crabbox

name	crabbox
description	Use the Crabbox wrapper for OpenClaw remote validation across Linux, macOS, Windows, and WSL2, including delegated Blacksmith Testbox proof. Report the actual provider and id.

Crabbox

OpenClaw agent sessions use the Crabbox wrapper by default for tests and computationally intensive work: builds, typechecks, lint fan-out, broad gates, CI-parity checks, secrets, hosted services, Docker/E2E/package lanes, warmed reusable boxes, sync timing, logs/results, cache inspection, and lease cleanup.

Crabbox is the transport/orchestration surface. The actual backend can be:

• brokered AWS Crabbox: direct provider, provider=aws, lease ids like cbx_..., syncDelegated=false
• Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox: delegated provider, provider=blacksmith-testbox, ids like tbx_..., syncDelegated=true

Blacksmith Testbox through the Crabbox wrapper is the default OpenClaw agent backend for trusted maintainer code and heavy pnpm gates. The configured Blacksmith workflow hydrates provider and agent credentials, so never sync or run untrusted contributor/fork code there. Use secretless fork CI or sanitized direct AWS Crabbox for untrusted source. Do not describe Blacksmith runs as "AWS Crabbox"; report them as Testbox-through-Crabbox with the tbx_... id and Actions run.

Pass --provider aws when the task specifically needs direct AWS Crabbox behavior, persistent direct-provider leases, --fresh-pr, --full-resync, environment forwarding, capture/download support, or provider comparison. Use --provider blacksmith-testbox for the default OpenClaw agent path.

First Checks

• Run from the repo root. Crabbox sync mirrors the current checkout.
• Check the wrapper and providers before remote work:

command -v crabbox
../crabbox/bin/crabbox --version
pnpm crabbox:run -- --help | sed -n '1,120p'
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop launch --help
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc --help

• OpenClaw scripts prefer ../crabbox/bin/crabbox when present. The user PATH shim can be stale.
• Check .crabbox.yaml for the provider default. Omitting --provider means Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox for normal Linux paths; the wrapper selects Azure for unqualified Windows/WSL2 runs when the local Crabbox binary advertises Azure. Pass --provider aws for direct brokered AWS runs.
• The brokered AWS image is a Linux developer image in eu-west-1; the repo config pins hot eu-west-1a/b/c placement so Fast Snapshot Restore can apply. If warmup drifts well past the minute-scale path, verify image promotion, region/AZ placement, and FSR state before blaming OpenClaw.
• For trusted OpenClaw agent tests and computationally intensive work, use the repo wrapper with --provider blacksmith-testbox or the repo Testbox helpers.
• Treat contributor/fork source as untrusted unless a maintainer explicitly approves credentialed execution after review. Run untrusted source only in secretless fork CI or sanitized direct AWS Crabbox. For every untrusted AWS run, launch an installed trusted Crabbox binary from a clean trusted main checkout and fetch the remote PR with --fresh-pr; never execute the untrusted checkout's wrapper or config locally. Set CRABBOX_ENV_ALLOW=CI to replace the repo's OPENCLAW_*/NODE_OPTIONS allowlist, pass --provider aws --no-hydrate, and use a fresh temporary remote HOME on a newly warmed lease dedicated to that untrusted source. Unset CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE and fail closed unless resolved aws.instanceProfile is empty. Before install/test, use trusted absolute-path tools to require an IMDSv2 token, prove the IAM credentials endpoint returns 404, and verify remote git rev-parse HEAD equals the full reviewed PR head SHA. Bind the lease to that SHA; stop and rewarm when the head changes. Do not inherit Tailscale: unset every CRABBOX_TAILSCALE* override, force --network public --tailscale=false, clear exit-node/LAN flags, and require crabbox inspect to report public networking with no Tailscale state before uploading any script. Execute PR code only through trusted scripts/crabbox-untrusted-bootstrap.sh, uploaded from clean main alongside --fresh-pr; it installs pinned Node/pnpm and rejects a changed PR packageManager pin before install. Never reuse a trusted or previously hydrated lease. If the broker cannot provide the no-role proof or no remote PR exists, use secretless fork CI. Never use or a credential-hydrated Testbox workflow for untrusted code.

env -u CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE \
  crabbox config show --json | \
  jq -e '.aws.instanceProfile == ""' >/dev/null
env -u CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_AUTH_KEY \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_AUTH_KEY_ENV \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_EXIT_NODE \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_EXIT_NODE_ALLOW_LAN_ACCESS \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_HOSTNAME_TEMPLATE \
  -u CRABBOX_TAILSCALE_TAGS \
  crabbox warmup \
  --provider aws \
  --network public \
  --tailscale=false \
  --tailscale-exit-node= \
  --tailscale-exit-node-allow-lan-access=false \
  --keep \
  --timing-json
crabbox inspect --provider aws --id <cbx_id> --json | \
  jq -e '.network == "public" and .tailscale == null' >/dev/null
env -u CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE \
  CRABBOX_ENV_ALLOW=CI \
  crabbox run \
  --provider aws \
  --id <cbx_id> \
  --fresh-pr <owner/repo#number> \
  --no-hydrate \
  --timing-json \
  --script scripts/crabbox-untrusted-bootstrap.sh -- \
  <expected_head_sha> /usr/local/bin/pnpm test <path>
# After all proof:
env -u CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE \
  crabbox stop --provider aws <cbx_id>

• Always report the actual provider and id. cbx_... means AWS Crabbox; tbx_... means Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox. If the output only says blacksmith testbox list, use blacksmith testbox list --all before concluding no box exists.
• If a warm direct-provider lease smells stale, retry with --full-resync (alias --fresh-sync) before replacing the lease. This resets the remote workdir, skips the fingerprint fast path, reseeds Git when possible, and uploads the checkout from scratch.
• For live/provider bugs, use the configured secret workflow before downgrading to mocks. Copy only the exact needed key into the remote process environment for that one command. Do not print it, do not sync it as a repo file, and do not leave it in remote shell history or logs. If no secret-safe injection path is available, say true live provider auth is blocked instead of silently using a fake key.
• Agent-run tests, including targeted edit-loop tests, default to a pre-warmed remote box selected by source trust. Local test execution requires an explicit user request or a reported remote-provider blocker.
• Do not treat inherited shell env as operator intent. In particular, OPENCLAW_LOCAL_CHECK_MODE=throttled from the local shell is not permission to move broad pnpm check:changed, pnpm test:changed, full pnpm test, or lint/typecheck fan-out onto the laptop.
• Only use OPENCLAW_LOCAL_CHECK_MODE=throttled|full when the user explicitly asks for local proof in the current task. If Testbox is queued or capacity is constrained, report the blocker; do not silently move heavy work onto the laptop.

macOS And Windows Targets

Use these only when the task needs an existing non-Linux host. OpenClaw broad Linux validation uses the repo Crabbox config unless a provider is explicitly requested.

Native brokered Windows is available for Windows-specific proof. Prefer Azure for Windows/WSL2 when the subscription has quota or credits and the local Crabbox binary advertises Azure. Keep broad Linux gates on Linux/Testbox unless the bug is Windows-specific, and only force AWS when the operator asks for the older AWS developer image/cache path or Azure is unavailable:

pnpm crabbox:warmup -- \
  --target windows \
  --windows-mode wsl2 \
  --timing-json

The hydrate workflow assumes Docker should already be baked into Linux images and only installs it as a fallback. Do not add per-run Docker installs to proof commands unless the image probe shows Docker is actually missing.

When the user explicitly asks for brokered macOS runners, use Crabbox AWS macOS only after confirming the deployed coordinator supports EC2 Mac host lifecycle/image routes and the operator has AWS EC2 Mac Dedicated Host quota and IAM. Prefer CRABBOX_HOST_ID for a known Crabbox-managed Dedicated Host, or run the no-spend preflight first:

crabbox admin hosts quota --provider aws --target macos --region eu-west-1 --type mac2.metal --json
crabbox admin hosts allocate --provider aws --target macos --region eu-west-1 --type mac2.metal --dry-run --json
CRABBOX_MACOS_TYPES=all scripts/macos-host-region-preflight.sh

Do not silently substitute AWS macOS for normal OpenClaw Linux proof. Report paid-host blockers as quota, IAM, coordinator deployment, or host availability instead of falling back to local macOS.

Crabbox supports static SSH targets:

../crabbox/bin/crabbox run --provider ssh --target macos --static-host mac-studio.local -- xcodebuild test
../crabbox/bin/crabbox run --provider ssh --target windows --windows-mode normal --static-host win-dev.local -- pwsh -NoProfile -Command "dotnet test"
../crabbox/bin/crabbox run --provider ssh --target windows --windows-mode wsl2 --static-host win-dev.local -- pnpm test

• target=macos and target=windows --windows-mode wsl2 use the POSIX SSH, bash, Git, rsync, and tar contract.
• Native Windows uses OpenSSH, PowerShell, Git, and tar; sync is manifest tar archive transfer into static.workRoot. Direct native Windows runs support --script*, --env-from-profile, --preflight, and PowerShell --shell.
• crabbox actions hydrate/register are Linux-only today; use plain crabbox run loops for static macOS and Windows hosts.
• Live proof needs a reachable, operator-managed SSH host. Without one, verify with ../crabbox/bin/crabbox run --help, config/flag tests, and the Crabbox Go test suite.

Direct Brokered AWS Backend

Use this when the task needs direct AWS Crabbox semantics rather than the prepared Blacksmith Testbox CI environment.

Changed gate:

pnpm crabbox:run -- \
  --provider aws \
  --idle-timeout 90m \
  --ttl 240m \
  --timing-json \
  --shell -- \
  "pnpm test:changed"

Full suite:

pnpm crabbox:run -- \
  --provider aws \
  --idle-timeout 90m \
  --ttl 240m \
  --timing-json \
  --shell -- \
  "pnpm verify"

Use pnpm verify when you need check plus full Vitest proof. It emits CRABBOX_PHASE:check and CRABBOX_PHASE:test, making Crabbox summaries show which stage failed. Use plain pnpm test only when check proof is already covered or intentionally skipped.

Focused rerun:

pnpm crabbox:run -- \
  --provider aws \
  --idle-timeout 90m \
  --ttl 240m \
  --timing-json \
  --shell -- \
  "pnpm test <path-or-filter>"

Read the JSON summary. Useful fields:

• provider: aws
• leaseId: cbx_...
• syncDelegated: false
• commandPhases: populated when the command prints CRABBOX_PHASE:<name>
• commandMs / totalMs
• exitCode

Crabbox should stop one-shot AWS leases automatically after the run. Verify cleanup when a run fails, is interrupted, or the command output is unclear:

../crabbox/bin/crabbox list --provider aws

Blacksmith Testbox Through Crabbox

Use this for OpenClaw maintainer broad/heavy pnpm gates when the prepared CI environment is the right proof surface:

node scripts/crabbox-wrapper.mjs run \
  --provider blacksmith-testbox \
  --blacksmith-org openclaw \
  --blacksmith-workflow .github/workflows/ci-check-testbox.yml \
  --blacksmith-job check \
  --blacksmith-ref main \
  --idle-timeout 90m \
  --ttl 240m \
  --timing-json \
  -- \
  corepack pnpm check:changed

Read the JSON summary and the Testbox line. Useful fields:

• provider: blacksmith-testbox
• leaseId: tbx_...
• syncDelegated: true
• syncPhases: delegated/skipped because Blacksmith owns checkout/sync
• Actions run URL/id from the Testbox output
• exitCode

Use provider-backed cache volumes only for rebuildable caches, not secrets or checkout state. On Blacksmith, Crabbox forwards them as sticky disks:

node scripts/crabbox-wrapper.mjs run \
  --provider blacksmith-testbox \
  --cache-volume pnpm-store=openclaw-node24-pnpm-lock:/tmp/openclaw-pnpm-store \
  --timing-json \
  -- \
  corepack pnpm check:changed

The selected provider must advertise cache-volume support. If not, omit --cache-volume and rely on kept-lease caches.

blacksmith testbox list may hide hydrating or ready boxes. Use:

blacksmith testbox list --all
blacksmith testbox status <tbx_id>

Observability Flags

Use these on debugging runs before inventing ad hoc logging:

• --preflight: prints run context, workspace mode, SSH target, remote user/cwd, and target-specific tool probes. Defaults cover git, tar, node, npm, corepack, pnpm, yarn, bun, docker, plus POSIX sudo/apt/bubblewrap and native Windows powershell/execution_policy/longpaths/temp/pwsh. Add --preflight-tools node,bun,docker, CRABBOX_PREFLIGHT_TOOLS, or repo run.preflightTools to replace the list. default expands built-ins; none prints only the workspace summary. Preflight is diagnostic only; install toolchains through Actions hydration, images, devcontainer/Nix/mise/asdf, or the run script. On blacksmith-testbox, this prints a delegated-unsupported note because the workflow owns setup.
• CRABBOX_ENV_ALLOW=NAME,...: forwards only listed local env vars for direct providers and prints set len=N secret=true style summaries. On blacksmith-testbox, env forwarding is unsupported; put secrets in the Testbox workflow instead.
• --env-from-profile <file> plus --allow-env NAME: loads simple export NAME=value / NAME=value lines from a local profile without executing it, then forwards only allowlisted names. --allow-env is repeatable and comma-separated. Profile values override ambient allowlisted env values for that run. Direct POSIX, WSL2, and native Windows runs are supported; delegated providers are not. Crabbox probes the uploaded profile remotely and prints redacted presence/length metadata before the command.
• --env-helper <name>: with --env-from-profile on POSIX SSH targets, persists .crabbox/env/<name> and .crabbox/env/<name>.env so follow-up commands on the same lease can run through ./.crabbox/env/<name> <command>. Use only on leases you control; the profile stays until cleanup, lease reset, or --full-resync.
• --script <file> / : upload a local script into and execute it on the remote box. Shebang scripts execute directly on POSIX; scripts without a shebang run through . Native Windows uploads run through Windows PowerShell, and Crabbox appends when needed. Arguments after become script args.

Live-provider debug template for direct AWS/Hetzner leases:

mkdir -p .crabbox/logs
pnpm crabbox:run -- --provider aws \
  --preflight \
  --allow-env OPENAI_API_KEY,OPENAI_BASE_URL \
  --timing-json \
  --capture-stdout .crabbox/logs/live-provider.stdout.log \
  --capture-stderr .crabbox/logs/live-provider.stderr.log \
  --capture-on-fail \
  --shell -- \
  "echo CRABBOX_PHASE:install; pnpm install --frozen-lockfile; echo CRABBOX_PHASE:test; pnpm test:live"

Do not pass --capture-*, --download, --checksum, --force-sync-large, or --sync-only to delegated providers. Also do not pass --script*, --fresh-pr, --full-resync, or --env-helper there. Crabbox rejects these because the provider owns sync or command transport. --keep-on-failure is OK for delegated one-shots when you need to inspect a failed lease.

Efficient Bug E2E Verification

Use the smallest Crabbox lane that proves the reported user path, not just the touched code. Aim for one after-fix E2E proof before commenting, closing, or opening a PR for a user-visible bug.

When the user says "test in Crabbox", do not simply copy tests to the remote box and run them there. Crabbox is for remote real-scenario proof: copy or install OpenClaw as the user would, run the same setup/update/CLI/Gateway/API call that failed, and capture behavior from that entrypoint. For regressions or bug reports, prove the broken state first when feasible, then run the same scenario after the fix.

Pick the lane by symptom:

• Docker/setup/install bug: build a package tarball and run the matching scripts/e2e/*-docker.sh or package script. This proves npm packaging, install paths, runtime deps, config writes, and container behavior.
• Provider/model/auth bug: prefer true live E2E. Use the configured secret workflow, then inject the single needed key into Crabbox if needed. Scrub unrelated provider env vars in the child command so interactive defaults do not drift to another provider. If only a dummy key is used, label the proof narrowly, e.g. "UI/install path only; live provider auth not exercised."
• Channel delivery bug: use the channel Docker/live lane when available; include setup, config, gateway start, send/receive or agent-turn proof, and redacted logs.
• Gateway/session/tool bug: prefer an end-to-end CLI or Gateway RPC command that creates real state and inspects the resulting files/API output.
• Pure parser/config bug: targeted tests may be enough, but still run a Crabbox command when OS, package, Docker, secrets, or service lifecycle could change behavior.

Efficient flow:

1. Reproduce or prove the pre-fix symptom from the real user-facing entrypoint when feasible. If the issue cannot be reproduced, capture the exact command and observed behavior instead.
2. Patch locally and run narrow tests on the pre-warmed remote box.
3. Run one Crabbox E2E command that starts from the user-facing entrypoint: package install, Docker setup, onboarding, channel add, gateway start, or agent turn as appropriate.
4. Record proof as: Testbox id, command, environment shape, redacted secret source, and copied success/failure output.
5. If the issue says "cannot reproduce", ask for the missing config/log fields that would distinguish the tested path from the reporter's path.

Keep it efficient:

• Reuse existing E2E scripts and helper assertions before writing ad hoc shell.
• Use --script <file> or --script-stdin for multi-line E2E commands instead of quote-heavy --shell strings on direct SSH providers.
• Use --fresh-pr <pr> when validating an upstream PR in isolation from the local dirty tree. Add --apply-local-patch only when testing a local fixup on top of that PR.
• Use --full-resync before replacing a warmed direct-provider lease when the remote workdir or sync fingerprint appears stale.
• For agent code tasks, reuse the pre-warmed remote box across focused tests and heavy proof. Use a one-shot only when a single late proof is genuinely the task's only remote command.
• Prefer OPENCLAW_CURRENT_PACKAGE_TGZ with Docker/package lanes when testing a candidate tarball; prefer the repo's package helper instead of direct source execution when the bug might be packaging/install related.
• Keep secrets redacted. It is fine to report key presence, source, and length; never print secret values.
• Include --timing-json on broad or flaky runs when command duration or sync behavior matters.

Before/after PR proof on delegated Testbox:

• For PRs that should prove "broken before, fixed after", compare base and PR on the same Testbox when practical. Fetch both refs, create detached temp worktrees under /tmp, install in each, then run the same harness twice.
• Do not checkout base/PR refs in the synced repo root. Delegated Testbox sync may leave the root dirty with local files; git checkout can abort or mix proof state.
• Temp harness files under /tmp do not resolve repo packages by default. Put the harness inside the worktree, or in ESM use createRequire(path.join(process.cwd(), "package.json")) before requiring workspace deps such as @lydell/node-pty.
• For full-screen TUI/CLI bugs, a PTY harness is stronger than helper-only assertions. Use a real PTY, wait for visible lifecycle markers, send input, then send control keys and assert process exit/stuck behavior.
• When validating a rebased local branch before push, remember delegated sync usually validates synced file content on a detached dirty checkout, not a remote commit object. Record the local head SHA, changed files, Testbox id, and final success markers; after pushing, ensure the pushed SHA has the same file content.
• If GitHub CI is still queued but the exact changed content passed Testbox pnpm check:changed, pnpm check:test-types, and the real E2E proof, it is reasonable to merge once required checks allow it. Note any still-running unrelated shards in the proof comment instead of waiting forever.

Interactive CLI/onboarding:

• For full-screen or prompt-heavy CLI flows, run the target command inside tmux on the Crabbox and drive it with tmux send-keys; capture proof with tmux capture-pane, redacted through sed.
• Prefer deterministic arrow navigation over search typing for Clack-style searchable selects. Raw send-keys -l openai may not trigger filtering in a tmux pane; inspect option order locally or on-box and send exact Down/Enter sequences.
• Isolate mutable state with OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=$(mktemp -d). Plugin npm installs live under that state dir (npm/node_modules/...), not under OPENCLAW_CONFIG_DIR. Verify downloads by checking the state dir, package lock, and installed package metadata.
• To test automatic setup installs against local package artifacts, use OPENCLAW_ALLOW_PLUGIN_INSTALL_OVERRIDES=1 plus OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_INSTALL_OVERRIDES='{"plugin-id":"npm-pack:/tmp/plugin.tgz"}'. Pack with npm pack, set an isolated OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR, and verify the package under npm/node_modules. Overrides are test-only and must not be treated as official/trusted-source installs.
• For OpenAI/Codex onboarding proof, the useful markers are the UI line Installed Codex plugin, npm/node_modules/@openclaw/codex, and the package-lock entry showing the bundled @openai/codex dependency. A dummy OpenAI-shaped key can prove only UI/install behavior; it is not live auth.

Reuse And Keepalive

Agent code tasks should pre-warm and reuse one remote box selected by source trust for focused tests and heavy proof. One-shot runs remain appropriate for a single late proof when early warmup was not warranted.

Reuse the lease, not stale source. Each command must sync the current checkout; use --no-sync only to rerun an unchanged, already-synced tree intentionally. Untrusted reuse still requires CRABBOX_ENV_ALLOW=CI, --no-hydrate, and a fresh temporary remote HOME on every command. Reuse only a fresh lease dedicated to the same untrusted source; never a trusted or previously hydrated lease. Launch from the clean trusted main checkout and use --fresh-pr plus the same reviewed-SHA check on every run. Keep CRABBOX_AWS_INSTANCE_PROFILE unset for warmup, run, and cleanup. The lease is valid only for that reviewed SHA; stop and rewarm after any head change.

If Crabbox returns a reusable id or you intentionally keep a lease:

node scripts/crabbox-wrapper.mjs run --provider <blacksmith-testbox-or-aws> --id <id-or-slug> --timing-json --shell -- "corepack pnpm test <path>"

Stop boxes you created before handoff:

pnpm crabbox:stop -- <id-or-slug>
blacksmith testbox stop --id <tbx_id>

Interactive Desktop And WebVNC

Prefer WebVNC for human inspection because the browser portal can preload the lease VNC password and avoids a native VNC client's copy/paste/password dance. Use native crabbox vnc only when WebVNC is unavailable, the browser portal is broken, or the user explicitly wants a local VNC client.

Common desktop flow:

../crabbox/bin/crabbox warmup --provider hetzner --desktop --browser --class standard --idle-timeout 60m --ttl 240m
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop launch --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --browser --url https://example.com --webvnc --open --take-control

Useful WebVNC commands:

../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --open --take-control
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc daemon start --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --open --take-control
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc daemon status --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc daemon stop --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc status --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
../crabbox/bin/crabbox webvnc reset --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --open --take-control
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop doctor --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop click --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --x 640 --y 420
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop paste --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --text "[e-mail]"
../crabbox/bin/crabbox desktop key --provider hetzner --id <cbx_id-or-slug> ctrl+l
../crabbox/bin/crabbox artifacts collect --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --all --output artifacts/<slug>
../crabbox/bin/crabbox artifacts publish --dir artifacts/<slug> --pr <number>

desktop launch --webvnc --open is usually the nicest one-shot: it starts the browser/app inside the visible session, bridges the lease into the authenticated WebVNC portal, and opens the portal. Keep browsers windowed for human QA; use --fullscreen only for capture/video workflows. For human handoff, include --take-control so the opened portal viewer gets keyboard/mouse control automatically instead of landing as an observer.

Human handoff preflight:

• Do not assume a visible desktop or launched browser means the repo CLI/app is installed, built, or on the interactive terminal's PATH.
• Before handing WebVNC to a human tester, prove the expected command from the same kept lease and from a neutral directory such as ~.
• If the handoff needs repo-local code, sync/build/link it explicitly on that lease. Source-tree CLIs often need build output before a symlink works.
• Prefer a real command -v <expected-command> && <expected-command> --version check over a repo-root-only pnpm ... command.

Generic handoff repair pattern:

../crabbox/bin/crabbox run --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --full-resync --shell -- \
  "set -euo pipefail
   pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
   pnpm build
   sudo ln -sf \"\$PWD/<cli-entry>\" /usr/local/bin/<expected-command>
   cd ~
   command -v <expected-command>
   <expected-command> --version"

If Crabbox Fails

Keep the fallback narrow. First decide whether the failure is Crabbox itself, the brokered AWS lease, Blacksmith/Testbox, repo hydration, sync, or the test command.

Fast checks:

command -v crabbox
../crabbox/bin/crabbox --version
pnpm crabbox:run -- --help | sed -n '1,140p'
../crabbox/bin/crabbox doctor
command -v blacksmith
blacksmith --version
blacksmith testbox list

Common Crabbox-only failures:

• Provider missing or old CLI: use ../crabbox/bin/crabbox from the sibling repo, or update/install Crabbox before retrying.
• Bad local config: inspect .crabbox.yaml, crabbox config show, and crabbox whoami; normal OpenClaw agent proof should use Blacksmith Testbox. Direct AWS is an explicit fallback and must use brokered auth, not raw keys.
• Slug/claim confusion: use the raw cbx_... / tbx_... id, or run one-shot without --id.
• Sync/timing bug: add --debug --timing-json; capture the final JSON and the printed Actions URL. Large sync warnings now include top source directories by file count and a hint to update .crabboxignore / sync.exclude; inspect those before reaching for --force-sync-large. Quiet rsync watchdogs and SSH timeouts now print next_action= hints; follow them, usually --full-resync first and a fresh lease second.
• Cleanup uncertainty: run crabbox list --provider aws; for explicit Blacksmith runs, use blacksmith testbox list and stop only boxes you created.
• Testbox queued/capacity pressure: do not retry Blacksmith repeatedly. Rerun once with --provider aws when direct AWS still proves the requested surface, or report the Blacksmith blocker if Testbox itself is required.

If brokered AWS cannot dispatch, sync, attach, or stop, retry once with --debug and --timing-json:

pnpm crabbox:run -- --provider aws --debug --timing-json -- \
  pnpm test:changed

Full suite:

pnpm crabbox:run -- --provider aws --debug --timing-json -- \
  pnpm test

Auth fallback, only when blacksmith says auth is missing:

blacksmith auth login --non-interactive --organization openclaw

Raw Blacksmith footguns:

• Run from repo root. The CLI syncs the current directory.
• Save the returned tbx_... id in the session.
• Reuse that id for focused reruns; stop it before handoff.
• Raw commit SHAs are not reliable warmup --ref refs; use a branch or tag.
• Treat blacksmith testbox list as cleanup diagnostics, not a shared reusable queue.

Use Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox by default for OpenClaw agent tests and heavy work. If Blacksmith is down or quota-limited, do not keep probing it; switch to direct AWS only when that backend proves the same surface, and note the delegated-provider outage.

Blacksmith Backend Notes

Crabbox Blacksmith backend delegates setup to:

• org: openclaw
• workflow: .github/workflows/ci-check-testbox.yml
• job: check
• ref: main unless testing a branch/tag intentionally

The hydration workflow owns checkout, Node/pnpm setup, dependency install, secrets, ready marker, and keepalive. Crabbox owns dispatch, sync, SSH command execution, timing, logs/results, cleanup, and cache-volume requests. Blacksmith implements cache volumes as sticky disks.

Minimal Blacksmith-backed Crabbox run, from repo root:

pnpm crabbox:run -- --provider blacksmith-testbox --timing-json -- \
  corepack pnpm test:changed

Use direct Blacksmith only when Crabbox is the broken layer and you are isolating a Crabbox bug. Prefer direct blacksmith testbox list for cleanup diagnostics, not as a reusable work queue.

Important Blacksmith footguns:

• Always run from repo root. The CLI syncs the current directory.
• Raw commit SHAs are not reliable warmup --ref refs; use a branch or tag.
• If auth is missing and browser auth is acceptable:

blacksmith auth login --non-interactive --organization openclaw

Brokered AWS Fallback

Use direct AWS when Testbox is unavailable, when the task needs direct-provider semantics, or when an explicit backend comparison is required. The repo .crabbox.yaml defaults to Blacksmith Testbox, so pass --provider aws.

pnpm crabbox:warmup -- --provider aws --class beast --market on-demand --idle-timeout 90m
pnpm crabbox:hydrate -- --provider aws --id <cbx_id-or-slug>
pnpm crabbox:run -- --provider aws --id <cbx_id-or-slug> --timing-json --shell -- "pnpm test:changed"
pnpm crabbox:stop -- --provider aws <cbx_id-or-slug>

Install/auth for owned Crabbox if needed:

brew install openclaw/tap/crabbox
crabbox login --url https://crabbox.openclaw.ai --provider aws

New users should self-resolve broker auth before anyone asks for AWS keys:

crabbox config show
crabbox doctor
crabbox whoami

• If broker auth is missing, run crabbox login --url https://crabbox.openclaw.ai --provider aws.
• If the CLI asks for AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, or AWS profile setup during normal OpenClaw validation, assume the agent selected the wrong path. Use brokered crabbox login or an existing brokered lease before asking the user for cloud credentials.
• Ask for AWS keys only for explicit direct-provider/account administration, not for normal brokered OpenClaw proof.
• Trusted automation may still use printf '%s' "$CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN" | crabbox login --url https://crabbox.openclaw.ai --provider aws --token-stdin.

macOS config lives at:

~/Library/Application Support/crabbox/config.yaml

It should include broker.url, broker.token, and usually provider: aws for OpenClaw lanes. Let that config drive normal validation.

Interactive Desktop / WebVNC

For human desktop demos, prefer webvnc over native vnc and keep the remote desktop visible/windowed. Do not fullscreen the remote browser or hide the XFCE panel/window chrome unless the explicit goal is video/capture output. After launch, verify a screenshot shows the desktop panel plus browser title bar. If Chrome is fullscreen, toggle it back with:

crabbox run --id <lease> --shell -- 'DISPLAY=:99 xdotool search --onlyvisible --class google-chrome windowactivate key F11'

Diagnostics

crabbox status --id <id-or-slug> --wait
crabbox inspect --id <id-or-slug> --json
crabbox sync-plan
crabbox history --limit 20
crabbox history --lease <id-or-slug>
crabbox attach <run_id>
crabbox events <run_id> --json
crabbox logs <run_id>
crabbox results <run_id>
crabbox cache stats --id <id-or-slug>
crabbox cache volumes
crabbox ssh --id <id-or-slug>
blacksmith testbox list

Use --debug on run when measuring sync timing. Use --timing-json on warmup, hydrate, and run when comparing backends. Use --market spot|on-demand only on AWS warmup/one-shot runs.

Failure Triage

• Crabbox cannot find provider: verify ../crabbox/bin/crabbox --help lists the provider selected by .crabbox.yaml; update Crabbox before falling back.
• Hydration stuck or failed: open the printed GitHub Actions run URL and inspect the hydration step.
• Sync failed: rerun with --debug; check changed-file count and whether the checkout is dirty.
• Command failed: rerun only the failing shard/file first. Do not rerun a full suite until the focused failure is understood.
• Cleanup uncertain: crabbox list --provider aws; for explicit Blacksmith runs, use blacksmith testbox list and stop owned tbx_... leases you created.
• Crabbox broken but Blacksmith works: use the direct Blacksmith fallback above, then file/fix the Crabbox issue.

Boundary

Do not add OpenClaw-specific setup to Crabbox itself. Put repo setup in the hydration workflow and keep Crabbox generic around lease, sync, command execution, logs/results, timing, and cleanup.