## Thinking Path > - Paperclip is the open source control plane for agent companies. > - People choose a harness when creating an agent. > - The server should resolve that harness to a qualified runner. > - Codex is the first harness in the staged default rollout. > - Saved agents must retain their execution choices. > - New Codex agents therefore use Paperclip Runner on qualified macOS/Linux targets, with an explicit Legacy override. ## Linked Issues or Issue Description Refs #16028, #15555, #15673, #15422, #15631, #15926, #15932, #16149. The runtime/install prerequisite and release repair are merged. This slice owns Codex creation, setup, configuration and preservation. Other harness defaults remain unchanged. It adds no database migration; incoming master migrations, required maps and regression coverage are retained. ## What Changed - Resolve `runner: auto | paperclip | legacy` at the common creation boundary across onboarding, API/CLI, hires, built-ins, plugins and imports. Freeze pending hires and export resolved execution choices. - Preserve existing runners on upgrades, unrelated edits and import updates, including compatible accounts, workspace settings, Codex effort and intentional clears. - Use the underlying harness picker and branding; put the runner override in Advanced. Use the shared dropdown and update production-component stories and creation contracts. - Support qualified Apple Silicon, Intel Mac, Linux x64 and Linux ARM64. Linux requires GNU libc 2.39+. Disabled, external, unsupported and unqualified combinations retain their applicable Legacy execution. - Test the selected runtime/account/model/environment. Ordinary Connect probes eligible immutable managed targets and refreshes scoped discovery. Creation/discovery do not provision. Auth, dependency, incompatible-setting and cleanup failures remain actionable without changing runners. - Keep setup probes read-only, preserve local/SSH isolation and resolve packaged assets before staging credentials. Bound cleanup reads by the remaining absolute deadline; physically close every owned ingress socket before endpoint release. Unconfirmed cleanup retains recovery state. - Preserve validated completed-onboarding callbacks through startup recovery. First file-producing work belongs to the child task and uses the existing dependency/block handoff and task-scoped registration. - Reuse existing E2E fixtures, artifact checks, reporting and controls. Keep Docker/Cargo/native compilation remote. Paperclip tarballs contain no Codex payloads; official optional npm platform dependencies remain. ## Verification Current tested head: `1c03a8815672d82c264a9b08d4ea1984e8fae107`. **Merge-ready: required CI, fresh review, package qualification, Mac core acceptance and Test task/follow-up acceptance pass.** The existing attachment and native-continuity oracles independently verify both Test downloads, run attribution and unchanged native/provider/workspace identities. The maintainer authorized a code-owner-review exception for this PR only. The first Test setup failure and normal Board completion-review friction are retained below. Actual post-merge packages and private Cloud distribution remain separate qualification gates. - [Current CI](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/38564241625): all 48 ordinary jobs and required verify/E2E pass. Attempt 1 retained six simultaneous host-shutdown cancellations. One failed-only retry passes those six lanes and two aggregates, preserving 40 successes. Actual integration checkout `53104c1` combines this head with master `c80`; it is not relabeled as the branch tree. Fresh exact-head Greptile 5/5, 30 resolved threads, no actionable findings. - [Exact-source package qualification](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/38565287239): nine applicable jobs pass, nine conditional jobs skip. Four remote native producers; Linux x64 clean install; Intel Mac, Apple Silicon and Linux ARM64 native startup/physical cleanup controls. All 18 tarballs/four daemon source/hash/manifest bindings and 343 migrations through 0344 verify. No Codex payload is packed. These hosted tarballs are not a published npm canary. - Normal Apple Silicon installation and credential-free native startup/cleanup pass using the packaged daemon, with no source build or provider turn. Fresh installed DB initialization passes. Upgrade 651a→1c03 preserves all three complete execution configs, accounts, ten recorded run profiles, paused budgets, active incidents, cost summaries and two historical unpriced events. Historical recovery state is retained. - Cleanup regressions: four delayed-read baseline failures become 15 passing deadline/authority controls. No-acknowledgement and prior-error socket ownership regressions become 12 passing controls. Direct runtime/server types, maps: 35 areas / 176 IDs, diff checks and independent reviews pass. Permission/auth/reconnect policy and the 10-second setup budget remain intact. - Existing source coverage includes creation/selection/imports, pending approvals, recovery, account/lifecycle handling, mounted forms, dropdowns and E2E support. Full typechecks/tests/build/token and applicable Storybook checks pass in the recorded current CI; no duplicate suite or weakened grader. - Literal 9546 live Mac proof: ordinary Auto Codex onboarding, useful document, real completed-child callback/reply, seven successful native runs, manual follow-up and independently downloaded1,101-byte child file. Existing Legacy title edit/reload preserves execution; two real Legacy runs produce independently checked15/34-byte files. These remain historical source records. - Current literal 1c03 Mac core acceptance passes independent checks: ordinary Auto native Codex onboarding without runner override; only timeout 180 seconds/concurrency 1 saved; six successful native runs and six serialized turns (maximum overlap 1); both same-task continuity checks and five mechanical callback checks; actual rendered parent reply and exact child downloads. The useful handoff advances from revision 1 to 2. Both files are 48 bytes, SHA-256 `8b742bd4e8123a7c078f0a8d9f3449fbfa8a320d7d90be641a2818db3c53d92c` and `f42db9774fa06e804ab7d596fc8b922a2b638921c418b87d0111151d290a6afe`; exactly one byte changes and old history remains. The agent is paused with zero active runs/errors. Both artifact work products have `isPrimary=false`, and descriptive titles fail a stricter title-helper assumption; these retained results are scoped editorial follow-up, not new merge gates. Six source-bound screenshots are uploaded and verified in the private primary QA report. - [Literal 9546 managed proof](https://d1p6rlowie26tp.cloudfront.net/runner-e2e/campaigns/gha-38485488621-1/index.html): original 19 assertions and completed judge pass, four native turns, child-bound240-byte file and session/workspace continuity. Checkout reports a verified generated target-lock mutation; full final porcelain was not retained. Signed execution-image identity remains separate from Core source. - Actual 651a Test deployment succeeds on one owned/pinned target. One ordinary Auto API-key Connect then fails native cleanup before hire. Controller turn/drain/suspend completion and service-recorded environment cleanup are observed; they do not certify physical deletion or native authority retirement. Failure/recovery/unknown holds are retained. No Legacy switch or unchanged paid retry. The two source repairs above require actual treatment. - [Current immutable Core preview](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/38570365725) and matching DB/shared artifacts pass. One owned, pinned Test target serves exact `1c03`; identical migration history correctly skips the migrator. Ordinary Auto Codex Connect succeeds and hires native; saved native selection and QA bounds survive reload. The initial child preparation attempt fails before provider work, with actual stdout identifying `renewal_deadline`; its trigger remains unknown and the failure is retained. Normal Board **Try again** and **Resume** recover the child to Done, producing a browser-verified 44-byte file, SHA-256 `0a8458b1efcc2d7a0d815689458c4caab039a46c7c7a3e5805de6bc8b1a96ecc`. The actual parent callback reports the completed child document/file. The existing validator requires a parent-owned attachment, so recovery enters normal Review; after byte checking, normal **Approve completion** reaches parent Done. No forced status or duplicate parent file is used. The validator is unchanged from integrated and current master. Autonomous initial callback-to-Done is not proven. The same-child follow-up completes document revision 2 and publishes a second independently downloaded 44-byte file, SHA-256 `22022257300fae762784632d08d3bbe0bab61e2ce81f91864a14dcd7aa464591`; only the revision digit changes. The unchanged existing native-continuity and attachment oracles pass. All ten recorded runs are terminal: nine native successes and the retained pre-provider setup failure. The QA agent is paused with zero active runs. The pre-existing parent evidence scope mismatch is a separate follow-up, with ordinary completion review exercised rather than a forced status or relaxed validation. This unsigned Core preview remains distinct from post-merge private Cloud composition. ## Risks - Saved agents are not migrated. Explicit runner changes use normal configuration/session rules; historical runs retain their recorded execution. - Native readiness depends on verified assets and server-owned target qualification. A Legacy probe, HTTP200 or successful account save cannot prove native readiness. - Recovery exceptions remain restricted to validated completed-onboarding reports; process-loss, ownership and terminal-state safeguards remain active. Unexecuted live journeys stay open. - Linux ARM paid tasks, Windows, Alpine and 32-bit ARM remain deferred. Cold Cargo cache misses are recorded; no warm-cache speedup is claimed. - Historical invoices/physical cleanup remain unconfirmed and held. After merge, exact published npm canary, signed standard image/migrator, private composition and serving/live acceptance still require qualification. Production deployment/default promotion is not authorized. ## Model Used OpenAI Codex, GPT-6 family, with reasoning, tools, code execution and parallel agents. Exact serving snapshot and context-window size are not exposed. ## Checklist - [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context to this change - [x] I have specified the model used with available 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 linked public issues or PRs above - [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or links - [x] My branch name describes the change and contains no internal ticket id - [x] I have run the stated focused tests locally and they pass - [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable - [x] I have updated relevant documentation - [x] I have considered and documented risks - [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green on the current candidate - [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open findings on the current candidate - [x] I will address all reviewer comments before requesting merge --------- Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
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Recovery
People can see why a task stopped, who owns the next action, and whether a safe continuation is available. Recovery retains task context and ownership, honors pause and budget gates, and distinguishes confirmed failure from an uncertain external outcome. A retry acknowledgement alone is not proof that work resumed.
Agent access: companion.
Sub-features
diagnosis: a task/run exposes the recorded cause, evidence, owner, attempt progress, and next action without requiring a raw-log interpretation.bounded-continuation: supported interrupted work continues with preserved conversation context and bounded attempts, without blindly replaying tools.source-action: source-scoped recovery actions remain attached to the task; independent repair work may have its own issue and return owner.exhaustion: exhausted or overdue recovery exposes the current gate and permitted operator action; it does not claim an automatic path is still live.workspace: workspace divergence/export failures show the applicable repair, reconcile, or isolated reissue action with evidence and authority checks.unknown-outcome: uncertain external side effects require inspection and an explicit decision, not automatic replay.user-continuation: saved user messages after a stop are reconsidered once cleanup proves the old execution is stopped; duplicate wakes are avoided.reconnect: browser stream recovery refreshes persisted state without claiming the agent itself restarted or that a failed run succeeded.
How to get to it (user POV)
source-task
Open the affected task from Tasks, Inbox/Blocked, search, or a direct task link. Inspect the recovery notice/card in its history, expand details if needed, and use the currently offered action. Follow any linked repair task and return owner.
run-detail
Open the agent's run (/agents/:agentId/runs/:runId) from activity or the task's
run link. The run page hosts workspace recovery controls only for a failed run
with error code workspace_validation_failed and a linked source task that still
has a live workspace_validation recovery action. Use the source task for other
stopped-run recovery checks.
operator-retry
On an exhausted disposition or workspace recovery card, inspect the current reason and use the permitted retry/repair/reconcile action. Some repairs require confirmation; unavailable actions must explain the gate or remain absent.
post-stop-message
After a stop, send a new instruction on the same task or inspect one already saved while cleanup was pending. Observe the waiting message, continuation, and eventual result rather than manually changing the task status to look complete.
browser-reconnect
While viewing an active or recovering task, interrupt the browser connection and restore it, or suspend and return to the tab. Reload is a separate check. The current task and run state should reconcile with the server.
Driving it
Preconditions: follow the baseline. Use a disposable instance and reproducible failure. Record source task/run, adapter/runtime mode, cause, attempt count, current owner, and verified stop evidence. Do not kill an unrelated server or induce provider side effects just to get a failure screen. Use the existing deterministic recovery suite first.
source-task
Automated: recovery actions covers source scoping, bounded attempts, operator stops, quota monitoring, ownership, stale action retirement, and continuation deduplication. Recovery cards cover diagnosis, retry progress, exhaustion, and action availability. The fixture-backed execution-recovery journeys start their own test-drive instances and exercise safe, uncertain, restart, manager-lineage, and legacy-unknown paths:
pnpm exec vitest run server/src/__tests__/issue-recovery-actions.test.ts ui/src/components/IssueRecoveryActionCard.test.tsx
pnpm exec playwright test -c tests/e2e/execution-recovery/playwright.config.ts recovery.spec.ts
Manual: open a stopped task through each affected navigation path. Confirm its explanation, original owner, recovery owner if different, and next action. Follow the supported recovery until the source task produces a useful result or a specific escalation. Reload and verify that resolved notices retire and attempt history remains. A fixture pass does not qualify every live harness/provider.
For a native workspace owner hold, repeat issue reads and recovery checks after the task becomes done or cancelled. Verify one unchanged action ID, attempt count, and timestamps; task completion must not authorize copyback. Clear only the exact receipt after operator stop verification, then confirm stale action cleanup. The route regressions and heartbeat regression cover this sequence without a live operator recovery claim.
An intentionally Done onboarding parent can still need its validated
child-completion report. Recovery must not mark that callback successful before
execution solely because the parent is Done. The existing
stale-lock sweep suite
covers delayed native/Legacy startup, invalid parent/child/company/assignee
bindings and a dead owner. Process-death and ownership backstops remain active.
Repeat the real onboarding journey and correlate callback turn events with its
reply and downloadable child file; status alone does not prove delivery. The
literal ea6c8eb5e16d61111968f633a66748b397b64a3e live failure is retained,
and the revised behavior still needs live qualification.
run-detail
Automated: run workspace recovery tests this host; it is component coverage, not an end-to-end repair.
Manual: prepare a failed run with error code workspace_validation_failed, a
linked source task, and a live workspace_validation recovery action on that
task. Open that exact run and compare its recovery diagnosis to the source task.
Use an eligible action from the run surface, return to the task,
and verify the same action state, persisted outcome, and restored execution.
Repeat with an actor who lacks authority. Verify that the run-page controls are
absent for other error codes or after the source action retires; continue other
recovery checks on the source task. Full run-detail navigation remains a manual
gap.
operator-retry
Automated: disposition notices tests pending/error/gated states and waiting for the real retry acknowledgement. The recovery-card suite covers workspace divergence, reissue, reconcile, and confirmation. Workspace export covers quiet restoration, legacy/operator assistance and resolved states.
For a retained legacy file hold, open the source task after its recovery action has resolved but its files still need recovery. An authorized board operator can record the verified recovered files and backup link without changing the current task status or starting another run. The server must independently validate the original stopped-execution receipt. Agent Chat must show the file hold rather than suggesting another message. The file recovery form, notice, and repair route cover evidence/confirmation, read-only access, stale or missing stop proof, source-only repair, and preserved task status. These tests use fixtures; separately verify original files and their attached artifact before recording a real repair.
Repeat source-only repair with a succeeded legacy run that still has a retained
file obligation. Its result must remain successful, its current task owner and
status must stay unchanged, and later saved input must become eligible for normal
admission. A running or queued source and a normal retry of a successful turn
remain denied. The reconciliation regressions
cover these cases and stop-receipt validation without claiming live provider proof.
For an abandoned native copyback owner, the harness verifies the exact stopped
deployment and the reconciler restores saved work automatically. Task users see
no process details or shutdown form. The documented operator API handles older
receipts after independent platform verification, through a separate administrator
gate. The authorization regressions
and route regressions
cover administrator admission, ordinary-member and agent denial, suspended and
foreign membership, missing role data, and stale cloud admin rows.
The native workspace finalizer suite
runs the real reconciler with a valid saved yield from result_accepted,
workspace_finalizing, and retryable_failure. It verifies physical fencing
before verified stop, automatic and operator recovery, successful export and commitment, hold resolution,
unchanged saved results, retained approval/monitor waits, and no new provider wake.
These local regressions do not prove a deployment platform stopped a foreign writer.
Manual: reproduce an exhausted disposable action. Click once, verify pending state prevents repeated clicks, and inspect a successful continuation or an explicit rejection. Reload to confirm the durable outcome. For a workspace repair, record the compared branches/revisions and preserve uncommitted work; confirm the repair's actual result before resuming. Check the denied and stale action paths. A changed card label is insufficient proof of workspace integrity.
For an abandoned native controller, follow the stop-verification procedure with a disposable deployment. A new platform-bound owner recovers automatically only after the harness signs proof that the exact deployment fully stopped. Legacy owners require independently verified stop evidence through the operator API; the task has no shutdown form. Confirm the original accepted result commits, the recovery hold resolves, saved files remain intact, and existing approval waits or monitor checks remain. No new agent turn should start. Repeat with a retry-phase owner and an ordinary runtime manager; the first can resume through automatic proof or authorized operator confirmation, while the second cannot use the operator API.
post-stop-message
Automated: legacy continuation, queue routes, and native restart recovery cover their respective recovery paths. Legacy failure continuation adds a browser journey; it is not native runtime proof.
Manual: stop a disposable run, submit a distinguishable follow-up, and observe any cleanup wait. After confirmed stop, verify the follow-up reaches one eligible continuation and produces the requested answer. Repeat with a task/ancestor pause and a budget hold: recovery must not bypass the gate. For unknown external outcomes, inspect the provider before authorizing another operation.
browser-reconnect
Automated: live-update recovery covers client transport recovery with mocks. It does not prove runner restart.
Manual: go offline during a disposable run, let the server reach a new state, then reconnect. Confirm task/run/attention data refresh without duplicate comments or decisions; reload and compare. A healthy websocket proves transport only. Separately inspect the underlying execution if it is still stuck.
Gotchas
- Legacy and native runtimes have different ownership and restart paths. Record which one was exercised instead of inferring coverage from the adapter name.
- A process disappearance, elapsed timeout, or successful API retry does not prove an external tool operation never happened. Unknown outcomes stay unknown until corroborated; automatic replay can duplicate a side effect.
- Active-run watchdogs, task watchdogs, reviewers, and recovery owners have different authority. No recovery card grants board permission by itself.
- Idle Agent Chat is not stranded work. An intentional operator stop must not silently trigger recovery that fights the user's instruction.
- Source inspection and mocked component tests do not qualify real server restart continuity. Use the appropriate runtime suite for that claim.
- See execution semantics for the governing recovery contract and steering for saved follow-ups.
Storybook verification
exhaustion
Scope: ui Storybook: Exhausted/overdue attempts, operator retry pending/error, blocked authority/gate and specific escalation. Production: Inspect durable attempt bounds and actual eligible retry/repair; acknowledgment alone does not prove continued execution. Sources: Source: IssueRecoveryActionCard.tsx, DispositionRecoveryNotice.tsx, issue-recovery-actions.ts. Tests: IssueRecoveryActionCard.test.tsx, DispositionRecoveryNotice.test.tsx, issue-recovery-actions.test.ts, recovery.spec.ts
unknown-outcome
Scope: ui Storybook: Uncertain external outcome, required inspection/evidence and explicit permitted operator decision. Production: Corroborate provider outcome before authorization; enforce no automatic external side-effect replay and reject stale/unauthorized decisions. Sources: Source: IssueRecoveryActionCard.tsx, issue-recovery-actions.ts. Tests: IssueRecoveryActionCard.test.tsx, issue-recovery-actions.test.ts, recovery.spec.ts
user-continuation
Scope: ui Storybook: Saved follow-up waiting on stop cleanup, pause/budget gate, one eligible continuation and result/failure. Production: Confirm previous execution stopped before delivery, preserve message, avoid duplicate wakes and honor actual task/ancestor/budget gate in separate legacy/native paths. Sources: Source: TaskChatQueuedMessages.tsx, legacy-continuation.ts, native-restart-recovery.ts. Tests: legacy-continuation.test.ts, native-restart-recovery.test.ts, issue-queued-comments-routes.test.ts, legacy-failure-continuation.spec.ts