## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Local adapters turn Paperclip runs into unattended CLI invocations.
> - The `gemini_local` adapter depends on Gemini CLI behaving
non-interactively in headless worker sessions.
> - When Gemini CLI falls back to browser-based auth, the process can
stall at startup instead of producing stream-json output.
> - The adapter should make headless intent explicit and turn missing
auth into a classified, fast failure.
> - This pull request hardens the Gemini child-process environment and
parser classification around that failure mode.
> - The benefit is that operators get actionable `gemini_auth_required`
failures instead of silent hung runs.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No exact public issue exists for this runtime stall.
Related: #2344 covers a Gemini CLI adapter environment/auth probe
failure. This PR addresses a different runtime path: unattended
`gemini_local` executions that can stall when Gemini CLI attempts
interactive browser auth in a headless session.
Bug summary:
- Adapter: `gemini_local`
- Symptom: child Gemini CLI process starts but produces no stream-json
output when auth requires interactive browser flow
- Expected: unattended runs either produce stream-json output or fail
quickly with a classified auth error
- Actual: the run can hang at invocation until an external watchdog
kills it
- Scope: Gemini adapter process env, auth-required parsing, and adapter
docs/tests
Duplicate search performed:
- `gh pr list --state all --search "gemini headless invocation stall"`
found only this PR.
- `gh pr list --state all --search "gemini NO_BROWSER NO_COLOR"` found
only this PR.
- `gh issue list --state all --search "gemini headless authentication"`
found related issue #2344 but no exact duplicate.
## What Changed
- Set a headless-safe Gemini invocation env at the final child-process
boundary: `TERM=xterm-256color`, `COLORTERM=truecolor`, and
`NO_BROWSER=1`.
- Delete inherited `NO_COLOR` from the child env so Gemini CLI keeps
color-capable terminal behavior when deciding whether it can run
non-interactively.
- Classify Gemini `FatalAuthenticationError: Manual authorization is
required...` failures as `gemini_auth_required`.
- Update Gemini adapter docs to describe the non-interactive `--prompt`
path and headless env behavior.
- Add/extend focused parser and remote execution tests for the
auth-required and env invariants.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run
packages/adapters/gemini-local/src/server/parse.test.ts
packages/adapters/gemini-local/src/server/execute.remote.test.ts` — 23
tests passed.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/adapter-gemini-local typecheck` — passed.
- Local Gemini CLI probe confirmed `NO_BROWSER=1` turns the browser-auth
stall into a fast auth error instead of an interactive wait.
## Risks
Low risk. The change is limited to `gemini_local` invocation env,
parsing, docs, and tests. It does not touch schemas, API routes,
persisted data, or other adapters.
Operational risk: environments that intentionally rely on `NO_COLOR`
being inherited by Gemini child processes will no longer pass that
variable through. That is intentional here because Gemini CLI
auth/headless behavior should not depend on inherited color suppression.
> 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 — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
OpenAI GPT-5 Codex via Codex CLI, with shell/file-editing tool use for
repository inspection, code edits, tests, and GitHub PR maintenance.
## 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
- [ ] 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
- [ ] 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
/cc @codex — please review.
Sergio Sánchez Zavala
323b6220cc