## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip runs AI agents through qualified provider backends.
> - The direct live eval workflow builds one immutable Runner runtime
for every matrix cell.
> - The workflow reinstalled the packed Runner with npm.
> - That install discarded pnpm patches and selected provider
dependencies outside the qualified lock.
> - The first pnpm deployment model also placed its virtual-store marker
at the wrong level; a real deployment keeps `.pnpm` beside the scoped
Runner package.
> - AgentCore enforced the current context-aware harness but the direct
eval CLI did not supply the production v3 runtime context that harness
requires.
> - This pull request preserves the qualified dependency graph, resolves
the real deployment layout, and makes direct evals exercise the
production runtime-context contract.
> - The benefit is that live eval cells reach their provider turn with
the same artifacts and context contract that Paperclip qualified.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs: #12931
**What happened?**
The full direct live eval campaign failed every ACPX cell during
`session.open`. The portable runtime had an incorrect dependency root.
Its npm install also discarded the qualified ACP server patches.
AgentCore cells first failed because Runner enforced
`aws-agentcore-harness-v1` while the provisioned stack and eval profile
use `aws-agentcore-harness-context-v2`; after aligning that revision,
the direct eval CLI still omitted the required v3 runtime context.
**Expected behavior**
The direct eval runtime must preserve the frozen pnpm dependency graph
and patched provider bytes. Runner, server validation, OpenAPI, and the
deployed AgentCore stack must use one qualification revision. Direct
eval attempts must supply the same immutable native runtime-context
contract as production.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Dispatch `Runner Direct Live Protocol Evals` from `master`.
2. Select an ACPX Claude, ACPX Codex, or AgentCore roster.
3. Observe a pre-turn provider bootstrap failure.
**Paperclip version or commit**
`d96452db059338b329b458ba8fe359fef72f1363`
**Deployment mode**
GitHub Actions on the RunsOn Linux x64 fleet.
## What Changed
- Build the reusable direct-eval runtime with `pnpm deploy --prod`.
- Resolve ACPX dependencies from the actual scoped-package layout of a
self-contained pnpm deployment.
- Align AgentCore configuration and qualification checks on
`aws-agentcore-harness-context-v2`.
- Materialize a minimal immutable v3 runtime context for each isolated
direct eval attempt.
- Add workflow, package-authority, runtime-context, Rust, and server
regression coverage.
- Document the qualified packaging, runtime-context, and AgentCore
revision contracts.
## Verification
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/paperclip-runner typecheck`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server typecheck`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/paperclip-runner exec vitest run
src/live/runnerd-codex-transport.test.ts` (70 tests)
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/paperclip-runner exec vitest run
src/cli/eval-session-contract.test.ts` (14 tests)
- Focused Runner contract tests (36 tests)
- Focused server profile tests (47 tests)
- Focused Rust managed-provider and native-selector tests (19 tests)
- `node --test
packages/paperclip-runner/scripts/runner-protocol-eval-workflow-security.test.mjs`
- `actionlint .github/workflows/runner-protocol-live-evals.yml`
- A local `pnpm deploy --prod` produced both qualified ACP server
digests.
- A Linux reproduction of the first follow-up smoke identified the real
deployment root and the missing AgentCore runtime context.
## Risks
The AgentCore revision change rejects profiles that still use the
obsolete v1 value. This is intentional because the provisioned
context-aware harness and current eval profile use v2. Direct eval
prompts now receive the same fixed runtime-context preamble as
production, so behavior scores may move; that is the intended
qualification surface. The workflow package layout changes, but tests
assert the new entrypoint and dependency root. This change does not
modify the browser full-stack E2E workflow.
> 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. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex with GPT-5.6. The context-window size is not exposed in
this session. The model used extended reasoning, repository tools, code
execution, Docker-based Linux reproduction, and GitHub Actions
diagnostics.
## 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 (for example, `docs/...` or
`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
- [ ] 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
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
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