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PaperClipAI/server
DottaandClaude Opus 5.5 838e9bf3d2 feat(recovery): settle sandbox creation intents of dead creators on the shared ownership path (#19978)
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## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Before it asks a provider to create a sandbox, the server writes a
creation intent that names its creator process
> - If the creator dies during the provider call, the intent waits for a
30-minute settle deadline before recovery reconciles it with the
provider
> - After a restart, creation recovery made such intents due early with
its own process check (`promoteAbandonedSandboxCreations`)
> - Phase 2 of the durable ownership plan moves each in-progress record
kind onto one shared owner proof and deletes its bespoke check
> - This pull request registers a settle for `sandbox_creation_intent`
and calls the shared path where creation recovery called the bespoke
promotion
> - The benefit is one proof for every kind, while the provider absence
proof and the cross-host handoff stay unchanged

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

Refs #19964
Refs #19933

**What happened?**
Sandbox creation recovery had its own liveness check
(`controllerProcessExited`) for the creator of a pending intent. Each
kind with its own check can drift from the shared rules (PID space, PID
reuse, current boot, deployment replacement).

**Expected behavior**
The shared prover judges the creator. On gone, the intent becomes due
now and its creator is marked lost. Provider absence stays inconclusive
until the settle deadline. A creator on another host is never proven
gone; its intent keeps the deadline.

**Steps to reproduce**
1. Start a sandbox acquire so a creation intent is written.
2. Kill the server before the provider reply is committed.
3. Restart. The intent must become due through the shared ownership
path, not a separate check.

## What Changed

- `sandbox-creation-intent-settlement.ts` (new): compare-and-swap settle
on the exact creator and a deadline that is still in the future. It sets
`nextAttemptAt` to now, marks `creationControllerLost` with the proof
reason, and wakes creation recovery in the same transaction.
- `recovery/ownership-registry.ts`: `sandbox_creation_intent` registers
the settle. An intent whose creator is already lost is no longer listed;
it belongs to the creation recovery deadline.
- `sandbox-creation-operations.ts`: creation recovery calls
`settleOwnableKind(db, "sandbox_creation_intent")`. Deleted
`promoteAbandonedSandboxCreations` and its use of
`controllerProcessExited`.

## Verification

- `cd server && npx vitest run
src/__tests__/sandbox-creation-intent-ownership.test.ts
src/__tests__/sandbox-creation-operations.test.ts
src/__tests__/ownership-reconciliation-report.test.ts` (embedded
Postgres).
- The existing lost-creator matrix stays green on the shared path:
destroy on the next sweep; page past unprovable creators; issue-bound
creation after a later run; reused PID; live creator here; live creator
in another process; creator on another host; early lookup finds nothing
yet (absence inconclusive); committed lease untouched.
- New, red on master and green here (written after the code): the
reconciler pass makes a dead creator's intent due now and keeps the
absence deadline.
- New counter-cases (green): live creator, another host, and an intent
without a creator keep their deadline; a read-only pass changes nothing.
- Full typecheck is left to CI (local memory limit).

## Risks

- Low risk. The settle writes the same state the deleted promotion
wrote, plus the proof reason.
- Previous-release rows: every creation intent already stored its
creator with a PID space, so no fallback is needed.

> 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

- Claude Opus 5.5 (`claude-opus-5-5`), Anthropic, via Claude Code with
tool use (shell, file edit, embedded Postgres tests).

## 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
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-11-08 01:07:58 -06:00
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