## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Paperclip runs across the CLI, server, adapters, plugins, CI, and
container images.
> - These surfaces declared different Node.js versions from 20 through
24.
> - A newer `@types/node` major can expose APIs that the supported
runtime does not provide.
> - Node.js 20 is no longer a suitable project baseline, and Node.js 24
is the current LTS line.
> - This pull request sets Node.js 24.11.0 as one repository-wide
baseline, adds a drift check, and gives users actionable startup
guidance when their runtime is too old.
> - The benefit is one clear runtime contract for development, release,
installation, and published packages.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #2734
Refs #11727
Refs #739
## What Changed
- Require Node.js 24.11.0 or newer in all 42 package manifests and
runtime checks.
- Use Node.js 24 in GitHub Actions, Docker images, smoke images, sandbox
setup, portable installs, and esbuild targets.
- Align every direct `@types/node` declaration on `^24.0.0`.
- Prevent Dependabot from opening major `@types/node` upgrades without a
matching runtime decision.
- Add `.nvmrc` and a CI policy check for Node version drift.
- Update ACP version gates, tests, and user documentation for the new
minimum.
- Print a non-blocking warning on CLI and server startup when Node is
unsupported, with remediation through a version manager or the
documented downloaded `install.sh` workflow.
- Deduplicate that warning when `paperclipai run` boots the CLI and
server in the same process.
## Verification
- `node scripts/check-node-version-policy.mjs`
- `node --check scripts/check-node-version-policy.mjs`
- `node --check cli/esbuild.config.mjs`
- `node --check scripts/generate-npm-package-json.mjs`
- `bash -n scripts/install.sh scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
scripts/e2e-install-lifecycle.sh`
- Parsed all 42 package manifests and confirmed `engines.node` is
`>=24.11.0`.
- `git diff --check`
- `vitest run
packages/adapter-utils/src/sandbox-install-command.test.ts` passed with
3 tests.
- `vitest run cli/src/node-version.test.ts` passed with 4 tests.
- Directly exercised the shared warning helper for unsupported-version
messaging and same-process deduplication.
- The focused exe.dev suite could not resolve the locally unbuilt plugin
SDK from this isolated worktree. A full offline workspace install was
also blocked because the package-manager signature verifier requires
registry access. The full suite was not run locally; draft CI performs a
clean install and evaluates the wider impact.
## Risks
- This is a breaking runtime change for users, plugins, and deployments
that still use Node.js 20 or 22.
- Published workspace packages will now produce an engine warning or
failure in strict package managers on older Node.js releases.
- Node.js 24 can reveal dependency, native module, Playwright, or agent
CLI compatibility issues in CI.
- The bootstrap installer now installs Node.js 24 when the current
runtime is older than 24.11.0.
- The portable sandbox fallback is pinned to Node.js 24.11.0 and depends
on that upstream tarball remaining available.
- Unsupported runtimes continue booting after a warning, so a later
incompatibility can still fail at its point of use.
- The CLI and server share the warning policy through the published
`@paperclipai/shared` package; packaging checks must keep that subpath
export available.
- This PR does not commit `pnpm-lock.yaml` because repository policy
assigns lockfile generation to CI.
> 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
- OpenAI Codex based on GPT-5. The exact deployment ID and context
window are not exposed in this session. Reasoning, repository tools,
shell execution, and GitHub tools were enabled.
## 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 control plane for AI-agent companies, so execution
environment selection has to stay inspectable and predictable across
companies, agents, and runs.
> - The environment subsystem decides where an agent heartbeat actually
runs and how remote sandbox state is realized and restored.
> - That subsystem previously mixed company-scoped environment catalogs
with issue-level environment stamping, so a reassigned issue could keep
executing in the previous assignee's sandbox.
> - That behavior breaks the control-plane contract: changing the
assignee should change the executing agent/environment path unless there
is an explicit current override.
> - Fixing it cleanly required more than a narrow patch; the environment
model had to move to instance scope with a single inherited default and
per-agent override semantics.
> - This pull request rewires the schema, server/API surface, runtime
resolution, and UI around that model, then adds regression coverage for
cross-company inheritance and per-agent isolation.
> - The benefit is that environment choice now follows the approved
instance/agent configuration path instead of stale issue state, while
shared environments only need to be configured once per instance.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
- No directly matching public GitHub issue or PR was found while
searching for this refactor.
### What happened?
Reassigning work between agents with different execution environments
could keep running in the previous sandbox because environment choice
was stamped onto the issue and outranked the current assignee. The same
subsystem also forced environment catalogs to be duplicated per company
even though the underlying execution environments were instance-wide
resources.
### Expected behavior
Execution should resolve through the current instance and agent
configuration path, with one instance-scoped environment catalog, one
instance default, optional per-agent override, and no stale issue-level
environment authority surviving reassignment.
### Steps to reproduce
1. Configure two agents to use different execution environments.
2. Assign an issue to the first agent so the issue records execution
state in that environment.
3. Reassign the same issue to the second agent and run another
heartbeat.
4. Observe that the pre-fix runtime can still sync or execute in the
original sandbox instead of the second agent's environment.
### Paperclip version or commit
Current `master` before this PR.
### Deployment mode
Self-hosted server.
### Installation method
Built from source (`pnpm dev` / `pnpm build`).
### Agent adapter(s) involved
- Claude Code
- Not adapter-specific (core bug in environment authority / resolution)
### Database mode
External Postgres.
### Access context
Both board reassignment and agent heartbeats were involved.
## What Changed
- Moved environments and their default selection contract to instance
scope in DB/shared types, including the migration that dedupes legacy
per-company environments and seeds the instance local default.
- Reworked environment CRUD/auth flows to use instance-scoped APIs and
added route/service coverage for instance-level environment management.
- Changed runtime resolution to prefer `agent default -> instance
default -> built-in local`, removed issue-level environment stamping
from the active execution path, and isolated sandbox/plugin leases by
`(executionWorkspaceId, agentId)`.
- Added environment env-var runtime precedence so environment-provided
values act as the baseline for agent execution.
- Moved the environment UI into instance settings and updated agent
configuration surfaces to reflect inherit/override behavior.
- Added regression coverage for instance-default inheritance across
companies and for the new runtime resolution behavior.
- Fixed a rebase-only duplicate `enableTaskWatchdogs` flag regression in
instance settings types/validators/services so the branch typechecks
cleanly on current `master`.
- Updated stale server tests so CI matches the shipped instance-scoped
environment contract.
## Verification
- `git diff --check`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/shared typecheck`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/db typecheck`
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/environment-runtime-driver-contract.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/environment-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/environment-instance-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-plugin-environment.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/instance-settings-routes.test.ts`
## Risks
- The migration changes environment scope and dedupes existing rows, so
installs with unusual legacy environment combinations should be reviewed
carefully during upgrade.
- Remote execution behavior now depends on instance-default inheritance
semantics instead of issue-level stamping, so any remaining code paths
that still assume issue-scoped environment authority would surface as
follow-up bugs.
- This PR includes both server/runtime behavior and UI relocation, so
reviewers should watch for authorization edge cases around instance
settings and environment management.
> I checked [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md). This work fits the existing
Cloud / Sandbox agents direction as a bug-fix/refactor to current
behavior, not a new parallel product surface.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex coding agent in this Paperclip/Codex session; GPT-5-class
tool-using model with code execution and shell access. The exact backend
model ID is not exposed to the session runtime.
## 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
- [ ] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots
- [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
> _Stacked on top of #5685 → #5686 → #5687. Diff against master includes
commits from earlier PRs in the stack — review focuses on the two new
commits (`Add long-secret textarea variant to JsonSchemaForm
SecretField` + `Add exe.dev sandbox provider plugin`)._
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies
> - Each agent runs in a sandbox environment, and operators choose the
provider — today E2B, Daytona, and (in this stack) Cloudflare
> - exe.dev offers per-VM sandboxes via a small CLI / HTTP API — useful
for operators who want full Linux VMs (vs container/runtime-only
sandboxes)
> - The plugin shape mirrors the e2b plugin: lifecycle hooks (`new`,
`ls`, `rm`) drive exe.dev's CLI; SSH plumbing handles direct VM access
for adapters that need it
> - exe.dev VMs come up bare — `node` is not preinstalled, so the
Paperclip sandbox callback bridge (a Node script) needs Node 20
installed at VM init via `--setup-script`. The plugin defaults the setup
script to a Nodesource install
> - The auth field accepts long SSH private keys, which need a textarea
variant of the existing `SecretField` in `JsonSchemaForm` — added behind
a `maxLength > THRESHOLD` opt-in so other secret fields are unaffected
> - The benefit is that operators get exe.dev as a fully working sandbox
provider out of the box, with no manual VM provisioning required
## What Changed
**Shared UI support (`Add long-secret textarea variant to JsonSchemaForm
SecretField`):**
- `ui/src/components/JsonSchemaForm.tsx` + new
`JsonSchemaForm.test.tsx`: when a secret-formatted field declares
`maxLength` larger than the existing single-line threshold, render a
monospace textarea instead of the masked input. Short secrets (API keys,
tokens) keep the existing masked-input + show/hide toggle behavior.
**The exe.dev plugin (`Add exe.dev sandbox provider plugin`):**
- `packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/exe-dev/`: plugin entry, manifest,
plugin runtime, README, and 19-test Vitest suite.
- Manifest fields: API token (with `secret-ref` + `/exec` permission
notes — needs `new`, `ls`, `rm`), API URL override, optional SSH
username, optional SSH private key (uses the new `JsonSchemaForm`
textarea variant via `maxLength: 4096`), optional SSH identity-file
path, optional setup script.
- Default `--setup-script` is a Nodesource Node 20 install. exe.dev VMs
come up bare and the Paperclip sandbox callback bridge is a Node script,
so without Node preinstalled the bridge can't start. Operators can
override by supplying their own setup script.
- `runLifecycleCommand` redacts env values from the executed command
before surfacing it in error messages, so secrets passed via
`--env=KEY=VALUE` don't leak into operator-visible failures.
- The plugin distinguishes exe.dev's SSH onboarding failures (`Please
complete registration by running: ssh exe.dev`) from general SSH
failures and surfaces a clear remediation message.
- `scripts/release-package-manifest.json`: register the new plugin for
CI publish alongside the existing daytona / e2b providers.
## Verification
- `pnpm typecheck`
- `pnpm exec vitest run --no-coverage
ui/src/components/JsonSchemaForm.test.tsx`
- `(cd packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/exe-dev && pnpm test)` — 19
passing
For an operator-side smoke test:
1. Get an exe.dev API token with `/exec` permission for `new`, `ls`,
`rm`.
2. Register the plugin in your Paperclip instance, configure an
environment with the token.
3. Create a sandbox env whose provider is `exe-dev`, then run a Codex or
Claude job against it. The default Node 20 setup script should bring the
VM up automatically.
## Risks
- Adds a new sandbox provider plugin that follows the existing daytona /
e2b shape; behavior on existing providers is unchanged.
- The `JsonSchemaForm` textarea variant only engages for fields that opt
in via `maxLength` larger than the existing threshold. All existing
secret fields (which don't declare a `maxLength`) keep their current
rendering. Test coverage pins both paths.
- The redaction in `runLifecycleCommand` is a defense-in-depth measure;
the test suite exercises the redaction path. If the redaction misses a
future env-arg shape, the worst case is restored behavior (secrets in
error messages), which is what the existing daytona / e2b plugins also
do today.
- Default setup script downloads from `deb.nodesource.com` over HTTPS at
VM init. Operators on air-gapped networks or with a different package
strategy can override the setup script.
## Model Used
- Provider: Anthropic
- Model: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context)
- Capabilities used: extended reasoning, tool use (Read/Edit/Bash/Grep)
## 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 run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [ ] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots — UI change is a textarea variant of an existing secret
field; will attach screenshots before requesting merge
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
(plugin README, manifest descriptions)
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Nicky Leach
Devin Foley