Validate a job's configuration BEFORE any agent machinery is constructed:
- missing provider API key (AuthError from a read-only
resolve_runtime_provider probe; skipped when a fallback_providers chain
is configured, since auth-fallback may rescue the run)
- attached skill not ready (skill_view readiness_status=setup_needed —
missing required env vars / commands / credential files)
- delivery platform unknown or unconnected (deliver=local/origin/all are
never checked; gateway-config load failures fail open)
On a failing check run_job returns a [blocked_config]-marked error without
constructing AIAgent/MCP/etc, so a misconfigured job never burns an LLM
call. run_one_job records last_status='blocked_config' and delivers the
alert exactly ONCE across ticks (persisted preflight_alerted bit — the
alert-once shape from the #73506 dead-pin auto-pause); the next healthy
run clears the marker so a future break re-alerts. Every preflight check
fails open: only an affirmative misconfiguration verdict blocks.
Config: cron.preflight (default true); `cron.preflight: false` restores
the old fail-during-run behavior. Documented in the cron user guide and
config defaults.
mark_job_run gains an optional status= override (unblocked call shape
unchanged) and drops preflight_alerted on any successful run.
Tests: tests/cron/test_preflight_config.py (blocked_config + no agent +
single alert across two ticks, healthy job unaffected, recovery clears
dedup, fallback-chain rescue, opt-out restores old behavior, skill
readiness miss, unknown delivery platform, deliver=local never loads
gateway config). Full tests/cron/ + cronjob tool suite green (525 tests).
Ported from: paperclipai/paperclip execution-semantics §5 (MIT);
in-repo precedent: #27948, #73506
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