Document host-test bootstrap for fresh worktrees and branch switches - #6084
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Running host tests from a fresh worktree, or from the shared checkout after switching to a branch based on newer main, fails in a way that looks like an endless build: the dev server / vite build reports a cryptic unresolved-import error and the QUnit page never boots. The cause is an un-bootstrapped tree — workspace packages added since the last install (e.g. @cardstack/bxl) aren't linked, and @cardstack/boxel-icons has no built dist. Add a packages/host subsection documenting the bootstrap order (mise trust, pnpm install, pnpm build-common-deps), the fastest way to diagnose a stuck test page (read the Vite error overlay's message rather than polling for QUnit), the two common unresolved-import → fix mappings, and why to prefer the headless build over a second env-locked live dev server. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_014GsYGsuCqHJz9GAti4jheG
lukemelia
marked this pull request as ready for review
September 10, 2026 21:30
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Sep 11, 2026
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Background and Goal
Running the host test suite from a fresh
git worktree, or from the shared checkout right after switching to a branch based on newermain, fails in a way that reads like an endless cold build: the Vite dev server /vite buildthrows a cryptic unresolved-import error and the QUnit page never boots (window.QUnitstays undefined). The real cause is an un-bootstrapped tree — workspace packages added since the last install (e.g.@cardstack/bxl) aren't linked intopackages/*/node_modules, and@cardstack/boxel-iconshas no builtdist(it's produced byprepack, notinstall).This adds a
### packages/hostsubsection toAGENTS.mdso the next person (or agent) isn't stuck:mise trust→pnpm install→pnpm build-common-deps;.messagerather than polling for QUnit;@cardstack/bxl→ install;@cardstack/boxel-icons/*→ build-common-deps);vite build+ember test --path distpath over a second live dev server (the shared server is env-mode/Traefik-locked, and switching the shared tree under it triggers a long dep re-optimize).Docs-only; no code changes.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code
https://claude.ai/code/session_014GsYGsuCqHJz9GAti4jheG