refactor(qa): /qa and /qa-only drive Aside, fall back to $B

QA_METHODOLOGY runs every phase as Aside scripts (orient, explore, document, re-test, mobile viewport via CDP emulation, links via HEAD fetch); the authenticate phase is 'you are already signed in'; a 13th rule requires consent before mutating actions on non-local targets; the fallback section translates each step onto $B. The qa E2E tests run on whichever engine is present.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>

test/skill-e2e-qa-workflow.test.ts

@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ import { describe, test, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'bun:test';
 import { JUDGE_MS, CAPTURE_MS, CAPTURE_LONG_MS } from './helpers/eval-budgets';
 import { runSkillTest } from './helpers/session-runner';
 import {
-  ROOT, browseBin, runId, evalsEnabled,
+  ROOT, browseBin, runId, evalsEnabled, selectedTests,
   describeIfSelected, testConcurrentIfSelected,
   copyDirSync, setupBrowseShims, logCost, recordE2E,
   createEvalCollector, finalizeEvalCollector,
 } from './helpers/e2e-helpers';
+import { asideAvailable } from './helpers/aside-available';
 import { startTestServer } from '../browse/test/test-server';
 import { spawnSync } from 'child_process';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
@@ -15,6 +16,18 @@ import * as os from 'os';
 
 const evalCollector = createEvalCollector('e2e-qa-workflow');
 
+// /qa and /qa-only drive the Aside browser first and fall back to the gstack
+// browse binary. The browser-driving describes need one of the two — a live
+// Aside or a built browse/dist/browse (CI builds it, so the Linux lane runs
+// the fallback path). Neither → skip, never fail. qa-bootstrap opens no
+// browser and is not gated.
+const browserSelected = evalsEnabled && (asideAvailable() || fs.existsSync(browseBin)) ? selectedTests : [];
+
+// The skill's BROWSER SETUP decides Aside vs fallback; the prompt only tells the
+// agent where the fallback binary is (the hermetic HOME has no global install).
+const browserPrompt = (skillMd: string) =>
+  `Follow the BROWSER SETUP section in ${skillMd} exactly: it probes for Aside first and falls back to the gstack browse binary. If it falls back, the browse binary is at ${browseBin} (B="${browseBin}"; find-browse is shimmed under browse/bin in this directory). Do not look for any other browser.`;
+
 // --- B4: QA skill E2E ---
 
 describeIfSelected('QA skill E2E', ['qa-quick'], () => {
@@ -40,7 +53,7 @@ describeIfSelected('QA skill E2E', ['qa-quick'], () => {
 
   testConcurrentIfSelected('qa-quick', async () => {
     const result = await runSkillTest({
-      prompt: `B="${browseBin}"
+      prompt: `${browserPrompt('qa/SKILL.md')}
 
 The test server is already running at: ${testServer.url}
 Target page: ${testServer.url}/basic.html
@@ -71,7 +84,7 @@ Write your report to ${qaDir}/qa-reports/qa-report.md`,
     // Accept error_max_turns — the agent doing thorough QA work is not a failure
     expect(['success', 'error_max_turns']).toContain(result.exitReason);
   }, CAPTURE_MS);
-});
+}, browserSelected);
 
 // --- QA-Only E2E (report-only, no fixes) ---
 
@@ -112,9 +125,7 @@ describeIfSelected('QA-Only skill E2E', ['qa-only-no-fix'], () => {
 
   testConcurrentIfSelected('qa-only-no-fix', async () => {
     const result = await runSkillTest({
-      prompt: `IMPORTANT: The browse binary is already assigned below as B. Do NOT search for it or run the SKILL.md setup block — just use $B directly.
-
-B="${browseBin}"
+      prompt: `${browserPrompt('qa-only/SKILL.md')}
 
 Read the file qa-only/SKILL.md for the QA-only workflow instructions.
 Skip the preamble bash block, lake intro, telemetry, and contributor mode sections — go straight to the QA workflow.
@@ -158,7 +169,7 @@ Write your report to ${qaOnlyDir}/qa-reports/qa-only-report.md`,
     );
     expect(statusLines.filter((l: string) => l.startsWith(' M') || l.startsWith('M '))).toHaveLength(0);
   }, CAPTURE_MS);
-});
+}, browserSelected);
 
 // --- QA Fix Loop E2E ---
 
@@ -233,7 +244,7 @@ describeIfSelected('QA Fix Loop E2E', ['qa-fix-loop'], () => {
     const qaFixUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${qaFixServer!.port}`;
 
     const result = await runSkillTest({
-      prompt: `You have a browse binary at ${browseBin}. Assign it to B variable like: B="${browseBin}"
+      prompt: `${browserPrompt('qa/SKILL.md')}
 
 Read the file qa/SKILL.md for the QA workflow instructions.
 qa is a carved skill: when SKILL.md tells you to Read ~/.claude/skills/gstack/qa/sections/<file>, read qa/sections/<file> in this working directory instead (same content, local copy).
@@ -273,7 +284,7 @@ This is a test+fix loop: find bugs, fix them in the source code, commit each fix
     const editCalls = result.toolCalls.filter(tc => tc.tool === 'Edit');
     expect(editCalls.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   }, CAPTURE_LONG_MS);
-});
+}, browserSelected);
 
 // --- Test Bootstrap E2E ---