+			type: "model_unload";
+			capability: ArbiterCapability;
+			modelKey: string;
+			reason: "release" | "swap" | "pressure" | "shutdown" | "fit";
+			atMs: number;
+	  }
+	| {
+			type: "memory_pressure";
+			level: MemoryPressureLevel;
+			source: string;
+			freeMb?: number;
+			atMs: number;
+	  }
+	| {
+			type: "eviction";
+			capability: ArbiterCapability;
+			modelKey: string;
+			reason: "pressure" | "swap" | "fit";
+			estimatedMb: number;
+			atMs: number;
+	  }
+	| {
+			type: "capability_run";
+			capability: ArbiterCapability;
+			modelKey: string;
+			runMs: number;
+			atMs: number;
+	  };
+
+export type ArbiterEventListener = (event: ArbiterEvent) => void;
+
+interface QueueEntry<TRequest, TResult> {
+	capability: ArbiterCapability;
+	modelKey: string;
+	request: TRequest;
+	resolve: (value: TResult) => void;
+	reject: (err: unknown) => void;
+}
+
+export interface MemoryArbiterOptions {
+	registry: SharedResourceRegistry;
+	pressureSource?: MemoryPressureSource;
+	visionCache?: VisionEmbeddingCache;
+	logger?: {
+		info?: (m: string) => void;
+		warn?: (m: string) => void;
+		debug?: (m: string) => void;
+	};
+	now?: () => number;
+	/**
+	 * Usable RAM budget (MB) for the proactive fit-to-budget LRU eviction
+	 * path. Before loading a model whose `estimatedMb` would push the sum of
+	 * resident footprints past this budget, the arbiter evicts the
+	 * least-recently-used evictable entries (refcount 0, never the text
+	 * target) until it fits. Return `null` to disable the fit path entirely —
+	 * the default, since an arbiter with no host-RAM knowledge must not guess.
+	 * Production wiring passes `os.totalmem()/MB - ramHeadroomReserveMb()`.
+	 */
+	budgetMb?: () => number | null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The arbiter. One instance per process; the plugin owns the singleton
+ * (see `index.ts`), and any consumer calls `getMemoryArbiter()` rather
+ * than newing one up.
+ */
+export class MemoryArbiter {
+	private readonly registry: SharedResourceRegistry;
+	private readonly pressureSource: MemoryPressureSource | null;
+	private readonly visionCache: VisionEmbeddingCache;
+	private readonly log?: MemoryArbiterOptions["logger"];
+	private readonly now: () => number;
+	private readonly budgetMb: () => number | null;
+
+	private readonly capabilities = new Map<
+		ArbiterCapability,
+		CapabilityRegistration<unknown, unknown, unknown>
+	>();
+	private readonly resident = new Map<string, ResidentEntry>();
+
+	private readonly listeners = new Set<ArbiterEventListener>();
+	private pressureUnsubscribe: (() => void) | null = null;
+	private currentPressure: MemoryPressureLevel = "nominal";
+
+	/**
+	 * One serialized in-flight load per (capability, modelKey) so concurrent
+	 * `requestX` calls share a single load promise instead of triggering
+	 * duplicate weights into RAM.
+	 */
+	private readonly inFlightLoads = new Map<string, Promise<ResidentEntry>>();
+
+	/**
+	 * Per-capability run queue. The arbiter does NOT serialize across
+	 * capabilities; what it serializes is the *swap*: when a request needs
+	 * to evict another resident role first, the ongoing run on that role is
+	 * allowed to finish, then the swap proceeds. Concurrent runs against the
+	 * same loaded handle pass through directly.
+	 */
+	private readonly queues = new Map<
+		ArbiterCapability,
+		QueueEntry<unknown, unknown>[]
+	>();
+	private readonly running = new Map<ArbiterCapability, boolean>();
+
+	private shuttingDown = false;
+
+	constructor(opts: MemoryArbiterOptions) {
+		this.registry = opts.registry;
+		this.pressureSource = opts.pressureSource ?? null;
+		this.visionCache = opts.visionCache ?? new VisionEmbeddingCache();
+		this.log = opts.logger;
+		this.now = opts.now ?? (() => Date.now());
+		this.budgetMb = opts.budgetMb ?? (() => null);
+	}
+
+	/** Begin observing memory pressure. Idempotent. */
+	start(): void {
+		if (this.shuttingDown) {
+			throw new Error("[memory-arbiter] cannot start after shutdown");
+		}
+		if (this.pressureUnsubscribe) return;
+		const source = this.pressureSource;
+		if (!source) return;
+		source.start();
+		this.pressureUnsubscribe = source.subscribe((event) => {
+			void this.handlePressure(event).catch((err) => {
+				this.log?.warn?.(
+					`[memory-arbiter] pressure handler failed: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+				);
+			});
+		});
+	}
+
+	/** Stop observing pressure. Does NOT evict resident handles. */
+	stop(): void {
+		if (this.pressureUnsubscribe) {
+			this.pressureUnsubscribe();
+			this.pressureUnsubscribe = null;
+		}
+		this.pressureSource?.stop();
+	}
+
+	/** Tear down: stop pressure observation and unload every resident handle. */
+	async shutdown(): Promise<void> {
+		this.shuttingDown = true;
+		this.stop();
+		const keys = Array.from(this.resident.keys());
+		for (const key of keys) {
+			const entry = this.resident.get(key);
+			if (!entry) continue;
+			await this.evictEntry(entry, "shutdown").catch((err) => {
+				this.log?.warn?.(
+					`[memory-arbiter] shutdown evict ${key} failed: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+				);
+			});
+		}
+		this.resident.clear();
+		this.inFlightLoads.clear();
+	}
+
+	/** Subscribe to telemetry events. Returns the unsubscribe fn. */
+	onEvent(listener: ArbiterEventListener): () => void {
+		this.listeners.add(listener);
+		return () => {
+			this.listeners.delete(listener);
+		};
+	}
+
+	private emit(event: ArbiterEvent): void {
+		for (const listener of this.listeners) {
+			try {
+				listener(event);
+			} catch {
+				this.listeners.delete(listener);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	/** Register a capability handler. Throws on duplicate registration. */
+	registerCapability<TBackend, TRequest, TResult>(
+		registration: CapabilityRegistration<TBackend, TRequest, TResult>,
+	): void {
+		if (this.capabilities.has(registration.capability)) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[memory-arbiter] capability "${registration.capability}" is already registered`,
+			);
+		}
+		this.capabilities.set(
+			registration.capability,
+			registration as unknown as CapabilityRegistration<
+				unknown,
+				unknown,
+				unknown
+			>,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** Whether a capability has been registered. */
+	hasCapability(capability: ArbiterCapability): boolean {
+		return this.capabilities.has(capability);
+	}
+
+	/** Diagnostic snapshot of all resident handles. */
+	residentSnapshot(): ReadonlyArray<{
+		capability: ArbiterCapability;
+		modelKey: string;
+		residentRole: ResidentModelRole;
+		estimatedMb: number;
+		refCount: number;
+		loadedAtMs: number;
+		lastUsedAt: number;
+	}> {
+		return Array.from(this.resident.values()).map((e) => ({
+			capability: e.capability,
+			modelKey: e.modelKey,
+			residentRole: e.residentRole,
+			estimatedMb: e.estimatedMb,
+			refCount: e.refCount,
+			loadedAtMs: e.loadedAtMs,
+			lastUsedAt: e.lastUsedAt,
+		}));
+	}
+
+	currentPressureLevel(): MemoryPressureLevel {
+		return this.currentPressure;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Acquire a handle for `(capability, modelKey)`. If the model is already
+	 * resident the refcount is bumped and we return immediately; otherwise we
+	 * load it (sharing the in-flight promise across concurrent acquirers).
+	 *
+	 * Critical pressure causes acquire to throw for non-text capabilities so
+	 * we don't load on top of a system the OS has already flagged as in
+	 * trouble. Text always loads — without text the agent is a brick.
+	 */
+	async acquire<TBackend>(
+		capability: ArbiterCapability,
+		modelKey: string,
+	): Promise<ArbiterHandle<TBackend>> {
+		const registration = this.capabilities.get(capability);
+		if (!registration) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[memory-arbiter] no capability registered for "${capability}"`,
+			);
+		}
+		if (this.shuttingDown) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[memory-arbiter] arbiter is shutting down; cannot acquire ${capability}`,
+			);
+		}
+		if (this.currentPressure === "critical" && capability !== "text") {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[memory-arbiter] memory pressure is critical; refusing to load capability "${capability}". Free RAM and retry.`,
+			);
+		}
+		const entry = await this.loadOrReuse(registration, modelKey);
+		entry.refCount++;
+		entry.lastUsedAt = this.now();
+		return this.handleFor<TBackend>(entry);
+	}
+
+	private handleFor<TBackend>(entry: ResidentEntry): ArbiterHandle<TBackend> {
+		const arbiter = this;
+		let released = false;
+		return {
+			capability: entry.capability,
+			modelKey: entry.modelKey,
+			backend: entry.backend as TBackend,
+			retain(): void {
+				if (released) {
+					throw new Error(
+						`[memory-arbiter] cannot retain ${entry.capability}/${entry.modelKey} after release`,
+					);
+				}
+				entry.refCount++;
+			},
+			async release(): Promise<void> {
+				if (released) return;
+				released = true;
+				entry.refCount = Math.max(0, entry.refCount - 1);
+				// We don't unload at refcount=0; the role becomes evictable, and
+				// the pressure / idle path is what reclaims it. Keeps warm-paths
+				// fast.
+				arbiter.log?.debug?.(
+					`[memory-arbiter] release ${entry.capability}/${entry.modelKey} refcount=${entry.refCount}`,
+				);
+			},
+		};
+	}
+
+	private residentKey(capability: ArbiterCapability, modelKey: string): string {
+		return `${capability}::${modelKey}`;
+	}
+
+	private async loadOrReuse(
+		registration: CapabilityRegistration<unknown, unknown, unknown>,
+		modelKey: string,
+	): Promise<ResidentEntry> {
+		const key = this.residentKey(registration.capability, modelKey);
+		const existing = this.resident.get(key);
+		if (existing) return existing;
+		const inFlight = this.inFlightLoads.get(key);
+		if (inFlight) return inFlight;
+
+		// Before loading, decide whether the new role conflicts with what's
+		// currently resident. The conservative policy: if the same
+		// `residentRole` is held by a different modelKey, we evict the
+		// existing one first (one model per role). Different roles can co-
+		// exist; the pressure path is what rebalances them.
+		const role =
+			registration.residentRole ?? CAPABILITY_ROLE[registration.capability];
+		const conflicts = this.findConflictingRole(
+			role,
+			registration.capability,
+			modelKey,
+		);
+
+		const promise = (async (): Promise<ResidentEntry> => {
+			for (const conflict of conflicts) {
+				if (conflict.refCount > 0) {
+					// A different consumer is actively using the conflicting model.
+					// Wait for it to drain rather than yanking the rug out — the
+					// arbiter does NOT cancel in-flight work for a swap.
+					await this.waitForRefcountZero(conflict);
+				}
+				await this.evictEntry(conflict, "swap");
+			}
+			// Proactively make room for the incoming weights: evict the
+			// least-recently-used evictable models until this one fits the
+			// usable RAM budget. No-op when no budget is configured or the
+			// incoming footprint is unknown.
+			await this.evictToFit(registration.estimatedMb ?? 0);
+			const startMs = this.now();
+			const backend = await registration.load(modelKey);
+			const loadedAtMs = this.now();
+			const entry: ResidentEntry = {
+				capability: registration.capability,
+				modelKey,
+				backend,
+				residentRole: role,
+				estimatedMb: registration.estimatedMb ?? 0,
+				refCount: 0,
+				loadedAtMs,
+				lastUsedAt: loadedAtMs,
+				roleId: `arbiter:${registration.capability}:${modelKey}`,
+			};
+			const evictable = this.makeEvictable(entry, registration);
+			this.registry.acquire(evictable);
+			this.resident.set(key, entry);
+			this.emit({
+				type: "model_load",
+				capability: registration.capability,
+				modelKey,
+				loadMs: loadedAtMs - startMs,
+				atMs: loadedAtMs,
+			});
+			this.log?.info?.(
+				`[memory-arbiter] loaded ${registration.capability}/${modelKey} in ${loadedAtMs - startMs}ms`,
+			);
+			return entry;
+		})().finally(() => {
+			this.inFlightLoads.delete(key);
+		});
+		this.inFlightLoads.set(key, promise);
+		return promise;
+	}
+
+	private findConflictingRole(
+		role: ResidentModelRole,
+		capability: ArbiterCapability,
+		modelKey: string,
+	): ResidentEntry[] {
+		const out: ResidentEntry[] = [];
+		for (const entry of this.resident.values()) {
+			if (entry.residentRole !== role) continue;
+			if (entry.capability === capability && entry.modelKey === modelKey)
+				continue;
+			out.push(entry);
+		}
+		return out;
+	}
+
+	private async waitForRefcountZero(entry: ResidentEntry): Promise<void> {
+		// Cooperative wait — the arbiter doesn't have a per-entry condvar, so
+		// we poll on a microtask cadence. Refcount drops happen synchronously
+		// inside `release()`, so this terminates within at most one extra
+		// run-to-completion cycle when the holder has already released.
+		const start = this.now();
+		while (entry.refCount > 0) {
+			await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+			if (this.now() - start > 10_000) {
+				throw new Error(
+					`[memory-arbiter] timeout waiting for ${entry.capability}/${entry.modelKey} to drain (refcount=${entry.refCount}); refusing to swap mid-flight`,
+				);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	private makeEvictable(
+		entry: ResidentEntry,
+		registration: CapabilityRegistration<unknown, unknown, unknown>,
+	): EvictableModelRole {
+		return createEvictableModelRole({
+			id: entry.roleId,
+			role: entry.residentRole,
+			evictionPriority: RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY[entry.residentRole],
+			estimatedMb: entry.estimatedMb,
+			isResident: () =>
+				this.resident.has(this.residentKey(entry.capability, entry.modelKey)),
+			evict: async () => {
+				// The shared registry's monitor calls this. We must be careful not
+				// to evict a handle that's actively in use; refcount > 0 means
+				// "someone is holding it" and we leave it alone — the registry
+				// will pick the next-priority role.
+				if (entry.refCount > 0) return;
+				await this.evictEntry(entry, "pressure", registration);
+			},
+		});
+	}
+
+	private async evictEntry(
+		entry: ResidentEntry,
+		reason: "release" | "swap" | "pressure" | "shutdown" | "fit",
+		registration?: CapabilityRegistration<unknown, unknown, unknown>,
+	): Promise<void> {
+		const key = this.residentKey(entry.capability, entry.modelKey);
+		if (!this.resident.has(key)) return;
+		this.resident.delete(key);
+		try {
+			await this.registry.release(entry.roleId);
+		} catch (err) {
+			this.log?.warn?.(
+				`[memory-arbiter] registry release failed for ${entry.roleId}: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+			);
+		}
+		const reg = registration ?? this.capabilities.get(entry.capability);
+		try {
+			await reg?.unload(entry.backend);
+		} catch (err) {
+			this.log?.warn?.(
+				`[memory-arbiter] unload failed for ${entry.capability}/${entry.modelKey}: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+			);
+		}
+		this.emit({
+			type: "model_unload",
+			capability: entry.capability,
+			modelKey: entry.modelKey,
+			reason,
+			atMs: this.now(),
+		});
+		if (reason === "pressure" || reason === "swap" || reason === "fit") {
+			this.emit({
+				type: "eviction",
+				capability: entry.capability,
+				modelKey: entry.modelKey,
+				reason,
+				estimatedMb: entry.estimatedMb,
+				atMs: this.now(),
+			});
+		}
+		this.log?.info?.(
+			`[memory-arbiter] evicted ${entry.capability}/${entry.modelKey} reason=${reason}`,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Proactive fit-to-budget eviction. Before loading a model needing
+	 * `incomingMb`, evict the least-recently-used evictable residents until
+	 * the projected resident footprint fits `budgetMb()`.
+	 *
+	 * Policy:
+	 *   - Disabled when no budget is configured (`budgetMb()` → null/≤0) or
+	 *     the incoming footprint is unknown (`incomingMb` ≤ 0): we never guess.
+	 *   - Pins: the text target is never evicted (losing it bricks the agent),
+	 *     and any entry with a live refcount is left alone (in active use).
+	 *   - Ordering is pure LRU (oldest `lastUsedAt` first); ties break toward
+	 *     the lower-priority role, then the older load.
+	 *   - Best-effort: if the pins can't be freed enough, the load still
+	 *     proceeds — the OS-pressure path and the `active-model` admission gate
+	 *     are the backstops; this path only avoids predictable overcommit.
+	 */
+	private async evictToFit(incomingMb: number): Promise<void> {
+		const budget = this.budgetMb();
+		if (budget === null || budget <= 0) return;
+		if (incomingMb <= 0) return;
+
+		const residentMb = (): number => {
+			let sum = 0;
+			for (const e of this.resident.values()) sum += e.estimatedMb;
+			return sum;
+		};
+
+		while (residentMb() + incomingMb > budget) {
+			const candidate = this.lruEvictionCandidate();
+			if (!candidate) break;
+			await this.evictEntry(candidate, "fit");
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The next entry the fit path should drop: least-recently-used among
+	 * evictable residents (refcount 0, not the text target). Returns null when
+	 * nothing is evictable.
+	 */
+	private lruEvictionCandidate(): ResidentEntry | null {
+		let best: ResidentEntry | null = null;
+		for (const entry of this.resident.values()) {
+			if (entry.refCount > 0) continue;
+			if (entry.residentRole === "text-target") continue;
+			if (best === null) {
+				best = entry;
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (entry.lastUsedAt !== best.lastUsedAt) {
+				if (entry.lastUsedAt < best.lastUsedAt) best = entry;
+				continue;
+			}
+			const pa = RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY[entry.residentRole];
+			const pb = RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY[best.residentRole];
+			if (pa !== pb) {
+				if (pa < pb) best = entry;
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (entry.loadedAtMs < best.loadedAtMs) best = entry;
+		}
+		return best;
+	}
+
+	private async handlePressure(event: MemoryPressureEvent): Promise<void> {
+		this.currentPressure = event.level;
+		this.emit({
+			type: "memory_pressure",
+			level: event.level,
+			source: event.source,
+			...(event.freeMb !== undefined ? { freeMb: event.freeMb } : {}),
+			atMs: event.atMs,
+		});
+		if (event.level === "nominal") {
+			return;
+		}
+		// Cheap reclaim first: drop any expired vision-embedding cache entries.
+		const purged = this.visionCache.purgeExpired(this.now());
+		if (purged > 0) {
+			this.log?.debug?.(
+				`[memory-arbiter] purged ${purged} expired vision-embedding entries on pressure`,
+			);
+		}
+		// Then ask the SharedResourceRegistry for the cheapest evictable role.
+		// `low`: evict one role per pressure tick (gentle).
+		// `critical`: evict every non-text role we own.
+		if (event.level === "low") {
+			await this.registry.evictLowestPriorityRole();
+			return;
+		}
+		// Critical: walk our resident handles in priority order and evict
+		// everything that's not the text-target. We do not evict text — losing
+		// it bricks the agent and won't actually rescue an OOM that's already
+		// past the critical line.
+		const entries = Array.from(this.resident.values())
+			.filter((e) => e.residentRole !== "text-target")
+			.sort(
+				(a, b) =>
+					RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY[a.residentRole] -
+					RESIDENT_ROLE_PRIORITY[b.residentRole],
+			);
+		for (const entry of entries) {
+			if (entry.refCount > 0) continue;
+			await this.evictEntry(entry, "pressure");
+		}
+	}
+
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Capability-specific request fns. Thin wrappers around the queue —
+	// each one calls `enqueueRequest` with its capability tag and the
+	// caller's request payload. Plugins call these instead of `acquire`
+	// directly when they don't need to keep a long-lived handle.
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	requestText<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("text", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	requestEmbedding<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("embedding", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	requestVisionDescribe<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("vision-describe", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	requestImageGen<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("image-gen", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	requestTranscribe<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("transcribe", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	requestSpeak<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("speak", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Alias for {@link requestSpeak} that matches the `requestTextToSpeech`
+	 * naming used by `provider.ts`'s `ModelType.TEXT_TO_SPEECH` handler and
+	 * by external WS5 callers that don't import the `ArbiterCapability` type.
+	 * Resolves through the same `"speak"` capability + queue — the two names
+	 * are interchangeable. Mirrors the `requestVisionDescribe` ergonomic.
+	 */
+	requestTextToSpeech<TRequest, TResult>(req: {
+		modelKey: string;
+		payload: TRequest;
+	}): Promise<TResult> {
+		return this.enqueueRequest("speak", req.modelKey, req.payload);
+	}
+
+	private async enqueueRequest<TRequest, TResult>(
+		capability: ArbiterCapability,
+		modelKey: string,
+		payload: TRequest,
+	): Promise<TResult> {
+		const reg = this.capabilities.get(capability);
+		if (!reg) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[memory-arbiter] no capability registered for "${capability}"`,
+			);
+		}
+		return new Promise<TResult>((resolve, reject) => {
+			const queue = this.queues.get(capability) ?? [];
+			queue.push({
+				capability,
+				modelKey,
+				request: payload,
+				resolve: resolve as (value: unknown) => void,
+				reject,
+			});
+			this.queues.set(capability, queue);
+			void this.drainQueue(capability).catch((err) => {
+				this.log?.warn?.(
+					`[memory-arbiter] queue drain failed for ${capability}: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+				);
+			});
+		});
+	}
+
+	private async drainQueue(capability: ArbiterCapability): Promise<void> {
+		if (this.running.get(capability)) return;
+		this.running.set(capability, true);
+		try {
+			const queue = this.queues.get(capability);
+			while (queue && queue.length > 0) {
+				const next = queue.shift();
+				if (!next) break;
+				const reg = this.capabilities.get(capability);
+				if (!reg) {
+					next.reject(
+						new Error(
+							`[memory-arbiter] capability "${capability}" was deregistered mid-queue`,
+						),
+					);
+					continue;
+				}
+				try {
+					const handle = await this.acquire(capability, next.modelKey);
+					const startMs = this.now();
+					try {
+						const result = await reg.run(handle.backend, next.request);
+						const runMs = this.now() - startMs;
+						this.emit({
+							type: "capability_run",
+							capability,
+							modelKey: next.modelKey,
+							runMs,
+							atMs: this.now(),
+						});
+						next.resolve(result);
+					} finally {
+						await handle.release();
+					}
+				} catch (err) {
+					next.reject(err);
+				}
+			}
+		} finally {
+			this.running.set(capability, false);
+		}
+	}
+
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Vision-embedding cache passthroughs.
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	getCachedVisionEmbedding(hash: string): VisionEmbeddingEntry | null {
+		return this.visionCache.get(hash);
+	}
+
+	setCachedVisionEmbedding(
+		hash: string,
+		entry: { tokens: Float32Array; tokenCount: number; hiddenSize: number },
+		ttlMs?: number,
+	): void {
+		this.visionCache.set(hash, entry, ttlMs);
+	}
+
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// ASR transcript cache passthroughs.
+	//
+	// Re-transcribing the same audio is a frequent test/dev pattern (the
+	// dashboard's "play the WAV back" view, the streaming-audio handler
+	// flushing duplicate frames at segment boundaries). The cache is
+	// content-hashed by `services/asr/hash.ts`, with a hard cap so a long
+	// session can't memory-leak. Default TTL is 1 hour; entries are
+	// evicted on touch when stale.
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	private readonly asrTranscriptCache = new Map<
+		string,
+		{ text: string; expiresAt: number }
+	>();
+	private static readonly ASR_TRANSCRIPT_CACHE_MAX = 256;
+	private static readonly ASR_TRANSCRIPT_DEFAULT_TTL_MS = 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
+	getCachedAsrTranscript(
+		hash: string,
+	): { text: string; live?: boolean } | null {
+		const entry = this.asrTranscriptCache.get(hash);
+		if (!entry) return null;
+		if (entry.expiresAt <= this.now()) {
+			this.asrTranscriptCache.delete(hash);
+			return null;
+		}
+		// Touch for LRU-ish ordering on Map iteration.
+		this.asrTranscriptCache.delete(hash);
+		this.asrTranscriptCache.set(hash, entry);
+		return { text: entry.text, live: true };
+	}
+
+	setCachedAsrTranscript(
+		hash: string,
+		entry: { text: string },
+		ttlMs?: number,
+	): void {
+		const ttl = ttlMs ?? MemoryArbiter.ASR_TRANSCRIPT_DEFAULT_TTL_MS;
+		this.asrTranscriptCache.set(hash, {
+			text: entry.text,
+			expiresAt: this.now() + ttl,
+		});
+		while (
+			this.asrTranscriptCache.size > MemoryArbiter.ASR_TRANSCRIPT_CACHE_MAX
+		) {
+			const oldest = this.asrTranscriptCache.keys().next().value;
+			if (oldest === undefined) break;
+			this.asrTranscriptCache.delete(oldest);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Process-wide singleton accessor. The plugin's `index.ts` calls
+ * `setMemoryArbiter` once at boot; consumers call `getMemoryArbiter`.
+ * Throws when no arbiter has been configured — the runtime is expected
+ * to set one before any consumer touches it.
+ */
+let globalArbiter: MemoryArbiter | null = null;
+
+export function setMemoryArbiter(arbiter: MemoryArbiter | null): void {
+	globalArbiter = arbiter;
+}
+
+export function getMemoryArbiter(): MemoryArbiter {
+	if (!globalArbiter) {
+		throw new Error(
+			"[memory-arbiter] no arbiter configured; call setMemoryArbiter() at plugin init",
+		);
+	}
+	return globalArbiter;
+}
+
+/** Test/diagnostic — returns the singleton without throwing. */
+export function tryGetMemoryArbiter(): MemoryArbiter | null {
+	return globalArbiter;
+}