Restore local-only Playwright harness policy

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@8e8c483db84b4bee98b60c0593521ed34d9990e8 # v6.0.1
 
-      - name: Keep local AI tooling out of Git
+      - name: Keep local tooling out of Git
         run: python3 tools/check_local_tooling.py
 
       - name: Install Rust toolchain

.gitignore

@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ tests/*
 !tests/fixtures/
 tests/fixtures/*
 !tests/fixtures/media/
-!tests/e2e/
-tests/e2e/*
-!tests/e2e/non-video-media.spec.ts
-!tests/e2e/settings-restart.spec.ts
 
 # Build output, dependency caches, coverage, and profiling output.
 target/
@@ -67,10 +63,15 @@ __pycache__/
 /core.[0-9]*
 /rustchan-cli*.dmp
 
-# Browser infrastructure (tests/e2e, config, npm lockfile, CI) is source.
-# Small intentional fixtures belong in tests/e2e/fixtures, never output/.
-# Disposable audit notes and generated browser evidence remain local.
-/tests/e2e/AUDIT-*.md
+# Local Playwright tooling: keep the complete browser harness on this machine.
+/tests/e2e/
+/playwright*.config.*
+/package.json
+/package-lock.json
+/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+# End local Playwright tooling.
+
+# Generated browser evidence remains local too.
 /output/
 playwright-report/
 test-results/

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -78,14 +78,16 @@ cargo test --locked --workspace --all-features
 RUSTDOCFLAGS="-D warnings" cargo doc --locked --workspace --all-features --no-deps
 ```
 
-Use the Playwright harness under `tests/e2e/` for public UI, admin UI, media,
-backup and restore, moderation, Tor/proxy, and no-JavaScript changes. The
-maintained harness source is tracked: `playwright.config.ts`, `package.json`,
-`package-lock.json`, and `tests/e2e/**`. Browser validation runs locally.
-Generated evidence is not: keep reports, traces, screenshots, videos, storage state,
+When the local Playwright harness is available, use it under `tests/e2e/` for
+public UI, admin UI, media, backup and restore, moderation, Tor/proxy, and
+no-JavaScript changes. The complete harness, `playwright*.config.*`, `package.json`,
+and `package-lock.json` are intentionally ignored and must remain untracked.
+Do not remove these ignore rules or add exceptions to publish browser tests.
+Browser validation runs locally; no hosted browser CI is required.
+Keep reports, traces, screenshots, videos, storage state,
 runtime databases, preserved fixture roots, audit output, and other browser
 artifacts under the matching `.gitignore` rules and out of commits. See
-`tests/e2e/README.md` for the normal regression and deep audit commands.
+the local `tests/e2e/README.md` for the normal regression and deep audit commands.
 Run focused scenarios first and the available browser matrix for broad changes.
 Some media tests require `ffmpeg` and specific codecs; do not replace
 deterministic fixtures with private uploads from a live site. Permanent Rust