Playwright test execution uses project's @playwright/test instead of Automaker's bundled version

[JasonBroderick]

Related PR

#745 (fix(docker): Pre-install Playwright Chromium browsers for automated testing)

Problem

When Automaker runs verification tests using npx playwright test, the test execution incorrectly uses the project's @playwright/test package instead of Automaker's bundled Playwright.

Current behavior:

1. Automaker's Docker image bundles Playwright 1.57.0 with chromium-1200
2. Test command npx playwright test runs from the project's worktree directory
3. npx resolves to the project's node_modules/.bin/playwright
4. Test file imports (import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test") resolve to the project's @playwright/test
5. If the project has a different Playwright version (e.g., 1.58.1 needing chromium-1208), tests fail with "browser not found"

Expected behavior:

Automaker's test execution should use Automaker's bundled Playwright and Chromium, regardless of what Playwright version (if any) the project has installed.

Root Cause

The test runner in apps/server/src/services/test-runner-service.ts spawns tests with:

spawn(finalCommand, [], {
  cwd: worktreePath,  // Project's directory
  ...
});

When npx playwright test runs from the project directory, Node's module resolution finds the project's @playwright/test first.

Architectural Constraint

• Automaker writes verification tests to the project's tests/ directory
• Test files contain import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test"
• Node resolves imports relative to the file location, not the CLI binary location
• Even using /app/node_modules/.bin/playwright directly doesn't fix imports in test files

Desired Solution

Automaker's test infrastructure should be completely decoupled from the project's dependencies:

• Automaker's Playwright binary should be used for execution
• Automaker's @playwright/test should be used for test file imports
• The project's own Playwright installation (if any) should be irrelevant to Automaker's testing

Possible Approaches

1. Module resolution override: Configure Node to resolve @playwright/test from Automaker's node_modules when running tests
2. Test isolation: Store/execute Automaker's tests in a way that doesn't interact with project's node_modules
3. Import rewriting: Generate test files with absolute imports to Automaker's Playwright
4. Environment manipulation: Use NODE_PATH or similar to prioritize Automaker's modules

Need to determine the cleanest approach that doesn't invasively modify the project's files.