## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Execution workspaces give each run an isolated directory and a
selected base ref
> - A remote-only base ref can fail before `git worktree add` when the
ref is not local
> - A setup failure before adapter dispatch must block the run without
an agent-only retry
> - This pull request resolves both remote-tracking ref forms and bounds
recovery for the same unresolved ref
> - The benefit is correct workspace setup and no repeated pre-adapter
recovery loop
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
This PR has no existing public issue. It addresses a workspace setup
bug.
**What happened?**
A remote-only base ref could fail before `git worktree add`. A setup
failure before adapter dispatch could also queue an agent-only
missing-comment retry.
**Expected behavior**
Paperclip must resolve `fix/foo` and `origin/fix/foo` before it creates
a worktree. An unresolved ref must create a human-owned configuration
blocker. Paperclip must not queue an agent-only retry when the adapter
never starts.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Configure an execution workspace with a base ref that exists only on
the remote.
2. Start a run that creates a fresh worktree.
3. Repeat the run with the same unresolved ref.
4. Observe one configuration blocker and no repeated agent-only recovery
action.
**Paperclip version or commit**
`7664e323189bc219d8cbe00433b2e82b682b0504`
**Deployment mode**
Built from source with `pnpm dev`.
**Agent adapter(s) involved**
Not adapter-specific. The failure occurs before adapter dispatch.
**Database mode**
Not database-related.
**Access context**
Both board and agent execution paths can use execution workspaces.
Related public pull request: `Refs #11123`.
## What Changed
- Resolve remote-only base refs with the authenticated fetch helper
before `git worktree add`.
- Support both unqualified refs and remote-tracking refs.
- Raise a `configuration_incomplete` blocker when the requested ref
remains unresolved.
- Suppress missing-comment retries when setup fails before adapter
dispatch.
- Add the requested ref to the recovery fingerprint to bound identical
recovery actions.
- Add focused tests and update the execution semantics document.
## Verification
- `tsc --noEmit` passed for the changed server code.
- Focused Vitest suites passed, including four base-ref tests,
fingerprint deduplication, and pre-adapter retry suppression.
- GitHub Actions must run the full pull request gate.
## Risks
Low risk. The change affects workspace setup before adapter dispatch.
Existing worktree reuse remains unchanged. An unresolved ref now creates
a clear configuration blocker instead of starting an adapter run.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-5; exact model ID `gpt-5`; agentic tool use and repository
review.
## 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>
Server tests that need a real PostgreSQL process must use
./helpers/embedded-postgres.ts instead of constructing embedded-postgres
directly.
The shared helper creates a throwaway data directory and a reserved-safe
loopback port for each test database. This protects the live Paperclip
control-plane Postgres from server vitest runs; see PAP-2033 for the incident
that introduced this guard.
