What the software is trying to make ordinary

benchctl treats a one-shot command, a long-running job, a stream, and an artifact as different things. That distinction makes it possible to express cancellation, retention, reconnect behavior, and evidence without hiding device behavior behind one universal command channel.

Local-first authority

Supervisory tools can request bounded work and read state. Hazardous or timing-sensitive authority remains close to the bench, where disconnects and partial failures can be handled deliberately.

Evidence ladder

Static analysis, simulation, protocol fixtures, and a named physical bench answer different questions. The public documentation should always identify the highest level actually exercised.