fix(test): stabilize lifecycle, sleep, queue, and run edge cases

[NathanFlurry]

Description

Please include a summary of the changes and the related issue. Please also include relevant motivation and context.

Type of change

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
• New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
• Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to not work as expected)
• This change requires a documentation update

How Has This Been Tested?

Please describe the tests that you ran to verify your changes.

Checklist:

• My code follows the style guidelines of this project
• I have performed a self-review of my code
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
• My changes generate no new warnings
• I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
• New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes

[NathanFlurry]

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This pull request is not mergeable via GitHub because a downstack PR is open. Once all requirements are satisfied, merge this PR as a stack on Graphite.
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• fix(guard): serialize gateway actor keys correctly #4655
• fix(api): subscribe before namespace workflow dispatch #4654
• fix(rivetkit): restore hibernatable sockets and hydrate serverless starts #4658
• fix(rivetkit-native): expose full hibernation metadata to JS #4657
• fix(pegboard): persist and replay hibernating requests #4656
• fix(rivetkit): keep internal error exposure behavior consistent #4661
• test(rivetkit): stabilize actor db driver tests #4664
• fix(test): stabilize lifecycle, sleep, queue, and run edge cases #4660 👈 (View in Graphite)
• test(rivetkit): re-enable gateway URL and direct-registry coverage #4659
• chore(engine): publish engine bases in ci #4649 : 2 other dependent PRs (#4650 , #4652 )
• chore: lockfile lefthook #4647
• fix(rivetkit): surface native sqlite kv errors to callers #4645
• fix(rivetkit): prevent sleep races during disconnect and db work #4644
• fix(rivetkit): isolate engine envoys and propagate startup failures #4643
• test(rivetkit): remove wasm sqlite-only fixtures and coverage #4642
• chore(sqlite-vfs): remove wasm sqlite packages and workspace wiring #4641
• chore(rivetkit): remove wasm sqlite runtime #4614
• fix(sqlite-native): restore native startup kv preload #4639
• fix(sqlite-native): delete metadata before chunk range #4638
• fix(sqlite-native): keep truncate cache coherent #4637
• fix(sqlite-vfs): use delete range for truncate cleanup #4636
• fix(sqlite-native): restore kv error hook #4635
• perf(sqlite-native): avoid cloning cached read chunks #4634
• perf(sqlite-native): gate kv operation labels #4633
• perf(sqlite-native): reuse read cache for partial writes #4632
• perf(sqlite-native): remove delete file existence probe #4631
• fix(sqlite-native): gate native read cache behind env var #4630
• fix(pegboard): isolate runner config dc lookup failures #4625 : 1 other dependent PR (#4626 )
• docs(pegboard): note runner config upsert split write risk #4624
• fix(pegboard): unpack global runner config keys correctly #4623
• fix(pegboard-gateway): enforce tunnel message state #4622
• fix(pegboard-runner): clear terminal tunnel routes #4621
• fix(pegboard): skip protocol version keys in runner pool backfill #4620
• fix(pegboard): create missing normal runner configs #4619
• fix(epoxy): reuse cached optimistic value #4618
• main

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[claude]

PR #4660 Review: fix(test): stabilize lifecycle, sleep, queue, and run edge cases

Overview

This PR stabilizes a broad set of flaky tests across lifecycle, sleep, queue, and run suites. The core strategy is to replace deterministic timing-based assertions with polling (vi.waitFor) and to properly handle expected race conditions (destroy races, abort races) rather than asserting a specific outcome. Good direction overall.

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Concerns

1. Fragile Runtime Detection (inline-client.ts)

Using a CWD path (process.cwd() === "/root") as a capability flag is brittle. It will silently break if the sandbox working directory changes, or give false positives in any environment that happens to run from /root. Consider using a dedicated environment variable (e.g. RIVETKIT_SANDBOX_MODE) or a proper capability check instead.

2. destroyActor silently swallows all errors

The final return; in the catch block swallows any unexpected error after the first retry. A genuine bug (e.g. a 500 from the actor runtime) will be masked. At minimum, log the unexpected error; ideally throw err on unexpected error codes so tests surface real failures instead of passing silently.

3. waitForConnectionOpen lacks a timeout

The inline Promise in waitForConnectionOpen hangs forever if the connection neither opens nor errors. Vitest's per-test timeout will catch it eventually, but the error message will be confusing. An explicit timeout with a descriptive rejection message would make failures easier to diagnose.

4. Looser sleep/start count assertions

Many tests moved from exact counts (toBe(1), toBe(2)) to toBeGreaterThanOrEqual. This is necessary for timing-sensitive tests, but some tests now accept startCount >= 2 as a pass even if the actor restarted unexpectedly many times. Consider adding an upper-bound assertion for particularly sensitive tests where more than a couple restarts would indicate a bug.

5. Structural error checking duplication

The pattern error.group === "actor" && error.code === "aborted" now appears in three places: src/actor/instance/queue.ts, fixtures/driver-test-suite/queue.ts, and src/driver-test-suite/tests/actor-lifecycle.ts. Consider a small utility like isAbortedError(err) to centralize this and keep the matching logic consistent if the error shape evolves.

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Positive Changes

• vi.waitFor polling replaces fixed waitFor sleeps - more robust and faster on fast machines.
• waitForConnected helper with an explicit timeout is cleaner than the previous bare vi.waitFor calls with no timeout configured.
• sleepingPromise registered before trigger (double-sleep and broadcast tests) - correctly avoids the event-listener race window.
• c.queue.send directly in run.ts instead of going through a self-client is simpler and avoids an unnecessary round-trip.
• lifecycleObserver actor for cross-actor event witnessing is a clean solution for inspecting lifecycle events of a destroyed actor.
• .sequential on Actor Run Tests prevents concurrent test interference without changing test logic.
• getOrCreate(..., { params }) API in lifecycle-hooks tests correctly routes connection params through actor params.

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Minor / Nits

• Reducing rapid-cycle iterations from 10 to 3 reduces race-window coverage. With { timeout: 20_000 } there is headroom to keep 10 iterations once stable.
• handle.increment(0) in actor-handle.ts to force initialization before a duplicate-create test is indirect - handle.resolve() or a named ping() would be more self-documenting.
• The Response.json() replacement across fixtures looks like a compatibility fix for environments lacking the static method. A short comment explaining the reason would prevent future contributors from reverting it.