## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The codex-local adapter runs Codex agents through the ACP lane and
offers a "Test" button on the agent configuration page to validate the
environment
> - The environment test used its own ad-hoc credential probe, while
real dispatch uses the shared `evaluateCodexCredentialReadiness`
predicate in `codex-home.ts`
> - The two paths disagreed: a user with valid Codex subscription auth
in the shared, server-visible Codex home still saw "No Codex ACP
credentials were detected"
> - The old warning also suggested `codex login` without explaining that
a `/login` in a separate Codex or chat session does not authenticate the
Paperclip server process
> - This pull request makes `testCodexAcpEnvironment` use the same
shared readiness predicate as real dispatch and rewords the warning to
name the server credential boundary
> - The benefit is that the Test button now agrees with what dispatch
will actually do, and the warning tells the user exactly which process
needs the credentials
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No public GitHub issue exists for this bug. Related credential-handling
work, not duplicates: Refs #10160 (classifies OpenAI invalid-key 401s at
dispatch time) and Refs #9598 (classifies Codex refresh auth failures).
Both cover dispatch-time failures; this PR fixes the pre-dispatch
environment test.
Description follows the bug report template:
**What happened?**
A user configured a Codex ACP agent and had already authenticated Codex
(subscription auth present in the shared Codex home visible to the
Paperclip server). Clicking "Test" on the agent configuration page still
reported:
`warn: No Codex ACP credentials were detected. Hint: Set OPENAI_API_KEY
or run codex login before starting a Codex ACP agent.`
**Expected behavior**
The environment test should detect the same credentials that real agent
dispatch would use. When shared managed Codex auth is available, the
test should pass with an informational check instead of warning. When
credentials really are missing, the warning should explain that the
Paperclip server process is the one that needs them.
**Steps to reproduce**
1. Run the Paperclip server as an OS user whose shared Codex home
contains valid subscription `auth.json` (no `OPENAI_API_KEY` in the
adapter env or server env).
2. Configure an agent with the codex-local adapter using the ACP engine.
3. Click "Test" on the agent configuration page.
4. Observe the `codex_acp_credentials_missing` warning even though
dispatch would succeed.
**Agent adapter(s) involved**
Codex
**Additional context**
The confusion was amplified by the hint: users had run `/login` in a
Codex chat session and assumed the server was authenticated. That login
lives in a different process and home directory, so the server never saw
it.
## What Changed
- `testCodexAcpEnvironment`
(packages/adapters/codex-local/src/server/acp.ts) now calls the shared
`evaluateCodexCredentialReadiness` predicate from `codex-home.ts`
instead of a local ad-hoc `hasCodexNativeCredentials` probe, so the Test
button and real dispatch agree.
- An explicit empty `OPENAI_API_KEY` in the adapter config env no longer
falls through to the server environment key.
- An externally managed `CODEX_HOME` override is now reported as its own
informational check (`codex_acp_external_home_configured`).
- The `codex_acp_credentials_missing` warning now says the credentials
must be visible to the Paperclip server, and the hint explains that a
`/login` in a separate Codex or chat session does not authenticate the
server.
- Removed the now-unused `hasCodexNativeCredentials` helper.
- Added two regression tests: shared managed Codex auth is detected (no
false warning), and the missing-credentials warning carries the new
server-boundary wording.
## Verification
- `pnpm --filter @paperclip/adapter-codex-local test --
src/server/acp.test.ts` — the two new tests cover the shared-home
detection branch and the new warning wording; the existing ACP lane
tests cover the API-key and remote-target branches.
- Manual: with subscription auth in the server-visible shared Codex home
and no `OPENAI_API_KEY`, the agent configuration Test now reports
`codex_acp_native_auth_detected` (info) instead of
`codex_acp_credentials_missing` (warn).
## Risks
- Low risk. The change only affects the environment test path, not
dispatch. The readiness predicate is the same one dispatch already uses,
so drift between the two paths is now structurally prevented.
- Behavioral shift: an explicit empty adapter `OPENAI_API_KEY` no longer
silently falls back to the server env key in the test result. This
matches dispatch behavior and is intentional.
## Model Used
- Implementation authored by OpenAI Codex (gpt-5.5) running through the
Codex ACP lane with tool use.
- PR preparation, rebase onto master, and review fix-up by Anthropic
Claude (Claude Code CLI agent, extended thinking, tool use).
## 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: Cody <noreply@paperclip.ing>
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