## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The runner E2E suite verifies complete agent tasks against real
providers.
> - A Codex Plan test finished in 76 seconds, but its Playwright process
stayed alive for 25 more minutes.
> - The launcher accepted the saved passing result after its watchdog
killed the process.
> - The existing Plan limits also allowed much more time than recent
successful runs need.
> - This pull request adds a bounded result-to-exit check and safe
process evidence.
> - It also reduces the Plan limits while it keeps large headroom over
measured success times.
> - The benefit is faster diagnosis and no false green result after a
teardown stall.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**Pre-submission checklist**
I searched open pull requests for runner E2E timeout and Playwright
cleanup changes. I found no duplicate. The problem reproduces on
`master`.
**What happened?**
The local Codex Plan cell completed its test in 76 seconds. Playwright
then stayed alive for about 25 minutes. The launcher watchdog killed it
after 26.5 minutes, but the launcher still accepted the saved passing
result.
**Expected behavior**
The launcher must stop a process that stays alive after all results
exist. It must report a cleanup failure instead of a pass. Plan tests
must also use limits that match measured successful runs.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Run `core-compatibility.runner-codex.local.plan-revise-accept`.
2. Observe a valid result and the Playwright pass output.
3. Observe that the process can stay alive until the old launcher
watchdog stops it.
**Paperclip version or commit**
The evidence came from `bcc6fe7a442dae74ab0321ad472f7536ffa58f04` in
[Actions run
33963318820](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/33963318820).
## What Changed
- Reduce the Plan attempt limit from 20 to 8 minutes for local
execution.
- Reduce the Plan attempt limit from 35 to 12 minutes for Daytona
execution.
- Stop Playwright after it stays alive for 120 seconds after every
result exists.
- Record only allowlisted process kinds in the stall diagnostic.
- Validate process identities before cleanup and retain continuously
live process groups through member replacement.
- Treat watchdog, post-result, cleanup, and nonzero-exit conflicts as
cleanup failures.
- Keep interactive `--ui` and `--debug` sessions exempt from the
result-to-exit check.
## Verification
- Prettier completed for all changed files.
- `git diff --check` passed.
- Static review confirmed the timeout derivation and cleanup boundaries.
- An independent review found no blocking issue in the final patch.
- I did not run local tests, builds, or type checks because this
workstation must use the lightweight workflow.
- GitHub CI and the exact paid Codex Plan cell will verify this commit.
## Risks
The main risk is a false cleanup failure when Playwright needs more than
120 seconds after it writes all results. The allowance is separate from
the task limit. Interactive modes are exempt. The diagnostic does not
print command arguments or environment values.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex with GPT-5.6, reasoning, tool use, and code execution.
## 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
- [ ] 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
Dotta