Blacksmith Testbox

Scope

Use Testbox when you need remote CI parity, injected secrets, hosted services, or an OS/runtime image that your local machine cannot provide cheaply.

For OpenClaw, Crabbox is a supported alternative when Blacksmith is unavailable or owned cloud capacity is preferable.

Do not default to Testbox for every local test/build loop. If the repo has documented local commands for normal iteration, use those first so you keep warm caches, local build state, and fast feedback.

Testbox is the expensive path. Reach for it deliberately.

OpenClaw maintainers can opt into Testbox-first validation by setting OPENCLAW_TESTBOX=1 in their environment or standing agent rules. This mode is maintainers-only and requires Blacksmith access.