# ADR-005: Spoke naming, not runner

- **Status**: Accepted
- **Date**: 2026-04-19
- **Deciders**: alkdev

## Context

The concept of a process connecting to the hub via websocket is a "spoke." Previous drafts used "runner" (influenced by GitHub Actions runner naming), but spokes are more general — dev environments, client applications, or compute instances.

## Decision

Use "spoke" consistently in table names, column names, and throughout the codebase. Table is `spokes` (not `runners`). FK columns are `spoke_id` (not `runner_id`). Registered spoke record is a "spoke registration."

Rationale: Hub-spoke metaphor is consistent throughout architecture docs. "Runner" is a specific kind of spoke, not the general concept.

## Consequences

Positive: naming consistency with hub-spoke architecture metaphor, more general and accurate terminology. Negative: none — purely a naming convention decision that improves clarity.