## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Paid runner E2E tests verify the complete runner, control-plane, and
UI path.
> - A server restart could load a fresh task page while Playwright still
waited on an unsettled Vite navigation lifecycle.
> - The current server also ignored the isolated Vite cache path and
skipped Vite's per-request HTML transform from the known-green runner
snapshot.
> - A one-cell paid run then exposed that download-artifact v8 removes
the artifact-name directory for one pattern match.
> - This pull request restores the Vite contract, proves a fresh
document after restart, and accepts only the exact singleton artifact
layout.
> - The benefit is reliable local runner qualification without weaker
UI, source, or artifact checks.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #12769
Refs #12828
Refs #12829
Refs #12833
**What happened?**
The structured-question restart test could time out after the
replacement server returned the task route and rendered the durable
pending interaction. A focused one-cell rerun passed the paid test but
failed aggregation because download-artifact v8 flattened its single
artifact.
**Expected behavior**
The test must prove that a new document loaded after the server restart
and that the same pending interaction survived. The aggregate must
accept the exact documented singleton download layout while it continues
to reject ambiguous or foreign artifacts.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Run the local ACPX-Codex structured-question restart-resume cell.
2. Restart the isolated server while the question waits for an answer.
3. Observe that the route and task UI can reload before Playwright
settles the navigation promise.
4. Run a paid campaign with one selected cell.
5. Observe download-artifact v8 extract the sole campaign directory
directly into the requested path.
**Paperclip version or commit**
The local campaign reproduced the navigation failure at
`3586956a1b794b3cb4a9c5f57ffb7355e2b0c46d`. The one-cell aggregate
reproduced the singleton layout at
`f487660c0a06ba06ca140b57386f21ed39f13120`. This fix is
`de4ccceff453a4b39436bf9a2eb8f03924151af7`.
**Deployment mode**
Local development and paid GitHub Actions.
**Installation method**
Built from source.
**Agent adapter(s) involved**
ACPX-Codex. The Vite and aggregate fixes are provider-neutral.
## What Changed
- Prove a new post-restart browser document with an in-memory sentinel.
- Tolerate only Playwright's navigation timeout before the exact UI and
API checks run.
- Honor `PAPERCLIP_VITE_CACHE_DIR` in the embedded Vite server.
- Limit dependency optimization to the real UI entry.
- Run `vite.transformIndexHtml` for each request while caching only the
branded source template.
- Accept download-artifact v8's flattened layout only for one expected
cell with one unique recognized campaign.
- Keep source SHA, source ref, workflow URL, execution ID, attempt, and
unexpected-entry validation.
- Add focused positive and negative regressions for Vite rendering and
singleton artifact selection.
## Verification
- Exact 45-cell local campaign
https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/33888939013 passed
44/45. Its only failure was the post-restart navigation false negative
fixed here.
- Exact focused rerun
https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/33891207957 passed
the ACPX-Codex restart cell first attempt with the same session, two
durable runs, the terminal marker once, and cleanup complete.
- The focused Vite renderer suite passed 2/2 tests.
- The focused rerun-artifact selector suite passed 12/12 tests.
- Prettier and `git diff --check` passed.
- An exact-head 45-cell confirmation is pending.
## Risks
Low to medium risk. The Vite change restores known-green per-request
transforms and isolated cache behavior. It can affect all development UI
loads. The paid matrix and ordinary CI will verify that behavior. The
singleton selector remains fail-closed for ambiguous layouts and
validates every result source.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, `gpt-5.6-sol`, extended reasoning, tool use, code
execution, and parallel focused agents.
## 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
- [ ] 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
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip manages AI agents that perform work.
> - Paperclip Runner connects durable task runs to local provider
processes.
> - The full-stack paid matrix exposed failures after the runner
integrity repair.
> - Verified JavaScript entrypoints lost their relative module graph
when Linux executed them through descriptor paths.
> - Returned provider startup errors also remained pending and became
indeterminate after recovery.
> - Sparse Codex tool lifecycle events lost the `write_document`
identity before task transcript projection.
> - This pull request repairs those three boundaries and makes the
structured-question fixture deterministic.
> - The benefit is repeatable provider startup, exact failure replay,
and correct inline Plan placement.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #12721 and #12700.
**What happened?**
The paid runner matrix failed ACPX and OpenCode startup before provider
session creation. The runner journal then replaced the original startup
error with an indeterminate recovery result. Native Codex saved a Plan
but rendered it only as a fallback card. A legacy Claude waiting reply
could also echo the reserved terminal marker before the answer arrived.
**Expected behavior**
Verified JavaScript providers must start from immutable
descriptor-backed artifacts. Returned startup failures must persist as
terminal failed command results. Native tool lifecycle updates must
preserve the `write_document` boundary. Pre-answer fixture output must
not contain the reserved terminal marker.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Run the local provider cells in the Runner Full-Stack E2E workflow.
2. Observe ACPX and OpenCode fail during `session.open` before provider
execution.
3. Observe recovery report `execution_indeterminate` instead of the
original startup error.
4. Run the native Codex Plan cell and observe the fallback Plan card
after the tool activity row.
5. Run the legacy Claude structured-question resume cell and observe an
early marker echo in waiting prose.
**Paperclip version or commit**
`0f9452101740835ce0b1488a204bf48acd5bafc3`
**Deployment mode**
Local development with the paid GitHub Actions acceptance workflow.
## What Changed
- Bundle the ACPX sidecar and OpenCode proxy as self-contained Node ESM
entrypoints before hashing and verified descriptor launch.
- Anchor ACPX dynamic provider package resolution at a
controller-derived provider-pack root and keep that root out of the
provider child environment.
- Persist executor-returned startup errors as redacted durable failed
command results while retaining indeterminate recovery for true process
death.
- Coalesce sparse native tool items by stable ID so a late
`write_document` name, input, and result reach the transcript boundary
once.
- Forbid the structured-question fixture from spelling or announcing its
reserved terminal marker before the user answers.
## Verification
- Rust and TypeScript regression tests cover durable failed replay, true
crash ambiguity, bundle closure, package-root derivation, environment
filtering, exact Codex tool lifecycle coalescing, and prompt
determinism.
- Local execution is intentionally limited to formatters and static diff
checks. GitHub Actions will run tests, type checks, builds, and security
checks.
- After ordinary CI is green, scoped paid cells will validate one ACPX
launch, one OpenCode launch, native Codex Plan projection, and legacy
Claude structured resume before a complete matrix rerun.
- Prior failing matrix:
https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/33682434315
## Risks
- Bundling changes the bytes covered by provider launch hashes.
Provider-pack generation already hashes the final built files.
- ACPX still loads qualified provider packages dynamically. The
controller supplies a normalized package root, while existing version,
digest, path, and descriptor checks remain active.
- Durable `failed` is terminal. Replays return the same redacted result
and do not execute the provider effect twice.
> 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 with agentic reasoning, repository
inspection, code editing, Git, parallel subagents, and GitHub Actions
coordination. The exact deployed snapshot and context-window size are
not exposed to 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 linked related public work or described the bug in
this PR
- [x] I have not referenced internal or instance-local Paperclip issues
or links
- [x] My branch name describes the change and contains no internal
ticket id
- [ ] I have run tests locally and they pass (intentionally deferred to
GitHub Actions)
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] No documentation change is required for this runtime repair
- [x] I have considered and documented the 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
Dotta