test(smoke): skip @vm_only scenarios in container lanes

docs/skills/test-authoring/suite-map/SKILL.md

@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ Set `chunked_enabled: true` once `ghcr.io/projectbluefin/bluefin:latest` ships z
 | `@nvidia_only` | NVIDIA variant only |
 | `@flatcar_suite` | Flatcar OS only |
 | `@hardware_emulation` | Requires full-hw VM spec (TPM, audio, watchdog) |
+| `@vm_only` | Scenario drives the device under test over SSH (or asserts VM-only boot state); the smoke `environment.py` skips it in container lanes, detected via `/run/.containerenv` (`tests/shared/runtime_env.py`) |
 | `@pending` | Placeholder coverage gap; intentionally skipped until a valid harness exists |
 | `@future` | Not yet implemented or blocked on infra |
 | `@homed_migration` | systemd-homed migration scenarios; dakota lifecycle; SSH-mode; skip-safe when homed absent |

tests/shared/runtime_env.py

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+"""Runtime environment detection shared across suites.
+
+Container lanes (Argo ``run-container-tests``) execute behave *inside* the
+nested target container itself, so there is no separate device under test and
+no sshd to reach. VM lanes (KubeVirt) run behave on a runner that talks to the
+device under test over SSH.
+
+Scenarios that can only be meaningful against a real VM — anything driving the
+device over SSH, or asserting on boot-time/kernel state a container never has —
+must be tagged ``@vm_only`` and are skipped by the suite hooks in a container
+lane.
+"""
+
+import os
+
+# Podman writes /run/.containerenv into every container it starts, including
+# the nested systemd target used by container lanes. A KubeVirt VM never has
+# it. This is a stronger signal than probing for /usr/bin/bootc, which is
+# present in the container lane too because the target *is* a bootc image.
+CONTAINER_MARKER = "/run/.containerenv"
+
+
+def in_container_lane() -> bool:
+    """Return True when behave is running inside a container-lane target."""
+    return os.path.exists(CONTAINER_MARKER)

tests/smoke/features/environment.py

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     _QECORE_AVAILABLE = False
 
 from steps.app_support import launch_target_available
+from tests.shared.runtime_env import in_container_lane
 
 # ── qecore keyboard key mapping patch ────────────────────────────────────────
 # qecore 4.16 keyboard_key_combo_input builds uinput key names as
@@ -334,6 +335,18 @@ def before_scenario(context, scenario) -> None:
 
     scenario_tags = set(getattr(scenario, "effective_tags", scenario.tags))
 
+    # Skip @vm_only scenarios in container lanes. Those scenarios drive the
+    # device under test over SSH, but a container lane runs behave inside the
+    # target itself and has no sshd — the resulting connection failure is a
+    # runner limitation, not an image regression.
+    if "vm_only" in scenario_tags and in_container_lane():
+        try:
+            scenario.skip("Skipping @vm_only scenario in a container lane (no SSH target)")
+        except TypeError:
+            scenario.skip()
+        print(f"Skipping {scenario.name}: @vm_only scenario in a container lane", flush=True)
+        return
+
     # Skip @bluefin scenarios on non-Bluefin images (e.g. dakota).
     if not getattr(context, "is_bluefin_image", True):
         if "bluefin" in scenario_tags:

tests/smoke/features/offline_boot.feature

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@smoke @offline
+@smoke @offline @vm_only
 Feature: Offline and degraded-network boot
   Validates that the image can reach graphical.target and remain operational
   when outbound network connectivity is absent or degraded.  Images must boot
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ Feature: Offline and degraded-network boot
 
   Runner: plain SSH behave (no qecore — no GUI interaction needed).
 
+  Tagged @vm_only: every scenario drives the device under test over SSH, and a
+  container lane runs behave inside the target itself with no sshd to reach.
+  The suite hook skips these scenarios there rather than reporting a runner
+  limitation as an image regression.
+
   Background:
     * Bluefin VM is booted and reachable over SSH
 

tests/unit/test_runtime_env.py

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"""Unit tests for tests/shared/runtime_env.py container-lane detection."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from tests.shared import runtime_env
+
+
+class TestInContainerLane:
+    def test_true_when_containerenv_present(self):
+        with patch("os.path.exists", side_effect=lambda p: p == runtime_env.CONTAINER_MARKER):
+            assert runtime_env.in_container_lane() is True
+
+    def test_false_when_containerenv_absent(self):
+        with patch("os.path.exists", return_value=False):
+            assert runtime_env.in_container_lane() is False
+
+    def test_checks_the_podman_marker_path(self):
+        assert runtime_env.CONTAINER_MARKER == "/run/.containerenv"