OpenClaw Testing

Proof policy

• PR CI = default broad proof. Change builds + focused tests pass → open ready PR. CI runs broad suites; never delay PR for pre-PR suite runs.

• Before PR, prove locally and narrowly: touched tests with pnpm test <file> --maxWorkers=1, targeted typecheck, lint, format. Trusted work: local proof default.

• Boxes = exception. Crabbox/Testbox only for gaps CI/local machine cannot cover: another OS/device, live providers/channels, long E2E, heavy benchmarks. Box must be granted right away. Queued: stop task-owned allocation, run locally. Never wait on box queue or chain Testbox → AWS → Hetzner fallbacks. Local machine cannot safely cover contract: record gap; never fake proof.

• Never rerun or re-push just for green. Fix real failures; read available CI failure classification before attributing red.

• Prove changed contract, complete required gates, finish. Broaden/repeat only for changed inputs, failures, or named unresolved risk.

• Follow scoped AGENTS.md; authoring/reviewing tests: use boundary guide and test-audit.

Select the proof

• Runtime defect: reproduce real entry point; rerun it + relevant siblings.

• Trusted source: pnpm changed:lanes --json, pnpm check:changed, focused tests.

• Public SDK/plugin contract: representative consumers, not all-plugin sweep.

• Build output, lazy imports, package boundaries: include pnpm build.

• Workflow: git diff --check + pnpm check:workflows.

• Docs only: relevant docs/link/format checks + git diff --check; no runtime tests.

• Read on demand: local commands, Crabbox, OpenClaw remote setup, package/Docker proof, release CI, plugin release matrix, Docker authoring, channel skill/ Control UI E2E.

• Mock-Gateway boundary proof valid; state live gaps.

• Release proof: preserve candidate/Tooling SHAs; never grants publication authority.

Source and state boundaries

• Never execute untrusted contributor/fork code, wrappers, config locally. Use secretless fork CI or sanitized direct AWS through Crabbox; never credential-hydrated Testbox. Credentialed execution: maintainer approval after review required; never hydrate untrusted lease.
• Isolated state + free port. Never restart, edit, or test operator Gateway/real data without explicit per-task approval. Preserve unrelated processes and shared dependency installs.
• Concurrent test/check commands: separate OPENCLAW_VITEST_FS_MODULE_CACHE_PATH values or run serially; checks can run Vitest too. Repository wrappers only, never raw Vitest. Prepared linked worktrees: node scripts/check-changed.mjs and node scripts/run-vitest.mjs <file> --maxWorkers=1 avoid pnpm reconciliation.

CI failures

• Bind diagnosis to exact SHA + job. Fetch failed logs once; prefer exact run/job state over stale PR rollups.
• Distinguish product, harness, infrastructure, credentials, superseded-run cancellation. Snapshots pass macOS/fail CI: reproduce Linux/Node bytes before regenerating.

Test failure policy

• Failures = defects. Bounded reproduction attempt (same shard order first); identify owner; fix product, fixture, shared-state, ordering bugs.
• Proven repair: add regression; cite another owner's fix when applicable.
• Safe fix cannot be established/completed: record original failure, attempts, evidence, uncertainty in PR; continue under normal CI/review gates.
• Unresolved failure alone neither blocks landing nor requires extra approval. Passing replay ≠ proven fix.
• Never hide failures with retries, longer timeouts, weaker assertions, broader mocks, altered baselines.