We have investigated the stable operation regime of the short-pulse FEL osc
illator system. Two different stable-focus regimes of stable operation have
been identified. The one is a single-mode stable regime (SSR) and the othe
r is a bump stable regime (BSR). The former is operated with a large cavity
detuning and gives a single-mode stationary state without saturation. And
the latter is operated near perfect cavity synchronism with a low current a
nd gives a multi-mode stationary state after a transient bump of the macrop
ulse power. Using properly defined collective phase variables, we describe
the electron dynamics and the phase evolution of the optical field in the s
table operation regimes.