---
title: "Build And CI"
description: "The Make, Cargo, BuildBuddy, and release validation surfaces used by Meerkat contributors."
icon: "helmet-safety"
---

Make is the developer-facing command surface. Cargo is the default backend.
BuildBuddy/Bazel is an opt-in acceleration backend for machines with access to
the GCP-backed runner pool.

## Local Commands

Use these commands for normal development:

```bash
make build
make check
make lint
make test
make agent-gate
```

Avoid raw `cargo` for normal repo work. When you need targeted Cargo commands,
use `./scripts/repo-cargo` so output roots and multi-agent work stay isolated.

## BuildBuddy Opt-In

Set `MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1` to route the same Make lanes through the BuildBuddy
backend:

```bash
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make build
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make check
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make lint
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make test
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make e2e-fast
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make e2e-system
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make e2e-live
MEERKAT_BUILDBUDDY=1 make e2e-smoke
```

Use `BUILDBUDDY_DRY_RUN=1` with explicit BuildBuddy Make targets to inspect the
selected command without running it.

The Make targets delegate through `scripts/run-build-backend-lane`; when
BuildBuddy is enabled, that switch calls `scripts/buildbuddy-dev`.

## Test Lanes

| Lane | Scope |
| --- | --- |
| `make test-unit` | Fast unit coverage. |
| `make test-int` | Integration-fast coverage without e2e scenarios. |
| `make e2e-fast` | Deterministic end-to-end lane. |
| `make e2e-system` | Local real-resource scenarios. |
| `make e2e-live` | Targeted live-provider checks when credentials are configured. |
| `make e2e-smoke` | Compound live-provider smoke scenarios. |

The canonical e2e lane taxonomy lives in
`tests/integration/src/e2e_lanes.rs`. Scripts and BuildBuddy targets route to
that taxonomy rather than inventing separate lane names.

## Architecture Gates

Machine and surface contracts have direct Make targets:

```bash
make verify-version-parity
make verify-schema-freshness
make verify-rpc-surface-alignment
make verify-sdk-wrapper-freshness
make machine-check-drift
make machine-verify
make seam-inventory
make audit-generated-headers
```

These gates protect generated schemas, SDK wrappers, machine artifacts, and
runtime authority invariants.

## CI Shape

GitHub Actions selects one backend for a run:

- default Cargo lanes for normal contributors
- owner-gated GCP BuildBuddy lanes when the secret-backed runner pool is
  available

The BuildBuddy workflow starts the control plane, scales executors up, submits
the selected lanes, then scales executors down. The final CI gate checks the
selected backend result.

## Doctor

Run:

```bash
make buildbuddy-doctor
```

The doctor checks the API key, pinned `bb` CLI, generated Bazel files, selector
behavior, lane isolation, and docs wiring without printing secrets.

## Multi-Agent Work

Separate Git worktrees are already isolated by path hash. If multiple agents
share one checkout, set a distinct `RUST_LANE_ID` per agent when you want stable
warm local output roots.

## See Also

- [CD and distribution](/guides/cd-and-distribution)
- [Machine Authority](/reference/machine-authority)
