# PRD 0039: smolmachines Capability-Block Remediation

> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.

- **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
- **Author:** didericis-codex
- **Created:** 2026-06-02
- **Issue:** #136

## Summary

Make capability-block remediation backend-aware. Today the dashboard approval
path calls Docker-only teardown and apply code regardless of which backend
created the bottle. Either implement smolmachines remediation or add a clean
disable/unsupported path so operators never get a partial Docker teardown
against a smolmachines slug.

## Problem

`bot_bottle/cli/dashboard.py` dispatches every capability-block approval to
`bot_bottle/backend/docker/capability_apply.py`. That code snapshots with
`docker cp`, pushes via `docker exec`, rewrites a Dockerfile override, and
removes Docker containers and networks. It does not stop or delete a smolvm
machine.

smolmachines bottles still receive the capability-block supervise tool through
`backend/smolmachines/provision/supervise.py`, so agents can queue a
remediation the host cannot correctly apply. A partial Docker teardown against
a smolmachines slug corrupts neither backend cleanly.

## Goals / Success Criteria

- Capability-block approval is routed to backend-specific code.
- For the smolmachines backend, either:
  a. A real remediation implementation that stops the VM, applies the
     capability change, and restarts correctly; or
  b. A clean unsupported response that tells the operator the action cannot
     be taken and leaves the bottle in a consistent state.
- If option (b): smolmachines agents do not receive the capability-block tool,
  so the operator is never prompted for an action that will fail.
- Unit tests cover the dispatch logic and the smolmachines path.

## Non-goals

- No changes to the Docker capability-apply path.
- No changes to other supervise tools (cred-block, pipelock-block).
- No changes to manifest or egress configuration.

## Scope

In scope:

- `bot_bottle/cli/dashboard.py` approval dispatch.
- `bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/supervise.py` tool registration.
- New or updated backend-specific capability apply/disable module for
  smolmachines.
- Unit tests for dispatch routing and smolmachines path.

Out of scope:

- Changes to `backend/docker/capability_apply.py` internals.
- Integration tests that exercise a live smolmachines VM remediation.

## Design

Introduce a backend-aware dispatch at the approval call site. Each backend
exposes a capability remediation entry point; the dashboard calls the one that
matches the bottle's backend. If the backend does not support remediation,
the entry point returns a structured error that the dashboard surfaces as an
operator message without attempting any teardown.

If option (b) is chosen initially, suppress capability-block registration in
`smolmachines/provision/supervise.py` so agents never see the tool.

## Testing Strategy

- Unit test that approval dispatch selects the smolmachines path for a
  smolmachines bottle and the Docker path for a Docker bottle.
- Unit test for the smolmachines path (unsupported response or real apply).
- Regression test that Docker approval still calls `capability_apply.py`.

Run:

- `python3 -m unittest discover -s tests/unit`

## Open Questions

- Is a real smolmachines capability-apply implementation in scope for this PRD,
  or should it be deferred to a follow-on after PRD 0040 lands?
