paperclip/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/e2b/README.md
Devin Foley c0ce35d1fb
Improve E2B plugin configuration UX and fix execution timeouts (#4802)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies
> - E2B is a sandbox provider plugin that runs agent code in isolated
cloud environments
> - Operators configure E2B through the plugin settings page
> - But the E2B API key configuration was unclear — the settings field
description didn't explain that pasted keys are auto-saved as company
secrets, and the fallback to the host `E2B_API_KEY` variable wasn't
documented
> - Additionally, long-running E2B sandbox commands were timing out
because the plugin environment RPC driver used a fixed timeout, and
environment commands competed for the single foreground command slot
> - This PR clarifies the E2B configuration UX, fixes RPC timeouts for
plugin environment execution, and runs E2B environment commands in
background mode to avoid blocking the foreground slot
> - The benefit is clearer E2B setup for operators and more reliable
sandbox command execution

## What Changed

- Updated E2B plugin manifest and settings UI to clarify API key
configuration — field description now explains that pasted keys are
saved as company secrets and documents the `E2B_API_KEY` host fallback
- Added test coverage for the plugin settings page rendering
- Fixed `plugin-environment-driver.ts` to pass the configured timeout
through to RPC calls instead of using a hardcoded default
- Updated `environment-runtime.ts` to propagate timeout from the
environment lease to the plugin driver
- Changed E2B sandbox command execution to use background handles so
long-running agent commands don't block the foreground slot needed by
the callback bridge

## Verification

- `pnpm test` — all existing and new tests pass
- `pnpm typecheck` — clean
- Manual: navigate to plugin settings, verify E2B API key field shows
the updated description text
- Manual: run an E2B-backed agent task with a long-running command,
verify it completes without RPC timeout

## Risks

- Low risk. Configuration UX change is cosmetic. The timeout fix passes
an existing value through instead of dropping it. Background command
execution is a behavioral change but only affects E2B sandbox commands —
the foreground slot is still available for bridge health checks.

## Model Used

Codex GPT 5.4 high via Paperclip.

## 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
- [x] 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
2026-04-29 17:12:30 -07:00

1.6 KiB

@paperclipai/plugin-e2b

Published E2B sandbox provider plugin for Paperclip.

This package lives in the Paperclip monorepo, but it is intentionally excluded from the root pnpm workspace and shaped to publish and install like a standalone npm package. That means operators can install it from the Plugins page by package name, and the host will fetch its transitive dependencies at install time without adding lockfile churn to the Paperclip repo.

Install

From a Paperclip instance, install:

@paperclipai/plugin-e2b

The host plugin installer runs npm install into the managed plugin directory, so package dependencies such as e2b are pulled in during installation.

Configuration

Configure E2B from Company Settings -> Environments, not from the plugin's instance settings page.

  • Put the E2B API key on the sandbox environment itself.
  • When you save an environment, Paperclip stores pasted API keys as company secrets.
  • E2B_API_KEY remains an optional host-level fallback when an environment omits the key.

Local development

cd packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/e2b
pnpm install --ignore-workspace --no-lockfile
pnpm build
pnpm test
pnpm typecheck

These commands assume the repo root has already been installed once so the local @paperclipai/plugin-sdk workspace package is available to the compiler during development.

Package layout

  • src/manifest.ts declares the sandbox-provider driver metadata
  • src/plugin.ts implements the environment lifecycle hooks
  • paperclipPlugin.manifest and paperclipPlugin.worker point the host at the built plugin entrypoints in dist/