My Blog

Tag: github.com

  • AI Tools: you need to try Paperclip RIGHT NOW!

    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RVf25Rg0Mc

    Channel: NetworkChuck

    Introduction

    NetworkChuck’s latest video introduces Paperclip, an open‑source meta‑harness designed to organize multiple AI agents into a structured company‑like hierarchy. The demonstration centers on building an AI IT Department to troubleshoot a recurring network issue: the studio NAS dropping whenever the office toilet is flushed. Alongside the technical deep‑dive, the video includes a sponsored segment showing how Flare threat‑intelligence can be integrated with Paperclip for automated security monitoring.

    What the Video Covers

    The presentation walks through installing Paperclip on an Ubuntu virtual machine, onboarding a CEO agent (portrayed as Dumbledore using Claude Code), and adding further agents such as a CTO (Ron, powered by Hermes). It shows how agents receive tasks, create sub‑tasks, post results, and require human approval via the Decisions tab for any configuration changes. The investigation reveals that flapping SFP+ transceivers on a MikroTik switch—caused by vibration‑sensitive third‑party modules—were the root cause of the NAS drops. The video also demonstrates storing Flare API credentials in Paperclip Secrets, launching a threat‑exposure agent (Filch) that queries Flare for leaked credentials, and using Paperclip’s Routines feature for automated daily stand‑ups. Token usage, embedded PostgreSQL details, and specific hardware numbers are highlighted throughout.

    Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough

    • Prepare a Linux VM (Ubuntu) and install Node.js v24.
    • Run the installation script: curl -fSSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/paperclipai/paperclip/v2026.831.1/scripts/install.sh followed by execution of the script.
    • Start Paperclip; the UI becomes available on port 3100 (hostname toiletsquad.hogwarts.studio).
    • Bootstrap the CEO agent with npx paperclipai auth bootstrap-ceo, which generates an onboarding prompt for the chosen AI harness (Claude Code in the demo).
    • Paste the generated prompt into the agent’s terminal to register the CEO within Paperclip.
    • Through the UI, add additional agents (e.g., CTO Ron using Hermes) by copying each agent’s onboarding prompt into their respective harness terminals.
    • Create a project (e.g., “TOILET ISSUES”) and assign a task identifier such as NET‑17 to the CEO agent.
    • Agents break the task into sub‑tasks, post findings, and use the Decisions tab to request human approval before applying any configuration changes.
    • To investigate the NAS drops, the CEO agent queries switch logs, discovers 20,052 link‑down events on SFP+ port 5 since boot, and correlates them with vibration events from toilet flushing.
    • Physical inspection reveals cheap third‑party SFP+ modules (batch 23‑11‑16) with zero optical signal margin; replacing them with official MikroTik SFP+ transceivers eliminates the flaps.
    • For security monitoring, store Flare credentials as FLARE_API_KEY and FLARE_TENANT_ID in Paperclip Secrets, then launch a threat‑exposure agent (Filch) that queries Flare for leaked credentials and creates remediation tickets.
    • Enable the Routines feature to schedule automated daily stand‑ups where all agents report progress, blockers, and cross‑agent questions.
    • Monitor resource consumption and token usage (~49.2 M tokens across runs) via the Timelines tab to optimize workflows.
    • Export the organization for backup or migration using npx paperclipai export and import it elsewhere with npx paperclipai import.

    Tools, Numbers and Key Findings

    • Paperclip GitHub: github.com/paperclipai/paperclip
    • Node.js version required: v24.0.0
    • Embedded PostgreSQL runs on port 54329.
    • Paperclip UI port: 3100.
    • Token consumption across demonstrated runs: approximately 49.2 million tokens.
    • Flapping SFP+ port 5 link‑down events: 20,052 since boot.
    • Estimated failure rate of the problematic third‑party SFP+ batch (23‑11‑16): ~50 % in‑service.
    • Flare detection time: < 60 seconds versus an average corporate detection time of 36 hours.
    • Attacker exploitation window after credential theft: ~48 minutes.
    • Flare dashboard stats shown: 1 critical issue, 76 high‑severity leaked credentials, 32,400+ medium‑severity infected devices, 1 ransom leak, 390 chat messages, 23 look‑alike domains.
    • Tools used in the demo: Claude Code, Hermes Gateway (gpt‑6‑astra), Codex, Pi/Qwen (local LLM), MikroTik SFP+ transceivers (official vs. third‑party batch 23‑11‑16).

    Caveats and Hype Check

    While Paperclip presents an appealing vision of multi‑agent orchestration, the platform remains early‑stage open‑source software. The video’s claims of dramatically reduced complexity should be balanced against the manual steps required for installation, agent onboarding, and troubleshooting. The Flare segment is a sponsored promotion emphasizing sub‑minute detection times and large volumes of leaked credentials; those metrics are impressive but should be verified independently, and integrating Flare may demand additional configuration beyond what is shown.

    “Agent group chats aren’t useful… I haven’t seen a lot of super value out of like an agent conference room or an agent town where you just set your agents to sit there and talk to each other.” — Dotta

    “Attackers don’t hack in, they log in.” — NetworkChuck

    Concrete Next Actions

    • Deploy a Linux VM with Node.js v24 and run the Paperclip installation script.
    • Bootstrap a CEO agent using npx paperclipai auth bootstrap-ceo and follow the generated onboarding prompt.
    • Add further agents (CTO, engineers) via the UI, pasting each agent’s onboarding prompt into their respective harness terminals.
    • Create a project for your use case, assign task IDs, and use the Decisions tab for any configuration‑change approvals.
    • Experiment with the Routines feature to set up automated daily stand‑ups for your agent team.
    • If you intend to use Flare, store FLARE_API_KEY and FLARE_TENANT_ID in Paperclip Secrets and launch a threat‑exposure agent (Filch) to query the API.
    • Inspect network hardware for suspect third‑party SFP+ transceivers; replace any that match the problematic batch (23‑11‑16) with vendor‑approved modules to prevent vibration‑induced link flaps.
    • Monitor token usage and resource consumption through the Timelines tab to fine‑tune agent workflows.
    • Export your Paperclip organization (npx paperclipai export) for backup or migration, and verify the import process on a secondary server.
    • Review the video description for the Flare free‑trial link if you wish to evaluate the threat‑intelligence platform further.