CI workflow edits validate the Node CI graph plus workflow linting, but do not force Windows, Android, or macOS native builds by themselves; those platform lanes stay scoped to platform source changes.

CI routing-only edits, selected cheap core-test fixture edits, and narrow plugin contract helper/test-routing edits use a fast Node-only manifest path: preflight, security, and a single `checks-fast-core` task. That path avoids build artifacts, Node 22 compatibility, channel contracts, full core shards, bundled-plugin shards, and additional guard matrices when the changed files are limited to the routing or helper surfaces that the fast task exercises directly.

Windows Node checks are scoped to Windows-specific process/path wrappers, npm/pnpm/UI runner helpers, package manager config, and the CI workflow surfaces that execute that lane; unrelated source, plugin, install-smoke, and test-only changes stay on the Linux Node lanes so they do not reserve a 16-vCPU Windows worker for coverage that is already exercised by the normal test shards.

The separate `install-smoke` workflow reuses the same scope script through its own `preflight` job. It splits smoke coverage into `run_fast_install_smoke` and `run_full_install_smoke`. Pull requests run the fast path for Docker/package surfaces, bundled plugin package/manifest changes, and core plugin/channel/gateway/Plugin SDK surfaces that the Docker smoke jobs exercise. Source-only bundled plugin changes, test-only edits, and docs-only edits do not reserve Docker workers. The fast path builds the root Dockerfile image once, checks the CLI, runs the agents delete shared-workspace CLI smoke, runs the container gateway-network e2e, verifies a bundled extension build arg, and runs the bounded bundled-plugin Docker profile under a 240-second aggregate command timeout with each scenario's Docker run capped separately. The full path keeps QR package install and installer Docker/update coverage for nightly scheduled runs, manual dispatches, workflow-call release checks, and pull requests that truly touch installer/package/Docker surfaces. `main` pushes, including merge commits, do not force the full path; when changed-scope logic would request full coverage on a push, the workflow keeps the fast Docker smoke and leaves the full install smoke to nightly or release validation. The slow Bun global install image-provider smoke is separately gated by `run_bun_global_install_smoke`; it runs on the nightly schedule and from the release checks workflow, and manual `install-smoke` dispatches can opt into it, but pull requests and `main` pushes do not run it. QR and installer Docker tests keep their own install-focused Dockerfiles. Local `test:docker:all` prebuilds one shared live-test image, packs OpenClaw once as an npm tarball, and builds two shared `scripts/e2e/Dockerfile` images: a bare Node/Git runner for installer/update/plugin-dependency lanes and a functional image that installs the same tarball into `/app` for normal functionality lanes. Docker lane definitions live in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-scenarios.mjs`, planner logic lives in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-plan.mjs`, and the runner only executes the selected plan. The scheduler selects the image per lane with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_BARE_IMAGE` and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_FUNCTIONAL_IMAGE`, then runs lanes with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1`; tune the default main-pool slot count of 10 with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_PARALLELISM` and the provider-sensitive tail-pool slot count of 10 with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_TAIL_PARALLELISM`. Heavy lane caps default to `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_LIMIT=9`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_NPM_LIMIT=10`, and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_SERVICE_LIMIT=7` so npm install and multi-service lanes do not overcommit Docker while lighter lanes still fill available slots. Lane starts are staggered by 2 seconds by default to avoid local Docker daemon create storms; override with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_START_STAGGER_MS=0` or another millisecond value. The local aggregate preflights Docker, removes stale OpenClaw E2E containers, emits active-lane status, persists lane timings for longest-first ordering, and supports `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_DRY_RUN=1` for scheduler inspection. It stops scheduling new pooled lanes after the first failure by default, and each lane has a 120-minute fallback timeout overrideable with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LANE_TIMEOUT_MS`; selected live/tail lanes use tighter per-lane caps. `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LANES=<lane[,lane]>` runs exact scheduler lanes, including release-only lanes such as `install-e2e` and split bundled update lanes such as `bundled-channel-update-acpx`, while skipping the cleanup smoke so agents can reproduce one failed lane. The reusable live/E2E workflow asks `scripts/test-docker-all.mjs --plan-json` which package, image kind, live image, lane, and credential coverage is required, then `scripts/docker-e2e.mjs` converts that plan into GitHub outputs and summaries. It either packs OpenClaw through `scripts/package-openclaw-for-docker.mjs` or downloads a caller-provided package artifact, validates the tarball inventory, builds and pushes package-digest-tagged bare/functional GHCR Docker E2E images when the plan needs package-installed lanes, and reuses those images when the same package digest has already been prepared. The `Package Acceptance` workflow is the high-level package gate: it resolves a candidate from npm, a trusted `package_ref`, an HTTPS tarball plus SHA-256, or a prior workflow artifact, then passes that single `package-under-test` artifact into the reusable Docker E2E workflow. It keeps `workflow_ref` separate from `package_ref` so current harness logic can validate older trusted source commits without checking out old workflow code. Release checks run the `package` acceptance profile for the target ref; that profile covers package/update/plugin contracts and is the default GitHub-native replacement for most Parallels package/update coverage. The release-path Docker suite runs as at most three chunked jobs with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1` so each chunk pulls only the image kind it needs and executes multiple lanes through the same weighted scheduler (`OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_PROFILE=release-path`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_CHUNK=core|package-update|plugins-integrations`). Each chunk uploads `.artifacts/docker-tests/` with lane logs, timings, `summary.json`, `failures.json`, phase timings, scheduler plan JSON, and per-lane rerun commands. The workflow `docker_lanes` input runs selected lanes against the prepared images instead of the three chunk jobs, which keeps failed-lane debugging bounded to one targeted Docker job and prepares or downloads the package artifact for that run; if a selected lane is a live Docker lane, the targeted job builds the live-test image locally for that rerun. Use `pnpm test:docker:rerun <run-id>` to download Docker artifacts from a GitHub run and print combined/per-lane targeted rerun commands; use `pnpm test:docker:timings <summary.json>` for slow-lane and phase critical-path summaries. When Open WebUI is requested with the release-path suite, it runs inside the plugins/integrations chunk instead of reserving a fourth Docker worker; Open WebUI keeps a standalone job only for openwebui-only dispatches. The scheduled live/E2E workflow runs the full release-path Docker suite daily. The bundled update matrix is split by update target so repeated npm update and doctor repair passes can shard with other bundled checks.

The separate `install-smoke` workflow reuses the same scope script through its own `preflight` job. It splits smoke coverage into `run_fast_install_smoke` and `run_full_install_smoke`. Pull requests run the fast path for Docker/package surfaces, bundled plugin package/manifest changes, and core plugin/channel/gateway/Plugin SDK surfaces that the Docker smoke jobs exercise. Source-only bundled plugin changes, test-only edits, and docs-only edits do not reserve Docker workers. The fast path builds the root Dockerfile image once, checks the CLI, runs the agents delete shared-workspace CLI smoke, runs the container gateway-network e2e, verifies a bundled extension build arg, and runs the bounded bundled-plugin Docker profile under a 240-second aggregate command timeout with each scenario's Docker run capped separately. The full path keeps QR package install and installer Docker/update coverage for nightly scheduled runs, manual dispatches, workflow-call release checks, and pull requests that truly touch installer/package/Docker surfaces. `main` pushes, including merge commits, do not force the full path; when changed-scope logic would request full coverage on a push, the workflow keeps the fast Docker smoke and leaves the full install smoke to nightly or release validation. The slow Bun global install image-provider smoke is separately gated by `run_bun_global_install_smoke`; it runs on the nightly schedule and from the release checks workflow, and manual `install-smoke` dispatches can opt into it, but pull requests and `main` pushes do not run it. QR and installer Docker tests keep their own install-focused Dockerfiles. Local `test:docker:all` prebuilds one shared live-test image, packs OpenClaw once as an npm tarball, and builds two shared `scripts/e2e/Dockerfile` images: a bare Node/Git runner for installer/update/plugin-dependency lanes and a functional image that installs the same tarball into `/app` for normal functionality lanes. Docker lane definitions live in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-scenarios.mjs`, planner logic lives in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-plan.mjs`, and the runner only executes the selected plan. The scheduler selects the image per lane with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_BARE_IMAGE` and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_FUNCTIONAL_IMAGE`, then runs lanes with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1`; tune the default main-pool slot count of 10 with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_PARALLELISM` and the provider-sensitive tail-pool slot count of 10 with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_TAIL_PARALLELISM`. Heavy lane caps default to `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_LIMIT=9`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_NPM_LIMIT=10`, and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_SERVICE_LIMIT=7` so npm install and multi-service lanes do not overcommit Docker while lighter lanes still fill available slots. A single lane heavier than the effective caps can still start from an empty pool, then runs alone until it releases capacity. Lane starts are staggered by 2 seconds by default to avoid local Docker daemon create storms; override with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_START_STAGGER_MS=0` or another millisecond value. The local aggregate preflights Docker, removes stale OpenClaw E2E containers, emits active-lane status, persists lane timings for longest-first ordering, and supports `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_DRY_RUN=1` for scheduler inspection. It stops scheduling new pooled lanes after the first failure by default, and each lane has a 120-minute fallback timeout overrideable with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LANE_TIMEOUT_MS`; selected live/tail lanes use tighter per-lane caps. `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LANES=<lane[,lane]>` runs exact scheduler lanes, including release-only lanes such as `install-e2e` and split bundled update lanes such as `bundled-channel-update-acpx`, while skipping the cleanup smoke so agents can reproduce one failed lane. The reusable live/E2E workflow asks `scripts/test-docker-all.mjs --plan-json` which package, image kind, live image, lane, and credential coverage is required, then `scripts/docker-e2e.mjs` converts that plan into GitHub outputs and summaries. It either packs OpenClaw through `scripts/package-openclaw-for-docker.mjs` or downloads a caller-provided package artifact, validates the tarball inventory, builds and pushes package-digest-tagged bare/functional GHCR Docker E2E images when the plan needs package-installed lanes, and reuses those images when the same package digest has already been prepared. The `Package Acceptance` workflow is the high-level package gate: it resolves a candidate from npm, a trusted `package_ref`, an HTTPS tarball plus SHA-256, or a prior workflow artifact, then passes that single `package-under-test` artifact into the reusable Docker E2E workflow. It keeps `workflow_ref` separate from `package_ref` so current acceptance logic can validate older trusted commits without checking out old workflow code. Release checks run the `package` acceptance profile for the target ref; that profile covers package/update/plugin contracts and is the default GitHub-native replacement for most Parallels package/update coverage. The release-path Docker suite runs as at most three chunked jobs with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1` so each chunk pulls only the image kind it needs and executes multiple lanes through the same weighted scheduler (`OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_PROFILE=release-path`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_CHUNK=core|package-update|plugins-integrations`). Each chunk uploads `.artifacts/docker-tests/` with lane logs, timings, `summary.json`, `failures.json`, phase timings, scheduler plan JSON, and per-lane rerun commands. The workflow `docker_lanes` input runs selected lanes against the prepared images instead of the three chunk jobs, which keeps failed-lane debugging bounded to one targeted Docker job and prepares or downloads the package artifact for that run; if a selected lane is a live Docker lane, the targeted job builds the live-test image locally for that rerun. Use `pnpm test:docker:rerun <run-id>` to download Docker artifacts from a GitHub run and print combined/per-lane targeted rerun commands; use `pnpm test:docker:timings <summary.json>` for slow-lane and phase critical-path summaries. When Open WebUI is requested with the release-path suite, it runs inside the plugins/integrations chunk instead of reserving a fourth Docker worker; Open WebUI keeps a standalone job only for openwebui-only dispatches. The scheduled live/E2E workflow runs the full release-path Docker suite daily. The bundled update matrix is split by update target so repeated npm update and doctor repair passes can shard with other bundled checks.

Local changed-lane logic lives in `scripts/changed-lanes.mjs` and is executed by `scripts/check-changed.mjs`. That local check gate is stricter about architecture boundaries than the broad CI platform scope: core production changes run core prod and core test typecheck plus core lint/guards, core test-only changes run only core test typecheck plus core lint, extension production changes run extension prod and extension test typecheck plus extension lint, and extension test-only changes run extension test typecheck plus extension lint. Public Plugin SDK or plugin-contract changes expand to extension typecheck because extensions depend on those core contracts, but Vitest extension sweeps are explicit test work. Release metadata-only version bumps run targeted version/config/root-dependency checks. Unknown root/config changes fail safe to all check lanes.