## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Environments give each agent run an execution target: the local
host, SSH, or a sandbox provider
> - A managed deployment can provision one platform-managed sandbox
environment through the `PAPERCLIP_MANAGED_CONFIG` `environments`
section
> - That row is fully locked today. A tenant cannot add environment
variables for their agents. There is also no way to hide local execution
— run selection falls back to the local row
> - A platform that manages the sandbox for its tenants needs both: the
tenant adds env vars (and nothing else), and local execution is neither
visible nor reachable
> - This pull request opens exactly one tenant edit (env vars) on the
managed sandbox row, and adds an `enableManagedSandboxOnly` mode that
hides local and makes run selection fail closed
> - The benefit is a complete managed-sandbox experience with no change
for self-hosted instances
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**Subsystem affected**
Environments (managed sandbox provisioning, environment routes, run
environment selection) and the environments UI.
**Problem or motivation**
Platform-provisioned sandbox environments
(`metadata.managedByPaperclip`) reject every write on cloud-managed
instances. Agents often need environment variables inside their sandbox.
The tenant has no way to set them on the managed row. Separately, an
operator cannot remove local execution: the environment list always
shows the local row, and run selection falls back to it when no default
is set.
**Proposed solution**
Allow an envVars-only PATCH on the managed sandbox row, and echo those
env vars back for editing. Add a managed-tier feature
(`enableManagedSandboxOnly`) that hides the local environment from all
read surfaces and redirects local-landing run selection to the managed
sandbox environment, failing closed when it is unavailable.
**Alternatives considered**
UI-only hiding of the local row. This was rejected: it does not stop a
run from resolving to local, so it is presentation without enforcement.
Full unlock of the managed row was also rejected: name, driver, and
config stay platform-owned so boot reconciliation cannot fight tenant
edits.
## What Changed
- `server/src/routes/environments.ts`: the platform-provisioned write
floor admits an envVars-only PATCH on the generalized managed sandbox
row (sandbox driver, `managedByPaperclip`, not legacy kubernetes-marker
rows). Name, driver, config, status, metadata, and DELETE stay rejected.
The read floor stops blanking env vars on that row; credential-shaped
config keys stay redacted for every actor. Legacy kubernetes-marker rows
keep the full floor.
- Same file: under `enableManagedSandboxOnly`, the environments list and
the by-id read omit the local row for every actor, including instance
admins.
- `server/src/services/execution-workspace-policy.ts`:
`resolveExecutionWorkspaceEnvironmentId` gains the managed-sandbox-only
inputs. A selection that lands on the local environment is redirected to
the managed sandbox environment. With no active managed row it throws
`ManagedSandboxUnavailableError` — never local. Non-local selections
(ssh, user-created sandboxes) are untouched.
- `server/src/services/heartbeat.ts`: the run path reads the flag, looks
up the managed row (`findManagedSandboxEnvironment`, new read-only
finder in `environments.ts`), and passes both to the resolver. Mirrors
the forced-kubernetes precedent, which keeps precedence when both
regimes are on.
- `server/src/services/managed-environments.ts`: after a successful
reconcile, the instance default environment moves to the managed sandbox
row when the current default is unset, local, or dangling. A
tenant-chosen custom environment is never overridden.
- `packages/shared`: new `enableManagedSandboxOnly` key (schema default
false, catalog tier `managed`, cloudDefault false, selfHostedDefault
false) and the matching interface field.
- UI: managed rows show a "Managed by Paperclip" lock badge; editing one
opens a dedicated env-vars-only editor that sends the one PATCH shape
the server admits (the old full form failed with a 403 on save). New
`ui/src/lib/managed-sandbox-environment.ts` mirrors the local filter for
cached lists (applied in the project picker; the agent picker already
excluded local). The experimental settings page gains the toggle at its
alphabetical card position. `environmentsApi.update` now declares the
`envVars` field it already sent.
- Tests: environment route floor coverage (envVars-only accepted, mixed
bodies rejected, legacy rows still blanked and locked, local hidden and
404 under the flag, self-hosted unchanged), an embedded-postgres service
test pinning that boot reconciliation never touches tenant env vars,
resolver redirect/fail-closed cases, managed-environments
default-stamping cases, and UI lib/settings tests.
## Verification
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server exec vitest run
src/__tests__/environment-routes.test.ts
src/__tests__/environment-service.test.ts
src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts
src/services/managed-environments.test.ts` — all pass.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/shared exec vitest run` — 425 pass
(catalog/schema default parity is pinned by an existing test).
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui exec tsc --noEmit` and the affected UI
suites (CompanyEnvironments, InstanceExperimentalSettings incl.
card-order test, new lib test) — all pass.
- Full workspace `pnpm test`: 3,414 passed. 17 files report failures on
this machine; the identical 17 fail on a clean `origin/master` worktree
in the same environment (git-worktree/skills/embedded-postgres
environment dependencies and plugin-SDK zero-test collections). One
additional file (`issue-monitor-scheduler.test.ts`) failed one
timing-sensitive test in one of two full-suite runs and passes 7/7 in
isolation on this branch — a flake in a domain this diff does not touch.
The branch introduces no new failures.
- Self-hosted zero-delta: every new behavior is gated on the
cloud-managed instance check or the new flag, which defaults to false in
schema and catalog; pinned by the "does not floor platform-marked rows
on self-hosted instances" and flag-off tests.
## Risks
- Behavior is opt-in twice over: the write-floor exception applies only
to rows the managed-config provisioner stamps, and the hiding/forcing
applies only when `enableManagedSandboxOnly` is on (default false
everywhere). Self-hosted instances see no change.
- The env-vars echo is scoped to the generalized managed sandbox row;
legacy kubernetes-marker rows keep the blanket floor because
pre-generalization builds may have written platform values there.
- Fail-closed run selection means a managed instance with the flag on
and an archived managed row (provider plugin down) refuses runs with a
precise error instead of running locally. That is the intended posture.
## Model Used
Claude Fable 5 (`claude-fable-5`), extended thinking, agentic tool use
via Claude Code CLI.
## 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
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The execution subsystem runs those agents in environments (local,
ssh, sandbox), and sandbox-provider plugins let an environment
materialize per-run sandboxes
> - Stage 1 (#5790) contributed a first-party Kubernetes
sandbox-provider plugin, but the server core has no way to adopt it
operationally: no per-run adapter selection, no way to force an instance
onto sandboxed execution, no declarative adapter/model configuration,
and the plugin must be installed by hand
> - Without this, a multi-tenant or security-conscious deployment cannot
guarantee that agent runs never execute on the host, and a single
environment cannot serve agents with different harnesses
> - This pull request adds the server + SDK integration: per-run
adapterType on the lease protocol, an env-gated forced-Kubernetes
execution policy with provisioning and a per-run allowlist guard, a
declarative adapter registry and model list, in-cluster env passthrough
for sandbox plugin workers, fail-safe auto-install of the bundled
plugin, and the matching UI affordance
> - The benefit is that sandbox-provider plugins become fully usable for
Kubernetes execution: operators configure everything via environment
variables and GitOps, while self-hosters who set none of the variables
see exactly the behavior they have today
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #5790 (stage 1 of 3: the Kubernetes sandbox-provider plugin
package).
No existing issue. Feature description: the server core lacks the
integration seams to operate a sandbox-provider plugin as the mandatory
execution path of an instance. This PR is stage 2 of 3 of the staged
Kubernetes contribution; stage 3 will contribute the agent runtime
images and their build pipeline.
## What Changed
One line per piece:
- `packages/plugins/sdk/protocol.ts`: optional `adapterType` on
`PluginEnvironmentAcquireLeaseParams` so a provider can select the
runtime image per run; existing providers simply ignore it
- `server/services/environment-runtime.ts` +
`environment-run-orchestrator.ts`: thread the agent's adapter type into
both lease-acquiring drivers, including the heartbeat path (the two call
sites have historically drifted, hence the pinned test)
- `server/services/environments.ts`: `ensureKubernetesEnvironment` /
`findKubernetesEnvironment`, an idempotent managed Kubernetes
environment per company, identified by a metadata marker and refreshed
(not recreated) on config change; `timeoutMs` rides on the config for
slow cold-start leases
- `server/services/execution-allowlist.ts`: pure (driver, provider,
policy) -> allow/deny guard; `executionMode=kubernetes` only allows the
kubernetes sandbox provider
- `server/services/execution-policy-bootstrap.ts` + startup hook in
`server/index.ts`: parse `PAPERCLIP_EXECUTION_MODE` / `PAPERCLIP_K8S_*`,
persist `executionMode` into instance general settings, and provision
the managed environment for every company; fails loud on
misconfiguration
- `server/services/heartbeat.ts`: when the policy forces Kubernetes, pin
run selection to the managed environment (also overriding any persisted
workspace environment id), refuse to fall back to local, and re-check
the actually acquired environment against the allowlist as defense in
depth
- `server/services/adapter-registry-bootstrap.ts` + shared
`AdapterRegistryEntry` type/validator: declarative `PAPERCLIP_ADAPTERS`
registry (inline JSON or file) that reconciles adapter availability at
startup and rides on the Kubernetes environment config
- `server/services/adapter-models-env.ts` + `adapters/registry.ts`:
`PAPERCLIP_ADAPTER_MODELS` lets an operator declare picker model lists
the server cannot CLI-discover
- `server/services/plugin-loader.ts`: pass
`KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST/PORT(_HTTPS)` through to plugin workers that
register environment drivers, so in-cluster API clients can be
constructed; all other host env stays stripped
- `server/app.ts`: fail-safe auto-install of the bundled kubernetes
plugin at boot; no-ops when the bundle is absent and never blocks
startup on error
- `packages/shared` types/validators: `InstanceExecutionMode` on general
settings (optional, strict schema)
- `ui/lib/forced-kubernetes-environment.ts` + `AgentConfigForm`: when
the policy is active, show a read-only Kubernetes environment instead of
the environment picker and default new agents onto the managed
environment
- Tests for every new module plus the adapterType pin in
`heartbeat-plugin-environment` and the managed-environment lifecycle in
`environment-service`
Everything is gated: with `PAPERCLIP_EXECUTION_MODE`,
`PAPERCLIP_ADAPTERS`, and `PAPERCLIP_ADAPTER_MODELS` unset (and no
bundled plugin present), every code path reduces to current behavior.
The per-run `adapterType` is an optional SDK parameter that existing
providers ignore.
## Verification
- `cd server && npx tsc --noEmit`: clean (0 errors); `ui` typecheck also
clean
- Targeted suites all green (11 files, 90 tests): `npx vitest run
server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-plugin-environment.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/environment-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/environment-runtime.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/environment-run-orchestrator.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/plugin-database.test.ts
server/src/services/execution-policy-bootstrap.test.ts
server/src/services/execution-allowlist.test.ts
server/src/services/adapter-registry-bootstrap.test.ts
server/src/services/adapter-registry-bootstrap.reconcile.test.ts
server/src/services/adapter-models-env.test.ts
packages/shared/src/validators/adapter-registry.test.ts`
- `npx vitest run ui/src/components/AgentConfigForm.test.ts`: green (6
tests)
- Full `npx vitest run server/src/__tests__`: 2323 passed, 1 skipped;
the only failures (heartbeat-process-recovery pid-retry,
workspace-runtime symbolic-ref/git tests) reproduce identically on
pristine `master` in the same environment, so they are
machine-environment issues unrelated to this change;
`server-startup-feedback-export` needed its `services/index.js` mock
extended with the new export and is green
- This integration has been running in production on a hosted
multi-tenant deployment, where it executes agent runs across five
different harnesses through the stage 1 plugin
## Risks
- Low for existing deployments: every behavior is env-gated and the
defaults preserve current semantics; the auto-install block is wrapped
fail-safe and skips silently when the plugin bundle is absent
- `executionMode` is a new optional field on a strict zod schema; absent
input normalizes exactly as before
- The forced policy intentionally fails runs loudly (rather than falling
back to local) when no managed Kubernetes environment exists; this only
affects instances that explicitly set
`PAPERCLIP_EXECUTION_MODE=kubernetes`
## Model Used
Claude Opus 4.8 (claude-opus-4-8, 1M context), extended thinking,
agentic tool use via Claude Code.
## UI screenshots
The UI change is a new read-only "Execution" section in
`AgentConfigForm`, shown only when the instance execution policy forces
Kubernetes (`executionMode=kubernetes`); there is no "before" state for
it (the section did not exist, and instances without the forced policy
render the existing picker unchanged). Captured from the new Storybook
stories added in this PR (`Product/Agent Management`):
Managed Kubernetes environment present (read-only display, no local/SSH
picker):
No managed environment available yet (warning notice, no silent local
fallback):
## 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 run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] 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
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Devin Foley
Jannes Stubbemann
