Deployment/Auth Mode Consolidation Plan

Status: Proposal
Owner: Server + CLI + UI
Date: 2026-02-23

Goal

Keep Paperclip low-friction while making the mode model simpler and safer:

1. local_trusted remains the default and easiest path.
2. one authenticated runtime mode supports both private-network local use and public cloud use.
3. onboarding/configure/doctor stay primarily interactive and flagless.
4. Board identity is represented by a real user row in the database, with explicit role/membership integration points.

Product Constraints (From Review)

1. onboard default flow is interactive (no flags required).
2. first mode choice defaults to local_trusted, with clear UX copy.
3. authenticated flow gives guidance for private vs public exposure.
4. doctor should also be flagless by default (read config and evaluate the selected mode/profile).
5. do not add backward-compatibility alias layers for abandoned mode names.
6. plan must explicitly cover how users/Board are represented in DB and how that affects task assignment and permissions.

Current Implementation Audit (As Of 2026-02-23)

Runtime/Auth

• Runtime deployment modes are currently local_trusted | cloud_hosted (packages/shared/src/constants.ts).
• local_trusted actor is currently synthetic:
  • req.actor = { type: "board", userId: "local-board", source: "local_implicit" } (server/src/middleware/auth.ts).
  • this is not a real auth user row by default.
• cloud_hosted uses Better Auth sessions and authUsers rows (server/src/auth/better-auth.ts, packages/db/src/schema/auth.ts).

Bootstrap/Admin

• cloud_hosted requires BETTER_AUTH_SECRET and reports bootstrap status from instance_user_roles (server/src/index.ts, server/src/routes/health.ts).
• bootstrap invite acceptance promotes the signed-in user to instance_admin (server/src/routes/access.ts, server/src/services/access.ts).

Membership/Assignment Integration

• User task assignment requires active company_memberships entry for that user (server/src/services/issues.ts).
• Local implicit board identity is not automatically a real membership principal; this is a gap for “board as assignable user” semantics.

Proposed Runtime Model

Modes

1. local_trusted

• no login required
• localhost/loopback only
• optimized for single-operator local setup

2. authenticated

• login required for human actions
• same auth stack for both private and public deployments

Exposure Policy (Within authenticated)

1. private

• private-network deployments (LAN, VPN, Tailscale)
• low-friction URL handling (auto base URL)
• strict host allow policy for private targets

2. public

• internet-facing deployments
• explicit public base URL required
• stricter deployment checks in doctor

This is one authenticated mode with two safety policies, not two different auth systems.

UX Contract

Onboard (Primary Path: Interactive)

Default command remains:

pnpm paperclipai onboard

Interactive server step:

1. ask mode with default selection local_trusted
2. copy for options:

• local_trusted: "Easiest for local setup (no login, localhost-only)"
• authenticated: "Login required; use for private network or public hosting"

3. if authenticated, ask exposure:

• private: "Private network access (for example Tailscale), lower setup friction"
• public: "Internet-facing deployment, stricter security requirements"

4. only if authenticated + public, ask for explicit public URL

Flags are optional power-user overrides, not required for normal setup.

Configure

Default command remains interactive:

pnpm paperclipai configure --section server

Same mode/exposure questions and defaults as onboarding.

Doctor

Default command remains flagless:

pnpm paperclipai doctor

Doctor reads configured mode/exposure and applies relevant checks. Optional flags may exist for override/testing, but are not required for normal operation.

Board/User Data Model Integration (Required)

Requirement

Board must be a real DB user principal so user-centric features (task assignment, membership, audit identity) work consistently.

Target Behavior

1. local_trusted

• seed/ensure a deterministic local board user row in authUsers during setup/startup.
• actor middleware uses that real user id instead of synthetic-only identity.
• ensure:
  • instance_user_roles includes instance_admin for this user.
  • company membership can be created/maintained for this user where needed.

2. authenticated

• Better Auth sign-up creates user row.
• bootstrap/admin flow promotes that real user to instance_admin.
• first company creation flow should ensure creator membership is active.

Why This Matters

• assigneeUserId validation checks company membership.
• without a real board user + membership path, assigning tasks to board user is inconsistent.

Configuration Contract (Target)

• server.mode: local_trusted | authenticated
• server.exposure: private | public (required when mode is authenticated)
• auth.baseUrlMode: auto | explicit
• auth.publicBaseUrl: required when authenticated + public

No compatibility aliases for discarded naming variants.

No Backward-Compatibility Layer

This change is a clean cut:

• remove use of old split terminology in code and prompts.
• config schema uses only canonical fields/values above.
• existing dev instances can rerun onboarding or update config once.

Implementation Phases

Phase 1: Shared Schema + Config Surface

• packages/shared/src/constants.ts: define canonical mode/exposure constants.
• packages/shared/src/config-schema.ts: add mode/exposure/auth URL fields.
• server/src/config.ts and CLI config types: consume canonical fields only.

Phase 2: CLI Interactive UX

• cli/src/prompts/server.ts: implement defaulted mode prompt and authenticated exposure guidance copy.
• cli/src/commands/onboard.ts: keep interactive-first flow; optional overrides only.
• cli/src/commands/configure.ts: same behavior for server section.
• cli/src/commands/doctor.ts: mode-aware checks from config, flagless default flow.

Phase 3: Runtime/Auth Policy

• server/src/index.ts: enforce mode-specific startup constraints.
• server/src/auth/better-auth.ts: implement auto vs explicit base URL behavior.
• host/origin trust helper for authenticated + private.

Phase 4: Board Principal Integration

• add ensure-board-user startup/setup step:
  • real local board user row
  • instance admin role row
• ensure first-company creation path grants creator membership.
• remove synthetic-only assumptions where they break user assignment/membership semantics.

Phase 5: UI + Docs

• update UI labels/help text around mode and exposure guidance.
• update docs:
  • doc/DEPLOYMENT-MODES.md
  • doc/DEVELOPING.md
  • doc/CLI.md
  • doc/SPEC-implementation.md

Test Plan

• config schema tests for canonical mode/exposure/auth fields.
• CLI prompt tests for default interactive selections and copy.
• doctor tests by mode/exposure.
• runtime tests:
  • authenticated/private works without explicit URL
  • authenticated/public requires explicit URL
  • private host policy rejects untrusted hosts
• Board principal tests:
  • local_trusted board user exists as real DB user
  • board can be assigned tasks via assigneeUserId after membership setup
  • creator membership behavior for authenticated flows

Acceptance Criteria

1. pnpm paperclipai onboard is interactive-first and defaults to local_trusted.
2. authenticated mode is one runtime mode with private/public exposure guidance.
3. pnpm paperclipai doctor works flagless with mode-aware checks.
4. no extra compatibility aliases for dropped naming variants.
5. Board identity is represented by real DB user/role/membership integration points, enabling consistent task assignment and permission behavior.

Verification Gate

Before merge:

pnpm -r typecheck
pnpm test:run
pnpm build