Allow cloud environments without Docker images

app/src/ai/agent_sdk/environment.rs

@@ -300,10 +300,8 @@ impl EnvironmentCommandRunner {
         if let Some(desc) = &env.description {
             println!("Description: {desc}");
         }
-        match &env.base_image {
-            BaseImage::DockerImage(img) => {
-                println!("Docker image: {img}");
-            }
+        if let Some(BaseImage::DockerImage(img)) = &env.base_image {
+            println!("Docker image: {img}");
         }
         if env.github_repos.is_empty() {
             println!("Repositories: None");
@@ -952,7 +950,7 @@ impl EnvironmentCommandRunner {
         }
 
         if let Some(new_docker_image) = docker_image {
-            updated_env.base_image = BaseImage::DockerImage(new_docker_image);
+            updated_env.base_image = Some(BaseImage::DockerImage(new_docker_image));
         }
 
         for repo in add_repos {
@@ -1121,7 +1119,8 @@ struct EnvironmentInfo {
     name: String,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     description: Option<String>,
-    base_image: BaseImage,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    base_image: Option<BaseImage>,
     github_repos: Vec<GithubRepo>,
     setup_commands: Vec<String>,
     creator_email: String,
@@ -1161,7 +1160,12 @@ impl TableFormat for EnvironmentInfo {
             Cell::new(&self.id),
             Cell::new(&self.name),
             Cell::new(description_display),
-            Cell::new(self.base_image.to_string()),
+            Cell::new(
+                self.base_image
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(ToString::to_string)
+                    .unwrap_or_default(),
+            ),
             Cell::new(github_repos_display),
             Cell::new(setup_commands_display),
             Cell::new(&self.creator_email),

app/src/ai/conversation_details_panel.rs

@@ -1635,7 +1635,6 @@ impl ConversationDetailsPanel {
         app: &AppContext,
     ) -> Box<dyn Element> {
         let environment_name = &env_model.name;
-        let docker_image = env_model.base_image.to_string();
 
         let theme = appearance.theme();
         let ui_font_size = appearance.ui_font_size();
@@ -1702,16 +1701,18 @@ impl ConversationDetailsPanel {
             .finish(),
         );
 
-        section.add_child(
-            Container::new(render_copyable_field(
-                "Image",
-                &docker_image,
-                CopyButtonKind::DockerImage,
-                ConversationDetailsPanelAction::CopyDockerImage,
-            ))
-            .with_margin_bottom(LABEL_VALUE_GAP)
-            .finish(),
-        );
+        if let Some(docker_image) = env_model.base_image.as_ref().map(ToString::to_string) {
+            section.add_child(
+                Container::new(render_copyable_field(
+                    "Image",
+                    &docker_image,
+                    CopyButtonKind::DockerImage,
+                    ConversationDetailsPanelAction::CopyDockerImage,
+                ))
+                .with_margin_bottom(LABEL_VALUE_GAP)
+                .finish(),
+            );
+        }
 
         Container::new(section.finish())
             .with_margin_bottom(FIELD_SPACING)
@@ -2263,10 +2264,17 @@ impl TypedActionView for ConversationDetailsPanel {
                     if let Ok(server_id) = ServerId::try_from(env_id.as_str()) {
                         let sync_id = SyncId::ServerId(server_id);
                         if let Some(env) = CloudAmbientAgentEnvironment::get_by_id(&sync_id, ctx) {
-                            let docker_image = env.model().string_model.base_image.to_string();
-                            ctx.clipboard()
-                                .write(ClipboardContent::plain_text(docker_image));
-                            self.record_copy(CopyButtonKind::DockerImage, ctx);
+                            if let Some(docker_image) = env
+                                .model()
+                                .string_model
+                                .base_image
+                                .as_ref()
+                                .map(ToString::to_string)
+                            {
+                                ctx.clipboard()
+                                    .write(ClipboardContent::plain_text(docker_image));
+                                self.record_copy(CopyButtonKind::DockerImage, ctx);
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }

app/src/context_chips/display_menu.rs

@@ -664,7 +664,13 @@ impl DisplayChipMenu {
         Some(EnvironmentSidecarData {
             name: env.model().string_model.display_name(),
             id: env.id.to_string(),
-            image: env.model().string_model.base_image.to_string(),
+            image: env
+                .model()
+                .string_model
+                .base_image
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(ToString::to_string)
+                .unwrap_or_default(),
             repos_text,
         })
     }

app/src/settings_view/environments_page.rs

@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ struct EnvironmentDisplayData {
     id: SyncId,
     name: String,
     description: Option<String>,
-    docker_image: String,
+    docker_image: Option<String>,
     github_repos: Vec<(String, String)>, // (owner, repo)
     setup_commands: Vec<String>,
     last_edited_ts: Option<ServerTimestamp>,
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ impl EnvironmentDisplayData {
             id: env.id,
             name: model.name.clone(),
             description: model.description.clone(),
-            docker_image: model.base_image.to_string(),
+            docker_image: model.base_image.as_ref().map(ToString::to_string),
             github_repos: model
                 .github_repos
                 .iter()
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ impl EnvironmentDisplayData {
             self.id.to_string(),
             self.name.clone(),
             self.description.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
-            self.docker_image.clone(),
+            self.docker_image.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         ];
 
         if haystacks
@@ -270,7 +270,11 @@ impl EnvironmentsPageView {
                         name: model.name.clone(),
                         description: model.description.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
                         selected_repos: model.github_repos.clone(),
-                        docker_image: model.base_image.to_string(),
+                        docker_image: model
+                            .base_image
+                            .as_ref()
+                            .map(ToString::to_string)
+                            .unwrap_or_default(),
                         setup_commands: model.setup_commands.clone(),
                     }
                 });
@@ -1811,7 +1815,11 @@ impl EnvironmentsPageWidget {
                 }
             }
 
-            let mut details_parts = vec![format!("Image: {}", env_docker_image)];
+            let mut details_parts = Vec::new();
+
+            if let Some(docker_image) = &env_docker_image {
+                details_parts.push(format!("Image: {docker_image}"));
+            }
 
             if !env_github_repos.is_empty() {
                 let repos_text = env_github_repos
@@ -1836,18 +1844,20 @@ impl EnvironmentsPageWidget {
             details_section.add_child(env_id_with_copy);
 
             // Add other details on a new line - selectable
-            let details_text = details_parts.join(" · ");
-            details_section.add_child(
-                Text::new(
-                    details_text,
-                    appearance.ui_font_family(),
-                    appearance.ui_font_size() * 0.9,
-                )
-                .soft_wrap(true)
-                .with_color(blended_colors::text_sub(theme, theme.surface_1()))
-                .with_selectable(true)
-                .finish(),
-            );
+            if !details_parts.is_empty() {
+                let details_text = details_parts.join(" · ");
+                details_section.add_child(
+                    Text::new(
+                        details_text,
+                        appearance.ui_font_family(),
+                        appearance.ui_font_size() * 0.9,
+                    )
+                    .soft_wrap(true)
+                    .with_color(blended_colors::text_sub(theme, theme.surface_1()))
+                    .with_selectable(true)
+                    .finish(),
+                );
+            }
 
             let timestamp_color = blended_colors::text_sub(theme, theme.surface_1());
 

app/src/settings_view/environments_page_tests.rs

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ fn make_test_environment_with_timestamps(
         id: SyncId::ClientId(ClientId::new()),
         name: name.to_string(),
         description: None,
-        docker_image: docker_image.to_string(),
+        docker_image: Some(docker_image.to_string()),
         github_repos,
         setup_commands,
         last_edited_ts,

crates/cloud_object_models/src/cloud_environment.rs

@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ pub struct AmbientAgentEnvironment {
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub source_repos: Option<Vec<SourceRepo>>,
     /// Base image specification
-    #[serde(flatten)]
-    pub base_image: BaseImage,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none", flatten)]
+    pub base_image: Option<BaseImage>,
     /// List of setup commands to run after cloning
     #[serde(default)]
     pub setup_commands: Vec<String>,
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl AmbientAgentEnvironment {
             code_forge: None,
             github_repos,
             source_repos: None,
-            base_image: BaseImage::DockerImage(docker_image),
+            base_image: Some(BaseImage::DockerImage(docker_image)),
             setup_commands,
             providers: ProvidersConfig::default(),
             secrets: None,

crates/cloud_object_models/src/cloud_environment_tests.rs

@@ -2,6 +2,47 @@ use super::{
     AmbientAgentEnvironment, AwsProviderConfig, BaseImage, CodeForge, EnvironmentSecretRef,
     GcpProviderConfig, GithubRepo, ProvidersConfig, SourceRepo,
 };
+#[test]
+fn deserialize_environment_without_docker_image() {
+    let json = serde_json::json!({
+        "name": "default-image-env",
+        "github_repos": [],
+        "setup_commands": []
+    });
+    let env: AmbientAgentEnvironment = serde_json::from_value(json).unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(env.base_image, None);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn absent_docker_image_roundtrip_omits_json_field() {
+    let mut env =
+        AmbientAgentEnvironment::new("no-image-env".into(), None, vec![], String::new(), vec![]);
+    env.base_image = None;
+
+    let json = serde_json::to_value(&env).unwrap();
+    assert!(!json.as_object().unwrap().contains_key("docker_image"));
+
+    let roundtripped: AmbientAgentEnvironment = serde_json::from_value(json).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(roundtripped, env);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn docker_image_roundtrip_preserves_flattened_json_shape() {
+    let json = serde_json::json!({
+        "name": "custom-image-env",
+        "github_repos": [],
+        "docker_image": "ubuntu:latest",
+        "setup_commands": []
+    });
+
+    let env: AmbientAgentEnvironment = serde_json::from_value(json.clone()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        env.base_image,
+        Some(BaseImage::DockerImage("ubuntu:latest".into()))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(serde_json::to_value(env).unwrap(), json);
+}
 
 #[test]
 fn deserialize_legacy_environment_without_providers() {
@@ -28,7 +69,7 @@ fn deserialize_legacy_environment_without_providers() {
     );
     assert_eq!(
         env.base_image,
-        BaseImage::DockerImage("ubuntu:latest".into())
+        Some(BaseImage::DockerImage("ubuntu:latest".into()))
     );
     assert_eq!(env.setup_commands, vec!["echo hello"]);
 }