--- summary: "Mantis is the visual end-to-end verification system for reproducing OpenClaw bugs on live transports, capturing before and after evidence, and attaching artifacts to PRs." title: "Mantis" read_when: - Building or running live visual QA for OpenClaw bugs - Adding before and after verification for a pull request - Adding Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, or other live transport scenarios - Debugging QA runs that need screenshots, browser automation, or VNC access --- Mantis is the OpenClaw end-to-end verification system for bugs that need a real runtime, a real transport, and visible proof. It runs a scenario against a known bad ref, captures evidence, runs the same scenario against a candidate ref, and publishes the comparison as artifacts that a maintainer can inspect from a PR or from a local command. Mantis starts with Discord because Discord gives us a high-value first lane: real bot auth, real guild channels, reactions, threads, native commands, and a browser UI where humans can visually confirm what the transport showed. ## Goals - Reproduce a bug from a GitHub issue or PR with the same transport shape users see. - Capture a **before** artifact on the baseline ref before applying the fix. - Capture an **after** artifact on the candidate ref after applying the fix. - Use a deterministic oracle whenever possible, such as a Discord REST reaction read or channel transcript check. - Capture screenshots when the bug has a visible UI surface. - Run locally from an agent-controlled CLI and remotely from GitHub. - Preserve enough machine state for VNC rescue when login, browser automation, or provider auth gets stuck. - Post concise status to an operator Discord channel when the run is blocked, needs manual VNC help, or finishes. ## Non Goals - Mantis is not a replacement for unit tests. A Mantis run should usually become a smaller regression test after the fix is understood. - Mantis is not the normal fast CI gate. It is slower, uses live credentials, and is reserved for bugs where the live environment matters. - Mantis should not require a human for normal operation. Manual VNC is a rescue path, not the happy path. - Mantis does not store raw secrets in artifacts, logs, screenshots, Markdown reports, or PR comments. ## Ownership Mantis lives in the OpenClaw QA stack. - OpenClaw owns the scenario runtime, transport adapters, evidence schema, and local CLI under `pnpm openclaw qa mantis`. - QA Lab owns the live transport harness pieces, browser capture helpers, and artifact writers. - Crabbox owns warmed Linux machines when a remote VM is needed. - GitHub Actions owns the remote workflow entrypoint and artifact retention. - ClawSweeper owns GitHub comment routing: parsing maintainer commands, dispatching the workflow, and posting the final PR comment. - OpenClaw agents drive Mantis through Codex when a scenario needs agentic setup, debugging, or stuck-state reporting. This boundary keeps transport knowledge in OpenClaw, machine scheduling in Crabbox, and maintainer workflow glue in ClawSweeper. ## Command Shape The first local command verifies the Discord bot, guild, channel, message send, reaction send, and artifact path: ```bash pnpm openclaw qa mantis discord-smoke \ --output-dir .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/discord-smoke ``` The local before and after runner accepts this shape: ```bash pnpm openclaw qa mantis run \ --transport discord \ --scenario discord-status-reactions-tool-only \ --baseline origin/main \ --candidate HEAD \ --output-dir .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/local-discord-status-reactions ``` The runner creates detached baseline and candidate worktrees under the output directory, installs dependencies, builds each ref, runs the scenario with `--allow-failures`, then writes `baseline/`, `candidate/`, `comparison.json`, and `mantis-report.md`. For the first Discord scenario, a successful verification means baseline status is `fail` and candidate status is `pass`. The first VM/browser primitive is the desktop smoke: ```bash pnpm openclaw qa mantis desktop-browser-smoke \ --output-dir .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/desktop-browser ``` It leases or reuses a Crabbox desktop machine, starts a visible browser inside the VNC session, captures the desktop, pulls artifacts back to the local output directory, and writes the reconnect command into the report. The command defaults to the Hetzner provider because it is the first provider with working desktop/VNC coverage in the Mantis lane. Override it with `--provider`, `--crabbox-bin`, or `OPENCLAW_MANTIS_CRABBOX_PROVIDER` when running against another Crabbox fleet. Useful desktop smoke flags: - `--lease-id ` or `OPENCLAW_MANTIS_CRABBOX_LEASE_ID` reuses a warmed desktop. - `--browser-url ` changes the page opened in the visible browser. - `--html-file ` renders a repo-local HTML artifact in the visible browser. Mantis uses this to capture the generated Discord status-reaction timeline through a real Crabbox desktop. - `--keep-lease` or `OPENCLAW_MANTIS_KEEP_VM=1` keeps a newly created passing lease open for VNC inspection. Failed runs keep the lease by default when one was created so an operator can reconnect. - `--class`, `--idle-timeout`, and `--ttl` tune machine size and lease lifetime. The first full desktop transport primitive is the Slack desktop smoke: ```bash pnpm openclaw qa mantis slack-desktop-smoke \ --output-dir .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/slack-desktop \ --gateway-setup \ --scenario slack-canary \ --keep-lease ``` It leases or reuses a Crabbox desktop machine, syncs the current checkout into the VM, runs `pnpm openclaw qa slack` inside that VM, opens Slack Web in the VNC browser, captures the visible desktop, and copies both the Slack QA artifacts and the VNC screenshot back to the local output directory. This is the first Mantis shape where the SUT OpenClaw gateway and the browser both live inside the same Linux desktop VM. With `--gateway-setup`, the command prepares a persistent disposable OpenClaw home at `$HOME/.openclaw-mantis/slack-openclaw`, patches Slack Socket Mode configuration for the selected channel, starts `openclaw gateway run` on port `38973`, and keeps Chrome running in the VNC session. This is the "leave me a Linux desktop with Slack and a claw running" mode; the bot-to-bot Slack QA lane remains the default when `--gateway-setup` is omitted. Required inputs for `--credential-source env`: - `OPENCLAW_QA_SLACK_CHANNEL_ID` - `OPENCLAW_QA_SLACK_DRIVER_BOT_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_QA_SLACK_SUT_BOT_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_QA_SLACK_SUT_APP_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_LIVE_OPENAI_KEY` for the remote model lane. If only `OPENAI_API_KEY` is set locally, Mantis maps it to `OPENCLAW_LIVE_OPENAI_KEY` before invoking Crabbox so Crabbox's `OPENCLAW_*` env forwarding can carry it into the VM. Useful Slack desktop flags: - `--lease-id ` reruns against a machine where an operator already logged in to Slack Web through VNC. - `--gateway-setup` starts a persistent OpenClaw Slack gateway in the VM instead of only running the bot-to-bot QA lane. - `--slack-url ` opens a specific Slack Web URL. Without it, Mantis derives `https://app.slack.com/client//` from Slack `auth.test` when the SUT bot token is available. - `--slack-channel-id ` controls the Slack channel allowlist used by gateway setup. - `OPENCLAW_MANTIS_SLACK_BROWSER_PROFILE_DIR` controls the persistent Chrome profile inside the VM. The default is `$HOME/.config/openclaw-mantis/slack-chrome-profile`, so a manual Slack Web login survives reruns on the same lease. - `--credential-source convex --credential-role ci` uses the shared credential pool instead of direct Slack env tokens. - `--provider-mode`, `--model`, `--alt-model`, and `--fast` pass through to the Slack live lane. The GitHub smoke workflow is `Mantis Discord Smoke`. The before and after GitHub workflow for the first real scenario is `Mantis Discord Status Reactions`. It accepts: - `baseline_ref`: the ref expected to reproduce queued-only behavior. - `candidate_ref`: the ref expected to show `queued -> thinking -> done`. It checks out the workflow harness ref, builds separate baseline and candidate worktrees, runs `discord-status-reactions-tool-only` against each worktree, and uploads `baseline/`, `candidate/`, `comparison.json`, and `mantis-report.md` as Actions artifacts. It also renders each lane's timeline HTML in a Crabbox desktop browser and publishes those VNC screenshots beside the deterministic timeline PNGs in the PR comment. The workflow builds the Crabbox CLI from `openclaw/crabbox` main so it can use the current desktop/browser lease flags before the next Crabbox binary release is cut. You can also trigger the status-reactions run directly from a PR comment: ```text @Mantis discord status reactions ``` The comment trigger is intentionally narrow. It only runs on pull request comments from users with write, maintain, or admin access, and it only recognizes Discord status-reaction requests. By default it uses the known bad baseline ref and the current PR head SHA as the candidate. Maintainers can override either ref: ```text @Mantis discord status reactions baseline=origin/main candidate=HEAD ``` ClawSweeper command examples: ```text @clawsweeper mantis discord discord-status-reactions-tool-only @clawsweeper verify e2e discord ``` The first command is explicit and scenario-focused. The second can later map a PR or issue to recommended Mantis scenarios from labels, changed files, and ClawSweeper review findings. ## Run Lifecycle 1. Acquire credentials. 2. Allocate or reuse a VM. 3. Prepare the desktop/browser profile when the scenario needs UI evidence. 4. Prepare a clean checkout for the baseline ref. 5. Install dependencies and build only what the scenario needs. 6. Start a child OpenClaw Gateway with an isolated state directory. 7. Configure the live transport, provider, model, and browser profile. 8. Run the scenario and capture baseline evidence. 9. Stop the gateway and preserve logs. 10. Prepare the candidate ref in the same VM. 11. Run the same scenario and capture candidate evidence. 12. Compare the oracle results and visual evidence. 13. Write Markdown, JSON, logs, screenshots, and optional trace artifacts. 14. Upload GitHub Actions artifacts. 15. Post a concise PR or Discord status message. The scenario should be able to fail in two different ways: - **Bug reproduced**: baseline failed in the expected way. - **Harness failure**: environment setup, credentials, Discord API, browser, or provider failed before the bug oracle was meaningful. The final report must separate these cases so maintainers do not confuse a flaky environment with product behavior. ## Discord MVP The first scenario should target Discord status reactions in guild channels where the source reply delivery mode is `message_tool_only`. Why it is a good Mantis seed: - It is visible in Discord as reactions on the triggering message. - It has a strong REST oracle through Discord message reaction state. - It exercises a real OpenClaw Gateway, Discord bot auth, message dispatch, source reply delivery mode, status reaction state, and model turn lifecycle. - It is narrow enough to keep the first implementation honest. Expected scenario shape: ```yaml id: discord-status-reactions-tool-only transport: discord baseline: expect: reproduced: true candidate: expect: fixed: true config: messages: ackReaction: "👀" ackReactionScope: "group-mentions" groupChat: visibleReplies: "message_tool" statusReactions: enabled: true timing: debounceMs: 0 discord: requireMention: true notifyChannel: operator-notify evidence: rest: messageReactions: true browser: screenshotMessageRow: true ``` Baseline evidence should show the queued acknowledgement reaction but no lifecycle transition in tool-only mode. Candidate evidence should show lifecycle status reactions running when `messages.statusReactions.enabled` is explicitly true. The executable first slice is the opt-in Discord live QA scenario: ```bash pnpm openclaw qa discord \ --scenario discord-status-reactions-tool-only \ --provider-mode live-frontier \ --model openai/gpt-5.4 \ --alt-model openai/gpt-5.4 \ --fast \ --output-dir .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/discord-status-reactions-candidate ``` It configures the SUT with always-on guild handling, `visibleReplies: "message_tool"`, `ackReaction: "👀"`, and explicit status reactions. The oracle polls the real Discord triggering message and expects the observed sequence `👀 -> 🤔 -> 👍`. Artifacts include `discord-qa-reaction-timelines.json`, `discord-status-reactions-tool-only-timeline.html`, and `discord-status-reactions-tool-only-timeline.png`. ## Existing QA Pieces Mantis should build on the existing private QA stack instead of starting from zero: - `pnpm openclaw qa discord` already runs a live Discord lane with driver and SUT bots. - The live transport runner already writes reports and observed-message artifacts under `.artifacts/qa-e2e/`. - Convex credential leases already provide exclusive access to shared live transport credentials. - The browser control service already supports screenshots, snapshots, headless managed profiles, and remote CDP profiles. - QA Lab already has a debugger UI and bus for transport-shaped testing. The first Mantis implementation can be a thin before/after runner over these pieces, plus one visual evidence layer. ## Evidence Model Every run writes a stable artifact directory: ```text .artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis// mantis-report.md mantis-summary.json baseline/ summary.json discord-message.json screenshot-message-row.png gateway-debug/ candidate/ summary.json discord-message.json screenshot-message-row.png gateway-debug/ comparison.json run.log ``` `mantis-summary.json` should be the machine-readable source of truth. The Markdown report is for PR comments and human review. The summary must include: - refs and SHAs tested - transport and scenario id - machine provider and machine id or lease id - credential source without secret values - baseline result - candidate result - whether the bug reproduced on baseline - whether the candidate fixed it - artifact paths - sanitized setup or cleanup issues Screenshots are evidence, not secrets. They still need redaction discipline: private channel names, user names, or message content may appear. For public PRs, prefer GitHub Actions artifact links over inline images until the redaction story is stronger. ## Browser And VNC The browser lane has two modes: - **Headless automation**: default for CI. Chrome runs with CDP enabled, and Playwright or OpenClaw browser control captures screenshots. - **VNC rescue**: enabled on the same VM when login, MFA, Discord anti-automation, or visual debugging needs a human. The Discord observer browser profile should be persistent enough to avoid logging in for every run, but isolated from personal browser state. A profile belongs to the Mantis machine pool, not to a developer laptop. When Mantis gets stuck, it posts a Discord status message with: - run id - scenario id - machine provider - artifact directory - VNC or noVNC connection instructions if available - short blocker text The first private deployment can post these messages to the existing operator channel and move to a dedicated Mantis channel later. ## Machines Mantis should prefer AWS through Crabbox for the first remote implementation. Crabbox gives us warmed machines, lease tracking, hydration, logs, results, and cleanup. If AWS capacity is too slow or unavailable, add a Hetzner provider behind the same machine interface. Minimum VM requirements: - Linux with a desktop-capable Chrome or Chromium install - CDP access for browser automation - VNC or noVNC for rescue - Node 22 and pnpm - OpenClaw checkout and dependency cache - Playwright Chromium browser cache when Playwright is used - enough CPU and memory for one OpenClaw Gateway, one browser, and one model run - outbound access to Discord, GitHub, model providers, and the credential broker The VM should not keep long-lived raw secrets outside the expected credential or browser profile stores. ## Secrets Secrets live in GitHub organization or repository secrets for remote runs, and in a local operator-controlled secret file for local runs. Recommended secret names: - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_MANTIS_BOT_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_DRIVER_BOT_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_SUT_BOT_TOKEN` - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_GUILD_ID` - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_CHANNEL_ID` - `OPENCLAW_QA_DISCORD_NOTIFY_CHANNEL_ID` - `OPENCLAW_QA_REDACT_PUBLIC_METADATA=1` for public GitHub artifact uploads - `OPENCLAW_QA_CONVEX_SITE_URL` - `OPENCLAW_QA_CONVEX_SECRET_CI` - `OPENCLAW_QA_MANTIS_CRABBOX_COORDINATOR` - `OPENCLAW_QA_MANTIS_CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN` Long term, the Convex credential pool should remain the normal source for live transport credentials. GitHub secrets bootstrap the broker and fallback lanes. The Discord status-reactions workflow maps the Mantis Crabbox secrets back to the `CRABBOX_COORDINATOR` and `CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN` environment variables that the Crabbox CLI expects. The plain `CRABBOX_*` GitHub secret names remain accepted as a compatibility fallback. The Mantis runner must never print: - Discord bot tokens - provider API keys - browser cookies - auth profile contents - VNC passwords - raw credential payloads Public artifact uploads should also redact Discord target metadata such as bot, guild, channel, and message ids. The GitHub smoke workflow enables `OPENCLAW_QA_REDACT_PUBLIC_METADATA=1` for this reason. If a token is accidentally pasted into an issue, PR, chat, or log, rotate it after the new secret has been stored. ## GitHub Artifacts And PR Comments Mantis workflows should upload the full evidence bundle as a short-lived Actions artifact. When the workflow is run for a bug report or fix PR, it should also publish the redacted PNG screenshots to the `qa-artifacts` branch and upsert a comment on that bug or fix PR with inline before/after screenshots. Do not post the primary proof only on a generic QA automation PR. Raw logs, observed messages, and other bulky evidence stay in the Actions artifact. Production workflows should post those comments with the Mantis GitHub App, not with `github-actions[bot]`. Store the app id and private key as `MANTIS_GITHUB_APP_ID` and `MANTIS_GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY` GitHub Actions secrets. The workflow uses a hidden marker as the upsert key, updates that comment when the token can edit it, and creates a new Mantis-owned comment when an older bot-owned marker cannot be edited. The PR comment should be short and visual: ```md Mantis Discord Status Reactions QA Summary: Mantis reran the reported Discord status-reaction bug against the known bad baseline and the candidate fix. The baseline reproduced the bug, while the candidate showed the expected queued -> thinking -> done sequence. - Scenario: `discord-status-reactions-tool-only` - Run: - Artifact: - Baseline: `` at `` - Candidate: `` at `` | Baseline | Candidate | | ------------------- | ------------------- | | | | ``` When the run fails because the harness failed, the comment must say that instead of implying the candidate failed. ## Private Deployment Notes A private deployment may already have a Mantis Discord application. Reuse that application instead of creating another app when it has the right bot permissions and can be safely rotated. Set the initial operator notification channel through secrets or deployment configuration. It can point at an existing maintainer or operations channel first, then move to a dedicated Mantis channel once one exists. Do not put guild ids, channel ids, bot tokens, browser cookies, or VNC passwords in this document. Store them in GitHub secrets, the credential broker, or the operator's local secret store. ## Adding A Scenario A Mantis scenario should declare: - id and title - transport - required credentials - baseline ref policy - candidate ref policy - OpenClaw config patch - setup steps - stimulus - expected baseline oracle - expected candidate oracle - visual capture targets - timeout budget - cleanup steps Scenarios should prefer small, typed oracles: - Discord reaction state for reaction bugs - Discord message references for threading bugs - Slack thread ts and reaction API state for Slack bugs - email message ids and headers for email bugs - browser screenshots when UI is the only reliable observable Vision checks should be additive. If a platform API can prove the bug, use the API as the pass/fail oracle and keep screenshots for human confidence. ## Provider Expansion After Discord, the same runner can add: - Slack: reactions, threads, app mentions, modals, file uploads. - Email: Gmail auth and message threading using `gog` where connectors are not enough. - WhatsApp: QR login, re-identification, message delivery, media, reactions. - Telegram: group mention gating, commands, reactions where available. - Matrix: encrypted rooms, thread or reply relations, restart resume. Each transport should have one cheap smoke scenario and one or more bug-class scenarios. Expensive visual scenarios should stay opt-in. ## Open Questions - Which Discord bot should be the driver, and which should be the SUT, when the existing Mantis bot is reused? - Should the observer browser login use a human Discord account, a test account, or only bot-readable REST evidence for the first phase? - How long should GitHub retain Mantis artifacts for PRs? - When should ClawSweeper automatically recommend Mantis instead of waiting for a maintainer command? - Should screenshots be redacted or cropped before upload for public PRs?