Emulator and metal verification

Reserve the lane

Use tools/lane-ports; ports derive from the worktree path. Never reuse a convenient fixed port or kill the process named by lsof. Reclaim only through the lane owner and QMP socket.

Ask for the base image

tools/base-image which

The tool is the authority for which image a purpose clones and whether it is fit. scripts/spin-up-ppc stages this checkout's application and extension into a session-private clone; scripts/q800-68k provides the corresponding 68K harness.

Identify the responder

Pass the lane's port into the test and assert a capability unique to the build under test. On hardware, set NOW_METAL_MACHINE so the machine guard can refuse concurrent ownership before binding.

Preserve evidence

Record the build stamp, machine, port, base image, staged artifacts, and guest-reported identity. A metal measurement belongs in the structured output format, not only in prose. Stop the guest cleanly and retain the run provenance file with the result.