When starting a smolmachines agent from the dashboard the
docker-build output rendered on top of the curses preflight
modal — the build was kicked off before the operator had
confirmed launch. The docker backend's `prepare` is pure
resolution (no docker calls); smolmachines was inconsistent
because `prepare` called `_ensure_smolmachine` which ran
`docker build` → `docker save` → `crane push` → `smolvm pack
create`, several seconds of stderr noise rendered before the
y/N prompt.
Move the pipeline:
- `_ensure_smolmachine` (+ `_SMOLMACHINE_CACHE_DIR` + `_REPO_DIR`
+ the local-registry / smolvm imports) moves from
`backend/smolmachines/prepare.py` to
`backend/smolmachines/launch.py`. Called right before
`_smolvm.machine_create` so the resulting `.smolmachine`
sidecar path lands as a local in `launch`, not on the plan.
- `SmolmachinesBottlePlan.agent_from_path: Path` becomes
`agent_image_ref: str`. `prepare` stashes only the docker tag
(`$CLAUDE_BOTTLE_IMAGE` || `claude-bottle:latest`); `launch`
resolves it into the artifact at bringup.
This puts smolmachines on the same prepare-vs-launch boundary
the docker backend uses: the preflight summary in the dashboard
prints, the operator confirms, then `launch` runs — and its
stderr is routed via `_route_op_to_right_pane` (in tmux) or via
`curses.endwin` (foreground handoff) so the build output lands
cleanly.
Tests:
- `tests/unit/test_smolmachines_prepare_image.py` →
`tests/unit/test_smolmachines_launch_image.py`, updated to
import `_ensure_smolmachine` from `launch` rather than
`prepare`.
- `test_smolmachines_provision.py`: plan fixture switches
`agent_from_path` → `agent_image_ref`.
593 unit tests pass.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>
didericis-claude
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