## Summary
`stack emulator start` now resumes a fully-warm VM snapshot instead of
cold-booting, bringing startup from 30–120s down to ~5–8s with
per-install secret rotation, or ~2.5s with rotation opt-out. The
snapshot is captured **locally on first `stack emulator pull`**, not
shipped from CI — QEMU migration state isn't portable across
accelerators (KVM/HVF/TCG) or `-cpu max` feature sets, so a CI-captured
snapshot couldn't resume reliably on arbitrary user hardware.
Also bundles a pile of CLI QoL fixes (progress bars, PR/run artifact
pulls, PR-build download, native-TS ISO writer replacing
`hdiutil`/`mkisofs`/`genisoimage` host dep, unit tests).
| Scenario | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Cold boot (no snapshot) | 30–120s | same, works as fallback |
| `stack emulator pull` (one-time, includes local snapshot capture) |
~30s download | ~30s download + ~1–3 min cold-boot capture |
| Snapshot resume, normal start | — | **~5–8s** |
| Snapshot resume, `EMULATOR_NO_ROTATION=1` | — | **~2.5s** |
Backend (`/health?db=1`) and dashboard (`/handler/sign-in`) return 200
on all paths. Two successive snapshot resumes produce different rotated
PCK/SSK/SAK/CRON_SECRET values per install.
## How it works
**Build (CI)** — `docker/local-emulator/qemu/build-image.sh`:
1. Cloud-init provisioning runs to completion (migrations, seed,
slim-image) producing `stack-emulator-<arch>.qcow2`.
2. Image is built with a topology compatible with later snapshot capture
(pinned SMP=4, phantom seed/bundle ISOs, STACKCFG runtime ISO mounted at
build time, qemu-guest-agent running, placeholder hex secrets baked in
under `STACK_EMULATOR_BUILD_SNAPSHOT=1`).
3. CI publishes **only the qcow2** — no `.savevm.zst` ships.
**Pull (user's machine)** —
`packages/stack-cli/src/commands/emulator.ts` + `run-emulator.sh
capture`:
1. `stack emulator pull` downloads the qcow2 with a progress bar (or
from a PR / workflow run via `--pr` / `--run`).
2. CLI invokes `run-emulator.sh capture`: cold-boots the qcow2 with a
matching device layout (phantom ISOs, fsdev, pcie-root-port, virtfs
detached — migration-incompatible), waits for backend+dashboard health,
then drives QMP: `stop` → set `mapped-ram` + `multifd` caps → `migrate
file:state.raw` → poll `query-migrate` → `quit`. Raw mapped-ram file is
zstd-compressed to `stack-emulator-<arch>.savevm.zst` in the images dir.
3. `--skip-snapshot` opts out (first `start` will then cold-boot).
**Runtime** — `run-emulator.sh start`:
1. Launch QEMU with `-incoming defer` when a `.savevm.zst` is present;
decompress on first use, keep the `.raw` cached for subsequent starts.
2. QMP: same `mapped-ram` + `multifd` caps → `migrate-incoming
file:<.raw>` → poll for `paused` → `cont`.
3. Generate fresh per-install secrets on the host; pipe them
base64-encoded through QGA `guest-exec input-data` →
`trigger-fast-rotate` in the guest → `docker exec -e … rotate-secrets`.
4. `rotate-secrets` in the container: validate keys (hex-only), targeted
`sed` on the placeholder PCK across built JS, `UPDATE ApiKeySet`,
`supervisorctl restart stack-app cron-jobs` (with
`stopasgroup`/`killasgroup` so the Node children actually die and
release their ports).
5. Poll backend+dashboard health; if anything fails, clean up and fall
back to cold boot transparently.
**Security model**: placeholder hex values are baked into the snapshot
(`00…ff` PCK, `00…ee` SSK, `00…dd` SAK, `00…cc` CRON_SECRET). They are
non-secret by construction. Real per-install secrets are generated at
each `emulator start` and never leave the host.
## CLI changes (`packages/stack-cli`)
- **`src/lib/iso.ts`** (new): native TypeScript ISO 9660 + Joliet
writer, replacing the host-side `hdiutil`/`mkisofs`/`genisoimage`
dependency for generating the STACKCFG runtime config disk. Unit tests
in `src/lib/iso.test.ts`.
- **`src/commands/emulator.ts`**:
- `pull`: streamed downloads with progress bar + ETA; `--pr <number>`
and `--run <id>` to pull from a PR build's CI artifacts (uses
`extract-zip` for the nested zip); `--skip-snapshot` to opt out of the
one-time local capture.
- `start` (existing, extended): auto-pulls AND auto-captures when no
image exists, so first-ever `start` is self-bootstrapping; emits
`STACK_EMULATOR_CLI_WROTE_ISO=1` so the shell helper skips its own ISO
regen (avoids the genisoimage host dep).
- `capture` (new, invoked by `pull` and the auto-pull path of `start`):
drives the local snapshot capture via `run-emulator.sh`.
- `status`, `stop`, `reset`, `list-releases`: preflight +
path-resolution tightening (`STACK_EMULATOR_HOME` → images/run dirs).
- Unit tests in `src/commands/emulator.test.ts`.
- **`EMULATOR_NO_ROTATION=1`** env var skips the post-resume rotation
(intended for tests/CI where the placeholder secrets are fine — comes
with a loud warning).
## CI (`.github/workflows/qemu-emulator-build.yaml`)
- Builds **QEMU 10.2.2 from source** (cached), because
`mapped-ram`/`multifd` migration capabilities aren't available in the
distro's QEMU. Enables KVM on ubicloud runners so amd64 boots at
hardware speed.
- amd64 + arm64 both build on the same amd64 matrix
(`ubicloud-standard-8`); arm64 runs under cross-arch TCG (provisioning
only — boot/verify smoke test is amd64-only).
- Verification now runs through the CLI: `emulator start` → `emulator
status` → `emulator stop` against the freshly-built qcow2 (via
`STACK_EMULATOR_HOME` pointing at the workspace, so the CLI doesn't
silently auto-pull a prior release).
- Packages **only** the qcow2. No `.savevm.zst` upload / publish.
- Release notes updated.
## Key files
**Shell / guest:**
- `docker/local-emulator/qemu/build-image.sh` — snapshot-compatible
device topology + STACKCFG runtime ISO at build time
- `docker/local-emulator/qemu/run-emulator.sh` — `start`, `capture`,
`stop`, `reset`, `status`; `-incoming defer`, `.raw` cache, QGA-driven
rotation, cold-boot fallback
- `docker/local-emulator/qemu/common.sh` (new) — shared `qmp_session` +
`capture_vm_state` (factored out so build-image.sh and run-emulator.sh
share the capture path)
- `docker/local-emulator/qemu/cloud-init/emulator/user-data` —
placeholder secrets in snapshot mode, `wait-for-stack-ready`,
`trigger-fast-rotate`, qemu-guest-agent enabled
- `docker/local-emulator/rotate-secrets.sh` (new) — in-container
rotation (sed + UPDATE + supervisorctl)
- `docker/local-emulator/supervisord.conf` — `stopasgroup`/`killasgroup`
on `stack-app` and `cron-jobs`
- `docker/local-emulator/entrypoint.sh` — only mint CRON_SECRET if unset
(placeholder supplied in snapshot mode via --env-file)
- `docker/local-emulator/Dockerfile` — ships `rotate-secrets` to
`/usr/local/bin`
- `docker/server/entrypoint.sh` — source
`/run/stack-auth/rotated-secrets.env`; skip full-tree sentinel scan on
warm restarts via marker
**CLI:**
- `packages/stack-cli/src/lib/iso.ts` (new) + `iso.test.ts` (new)
- `packages/stack-cli/src/commands/emulator.ts` + `emulator.test.ts`
(new)
- `packages/stack-cli/vitest.config.ts` (new)
**CI:**
- `.github/workflows/qemu-emulator-build.yaml`
## Test plan
- [x] `docker/local-emulator/qemu/build-image.sh {amd64,arm64}` produces
`stack-emulator-<arch>.qcow2` with snapshot-compatible topology
- [x] `stack emulator pull` downloads qcow2 with progress, then captures
locally (~1–3 min) and writes `stack-emulator-<arch>.savevm.zst` in the
images dir
- [x] `stack emulator pull --skip-snapshot` stops after download
- [x] `stack emulator pull --pr <n>` / `--run <id>` pull from PR /
workflow run artifacts
- [x] `stack emulator start` on a fresh dir auto-pulls **and**
auto-captures, then starts; subsequent starts fast-resume in ~5–8s;
backend + dashboard return 200
- [x] `EMULATOR_NO_ROTATION=1 stack emulator start` completes in ~2.5s;
backend + dashboard return 200 with warning printed
- [x] Two consecutive `emulator start` invocations produce different PCK
values in the internal `ApiKeySet` row
- [x] `stack emulator status` / `stop` / `reset` resolve paths from
`STACK_EMULATOR_HOME`
- [x] Verified end-to-end on arm64 macOS under HVF (capture ~50s,
fast-resume ~6.5s)
- [x] `pnpm lint` and `pnpm typecheck` pass; stack-cli unit tests (iso +
emulator) pass
- [ ] CI green on this PR (qemu-emulator-build matrix, smoke test)
- [ ] `gh release download emulator-<branch>-latest` contains only
`stack-emulator-<arch>.qcow2` once this PR merges and publish runs
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **New Features**
* Snapshot fast-start/resume with optional warm-snapshot assets, runtime
ISO generation, and a cached QEMU build to speed emulator setup.
* CLI: streamed artifact downloads with progress, improved release/asset
handling, stronger preflight checks, and start/status/stop emulator
commands.
* Automated secret rotation and ability to apply rotated secrets at
container startup; supervisor control socket enabled.
* **Bug Fixes**
* More robust start/stop/resume flows with automatic fallback to cold
boot and improved process-group shutdown behavior.
* **Tests**
* New tests for CLI utilities and ISO image generation.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **Refactor**
* Request sanitization now includes an extra proxy-specific
preprocessing step for safer AI proxying.
* **New Features**
* Initialization prompts centralized into a shared helper, with a
web-specific prompt variant.
* Authenticated requests can optionally route via a provided external
API key to access alternate models.
* **Chores**
* Added and exposed a preprocessing hook with a default no-op
implementation.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
## Release Notes
* **New Features**
* Added Stripe, OAuth, and Freestyle mock services to the local emulator
* Introduced `emulator run` CLI command to execute applications with
emulator credentials automatically injected
* Enhanced credential management for local development
* **Improvements**
* Improved ARM64 QEMU emulation with cross-architecture support
* Better error detection and logging during emulator provisioning
* Added example middleware configuration with authentication support
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
- Extended `CliAuthAttempt` with `anonRefreshToken` and a migration.
- CLI `POST /auth/cli` accepts optional `anon_refresh_token` (must be an
anonymous user's refresh token for the current project).
- `POST /auth/cli/complete` supports `mode` `check` (anonymous vs none),
`claim-anon-session` (issue tokens for the linked anonymous session),
and `complete` (bind the browser session's refresh token to the
attempt). Completing clears `anonRefreshToken` on the row. We do **not**
merge anonymous account data into the signed-in user (that behavior was
removed as a security risk; the anonymous user remains unchanged).
- Template CLI confirmation page, stack-cli optional
`STACK_CLI_ANON_REFRESH_TOKEN`, SDK/spec updates, and e2e coverage.
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **New Features**
* CLI login supports attaching anonymous sessions and a multi-mode
confirm/claim/check flow; CLI tools now surface login codes and remove
anon token after use.
* Added interactive CLI auth demo page and a CLI simulator script.
* Client libraries: prompt flow accepts an optional anon token and a
promptLink(url, loginCode) callback.
* **Tests**
* Expanded end-to-end coverage for anonymous CLI sessions,
claim/complete/poll flows, upgrades, and error cases.
* **Documentation**
* Updated prompt CLI docs/spec to describe new options and callback
signature.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
## Summary
- add a public `defineStackConfig` helper and `StackConfig` type for
nested config authoring
- emit helper-based nested config files from the CLI and local emulator
- update type coverage and e2e expectations for the new `stack.config`
format
## Testing
- pnpm --filter ./packages/stack-shared typecheck
- pnpm --filter ./packages/stack-cli typecheck
- pnpm --filter ./apps/backend typecheck
- pnpm --filter ./apps/e2e typecheck
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **New Features**
* Type-safe configuration API with compile-time validation
* New config rendering utility for producing typed config files
* Public local-emulator settings and a public helper to detect emulator
mode
* Added --overwrite flag for config pull
* **Improvements**
* Stronger validation and clearer errors for invalid or conflicting
config shapes
* Config output now includes explicit TypeScript typing
* **Tests**
* Added and strengthened tests for config authoring, rendering, CLI
behavior, and emulator flows
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
DB migration compat / Back-compat — Current branch migrations with ${{ needs.check-migrations-changed.outputs.base_branch }} branch code (push) Has been cancelled
DB migration compat / Forward-compat — Current branch code with ${{ needs.check-migrations-changed.outputs.base_branch }} branch migrations (push) Has been cancelled
commit 5d43722575b826a8ed8dbb6b828f48eae4bca02c
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Wed Mar 18 12:27:01 2026 -0700
Add QEMU emulator snapshot functionality and reset command
- Introduced a new `emulator-qemu:reset` command in package.json to
clear snapshots and force a fresh boot of the emulator.
- Enhanced the `run-emulator.sh` script to support saving and restoring
snapshots, significantly reducing restart time from ~62s to ~4s.
- Implemented logic to check for existing snapshots and restore them
during startup, improving the emulator's efficiency.
- Updated documentation in CLAUDE-KNOWLEDGE.md to explain the new
snapshot restore process and its benefits.
These changes enhance the QEMU emulator's performance and usability for
developers, providing a more efficient workflow during development.
commit 3877445bdd83cb8690da18c8520bf260d2795172
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Wed Mar 18 11:55:18 2026 -0700
Enhance QEMU emulator performance and configuration management
- Added optimizations to the QEMU emulator's app container startup
process, reducing startup time from ~92s to ~62s by using qcow2 backing
files and setting the working directory to /app.
- Updated the build-image.sh script to conditionally wait for background
processes, improving robustness.
- Modified the run-emulator.sh script to create the disk image using
qcow2 format instead of copying, enhancing efficiency.
- Adjusted the cloud-init user-data to set STACK_RUNTIME_WORK_DIR to
/app, streamlining file operations during container initialization.
- Improved the entrypoint script to avoid unnecessary file copying when
the working directory is set to /app.
These changes significantly enhance the performance and usability of the
QEMU emulator for developers.
commit e0b86d3f1d5c08e46d0d343bc632e2a8c5777845
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Wed Mar 18 11:07:55 2026 -0700
Refactor local emulator configuration management and enhance Docker
setup
- Removed redundant comments and improved code clarity in the local
emulator's route handling.
- Streamlined the Dockerfile and docker-compose.yaml for better
readability and maintenance.
- Updated entrypoint and initialization scripts to enhance service
startup processes.
- Introduced a new common script for QEMU emulator to centralize
architecture detection and firmware handling.
- Enhanced error handling in the host file bridge for improved
robustness.
- Removed obsolete country code utilities to clean up the codebase.
These changes significantly improve the local emulator's configuration
management and overall setup experience for developers.
commit 4fb0f93c6cc4f749a14acf0228c261e180875609
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Wed Mar 18 10:24:53 2026 -0700
Implement local emulator file bridge for enhanced configuration
management
- Introduced a new host file bridge to facilitate reading and writing
configuration files between the local emulator and the host system.
- Refactored the local-emulator module to utilize the file bridge for
file operations, improving error handling and response validation.
- Added tests to ensure the file bridge functionality works as expected,
including handling of non-existent files and writing configurations.
- Updated the run-emulator script to start the file bridge
automatically, ensuring seamless integration during emulator startup.
- Enhanced documentation to reflect the new file bridge capabilities and
usage instructions.
These changes significantly improve the local emulator's ability to
manage configuration files, enhancing the development experience.
commit 3d18a7ce5bbf00a62a40a3f48f27856e79ecc62f
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Tue Mar 17 22:36:46 2026 -0700
Refactor QEMU local emulator setup and enhance app bundle handling
- Introduced a new script for packaging Docker images into a compressed
app bundle, improving the emulator's deployment process.
- Updated build-image.sh to create a runtime configuration ISO, ensuring
better management of environment settings.
- Enhanced cloud-init user-data scripts for both dev-server and deps
guests, streamlining service setup and configuration.
- Improved the run-emulator.sh script to facilitate better handling of
runtime configurations and dependencies.
- Adjusted the .gitignore to include .DS_Store and removed obsolete
entries, cleaning up the repository.
These changes significantly enhance the local emulator's functionality
and reliability for developers.
commit 8a35fb1ce79898d73e2259e256c11b6fd9b0a584
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Tue Mar 17 21:52:24 2026 -0700
Enhance local emulator functionality and configuration
- Updated package.json to improve the start-emulator command, providing
clearer dashboard and backend URLs.
- Added a new wait-until-emulator-is-ready command to ensure the
emulator is fully operational before proceeding.
- Refactored the local-emulator project route to streamline file
existence checks and default config creation.
- Enhanced user guidance in the dashboard for local Stack config file
handling.
- Updated tests to reflect changes in config file handling, ensuring
non-existent files are created with default settings.
- Improved Docker configurations for the local emulator, including new
environment variables and service dependencies.
These changes significantly enhance the local development experience and
emulator reliability.
commit 3910ed4bc40bbb37340c1c316c24c2826ba372bd
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Tue Mar 17 19:59:36 2026 -0700
Remove unused stash-0.patch file to clean up the repository.
commit 74146d974458037a7a9590120a524629a1a6a162
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Tue Mar 17 19:58:46 2026 -0700
Enhance QEMU local emulator with app bundle support and runtime
configuration
- Introduced a new script to package the backend and dashboard assets
into a standalone app bundle for the QEMU emulator.
- Updated the build-image.sh script to create an ISO containing the app
bundle, ensuring the guest image includes the full runtime.
- Modified cloud-init user-data to handle the new app bundle and runtime
configuration, improving the setup process for local development.
- Enhanced the run-emulator.sh script to prepare and mount the runtime
configuration ISO, facilitating better environment management for the
emulator.
- Updated the user-data to include necessary environment variables for
the stack application, ensuring seamless integration during startup.
These changes significantly improve the local emulator's functionality
and ease of use for developers.
commit 9e865a1cf524398bc58f00e0836278775c4ae936
Author: mantrakp04 <mantrakp@gmail.com>
Date: Tue Mar 17 16:50:45 2026 -0700
Enhance local emulator setup with new services and configurations
- Added Docker support for a local emulator, integrating PostgreSQL,
Redis, Inbucket, Svix, ClickHouse, MinIO, and QStash.
- Introduced new scripts for managing the emulator lifecycle, including
build and run commands.
- Implemented cloud-init provisioning for automatic service setup on
first boot.
- Updated package.json with new commands for emulator management and
added dotenv-cli for environment variable management.
- Added tests for OAuth authorization flow to return JSON responses.
- Included configuration files for ClickHouse and user management.
This commit significantly improves the local development experience by
providing a comprehensive emulator environment.
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
## Release Notes
* **New Features**
* Introduced a local QEMU-based emulator for development with bundled
services (PostgreSQL, Redis, ClickHouse, MinIO, Inbucket, Svix, QStash).
* Added CLI commands to manage the emulator (start, stop, reset, status,
pull images).
* Added emulator status dashboard to monitor service health.
* Introduced new configuration system via `stack.config.ts`.
* **Tests**
* Added configuration read/write tests for the emulator.
* Added emulator CLI validation tests.
* **Documentation**
* Added emulator setup and usage guide.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
## Documentation
* Updated setup instructions across all documentation to clarify that
the publishable client key is only required when your project
configuration enforces it, removing confusion about unconditional
requirements.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **Bug Fixes**
* Fixed authentication errors in the Claude agent.
* **Refactor**
* Simplified the CLI initialization process to default to cloud project
linking, removing interactive prompts.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!--
Make sure you've read the CONTRIBUTING.md guidelines:
https://github.com/stack-auth/stack-auth/blob/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md
-->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **New Features**
* Interactive init workflow (create, link-config, link-cloud) with safe
non-interactive behavior; writes/updates project config and .env, and
prints STACK AUTH setup instructions.
* CLI assistant/agent with a progress UI for long-running tasks.
* Backend AI proxy endpoint that validates and forwards AI requests to
an external provider.
* **Tests**
* End-to-end tests covering all init modes, outputs, env linking, and
error cases.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
## Release Notes
* **New Features**
* Added Stack CLI with authentication (login/logout) commands.
* Added project management commands to list and create projects.
* Added configuration management to pull and push project settings.
* Added code execution capability to run JavaScript expressions.
* Added initialization command for Stack Auth setup.
* **Tests**
* Added comprehensive end-to-end test suite for CLI functionality.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
