2026-08-22 -- CI: EditMode tests on real Unity (INFRA-1)

Roadmap item INFRA-1: the ~2,200 EditMode tests had no automated runner, so every change (including the Phase 1 security fixes) shipped unverified by machine. This adds that runner as the safety net every later fix relies on.

Why CI (not in-environment Unity)

The Claude Code remote environment’s egress policy blocks Unity’s download and licensing hosts (download.unity3d.com, license.unity3d.com, … all return proxy 403), so Unity cannot be installed or activated there. GitHub’s runners have open network access and consume the Unity credentials as repo secrets, so CI is the supported place to run the real tests.

Two tiers

• dotnet-smoke.yml — license-free. Compiles the package’s Unity-free source (JSON core / ScriptGate / GateHookInstaller) verbatim and asserts against the real production methods (ci/SmokeTests); seconds per run, green today. Catches SEC-1/CORE-1-class regressions without Unity.
• editmode-tests.yml — full EditMode suite on a real Unity Editor.

How the full job activates Unity (the load-bearing detail)

Runs inside the GameCI editor image (unityci/editor:ubuntu-2022.3.22f1-base-3) and activates a Personal seat directly with the Unity Licensing Client: Unity.Licensing.Client --activate-all --include-personal --username --password, then Unity -batchmode -runTests -testPlatform EditMode, then --deactivate-all.

This works from UNITY_EMAIL + UNITY_PASSWORD alone (no serial, no .ulf).

Journey (why not game-ci/unity-test-runner)

First attempts used game-ci/unity-test-runner@v4 and a game-ci/unity-license-activate acquire job. Real runs proved:

1. game-ci/unity-request-activation-file hard-errors “This action is no longer supported” (Unity removed the manual web activation it automated).
2. unity-test-runner@v4 fast-fails with “Missing Unity License File and no Serial was found” even with UNITY_EMAIL/PASSWORD present — its legacy activation path requires UNITY_LICENSE (a .ulf) or UNITY_SERIAL and does NOT accept credential-only Personal.

The user’s own working repo (c-colloid/UITKFontFix, same Unity 2022.3.22f1) showed the right pattern: skip the GameCI actions, use the editor image as the job container, and call the Licensing Client directly with --include-personal. This file’s approach is adapted from it. Lesson: credential-only Personal activation IS possible, just not via unity-test-runner’s activation path.

Host project

ci/HostProject/ embeds the package as a file: dependency, lists it in testables, includes com.unity.test-framework + the built-in modules, and commits a full default ProjectSettings/ for the pinned version so Unity opens deterministically. Library/ etc. are git-ignored.

Operator setup (one-time)

Add UNITY_EMAIL + UNITY_PASSWORD as Actions repository secrets (not Environment/Codespaces/Dependabot — those are invisible to the workflow; a run whose env: echo shows them blank rather than *** means wrong scope). Full steps in ci/README.md.