Files
paperclip/docs/guides/board-operator/execution-workspaces-and-runtime-services.md
Dotta e89076148a [codex] Improve workspace runtime and navigation ergonomics (#3680)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies
> - That operator experience depends not just on issue chat, but also on
how workspaces, inbox groups, and navigation state behave over
long-running sessions
> - The current branch included a separate cluster of workspace-runtime
controls, inbox grouping, sidebar ordering, and worktree lifecycle fixes
> - Those changes cross server, shared contracts, database state, and UI
navigation, but they still form one coherent operator workflow area
> - This pull request isolates the workspace/runtime and navigation
ergonomics work into one standalone branch
> - The benefit is better workspace recovery and navigation persistence
without forcing reviewers through the unrelated issue-detail/chat work

## What Changed

- Improved execution workspace and project workspace controls, request
wiring, layout, and JSON editor ergonomics
- Hardened linked worktree reuse/startup behavior and documented the
`worktree repair` flow for recovering linked worktrees safely
- Added inbox workspace grouping, mobile collapse, archive undo,
keyboard navigation, shared group-header styling, and persisted
collapsed-group behavior
- Added persistent sidebar order preferences with the supporting DB
migration, shared/server contracts, routes, services, hooks, and UI
integration
- Scoped issue-list preferences by context and added targeted UI/server
tests for workspace controls, inbox behavior, sidebar preferences, and
worktree validation

## Verification

- `pnpm vitest run
server/src/__tests__/sidebar-preferences-routes.test.ts
ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
ui/src/components/ProjectWorkspaceSummaryCard.test.tsx
ui/src/components/WorkspaceRuntimeControls.test.tsx
ui/src/api/workspace-runtime-control.test.ts`
- `server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts` was attempted, but
the embedded Postgres suite self-skipped/hung on this host after
reporting an init-script issue, so it is not counted as a local pass
here

## Risks

- Medium: this branch includes migration-backed preference storage plus
worktree/runtime behavior, so merge review should pay attention to state
persistence and worktree recovery semantics
- The sidebar preference migration is standalone, but it should still be
watched for conflicts if another migration lands first

## Model Used

- OpenAI Codex coding agent (GPT-5-class runtime in Codex CLI; exact
deployed model ID is not exposed in this environment), reasoning
enabled, tool use and local code execution enabled

## 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)
- [ ] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [ ] 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
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

---------

Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
2026-04-14 12:57:11 -05:00

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3.9 KiB
Markdown

---
title: Execution Workspaces And Runtime Services
summary: How project runtime configuration, execution workspaces, and issue runs fit together
---
This guide documents the intended runtime model for projects, execution workspaces, and issue runs in Paperclip.
Paperclip now presents this as a workspace-command model:
- `Services` are long-running commands that stay supervised.
- `Jobs` are one-shot commands that run once and exit.
- Raw runtime JSON is still available for advanced config, but it is no longer the primary mental model.
## Project runtime configuration
You can define how to run a project on the project workspace itself.
- Project workspace runtime config describes the services and jobs available for that project checkout.
- This is the default runtime configuration that child execution workspaces may inherit.
- Defining the config does not start anything by itself.
## Manual runtime control
Workspace commands are manually controlled from the UI.
- Project workspace services are started and stopped from the project workspace UI, and project jobs can be run on demand there.
- Execution workspace services are started and stopped from the execution workspace UI, and execution-workspace jobs can be run on demand there.
- Paperclip does not automatically start or stop these workspace services as part of issue execution.
- Paperclip also does not automatically restart workspace services on server boot.
## Execution workspace inheritance
Execution workspaces isolate code and runtime state from the project primary workspace.
- An isolated execution workspace has its own checkout path, branch, and local runtime instance.
- The runtime configuration may inherit from the linked project workspace by default.
- The execution workspace may override that runtime configuration with its own workspace-specific settings.
- The inherited configuration answers "which commands exist and how to run them", but any running service process is still specific to that execution workspace.
## Issues and execution workspaces
Issues are attached to execution workspace behavior, not to automatic runtime management.
- An issue may create a new execution workspace when you choose an isolated workspace mode.
- An issue may reuse an existing execution workspace when you choose reuse.
- Multiple issues may intentionally share one execution workspace so they can work against the same branch and running runtime services.
- Assigning or running an issue does not automatically start or stop workspace services for that workspace.
## Execution workspace lifecycle
Execution workspaces are durable until a human closes them.
- The UI can archive an execution workspace.
- Closing an execution workspace stops its runtime services and cleans up its workspace artifacts when allowed.
- Shared workspaces that point at the project primary checkout are treated more conservatively during cleanup than disposable isolated workspaces.
## Resolved workspace logic during heartbeat runs
Heartbeat still resolves a workspace for the run, but that is about code location and session continuity, not runtime-service control.
1. Heartbeat resolves a base workspace for the run.
2. Paperclip realizes the effective execution workspace, including creating or reusing a worktree when needed.
3. Paperclip persists execution-workspace metadata such as paths, refs, and provisioning settings.
4. Heartbeat passes the resolved code workspace to the agent run.
5. Workspace runtime services remain manual UI-managed controls rather than automatic heartbeat-managed services.
## Current implementation guarantees
With the current implementation:
- Project workspace command config is the fallback for execution workspace UI controls.
- Execution workspace runtime overrides are stored on the execution workspace.
- Heartbeat runs do not auto-start workspace services.
- Server startup does not auto-restart workspace services.