## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Paperclip Cloud needs a verified image for each merged source
commit.
> - Fresh builders restore compiled native dependencies from registry
caches.
> - The current workflow imports up to eleven historical cache manifests
at once.
> - Live builds missed native layers that a fresh builder reused from
one manifest.
> - This PR selects the nearest available cache and tests reuse across
fresh builders.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #13329 and #13330. A search of open cache PRs found no duplicate of
this change.
**What existing behavior does this improve?**
Remote Docker cache reuse on fresh Cloud image builders.
**Current behavior**
[Cloud run
34714483272](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34714483272/job/103609096836)
imported the previous cache manifest successfully but rebuilt
`cargo-chef` and Rust dependencies. The dependency compile took 3m43s.
The preceding image build had already exported those layers.
A controlled [fresh-builder
diagnostic](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34715336530)
used the same source and registry cache. The single-manifest job reused
both layers immediately. The multiple-manifest job rebuilt them and
failed the cache assertion. Both jobs used GitHub-hosted runners with
read-only access.
**Proposed behavior**
Inspect cache manifests in first-parent order and import only the
nearest available one. Keep full-SHA cache exports, the ten-commit
search bound, and the legacy fallback. If caches cannot be read, permit
a cold build.
**Reason and benefit**
Avoid the observed cache misses without changing image contents or
builder sizes. Expected savings include about four minutes of native
tool/dependency compilation when those inputs are unchanged. The final
merge-to-deployable gain still needs a post-merge measurement.
**Breaking changes**
No image, artifact, deployment, or runner-routing contract changes.
## What Changed
- Select one available ancestor cache after Docker login and Buildx
setup.
- Preserve separate writable cache tags for each full source SHA.
- Test cache ordering, missing caches, registry errors, and workflow
integration.
- Add the selector tests to the existing release-registry suite.
- Export a local test cache, remove the first builder, and verify a
source rebuild on a fresh builder.
- Document cache selection and the stronger Docker check.
## Verification
- Passed 456 focused workflow, routing, readiness, preview-artifact, and
cache-selector tests.
- Passed shell syntax, ShellCheck for the changed probe, actionlint
workflow validation, and `git diff --check`. actionlint's shell checks
were disabled for the workflow validation because unchanged
migration-label commands trigger existing SC2012 notes.
- The fresh-builder registry diagnostic proves the single-cache
behavior. The [permanent two-builder probe
passed](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34715771048/job/103612624090),
including a changed real binary and dependency-declaration invalidation.
- Passed all 35 latest-head checks (green or intentionally skipped),
including full typecheck, test, build, and browser suites in [PR CI run
34715771217](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34715771217).
- The real selector CLI inspected registry metadata and chose the
nearest available ancestor cache.
- Fresh Greptile review is 5/5 with no open findings. The PR title was
corrected to meet the source-change naming rule; the review check passed
after that correction.
- Local full-suite runs and Docker builds are unavailable because the
local Docker daemon is unresponsive after disk exhaustion. CI provides
the Linux verification.
## Risks
- Missing or unreadable caches cause a slower cold build. The selector
logs that condition and preserves image publication.
- Inspecting several missing ancestors adds lookup time. Each lookup has
a ten-second timeout and the search is bounded.
- The Docker test now exports a local cache. It removes the first
builder before starting the second to release disk space, then cleans up
its builders and files.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-6 through Codex, with reasoning, repository tools, and code
execution. The exact serving model ID and context window are not exposed
by this environment.
## 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.
> - Managed deployments start from the image built by the Cloud
workflow.
> - The managed runtime requests user and group 1001.
> - The image currently builds the node user as 1000.
> - Startup must remap that user, which can walk a large mounted home
directory.
> - This pull request uses the existing Docker build arguments to bake
user and group 1001 into Cloud images.
> - Matching the runtime identity removes that startup work and helps
avoid health-check retries.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #13208, #1923, and #7861. Searched open and closed PRs for the
Cloud UID change. The older #7861 addresses build context and volume
ownership repair. This change uses the existing identity arguments in
the Cloud workflow and preserves ownership repair.
**What happened?**
A measured rollout had a container log `Updating node UID to 1001` after
startup. The container stayed at this step for at least 2 minutes 55
seconds before rollback stopped it. The baked node identity was 1000,
while the managed runtime requested 1001. A health check timed out and
the target required a second deployment attempt.
**Expected behavior**
Cloud images should already have the managed runtime identity. A
matching image should skip user and group remapping. Fresh or mismatched
volumes must still receive ownership repair.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Build the current Cloud image with its default build arguments.
2. Start it with `USER_UID=1001`, `USER_GID=1001`, and a populated home
volume.
3. Observe the startup user remap before the application starts.
**Paperclip version or commit**
`fc06f7f05f42c675be71ff0927b6334405d520ed`
**Deployment mode**
Docker on managed hosts.
## What Changed
- Pass `USER_UID=1001` and `USER_GID=1001` to the Cloud image build.
- Check the pushed digest's baked identity before the entrypoint can
repair it. Then check the normal entrypoint's effective identity and
writable home before publishing the verified full-SHA tag.
- Add a workflow regression and two entrypoint cases for a matching
Cloud identity, including a mismatched volume.
- Document the runtime identity and the first-build cache cost.
## Verification
- Focused workflow and artifact tests: 27 passed.
- Entrypoint tests: 11 passed. Actionlint passed. Full local `pnpm -r
typecheck` passed. Full local `pnpm build` passed. The manual [Cloud
image
build](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34575473213)
passed on the exact PR head. It checked Sentry, baked and effective
identity, writable home, orphan reaping, and full-SHA publication. The
new identity check took one second. All 30 PR checks passed; the
Storybook workflow was intentionally skipped. Greptile reviewed commit
`114d408f637a0b53e2e2b1339c263779b1e4ae54` at 5/5 with no findings or
open threads.
- The full local suite for the same application source was already run
in #13205. Its macOS general-server phase had 10,471 passes and 70
failures in seven unchanged files. Those failures included missing
Runner fixtures, filesystem errors, timeouts, a port conflict, and a
load-count mismatch. After configuring Cargo and rebuilding fixtures, 37
of 38 native tests passed; one unchanged native-resume assertion still
failed. Linux PR CI passed. This change adds entrypoint tests and does
not change application code.
## Risks
- The first build must rebuild layers that depend on the base image
identity. Later builds can reuse them.
- A future managed runtime identity change must update these build
arguments and checks together.
- The Dockerfile's self-hosted defaults remain 1000. Runtime overrides
and mounted-volume ownership repair remain supported.
- The observed startup delay supports this change, but fleet timing also
includes provider startup, image pull, canary order, and retries. No
fixed end-to-end gain is claimed before a live rollout.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-6 through Codex, with reasoning, code execution, and tool
use. The exact serving model ID and context-window size are not exposed
in this session.
## 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 (focused workflow tests;
full-suite limitations are listed 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>
Verify source, build the cloud image, and wait for exact-source migrator packages concurrently. Emit Cloud deployable v1 only when every prerequisite succeeds for the merged full SHA.
Co-Authored-By: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Publish exact-source shared and database migrator packages for each master merge through the existing trusted Release workflow, independently of the full release and image build.
Co-Authored-By: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Build cloud images independently for each master commit through a reusable workflow. Preserve production release dependencies and image runtime checks, and write cloud registry caches per commit with bounded ancestor imports to prevent overlapping builds from replacing each other's cache.
Co-Authored-By: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Publish the full-source-SHA cloud image tag only after the pushed digest passes runtime, revision, and platform checks. This makes verified images directly resolvable by Cloud.
Co-Authored-By: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip manages AI agents and their work.
> - Managed deployments need a cloud image and a database migration
package.
> - Branch commits can lack both artifacts until a normal release runs.
> - Operators need to test an exact commit without advancing release
aliases.
> - This pull request adds a preview build mode to the existing release
workflow.
> - Builds use an immutable source SHA and publish isolated, reusable
artifacts.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**Subsystem affected**
Release automation, cloud Docker images, and shared/database npm
packages.
**Problem or motivation**
An operator cannot deploy an unpublished branch with new migrations
using only
the normal release artifacts. Publishing it through a normal lane would
also
advance shared release aliases.
**Proposed solution**
Dispatch the trusted release workflow on master with a full source SHA
and a
request UUID. Build missing SHA images and, when needed, deterministic
preview
shared/DB packages. Publish packages under the preview dist-tag with
exact
workspace pins. Reuse matching artifacts on retries.
**Roadmap alignment**
This extends release tooling for operator validation. It does not add a
core
product feature or duplicate a planned product capability. Related PR
searches
found no duplicate preview deployment workflow.
## What Changed
- Add the preview channel, request correlation, artifact checks, and
result artifact.
- Compile source packages in a separate job from the npm publisher. The
publisher
uses trusted master code and disables package lifecycle scripts.
- Publish only SHA cloud image tags. Preserve release aliases. Use
full-SHA tags and no shared build cache.
- Verify full source identity for reused packages and images. Both image
and npm publishers
use isolated jobs and the externally master-restricted npm-canary
environment. Fail on registry
authentication errors, outages, or artifact identity mismatches.
- Let bundled-package preparation use patches from the requested source
checkout.
- Document publishing configuration, artifact contracts, and deployment
order.
## Verification
- Passed `pnpm -r typecheck` and `pnpm build`.
- Passed `pnpm test:release-registry`: 107 tests, including eight
preview tests.
- Passed `actionlint -shellcheck= .github/workflows/release.yml`.
- Built real shared and DB preview tarballs from an isolated exact-SHA
checkout.
Verified package source identity and all 244 SQL files and journal
entries.
- Verified the full revision behind an existing published SHA cloud
image.
- `pnpm test:run` exposed missing local embedded PostgreSQL library
symlinks.
The package's postinstall repair restored initdb; all 12 previously
affected
suites passed on rerun (95 tests). Additional local matrix reruns are in
progress.
The complete PR CI matrix is green, including general/serialized tests,
e2e,
typecheck, build, release registry, canary dry run, and the required
verify gate.
- Live preview publication and staging deployment require this workflow
on master
and the compatible control-plane backend. They have not run yet. No
production
deployment was performed.
## Risks
Preview npm versions are immutable public artifacts. Both packages must
retain
their trusted publisher for release.yml in environment npm-canary.
Source builds
must remain separated from privileged npm publishing. The deploying
control plane
must verify source identity, integrity, and migration compatibility
before use.
Normal release jobs retain their existing conditions. Roll back by
stopping preview
dispatches and reverting the workflow/tooling. Published preview
versions remain
isolated from normal release tags.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-6 through Codex, with repository tools, code execution, and
test runs.
The session does not expose a more specific model version or
context-window size.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used with the 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
- [x] I have described the issue in-PR following the feature template
- [x] I have not referenced internal or instance-local issues or links
- [x] My branch name describes the change and contains no internal
ticket identifier
- [ ] I have run the full tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added tests for the new behavior
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation
- [x] I have considered and documented risks
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open recommendations or follow-ups
- [x] I will address review comments before requesting merge
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Devin Foley
Dotta