## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The native runner connects task messages, provider execution, and
task outcomes.
> - First-time user tests exposed gaps in recovery, completion
permissions, message delivery, and Stop behavior.
> - These gaps left usable output hidden, completed work waiting for
bookkeeping, or safe work unable to continue.
> - This pull request fixes the shared lifecycle and receipt paths while
preserving process ownership and action checks.
> - Users can continue work with accurate task state and durable
messages.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**What happened?**
A stopped local Codex execution could remain blocked even after its
processes had stopped and its complete transcript proved that no
external action needed replay. Claude under Conservative permissions
could fail to call task completion tools. Recovery could reuse an
assistant item ID and overwrite prior output. A delivered comment could
remain marked uncertain after navigation. Stop could look like Pause or
a new recovery incident. Workspace contention could look like
cancellation. A direct reply reopening Done could enter a clarification
loop.
**Expected behavior**
Recover automatically only with verified termination and complete action
receipts. Preserve answers and messages. Keep task completion available
under Conservative permissions without broad tool access. Show crashes
as Blocked, actual human decisions as In Review, and ordinary workspace
contention as waiting. Stop the current response and allow a new
direction.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Create ordinary response tasks with local Codex and Claude Code, then
send follow-up messages through the task composer.
2. Interrupt a disposable local Codex runner during text-only work.
Verify automatic continuation and retained output.
3. Stop a response, send a new request, answer a clarification, and
reopen completed work with another message.
4. Navigate or reload while a comment submission is pending. Confirm the
exact persisted request receipt settles it without removing newer draft
text.
5. Run two tasks in a shared Daytona workspace. Confirm waiting does not
appear as failure.
**Paperclip version or commit**
Initial acceptance baseline: `c9021c6721f91e2c74bd9fee9d3fd41c999d17b7`.
Current integration base: `6cef9743c`. Both operator-interruption and
workspace-waiting guards are preserved; native restart and legacy
permission rules remain documented.
**Deployment mode**
An isolated source-built test-drive instance, with real local Codex and
Claude Code providers and disposable Daytona environments.
Related work: #13314, #13316, #13327, #13344, #13239, #13254, #13163.
This PR addresses additional failures from ordinary task journeys,
including controller restart handoff and repeated warm sandbox setup.
Historical task status reconciliation is excluded.
## What Changed
- Persist runner ownership immediately at spawn and resume an explicitly
adopted runner even when the controller crashed before the first driver
checkpoint. Detach the controller safely across graceful restarts,
including session startup. Prevent an old finalizer from suspending or
signaling an adopted runner. Checkpoint idle warm sessions before
shutdown. Preserve the same run and queued follow-up messages.
- Scope saved legacy queue successor checks to the queue owner while
preserving ordinary task locks, operator identity, assignment gates, and
exactly-once delivery.
- Preserve managed Codex credential files when an old session is
detached for restart; normal owned cleanup still copies refreshed auth
back and removes the scoped copy.
- Reuse the bound warm shared sandbox and fully verify an existing
staged provider pack before using it. This avoids repeated uploads when
the pack is already valid.
- Add a narrow local Codex replacement path with stopped-process proof,
a closed transcript inventory, exact completion receipts, and
fresh-session lineage. Preserve no-replay holds when evidence is
incomplete. Recovery may clear only the same run's recorded Blocked
status version; manual re-blocking and dependency changes invalidate
that receipt, while queued comments do not. Later blocks stop scheduled,
queued, and final dispatch; queued/final checks re-read dependencies
even when the task status stays In Progress.
- Permit only task delivery and human-input tools through the isolated
Claude runner's exact task bridge.
- Scope assistant item identity to the provider turn and ignore only
authority-free Codex skill-change notifications during startup.
- Reconcile composer submissions by client request ID across response
loss, navigation, and reload. Retain text typed during delivery.
- Keep acknowledged run-only Stop neutral and show workspace contention
as waiting. Project exhausted native failures as Blocked.
- Restore the guarded task-page retry action for failed legacy runs,
including the server-supported explicit new-attempt path for stopped
conversation adapters. Preserve native/process recovery holds and avoid
promising Retry while a decision or execution gate hides it.
- Refresh delivered artifacts and handle direct user replies that reopen
completed work without a clarification loop.
- Check the embedded PostgreSQL PID, data directory, and actual port
before connecting or migrating.
- Document accepted behavior and add focused regressions at lifecycle,
route, transcript, and UI boundaries.
## Verification
- Final head `fece606ac2` passes the complete GitHub CI matrix: **34
green checks, two expected Storybook skips, no failures or pending
checks**, including `ci / verify`, `ci / e2e`, full runner verification,
typecheck, build, every server/workspace shard, and all browser shards.
[CI
run](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34727183287).
Greptile is **5/5 with no open findings**. The final two commits only
refine test fixtures; both affected suites pass 24/24 locally and in CI,
with server typecheck green.
- Complete local Vitest coverage uses the canonical groups/shards: all
635 general server suites, all 145 serialized suites, and all workspace
packages. The aggregate began on `0a8001c18` while the final queue fix
arrived: 23,903 passed, five failed, 87 skipped. The five
port/socket/timing failures passed unchanged in follow-ups (60 tests in
the exposure/file suites and 412 tests covering the serialized failures
and unrun tails). The final queue/operator-identity suites separately
passed 52/52. This is aggregate coverage plus explicit reruns, not a
pristine single-command final-head run.
- After integration with current master,
queue/operator-identity/continuation suites passed 162/162 and affected
UI suites passed 140/140. ACP Stop/continuation and legacy
task/Inbox/message browser suites passed 9/9, including both task
recovery Retry and thread Try again, automatic saved-message delivery,
exactly one new run, Done, and retained output after reload. The default
process Stop/Pause/Resume browser case passed (the native-provider case
is opt-in and skipped by default). The complete Board attachment/receipt
browser suite passed 11/11 on a disposable instance, covering both
composers, exact receipts after lost responses, no replay, bound
attachments, and newer drafts after reload.
- Blocking-intent regressions cover pre-existing Blocked, a mismatched
run/cause, an explicit manual re-block, changed dependencies, a queued
comment after failure, and a block arriving between scheduling and
provider dispatch. The negative cases reproduced before the fix. All 478
affected executor/recovery/dispatch tests passed; both database suites
ran separately after availability-probe skips in the first combined
command. The final late-dependency check passed all 143 affected
recovery/dispatch tests (zero skips) after two new negative cases
reproduced the bug.
- Focused runtime regressions cover awaited runner ownership
publication, authenticated adoption before the first checkpoint,
old-finalizer detachment, idle and busy warm-session shutdown, rejected
checkpoint propagation, provider-pack verification, and managed-Codex
credential preservation. Four managed credential detachment cases
reproduced the bug before the fix; normal owned cleanup still succeeds
exactly once.
- Live local Claude: SIGKILL 2.6 seconds into startup recovered the same
run automatically in 53 seconds, then a normal follow-up completed in 24
seconds. SIGTERM 2.5 seconds into startup preserved the same run (54
seconds) and its queued follow-up (21 seconds). Answers remained visible
and the task reached Done.
- Live Claude Daytona: a warm follow-up retained its sandbox and fell
from 121 seconds to 44 seconds. A separate cold turn took 127 seconds;
after controller shutdown and checkpointing, its follow-up completed in
33 seconds with the same sandbox, workspace, native session, and runner.
Both answers remained visible and the task was Done.
- Other live journeys covered task completion and follow-up with local
and Daytona Codex, local Codex crash recovery, Stop then new direction,
clarification response, live artifact refresh, and shared-workspace
waiting.
- Validation limits: the opt-in native composer Stop/Pause→subtree
Resume fixture exposes terminal/result ordering and subtree-cancellation
attribution bugs that can leave a child task blocked; that new finding
is assigned to a separate follow-up and is not claimed fixed here.
Default CI skips this optional native-provider fixture. Managed-Codex
credential handoff and the queue-agent integration use automated
regression evidence. Cold custom provider-pack uploads still add startup
latency.
## Risks
- Automatic replacement remains deliberately narrow: local Codex,
verified stopped identities, unchanged retained state, and a complete
text/completion-only turn. Unknown actions, partial history, or changed
ownership remain blocked.
- Claude completion permission handling changes an upstream package
patch. The exact isolated task bridge must remain pinned; unrelated
tools keep their existing permissions.
- New task failure projection changes user-visible status. No historical
status backfill or database migration is included.
- This is a broad lifecycle fix across server and UI. Live proof covers
graceful local Claude restart during startup and idle Claude Daytona
session recovery across controller shutdown. Live abrupt SIGKILL during
local Claude startup also recovered the same run. Unknown ownership or
missing action evidence still blocks reuse. Cold custom provider-pack
uploads still add startup latency; this change avoids unnecessary repeat
uploads.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-6 (Codex), with reasoning, code execution, browser
automation, and tool use. The exact hosted model ID and context window
are not exposed in this task.
## 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 app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Task execution controls let board users pause a task or its subtree.
> - The composer still accepted messages while a pause hold was active.
> - A paused task must require an explicit resume before the user can
send another message.
> - This pull request replaces the composer with an amber pause card and
checks board comment writes on the server.
> - The user keeps their draft and resumes through the existing task
controls.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #13104. Refs #13119.
**What existing behavior does this improve?**
The task composer and existing task/subtree pause controls.
**Current behavior**
A paused task can still receive a board message. The pause notice sits
outside the composer, which leaves the send action available.
**Proposed behavior**
Show an amber takeover in both task chat and the classic composer.
Preserve the draft. Require the user to resume the task or the ancestor
subtree before sending. Reject board comment writes through either
supported write route while the pause hold is active.
**Breaking changes**
Board comment writes to a paused task now return HTTP 409. Agent run
reports remain supported during a pause. There is no schema migration.
## What Changed
- Add a shared amber composer takeover with task, subtree, saved draft,
pending, and error states.
- Use effective ancestor pause state in both composer interfaces.
Refresh it after pause events, task updates, and rejected sends.
- Preserve draft text and attachments. Hide editor, send, queued edit,
and pending question controls while paused.
- Check active pause holds before board comment writes can mutate tasks,
store comments, or wake agents.
- Connect the approved Storybook examples to the production component
and update the design and behavior docs.
- Add browser coverage for both composers, draft persistence, resume,
inherited holds, and rejected writes. Update ACP continuation coverage
for the explicit resume requirement.
## Verification
- Passed: `pnpm -r typecheck`.
- Passed: `pnpm build`.
- Passed: `pnpm build-storybook`.
- Passed: `pnpm check:token-gates` and `git diff --check`.
- Passed: focused UI tests (398 tests) and server route tests (127
tests).
- Passed: `pnpm exec playwright test --config
tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts tests/e2e/paused-composer.spec.ts
tests/e2e/acp-stop-continuation.spec.ts` (5 tests).
- Passed: manual browser walkthrough in a disposable local instance.
Pause with a draft, refresh while paused, resume, send, and reopen. The
draft returned, and one message persisted. The amber card and resume
dialog were readable with no clipping.
- Full local `pnpm test:run` did not pass: the general-server stage
recorded 9,072 passing tests, 6 database setup failures from macOS
shared-memory exhaustion, and 4 failed tests. This stopped the script
before its later groups. Latest-head CI runs those groups independently.
- Local follow-up: the Git file-resource load test passed on rerun (4
tests); native finalization migration passed after clearing the
abandoned browser-test database allocation. Building the native debug
fixtures fixed the missing fake provider. The remaining native-session
recovery assertion also reproduces on untouched base commit `87b3e5fc6`
(36 pass, 1 fail on both base and PR). It expects a settled-session
error but receives a semantic-input-digest error.
- The final UI build, UI typecheck, token gates, both thread suites (182
tests), and all five browser tests passed after the queued-action review
fix. All 31 latest-head CI checks passed, including all server,
workspace, browser, build, release, and security gates. Two optional
Storybook jobs were skipped by workflow policy. Greptile reviewed
`32d8fb5f5` at 5/5 with no open findings.
- Review the Paused Composer and Tasks / Execution Controls stories.
Pause a task with a draft, verify the amber card, resume, and verify the
draft can be sent once.
## Risks
- Clients that used board comments to continue paused work must resume
first. The response is an explicit HTTP 409.
- Pause state can change while a page is open. Live updates refresh the
composer, and the server rejects stale sends before their side effects.
- Resume keeps the existing dialog and optional agent wake behavior.
Agent reports from interrupted runs remain allowed.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, based on GPT-6, assisted with design, implementation, code
execution, and browser verification. The exact runtime model ID and
context window are not exposed in this session. The agent used reasoning
and tool calls.
## 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 the relevant tests locally and they pass; the full
local-suite limits are documented above
- [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 app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The task composer is where operators direct running agents.
> - Operators need to stop work without leaving the conversation.
> - Existing pause controls already hold task trees and interrupt both
runner types.
> - This pull request connects the composer to those controls and
removes repeated feedback.
> - Operators can pause work quickly and still queue messages while
agents run.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**What existing behavior does this improve?**
Task pause, resume, and cancellation in the task page and composer.
**Current behavior**
The empty composer cannot stop a running task. Task controls require
extra confirmation and reason text. Pause can show several notifications
for the task already on screen.
**Proposed behavior**
Show Stop while this task runs and the composer is empty. Text or
attachments switch it to Send. Stop and the menu use the same manual
pause hold. Parent pauses include descendants. Keep task cancellation in
the menu with a compact confirmation. Show one quiet pause row and gray
cancelled-run details.
**Reason and benefit**
Operators can interrupt execution with one click. Drafts and queued
messages keep their existing behavior. The UI waits for actual
termination, including native cancellation acknowledgment.
**Breaking changes**
No endpoint, schema, or task-status change. Pause no longer asks for
confirmation or a reason. Resume now honors the existing wake-agents
option. Task notifications are suppressed for the task and subtree
currently in view.
Related UI work: #8228 changes navigation and composer shortcuts. This
PR covers execution controls. No duplicate Stop-button PR was found. The
change improves existing controls and does not duplicate a roadmap
milestone.
## What Changed
- Add Stop, pending feedback, duplicate-click protection, and inline
errors to the composer.
- Share the pause mutation across the composer, active-run controls, and
menu.
- Poll affected runs after a pause request. Require native cancellation
acknowledgment.
- Remove pause confirmation and shared reason fields. Reduce cancel
confirmation to its task count and actions.
- Honor wake-agents for executable tasks only. Preserve the pause when
recovery review is needed; show partial wake failures inline.
- Preserve explicit legacy reconciliation decisions while their
continuation waits for dispatch.
- Suppress notifications for visible task trees. Use quiet pause and
cancellation feedback.
- Add interactive stories using production controls and native/legacy
end-to-end tests.
## Verification
- User reviewed the running feature and revised Storybooks in the
browser.
- Rebased focused checks passed: 295 original targeted tests, 161
updated route/page/notification/status tests, and 26 recovery
integration tests.
- Both isolated runner journeys pass on the final revision (1.7
minutes). Coverage includes queueing, parent and child interruption,
persisted holds, no automatic continuation, reconciled resume,
cancellation, terminal exclusions, and no Stop toast.
- Native coverage uses real runnerd with a deterministic provider
fixture. Legacy coverage checks actual process termination. Live
hosted-provider execution was not tested.
- Repository typecheck and build, Storybook build, and token gates
passed after rebase. The final server typecheck/build also passed.
- The broad local run completed its general-server stage with 7,219
passing tests, 48 skipped, and two failures from cached pre-fix source
and a stale native provider fixture. Both failed tests pass in fresh
final-head reruns after rebuilding the fixture; the script did not
continue to its later local stages. CI runs all test groups on the final
revision.
- Final revision: all 31 applicable CI checks passed; Storybook visual
regression was skipped by its workflow conditions. Greptile: 5/5, zero
unresolved comments.
- Review `Tasks / Execution Controls` in Storybook. Type and clear a
draft, stop a run, expand cancellation details, and test the menu on
desktop and mobile.
## Risks
- Stop pauses descendants for a parent task. This is the existing pause
contract.
- A held task can remain active if interruption fails. The UI shows an
error instead of claiming termination.
- Resume can start multiple assignees when wake-agents is selected.
Backlog, blocked, and terminal tasks stay excluded. Existing execution
reconciliation remains mandatory where required; Resume never invents
action-outcome evidence.
- Notification suppression uses the visible task and cached subtree.
Notifications for unrelated work remain enabled.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-6 through Codex. The exact runtime snapshot and
context-window limit are not exposed in this session. Used reasoning,
tool calls, code execution, and browser inspection.
## 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 app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Operators spend most of their time on the issue detail page. They
talk to the assigned agent there through comments.
> - The current page reads as a ticket form. The thread sits below
properties, the composer sits mid-page, and live agent activity renders
as dense transcript logs.
> - Talking to an agent is a conversation. A chat-first layout matches
that mental model better than a ticket form.
> - A layout change this large must not disrupt current users. It needs
a safe opt-in path and full parity with the existing thread features.
> - This pull request adds a chat-style task view behind a new
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment toggle. The flag is off by default and the
existing page is unchanged when it is off.
> - The benefit is a focused, readable conversation with the agent: live
tool activity folds into compact summaries, the composer stays at the
bottom, and properties, plan, and artifacts move into header tabs.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #49 (chat with agents is a much-wanted feature).
Related PRs found in the dedup search:
- #4489 — an earlier, closed attempt to promote the conversation to the
primary surface on issue detail. This PR is a fresh, flag-gated take on
the same goal.
- #8837 — an open PR that proposes a two-column task layout. It
restructures the same page but keeps the ticket paradigm; this PR is
orthogonal because it is opt-in and chat-first.
**Subsystem affected**
UI (issue detail page).
**Problem or motivation**
The issue detail page presents agent conversations as a ticket:
properties first, thread below, composer in the middle of the page, and
raw transcript noise during live runs. Users who mainly converse with
their agents must scroll past chrome to follow the conversation, and
live activity is hard to read.
**Proposed solution**
An opt-in chat-style view of the issue detail page, gated by a new
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment toggle in Settings → Experimental. With
the flag on, the thread fills the center pane, the composer docks to the
bottom of the viewport, Properties / Plan / Artifacts become header
tabs, live turns show a status pill with the current tool action and
elapsed time, and settled turns collapse to a "Worked · N tools" summary
that expands into per-tool rows. With the flag off, nothing changes.
**Alternatives considered**
Restyling the existing layout in place (rejected: too disruptive without
an opt-out), and a separate chat page beside the issue page (rejected:
splits the task's single source of truth). A per-request lab page
(`/task-chat-lab`, dev-only) was kept for design iteration instead.
**Roadmap alignment**
ROADMAP.md "CEO Chat" wants lighter conversations that still resolve to
real work objects. This PR keeps the core task-and-comments model — it
only changes presentation, opt-in — so it does not duplicate that
planned work.
## What Changed
- New `enableTaskChatRedesign` instance setting, exposed as a
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment card in Settings → Experimental (shared
feature catalog, validators, server instance-settings service, and UI
settings page).
- New `ui/src/components/task-chat/` component family: chat thread with
turn grouping, agent reply bubbles, live status pill, collapsible turn
summaries with per-tool rows, plan tab with a sticky CTA action bar,
inline interaction cards, per-request mode chips, and a bottom-docked
composer.
- A shared tool taxonomy (`tool-taxonomy.ts`) maps tool names to verbs
and icons; the status pill, tool rows, and the classic transcript view
all use it.
- A transcript adapter converts stored run logs into chat turns; it
dedupes tool-call updates by `toolUseId` so tool counts match the
expanded rows, and it keeps a tool row's first real name when later
generic updates arrive.
- Composer: posts on Cmd/Ctrl+Enter, supports image paste with
object-URL thumbnail previews (revoked on clear/unmount), and uploads
through the issue attachments route.
- `IssueDetail.tsx`: with the flag on, pane tabs move to the header bar,
the header is not sticky, and the chat fills the center; with the flag
off, the previous layout renders unchanged.
- Motion tokens for the new animations live in `ui/src/index.css` with a
`motion-tokens.ts` catalog and a test that keeps the two in sync (the
catalog now also covers the shared enter/exit/swap tokens that the
decision/quicklook block declares).
- A dev-only `/task-chat-lab` page with fixtures and a tweak panel for
motion tuning.
## Verification
- `pnpm typecheck` — clean across the workspace.
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 CLEAN.
- `cd ui && pnpm vitest run` — 3,344 of 3,345 tests pass locally. The
one failure is `IssueProperties.test.tsx` monitor-row time formatting,
which is timezone-sensitive: it also fails on unmodified `origin/master`
in a non-UTC timezone and passes with `TZ=UTC`. It is not related to
this change.
- `cd server && pnpm vitest run
src/__tests__/instance-settings-service.test.ts` — 21/21 pass (covers
the new setting).
- Manual: start the dev server, open Settings → Experimental, enable
"Chat-Style Tasks", and open any issue. The thread fills the page, the
composer docks to the bottom, and Properties / Plan / Artifacts appear
as header tabs. Assign an agent and comment to watch a live run: the
status pill shows the current tool action with elapsed time, and the
finished turn folds into a "Worked · N tools" summary. Disable the
toggle and confirm the classic page is unchanged.
- Visual snapshot baselines are intentionally not updated: per
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`, "Per-change snapshot verification
demoted to dormant (Jul 13 2026)".
## Risks
- The flag-off path goes through the same `IssueDetail.tsx` file, so a
regression there would affect current users. Mitigation: the classic
markup renders through the same components as before behind explicit
flag conditionals, and the full UI suite passes.
- The transcript adapter interprets stored run-log formats, including
legacy entries without `toolUseId`. Malformed logs degrade to generic
tool rows rather than crashing.
- The new view changes no server behavior other than one additive
instance setting; it is additive and default-off. Overall risk with the
flag off is low.
## Model Used
- Claude (Anthropic), model id `claude-fable-5` (Claude Fable 5),
extended thinking enabled, agentic tool use (file editing, shell, test
execution) via Claude Code / Claude Agent SDK.
## 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 Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Its UI is the operator's daily surface: task lists, boards, budgets,
agent status — all built on shadcn components and Tailwind
> - Visual values (colors, spacing, type sizes, radii) were hardcoded at
~1,600 call sites: the same "small gray label" was 9/10/11px depending
on the file, charts disagreed with chips about status colors, two
toggle-switch implementations coexisted in two greens, and there was no
visual regression coverage
> - This made the UI drift-prone and made any restyle a
hundreds-of-files project, which discourages design iteration
> - This pull request extracts visual values into a single token layer
in `ui/src/index.css`, adds a Storybook visual regression suite backed
by external immutable baseline archives, and then applies a deliberate
retune reviewed change-by-change on screenshot diffs
> - The benefit is that Paperclip's look becomes a config surface:
retheming is a token edit reviewed as a snapshot diff, drift is blocked
by a token gate, and future UI PRs can prove exactly what changed
visually without committing hundreds of PNGs
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No existing public issue covers this work (searched "design tokens",
"visual regression", "design system" across issues and PRs). Related in
spirit: Refs #8982 (theming a hardcoded panel — a one-off instance of
the same problem class this PR addresses systematically).
**Problem (feature-request form):** UI visual values are hardcoded per
call site with no source of truth and no regression coverage;
consistency depends on reviewer memory, and restyling requires mass file
edits.
**Proposed solution (this PR):** a single token layer + enforcement gate
+ externally stored visual snapshot suite, then an intentional restyle
on top of that foundation.
## What Changed
- **Token extraction (zero visual change, machine-verified during
development):** committed codemods (`scripts/codemod-*.mjs`) moved
~1,600 hardcoded color/type/spacing/radius/shadow/misc values into named
tokens in a non-inline `:root` block of `ui/src/index.css`.
- **Visual regression suite:** `pnpm test:storybook-visual` covers 255
stories × light/dark = 510 Playwright screenshots at `maxDiffPixels: 0`,
plus new primitive-coverage stories and deterministic-render fixes.
- **External visual baselines:** committed PNG snapshots were removed.
`tests/storybook-visual/baseline-manifest.json` pins an immutable
archive URL/hash/size/count, and `scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs`
handles `download`, `verify`, `pack`, and trusted maintainer `upload`
flows.
- **Opt-in visual CI artifacts:** added a `Storybook Visual` workflow
that runs on manual dispatch or PRs labeled `storybook-visual`,
downloads/verifies the baseline, runs Playwright, and uploads Playwright
report/test-result artifacts for review. Normal PR runs do not mutate
baseline objects.
- **Token gate:** `pnpm check:token-gates` — zero hex literals, zero
arbitrary bracket values, zero raw font-sizes in `ui/src/components/**`
and `ui/src/pages/**`, with a documented inline allowlist for legitimate
opt-outs.
- **Theme retune (intentional, snapshot-reviewed):** new base theme
values; radius ladder derived from a single `--radius` knob; micro-type
cluster collapsed to a named ladder (`--text-nano/micro/compact` +
Tailwind `text-xs`/`text-sm`); letter-spacing collapsed to named steps.
- **One status-color vocabulary:** charts, quota/budget bar fills,
RUNNING/live chips, and liveness indicators all use the canonical
`--status-*` hues. Light-mode legibility fixes for red alert surfaces
that used dark-tuned text classes.
- **One switch:** `ToggleSwitch` restyled to the registry capsule form,
second hand-rolled implementation removed, and all call sites unified.
- **Docs:** `DESIGN.md` is the design contract; `doc/design/` holds
audit reports, decision logs, and updated guidance for external baseline
review/update workflows.
- Dead code removed (`agentStatusBadge` duplicate map), byte-identical
contrast constants consolidated, semantic renames
(`--project-seed`/`--project-none`, `--liveness-blue`).
## Verification
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 gates CLEAN during the design-system
run
- `pnpm typecheck` && `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui build` — green
during the design-system run
- `node --test scripts/__tests__/storybook-visual-baseline.test.mjs` —
pass after external-baseline rework
- `pnpm exec tsc --noEmit --pretty false --module NodeNext
--moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --types
node,@playwright/test tests/storybook-visual/playwright.config.ts
tests/storybook-visual/storybook-visual.spec.ts` — pass after
external-baseline rework
- `git diff --check origin/pr/9134..HEAD` — pass after external-baseline
rework
- `find tests/storybook-visual -type f -name '*.png' -print | wc -l` —
`0`
- `node scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs verify` — intentionally
fails closed until the first trusted maintainer publishes the baseline
archive and updates `baseline-manifest.json`
## Risks
- **Large but shallow:** the PR still touches many UI files due to
mechanical token extraction and retune work, but committed PNG snapshot
churn has been removed from the branch.
- **Baseline publication required before the visual suite can pass in
clean clones:** the manifest currently has placeholder archive metadata.
A trusted maintainer must publish the first immutable archive, then
update `baseline-manifest.json`.
- **Rendering platform variance:** the external baseline should be
captured in the documented Linux/Chromium environment. Future CI runs
verify against the pinned archive and fail closed on checksum/count
mismatch.
- **Visual CI is opt-in while stabilizing:** add the `storybook-visual`
label or dispatch the workflow manually to produce downloadable
Playwright report/test-result artifacts.
- **Scheduled follow-ups, deliberately out of scope:** Tailwind palette
classes map to semantic tokens in a dedicated pass; card/pill component
consolidation; ESLint ratchet. Tracked in
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`.
## Model Used
Claude Fable 5 (Anthropic, `claude-fable-5`, Mythos-class tier) with
extended thinking, running in Claude Code with tool use; mechanical
phases delegated to Claude Sonnet subagents. Follow-up external-baseline
rework assisted by OpenAI Codex (`gpt-5` coding agent with repository,
terminal, and GitHub tool use). All bulk rewrites executed via
deterministic, idempotent scripts committed in `scripts/`; intentional
visual changes were human-reviewed on screenshot contact sheets.
## 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 targeted local verification and documented the
intentional baseline-publication failure above
- [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 *(pending new CI run after this
rework)*
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
*(pending review)*
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) and
OpenAI Codex
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Dotta <bippadotta@protonmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Dotta
scotttong