## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies
> - The environments subsystem already models execution environments,
but before this branch there was no end-to-end SSH-backed runtime path
for agents to actually run work against a remote box
> - That meant agents could be configured around environment concepts
without a reliable way to execute adapter sessions remotely, sync
workspace state, and preserve run context across supported adapters
> - We also need environment selection to participate in normal
Paperclip control-plane behavior: agent defaults, project/issue
selection, route validation, and environment probing
> - Because this capability is still experimental, the UI surface should
be easy to hide and easy to remove later without undoing the underlying
implementation
> - This pull request adds SSH environment execution support across the
runtime, adapters, routes, schema, and tests, then puts the visible
environment-management UI behind an experimental flag
> - The benefit is that we can validate real SSH-backed agent execution
now while keeping the user-facing controls safely gated until the
feature is ready to come out of experimentation
## What Changed
- Added SSH-backed execution target support in the shared adapter
runtime, including remote workspace preparation, skill/runtime asset
sync, remote session handling, and workspace restore behavior after
runs.
- Added SSH execution coverage for supported local adapters, plus remote
execution tests across Claude, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, OpenCode, and Pi.
- Added environment selection and environment-management backend support
needed for SSH execution, including route/service work, validation,
probing, and agent default environment persistence.
- Added CLI support for SSH environment lab verification and updated
related docs/tests.
- Added the `enableEnvironments` experimental flag and gated the
environment UI behind it on company settings, agent configuration, and
project configuration surfaces.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run
packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts
packages/adapters/cursor-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts
packages/adapters/gemini-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts
packages/adapters/opencode-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts
packages/adapters/pi-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts`
- `pnpm exec vitest run server/src/__tests__/environment-routes.test.ts`
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/instance-settings-routes.test.ts`
- `pnpm exec vitest run ui/src/lib/new-agent-hire-payload.test.ts
ui/src/lib/new-agent-runtime-config.test.ts`
- `pnpm -r typecheck`
- `pnpm build`
- Manual verification on a branch-local dev server:
- enabled the experimental flag
- created an SSH environment
- created a Linux Claude agent using that environment
- confirmed a run executed on the Linux box and synced workspace changes
back
## Risks
- Medium: this touches runtime execution flow across multiple adapters,
so regressions would likely show up in remote session setup, workspace
sync, or environment selection precedence.
- The UI flag reduces exposure, but the underlying runtime and route
changes are still substantial and rely on migration correctness.
- The change set is broad across adapters, control-plane services,
migrations, and UI gating, so review should pay close attention to
environment-selection precedence and remote workspace lifecycle
behavior.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex via Paperclip's local Codex adapter, GPT-5-class coding
model with tool use and code execution in the local repo workspace. The
local adapter does not surface a more specific public model version
string in this branch workflow.
## 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 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
- Fix external adapters (hermes, droid) not auto-selected when
navigating with ?adapterType= param — was using a stale
module-level Set built before async adapter registration
- Move SchemaConfigFields to render after thinking effort (same
visual area as Claude's chrome toggle) instead of bottom of
config section
- Extract SelectField into its own component to fix React hooks
order violation when schema fields change between renders
- Add onAdapterChange() subscription in registry.ts so
registerUIAdapter() notifies components when dynamic parsers
load, fixing stale parser for old runs
- Add parserTick to both RunTranscriptView and
useLiveRunTranscripts to force recomputation on parser change
- Plugin loader: install/reload/remove/reinstall external adapters
from npm packages or local directories
- Plugin store persisted at ~/.paperclip/adapter-plugins.json
- Self-healing UI parser resolution with version caching
- UI: Adapter Manager page, dynamic loader, display registry
with humanized names for unknown adapter types
- Dev watch: exclude adapter-plugins dir from tsx watcher
to prevent mid-request server restarts during reinstall
- All consumer fallbacks use getAdapterLabel() for consistent display
- AdapterTypeDropdown uses controlled open state for proper close behavior
- Remove hermes-local from built-in UI (externalized to plugin)
- Add docs for external adapters and UI parser contract
- Introduced ReportsToPicker component in AgentConfigForm and NewAgent pages to allow selection of an agent's manager.
- Updated organizational structure documentation to reflect the ability to change an agent's manager post-creation.
- Enhanced error handling in ConfigurationTab to provide user feedback on save failures.
Replace the direct agent config dialog with a choice modal offering two
paths: "Ask the CEO to create a new agent" (opens pre-filled issue) or
"I want advanced configuration myself" (navigates to /agents/new).
- Extend NewIssueDefaults with title/description for pre-fill support
- Add /agents/new route with full-page agent configuration form
- NewAgentDialog now shows CEO recommendation modal
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Devin Foley