## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip manages agents that must write work and report task
outcomes through its API.
> - Local adapters select an execution engine and its permission
settings.
> - A higher ACP Node requirement can make an unchanged installation
lose access to its default engine.
> - The adapter then silently selects CLI, which can change permissions
and block API access.
> - This pull request keeps the engine choice fixed and reports missing
prerequisites before work starts.
> - It also gives explicit Codex CLI runs usable defaults and keeps
managed services on a supported Node runtime.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #12215. Related changes: #11792 raised the Node requirement; #13094
addressed separate runner networking behavior. This change fixes the
engine-selection and managed-launcher paths.
**What happened?**
An unchanged agent could switch from ACP to CLI after an upgrade. Codex
CLI then used read-only permissions with networking disabled. The run
could finish without updating its task. Repeated recovery attempts used
the same unavailable setup. Managed updates also skipped the Node check
and did not refresh old launchers.
**Expected behavior**
An unavailable engine must fail with a clear setup error. It must not
silently select another engine. Explicit CLI runs must be able to write
workspace files and call the API unless the operator configures stricter
settings. Managed updates must validate Node and keep child tools on
that runtime.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Run an ACP-default agent under Node 22 after the ACP minimum rises to
24.11.
2. Leave the engine unset and disable the approval/sandbox bypass.
3. Observe the old adapter select CLI and fail to write task disposition
through the API.
4. Start a managed service with an old launcher and a supervisor PATH
that selects a different Node for child tools.
## What Changed
- Remove automatic engine fallback for Codex, Claude, Gemini, and Kimi.
Check prerequisites for default and explicit ACP selections.
- Return a configuration error with proof that provider work did not
start. Stop automatic continuation retries for this error.
- Enable Codex ACP workspace networking at the actual turn boundary.
Upstream mode presets otherwise force it off even when config.toml
enables it. Preserve explicit network denial and read-only mode.
- Set workspace-write and network access defaults for explicit Codex CLI
runs. Preserve explicit sandbox modes, profiles, and network
restrictions.
- Pin the validated Node directory in managed launcher PATH. Refresh
legacy launchers during installs and npm/Git updates.
- Reject updates on unsupported Node. Keep update checks, dry runs, and
rollback available.
- Synchronize the qualified Codex ACP executable identity across server,
TypeScript runner, Rust runner, and provider-pack launch paths.
- Add regression tests and update engine and installation documentation.
## Verification
- [Full CI passed on the final
head](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/34387099695):
typecheck, build/native runner verification, all general and serialized
test shards, all browser shards, release registry, canary dry run, and
policy checks.
- Greptile: 5/5 on `2c1d6e2815830a5cd39e36c8a082cc0c4441b6c0`, with no
unresolved review findings. Security gates are green.
- Full workspace typecheck and build also passed locally. The final
deployed Linux build passed.
- Full Codex, Claude, Gemini, and Kimi source test suites: 804 passed, 2
skipped. Installer, updater, and launcher tests: 47 passed. Installed
ACP turn-boundary tests: 3 passed. ACP packaging tests: 14 passed.
Focused recovery classification tests also passed.
- Real Linux Codex CLI runs, both fresh and resumed, wrote a workspace
file and reached the control-plane health API with the new defaults.
- Explicit read-only and network-disabled control probes retained those
restrictions.
- A real ACP run on the final deployed Linux build wrote a file and
reached the control-plane API with HTTP 200, without engine fallback.
The same probe failed DNS before the turn-policy patch.
- Executable-identity and installed-policy contracts: 12 passed.
Affected native server tests: 197 passed. Runner factory tests: 21
passed. Rust qualification and native provider integration tests: 11
passed.
- Deployed the production changes to a Linux service on Node 24.20 after
a verified database backup. Health, bootstrap readiness, static UI,
executable/cwd identity, and guarded restart checks passed. The restart
lost no runs.
- Corrected stale Kimi skill-default and Gemini remote-archive fixtures;
both suites pass.
## Risks
- Default or legacy auto engine settings now fail when ACP is
unavailable. Operators who intend to use CLI must select it explicitly.
- Codex CLI now permits workspace writes and networking by default, and
ACP workspace-write turns permit networking by default. Explicit
operator sandbox settings remain authoritative.
- Old managed launchers keep their pinned Node until they are
reinstalled under a supported runtime. An old updater cannot repair
itself; the documentation gives the current installer command.
- Custom service wrappers and global/source installations must configure
their runtime PATH. No database migration is required.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, based on GPT-6, with reasoning, repository inspection,
shell execution, and test tools. The exact serving model identifier 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
- [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.
> - Adapter packages are the bridge between the control plane and local
agent harnesses such as Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
> - ACP support was concentrated in a separate `acpx_local` adapter,
which made ACP feel like a separate agent choice instead of an execution
capability of the harness adapters.
> - Claude, Codex, and Gemini now have ACP-capable harnesses, so the
native adapter should own ACP selection, fallback, config, transcript
parsing, and environment diagnostics.
> - The standalone ACPX adapter still needs a compatibility path for
existing rows, but it should not be offered as an active adapter for new
agents.
> - This pull request moves the shared ACP runtime into
`@paperclipai/acpx-engine`, wires Claude/Codex/Gemini local adapters to
prefer ACP when prerequisites are available, and retires `acpx_local` to
a tombstone.
> - The benefit is one adapter per harness, richer ACP transcripts by
default where possible, and a migration path for existing Claude/Codex
ACPX agents.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Closes#5932 — the broken default `acpx_local` Claude path is replaced
by native `claude_local` ACP support, existing Claude/Codex ACPX rows
migrate to native adapters, and new agents no longer choose the
standalone ACPX adapter.
Refs #4893 — original merged ACPX local adapter runtime that this PR
replaces with native per-harness ACP engines.
Refs #6590 — prior ACPX-Claude seamlessness work folded into the new
native Claude ACP path.
Refs #197 — related open generic ACP/Kiro adapter work; this PR does not
close it because Kiro/custom generic ACP remains a separate adapter
decision.
Refs #7018 — related Kimi-specific `acpx_local` shell failure; this PR
retires the built-in standalone adapter but does not add a native Kimi
adapter.
Refs #8864 — related ACPX prompt/API guidance PR; this PR moves runtime
guidance into the shared/native ACP engine path instead of the old
standalone adapter.
Refs #8881 — related `acpx_local` POSIX shell failure from the old
`acpx` pin; this PR updates ACP dependencies but does not claim
custom/OMP ACP support as a first-class native adapter.
Refs #8964 — related open `acpx_local` stderr cleanup PR; this PR makes
the old runtime path obsolete for new agents but keeps it as a
non-closing reference.
Problem description:
- The standalone `acpx_local` adapter duplicates Claude/Codex agent
choices that already have first-class local adapters.
- ACP should be an execution engine capability of each harness adapter
when the underlying harness supports ACP.
- Existing `acpx_local` agents should either migrate to native harness
adapters or fail with an explicit retirement message instead of silently
falling back to the process adapter.
## What Changed
- Added `@paperclipai/acpx-engine` as the shared ACP execution,
session-codec, CLI formatter, and UI parser package.
- Wired `claude_local`, `codex_local`, and `gemini_local` to auto-select
ACP by default when prerequisites pass, with `engine=cli` opt-out and
`engine=acp` strict mode.
- Added ACP config schema/UI fields, environment checks, session-codec
preservation, transcript parsing, and adapter capability metadata for
the native adapters.
- Retired `acpx_local` to a server tombstone, removed its
UI/package/runtime image surface, and added a migration for existing
Claude/Codex ACPX agents.
- Updated package manifests, lockfile, release tooling, docs, Kubernetes
sandbox defaults, and tests.
## Verification
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/acpx-engine typecheck`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-claude-local typecheck`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-codex-local typecheck`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-gemini-local typecheck`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/acpx-engine exec vitest run`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-claude-local exec vitest
run src/server/acp.test.ts src/server/execute.acp-fallback.test.ts
src/ui/build-config.test.ts`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-codex-local exec vitest
run src/server/acp.test.ts src/ui/build-config.test.ts`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-gemini-local exec vitest
run src/server/acp.test.ts src/ui/build-config.test.ts
src/ui/parse-stdout.test.ts`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/plugin-sdk ensure-build-deps &&
corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server exec tsc --noEmit`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server exec vitest run
src/__tests__/adapter-routes.test.ts
src/__tests__/adapter-session-codecs.test.ts
src/__tests__/adapter-models.test.ts`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck`
- `corepack pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui exec vitest run
src/adapters/metadata.test.ts
src/adapters/adapter-display-registry.test.ts
src/components/AgentConfigForm.test.ts
src/components/AgentConfigForm.render.test.tsx
src/components/transcript/RunTranscriptView.test.tsx`
- `node --test scripts/bootstrap-npm-package.test.mjs
scripts/release-package-map.test.mjs
scripts/verify-release-registry-state.test.mjs`
Note: the server typecheck script calls `pnpm` internally; this dev
shell exposes pnpm through Corepack only, so I ran the two script steps
manually with `corepack pnpm`.
## Risks
- Migration changes existing `acpx_local` Claude/Codex agents to native
adapter types and clears old ACPX task sessions/runtime state.
- Custom ACP commands remain on the retired tombstone and will need a
separate future adapter/plugin path.
- ACP auto-selection depends on local Node and ACP server command
prerequisites; remote and unsupported environments fall back to CLI
unless `engine=acp` is explicit.
- `@paperclipai/acpx-engine` is a new public package and needs npm
trusted-publishing bootstrap before release automation can publish it.
> 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 GPT-5 via Codex coding agent. Exact hosted model build and
context-window size are not exposed in this runtime. Tool use included
shell execution, repository editing, GitHub CLI operations, and local
test/typecheck 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
- [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>
Dotta
Devin Foley