## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The CLI and server share a JSON configuration contract for local
installations and worktrees.
> - Existing config writes removed extension keys because Zod stripped
unknown object properties.
> - Invalid config files could also be replaced with defaults before an
operator preserved the original bytes.
> - Configuration updates must preserve operator edits and must not
rewrite files when the effective value is unchanged.
> - This pull request adds extension-preserving merges, guarded
invalid-config repair, atomic writes, and focused regression tests.
> - The benefit is safe setup and configuration reruns without data loss
or unnecessary mtime changes.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**What happened?**
Known-field updates through the CLI or server removed unknown top-level
and nested config keys. Non-interactive configure and onboard paths
could replace a present but invalid config with defaults.
**Expected behavior**
Writers preserve extension keys, skip semantic no-op writes, and require
explicit interactive confirmation before an invalid config is replaced.
Repair preserves an exact collision-safe backup first.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Add an unknown top-level key and an unknown nested provider key to
`config.json`.
2. Update a known field through the CLI or worktree config writer.
3. Observe that the extension keys are removed on the base branch.
4. Write invalid JSON and run configure or onboard without an
interactive terminal.
5. Observe that the original file can be replaced without a durable
invalid-file backup on the base branch.
**Paperclip version or commit**
`master` at the pull request base commit.
## What Changed
- Accept unknown properties at each extensible config object boundary
while keeping every known field validated.
- Merge known-field updates into the parsed source config and preserve
only unknown extension data.
- Warn about near-match key names without deleting or changing them.
- Skip writes when the effective config is unchanged, which keeps file
mtimes stable.
- Write config changes through a temporary file, file sync, rename, and
directory sync.
- Distinguish a missing config from an invalid config in configure and
onboard.
- Back up invalid bytes as `config.json.invalid-N` and verify the source
still matches that backup before repair.
- Require interactive repair confirmation and reject non-interactive
replacement with an actionable message.
- Document the config preservation and repair behavior.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run packages/shared/src/config-schema.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/config-store.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/configure-repair.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/configure.test.ts cli/src/__tests__/onboard.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/config-file.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/worktree-config.test.ts`
- `pnpm -r typecheck`
- `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID= AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY= VITEST_MAX_WORKERS=1 pnpm
test:run`
- `pnpm build`
- Confirm all pull request checks are green on the latest commit.
- Confirm Greptile reports 5/5 with no unresolved comments.
## Risks
- Passthrough keeps misspelled keys. Near-match warnings make this
visible without destructive cleanup.
- Merge behavior must distinguish unknown extension keys from optional
known keys. Schema-aware regression tests cover preservation and
known-key deletion.
- Repair must not overwrite bytes that changed after backup. The writer
compares the current source with the selected backup before atomic
replacement.
- The change does not alter database schema, company scoping, or
activity logging.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, GPT-5 model family. The exact deployment model ID and
context window are not exposed. Agentic reasoning, tool use, and code
execution were enabled.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source control plane people use to manage
AI-agent companies
> - Operators need a predictable installation path that survives beyond
an ephemeral `npx` process
> - A durable installation needs an owned per-user payload store, stable
command shim, safe shell integration, and supported service lifecycle
> - Updates must preserve recoverability by backing up data, installing
side-by-side, verifying the new payload, and retaining rollback state
> - Bootstrap scripts and privileged service operations must fail closed
across download, filesystem, ownership, and consent boundaries
> - This pull request integrates managed install, update, rollback,
service, uninstall, doctor, bootstrap-installer, and runtime-serving
support into one workflow
> - The benefit is a recoverable, inspectable, and documented
installation lifecycle with explicit safety boundaries across Linux,
macOS, containers, WSL, npm, npx, and source checkouts
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
### Problem
Paperclip lacks a first-class durable installation and lifecycle
workflow. Operators currently have to assemble npm/npx installation,
PATH setup, background-service management, updates, rollback,
diagnostics, and uninstall behavior themselves. That makes upgrades
harder to recover, creates inconsistent behavior across platforms, and
leaves shell/download/service trust boundaries without one documented
implementation.
### Proposed Solution
Add a managed per-user install store and stable shim, a verified shell
bootstrap installer, service lifecycle commands, install-mode-aware
update/rollback behavior, doctor checks, and documentation. Managed
updates back up the database, install and smoke-test a side-by-side
payload, atomically switch `current`, and retain prior payloads. The
shell installer pins registry/download trust boundaries and requires
explicit consent for non-interactive privileged actions.
### Alternatives Considered
- Keep recommending `npx`: simple for evaluation, but ephemeral and
unsuitable for stable services, atomic updates, or rollback.
- Require global npm installation only: familiar, but cannot provide the
owned side-by-side payload store and retained rollback semantics.
- Split the capability across multiple PRs: rejected because install,
update, service, uninstall, bootstrap, and serving behavior share
contracts and security boundaries that need review together.
### Related Pull Requests
- Supersedes #10042 and #10044 with one integrated final diff.
- Incorporates and replaces the closed preparatory work in #10032 and
#10034.
## What Changed
- Added `paperclipai install`, `update`/`upgrade`, rollback, uninstall,
service lifecycle, onboarding integration, and managed-install doctor
checks.
- Added a private managed payload store, verified manifest/marker
ownership, exclusive mutation locks, atomic manifest/current/shim
writes, retained previous payloads, and provenance validation.
- Added npm and GitHub-ref install sources with exact target resolution,
registry isolation, database backup, side-by-side verification, atomic
activation, service restart coordination, and failure rollback.
- Made managed-update backups report actionable service-start and
`--no-backup` recovery guidance for unreachable databases, while clean
never-onboarded instances skip an empty backup.
- Added systemd user and launchd service definitions, status/health/log
commands, single-instance coordination, stale-port recovery, and
explicit sudo/lingering consent handling.
- Added the `scripts/install.sh` bootstrap path with checked two-stage
downloads, pinned public npm registry usage, platform checks,
dry-run/non-interactive controls, and Docker fixtures.
- Added embedded Postgres/native bootstrap integration,
hot-restart/systemd-notify serving support, passive update notices,
configuration contracts, README/CLI/install documentation, and focused
regression tests.
- Security re-review should explicitly re-verify: (1)
`addManagedPathBlock`/`removeManagedPathBlock` reject symlinked or
non-regular rc files, assert current-user ownership, preserve
restrictive modes, and replace atomically; (2) managed shim replacement
rejects unsafe parents, foreign-owned or multiply linked files, and uses
checked atomic replacement; (3) the shell installer and sudo path
preserve explicit consent and checked downloads; and (4) installed
service/runtime serving remains bound to the validated managed shim and
instance configuration.
## Verification
- `bash -n scripts/install.sh scripts/clean-install-git.sh
scripts/clean-install-npm.sh scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh`
- `pnpm exec vitest run cli/src/__tests__/install-store.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/install-command.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/managed-install-check.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/onboard-service.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/service-health-check.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/service-manager.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts
cli/src/__tests__/update-notice.test.ts
packages/db/src/embedded-postgres-native.test.ts` — 9 files, 66 tests
passed
- `pnpm --dir cli typecheck`
- `pnpm --dir cli build`
- Follow-up verification: `pnpm exec vitest run
cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts` (14/14), `pnpm --dir cli
typecheck`, `pnpm --dir cli build`, and `pnpm --filter
@paperclipai/server typecheck`.
- `pnpm -r typecheck`
- `pnpm build`
- Full `pnpm test:run` exercised all suites; an injected static AWS
credential changed one unrelated doctor expectation, which passed when
those credentials were removed. A second run cleared that case and
exposed stale pre-existing adapter-utils `dist` output; rebuilding
`@paperclipai/adapter-utils` made the isolated test pass. The updated PR
CI is the authoritative clean-workspace full-suite run.
## Risks
- Installer/update code writes executable shims, symlinks, shell rc
blocks, service definitions, and managed payloads; ownership,
regular-file, symlink, hard-link, marker, and path-containment checks
fail closed before destructive changes.
- The bootstrap installer executes downloaded tooling; downloads are
staged and checked before execution, npm traffic is pinned to the public
registry, and non-interactive privileged behavior requires explicit
consent.
- Linux lingering may invoke `sudo`; the command is surfaced and
confirmed before execution, and unsupported service managers fall back
to foreground-run guidance.
- Database migrations remain forward-only; payload rollback does not
reverse migrations, so managed updates create a backup before activation
unless explicitly disabled.
- Service restart and runtime serving touch process/port ownership;
lifecycle locks, health/version checks, and stable-shim service
definitions reduce split-brain and stale-process risk.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex coding agents using GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.6-sol, with
reasoning, repository/API access, shell execution, and test tooling. The
runtime did not expose a reliable context-window size.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Compress database backups with gzip (.sql.gz), reducing file size ~83%.
Add backup retention configuration to Instance Settings UI with preset
options (7 days, 2 weeks, 1 month). The backup scheduler now reads
retention from the database on each tick so changes take effect without
restart. Default retention changed from 30 to 7 days.
Add the shared telemetry sender, wire the CLI/server emit points,
and cover the config and completion behavior with tests.
Co-Authored-By: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
- Added disableSignUp to authConfigSchema in config-schema.ts
- Added authDisableSignUp to Config interface
- Added parsing from PAPERCLIP_AUTH_DISABLE_SIGN_UP env or config file
- Passed to better-auth emailAndPassword.disableSignUp
When true, blocks new user registrations on public instances.
Defaults to false (backward compatible).
Fixes#241
Reject requests from unrecognised Host headers when running
authenticated/private. Adds server middleware, CLI `allowed-hostname`
command, config-schema field, and prompt support for configuring
allowed hostnames during onboard/configure.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add Better Auth, drizzle-orm, @dnd-kit, and remark-gfm dependencies.
Introduce DB schema for auth tables (user, session, account, verification),
company memberships, instance user roles, permission grants, invites, and
join requests. Add assigneeUserId to issues. Extend shared config schema
with deployment mode/exposure/auth settings, add access types and validators,
and wire up new API path constants.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Introduces a provider-agnostic storage subsystem for file attachments.
Includes local disk and S3 backends, asset/attachment DB schemas, issue
attachment CRUD routes with multer upload, CLI configure/doctor/env
integration, and enriched issue ancestors with project/goal resolution.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Introduce company_secrets and company_secret_versions tables for
encrypted secret storage. Add EnvBinding discriminated union (plain vs
secret_ref) to replace raw string env values in adapter configs. Add
hiddenAt column to issues for soft-hiding. Improve migration system
with journal-ordered application and manual fallback when Drizzle
migrator can't reconcile history.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Drop the unused contextMode field from the agent schema, shared types, validators,
and all UI references. Merge wakeOnOnDemand and wakeOnAutomation into a single
wakeOnDemand toggle. Default serveUi to true and remove the onboarding prompt for it.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Switch from PGlite (WebAssembly) to embedded-postgres for zero-config
local development — provides a real PostgreSQL server with full
compatibility. Add startup banner with config summary on server boot.
Improve server bootstrap with auto port detection, database creation,
and migration on startup. Update DATABASE.md, DEVELOPING.md, and
SPEC-implementation.md to reflect the change. Update CLI database
check and prompts. Simplify OnboardingWizard database options.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add cli/ package with initial scaffolding. Add config-schema to shared
package for typed configuration. Add server config-file loader for
paperclip.config.ts support. Register cli in pnpm workspace. Add
.paperclip/ and .pnpm-store/ to gitignore. Minor Companies page fix.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
