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. 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=6`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_NPM_LIMIT=8`, 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 builds and pushes one SHA-tagged bare GHCR Docker E2E image and one SHA-tagged functional GHCR Docker E2E image, then runs the release-path Docker suite as at most three chunked jobs with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1` so each chunk pulls 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`, phase timings, 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; if a selected lane is a live Docker lane, the targeted job builds the live-test image locally for that rerun. 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. 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 packs OpenClaw through `scripts/package-openclaw-for-docker.mjs`, builds and pushes one SHA-tagged bare GHCR Docker E2E image when the plan needs install/update/plugin-dependency lanes, and builds one SHA-tagged functional GHCR Docker E2E image when the plan needs package-installed functionality lanes. 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`, 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; if a selected lane is a live Docker lane, the targeted job builds the live-test image locally for that rerun. 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 gate is stricter about architecture boundaries than the broad CI platform scope: core production changes run core prod typecheck plus core tests, core test-only changes run only core test typecheck/tests, extension production changes run extension prod typecheck plus extension tests, and extension test-only changes run only extension test typecheck/tests. Public Plugin SDK or plugin-contract changes expand to extension validation because extensions depend on those core contracts. Release metadata-only version bumps run targeted version/config/root-dependency checks. Unknown root/config changes fail safe to all lanes.