The launcher previously defaulted to fixtures and production generation used
the source database directly. Generate a separate database and manifest set
from package directories, validating staged output with the application loader
before installation. Keep strict selection by default, with independent
opt-ins for missing games and package version overrides in the copied database.
Share database filtering and staging with the fixture publisher, and include
source metadata and generation modes in the publication cache.
Make normal runs consume existing production authority. Add an explicit local
test recipe with separate resources, app settings, and a compiled startup game
directory. Build-time gates exclude local authority from production and require
Tauri development mode. Document the generation and launch workflows.
Clear generated catalog copies before Tauri copies the selected resource tree
so mode switches and reduced catalogs cannot retain stale manifests. Watch the
copied files to repair deletion and preserve prior output mtimes only when the
bytes are unchanged, allowing subsequent builds to become fresh.
Test Plan:
- `just fmt` -- passed.
- `just clippy` -- passed with warnings denied.
- `just test` -- workspace tests passed using fixture authority.
- `just frontend-test` -- 94 passed.
- `python3 -m unittest discover -s tools -p 'test_catalog_source_cache.py'`
-- 4 passed.
- `git diff --cached --check` -- passed.
- Interactive GUI launches and production bundles were not exercised.
Complete production catalog generation hashes every package twice, which is
necessary for publication but wasteful when the same package tree has already
produced the current catalog. Add a metadata-only cache that records package
paths, sizes, nanosecond mtimes, catalog and unrar metadata, and output
identity. The cache is advisory: incomplete outputs never hit, and production
build validation remains the authority. Record files atomically under the
ignored local cache directory, with focused tests for hits, source changes,
and incomplete output.
Test Plan:
- `python3 -m unittest discover -s tools -p 'test_*.py'` -- passed
- `git diff --cached --check` -- passed
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