More than files
Traditional build systems treat files and timestamps as inputs to transformations. System-128 treats source, versions, dependencies, tools, constraints, tests, execution assumptions, and deployment intent as related first-class objects. Files remain useful interchange representations; they are not the only source of truth.
Realize, do not merely build
The environment can explain why each component was selected, which capability satisfies each requirement, what differs from the developer’s workspace, and which claims were revalidated. Reproducibility comes from explicit knowledge and resolution—not necessarily from freezing an opaque machine snapshot.
Research and commercial practice
During exploration, objects and implementations remain fluid. At a release boundary, the same model records resolved identities, versions, authorities, environmental facts, and evidence so another team or host can reproduce the intended system. Continuous integration, review, testing, and deployment become views and policies over that shared model.