Plugin Manifest

Every plugin must include a plugin.json at its root. The shell reads this file to discover, validate, and register your plugin before loading any code. Point your editor at the JSON Schema for autocomplete and inline validation:

{
  "$schema": "https://cdn.skyvexsoftware.com/schemas/stratos-plugin.json"
}

Every multi-word key in plugin.json is snake_case: available_settings, min_core_version, include_source_maps and attaches_files_to_pirep. Setting key values are yours to name. An upload with a key that isn’t listed on this page is refused.

Required Fields

`id`

Type: string Unique identifier for your plugin. Used internally for routing, IPC namespacing, config storage, and CDN distribution paths. Rules: lowercase alphanumeric and hyphens only. Must be unique across all installed plugins.

{ "id": "fleet-manager" }

`name`

Type: string Display name shown in the sidebar and settings screens.

{ "name": "Fleet Manager" }

`version`

Type: string Semantic version string. Must match the version in latest.json on the CDN when distributing updates.

{ "version": "1.2.0" }

`description`

Type: string Short description of what the plugin does. Displayed in the plugin info panel.

{ "description": "Browse and book available flights across the fleet." }

`type`

Type: "user" | "airline" Controls how the plugin is distributed:

"airline": Managed by the VA admin platform. Required plugins are synced automatically to all pilots when they authenticate. The VA admin controls which version pilots receive.
"user": Installed by individual pilots from the plugin store. Each pilot can install or remove it independently.

{ "type": "airline" }

`author`

Type: PluginAuthor

Field	Type	Description
`id`	`string`	Unique developer slug (e.g. `"my-va"`). Used in CDN paths.
`name`	`string`	Display name (e.g. `"My Virtual Airline"`).
`contact`	`string`	Optional contact email.

{
  "author": {
    "id": "my-va",
    "name": "My Virtual Airline",
    "contact": "dev@my-va.com"
  }
}

`icon_light` and `icon_dark`

Type: string Relative paths to sidebar icons: one for light theme, one for dark theme.

{
  "icon_light": "icon-light.svg",
  "icon_dark": "icon-dark.svg"
}

Icon requirements:

Place files in assets/ at the plugin root (e.g. assets/icon-light.svg)
SVG or PNG format
Square aspect ratio
Both variants required: the shell switches between them based on the active theme

Background Modules

Background modules do not require any manifest configuration. The shell discovers them automatically by convention: if a background/index.js file exists in your plugin’s root directory, the shell loads it as a background service in the Electron main process. See Background Module for the module contract.

Optional Fields

`homepage`

Type: string Optional URL pointing to the plugin’s homepage, documentation site, or GitHub repository. When set, the plugin info panel in Stratos Settings renders it as a clickable link that opens in the user’s default browser. Must be a fully-qualified http:// or https:// URL. Other schemes are ignored.

{ "homepage": "https://www.example.com/" }

`min_core_version`

Type: string The oldest Stratos Core your plugin runs on, as a semantic version. Set it when you use something only a newer core provides, such as DynamicIcon (core 2.49.0). An older core won’t install the plugin, an update leaves the installed version in place, and a copy already installed shows “Needs Stratos Core or newer. Restart Stratos to update.” instead of starting.

{ "min_core_version": "2.49.0" }

`include_source_maps`

Type: boolean (default false) Whether the published bundle keeps your source maps. By default they are stripped when the version is published. Set it to true if you want pilots to have them for debugging.

{ "include_source_maps": true }

`attaches_files_to_pirep`

Type: boolean Declares that your plugin attaches files to the PIREP. It’s advisory metadata. Attaching files changes how the flight submission is encoded for the airline, so see PIREP file attachments.

{ "attaches_files_to_pirep": true }

`available_settings`

Type: array Declares configurable settings for your plugin. Stratos shows the user-scoped ones on your plugin’s page in Settings → Plugins. Each setting has:

Field	Type	Description
`key`	`string`	Unique key used to read/write the value
`name`	`string`	Display label
`description`	`string`	Optional help text
`type`	`string`	Input type (see table below)
`scope`	`"user" \| "airline"`	Who can configure this setting
`default`	any	Default value

Setting types:

Type	Rendered As	Extra Fields
`boolean`	Toggle switch	`default?: boolean`
`text`	Text input	`default?`, `pattern?`, `placeholder?`
`longtext`	Textarea	`default?`, `placeholder?`
`number`	Number input	`default?`, `min?`, `max?`, `step?`
`range`	Slider	`default?`, `min` (required), `max` (required), `step?`
`list`	Dropdown	`default?`, `options` (required)
`radio`	Radio group	`default?`, `options` (required)
`date`	Date picker	`default?`
`json`	Monospace textarea	`default?`

Scopes:

"user": each pilot sets their own value in Stratos Settings → Plugins.
"airline": set by the airline on skyvexsoftware.com and not shown to pilots in Stratos. Changes reach Stratos while it’s running, never mid-flight (see ctx.config.onChange). Use for airline-wide config like welcome messages, event rules or feature flags.

Full Example

{
  "$schema": "https://cdn.skyvexsoftware.com/schemas/stratos-plugin.json",
  "id": "fleet-manager",
  "type": "airline",
  "name": "Fleet Manager",
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "description": "Browse and book available flights across the fleet.",
  "author": {
    "id": "my-va",
    "name": "My Virtual Airline",
    "contact": "dev@my-va.com"
  },
  "icon_light": "icon-light.svg",
  "icon_dark": "icon-dark.svg",
  "homepage": "https://my-va.com/stratos-plugins/fleet-manager",
  "min_core_version": "2.49.0",
  "available_settings": [
    {
      "key": "welcome_message",
      "name": "Welcome Message",
      "description": "Custom message displayed on the dashboard",
      "type": "longtext",
      "scope": "airline",
      "placeholder": "Enter a welcome message..."
    },
    {
      "key": "show_map",
      "name": "Show Map",
      "description": "Display the flight map on the main page",
      "type": "boolean",
      "scope": "user",
      "default": true
    },
    {
      "key": "units",
      "name": "Unit System",
      "type": "list",
      "scope": "user",
      "default": "imperial",
      "options": [
        { "value": "imperial", "label": "Imperial (ft, kts, lbs)" },
        { "value": "metric", "label": "Metric (m, km/h, kg)" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

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Type Reference

Required Fields

`id`

`name`

`version`

`description`

`type`

`author`

`icon_light` and `icon_dark`

Background Modules

Optional Fields

`homepage`

`min_core_version`

`include_source_maps`

`attaches_files_to_pirep`

`available_settings`

Full Example

​Required Fields

​id

​name

​version

​description

​type

​author

​icon_light and icon_dark

​Background Modules

​Optional Fields

​homepage

​min_core_version

​include_source_maps

​attaches_files_to_pirep

​available_settings

​Full Example

Required Fields

`id`

`name`

`version`

`description`

`type`

`author`

`icon_light` and `icon_dark`

Background Modules

Optional Fields

`homepage`

`min_core_version`

`include_source_maps`

`attaches_files_to_pirep`

`available_settings`

Full Example