OpenHands / OpenHands/extensions

[Feature]: verified OSS contribution loop for prioritized, non-duplicate agent work

Open
#524 3 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

enhancement
Dominant language
Python
Stars
148
Forks
90
Avg merge
1d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
36

Description

Problem or Motivation

Agent Canvas can execute repository work, while OpenHands already requires a linked ready-for-dev issue with concrete desired behavior and acceptance criteria before a PR is eligible. The missing operator workflow is between a ready issue and a maintainable agent contribution:

  • several Agent Canvas runs can select or attempt the same issue;
  • a run can pass focused tests without proving the requested user behavior;
  • evidence can become detached from the final PR head after repair or rebase;
  • the implementing run can appear to validate its own work;
  • maintainers still have to reconstruct trajectory, environment, cost, and limitations from several surfaces.

This makes it hard to run OpenHands against a project priority queue without creating duplicate work or expensive review reconstruction.

Desired Behavior

As a maintainer, I can enable an Agent Canvas contribution workflow that begins only from an issue carrying ready-for-dev:

  1. Canvas lists repository-selected ready-for-dev issues in maintainer priority order.
  2. Starting a run creates an expiring claim tied to the issue, base SHA, actor, and Canvas run.
  3. A competing active claim or PR is visible before another run starts.
  4. The run works in an isolated branch/worktree and records its trajectory normally.
  5. The final result emits a compact contribution receipt bound to the exact PR head:
    • issue and acceptance criteria;
    • base/head SHAs and changed files;
    • pre-change reproduction when applicable;
    • focused tests plus the closest build or Agent Canvas user path;
    • trajectory/run ID, environment, model usage, and known limitations.
  6. A separate review run can inspect the issue, trajectory, receipt, diff, and exact head without writing to that branch.
  7. OpenHands reports ready for maintainer review, changes required, duplicate, or blocked; it never awards merge authority.

The existing issue, ready-for-dev automation, PR, and branch rules remain canonical. This is coordination and evidence around Agent Canvas, not another tracker.

Acceptance Criteria

  • Only issues carrying ready-for-dev are offered for autonomous implementation.
  • A claim records issue, base SHA, actor/run ID, scope, and expiry.
  • Active claims and linked PRs are shown before launch; expired claims stop blocking selection.
  • Each run uses isolated mutable source state.
  • The contribution receipt is regenerated or invalidated whenever the PR head changes.
  • Receipt evidence maps directly to the issue's acceptance criteria.
  • Evidence distinguishes focused tests, CI, mock/simulated behavior, and a real Agent Canvas path.
  • An independent read-only review run verifies the exact head.
  • Existing GitHub review and merge rules remain authoritative.
  • A pilot demonstrates one successful issue and one duplicate/stale claim.

Alternatives Considered

  • Select issues from labels only: ready-for-dev proves readiness, not that nobody else is already implementing it.
  • Rely on the PR test section: it does not automatically bind trajectory and runtime evidence to the current head.
  • Let each run post free-form logs: expensive for maintainers to compare and easy to make stale.
  • Create a separate OpenHands backlog: rejected; the repository's issues and readiness gate should remain the source of truth.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No files or tests are named in the issue. Start by locating the existing ready-for-dev automation and Agent Canvas run or branch entry points, then map claim, receipt, and independent review requirements to them and verify completion against every acceptance criterion, including the pilot.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
developer-experience, devtools
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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