Summary

Removes the Playwright browser-automation layer from src/browser/ per the Middleware Boundary Principle. The browser_request MCP tool routes through paired nodes (infrastructure), but src/browser/ also carried a full Playwright stack (~14k lines, 69% of the directory) that was generic browser automation, not node-bound routing. This PR keeps the node-routing layer (~5.5k lines: bridge-server, extension-relay, profiles, config, security, CDP layer, basic+tabs routes) and removes everything else.

~14,373 lines deleted, 253 added across 115 files.

Deleted

Playwright layer (src/browser/):

• All pw-* files (pw-session, pw-ai, pw-tools-core.*) — 28 files
• All routes/agent.* files (act, snapshot, storage, debug, hooks, output-paths) — 13 files
• Chrome process management: chrome.ts, chrome.executables.ts, chrome.profile-decoration.ts + tests
• Client action wrappers: client-actions.ts, client-actions-core.ts, client-actions-observe.ts, client-actions-state.ts
• Automation utilities: screenshot.ts, paths.ts, form-fields.ts, safe-filename.ts, output-atomic.ts, session-tab-registry.ts
• Server agent-contract test harnesses + tests

Downstream consumers (no longer backed by deleted agent routes):

• src/cli/browser-cli-actions-input{,.ts,/*} (entire /act action surface)
• src/cli/browser-cli-actions-observe.ts (/console, /pdf, /response/body)
• src/cli/browser-cli-debug.ts (/highlight, /errors, /requests, /trace/*)
• src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.ts (/screenshot, /snapshot)
• src/cli/browser-cli-state.ts, src/cli/browser-cli-state.cookies-storage.ts (/set/*, /storage/*)
• src/cli/browser-cli-resize.ts (uses /act)
• src/agents/tools/browser-tool.actions.ts (orphan — no callers)

Surgically refactored (KEEP files)

• routes/index.ts — drops registerBrowserAgentRoutes import + call
• routes/basic.ts — inlines resolveProfileContext (was in deleted agent.shared.ts); drops chrome process metadata fields (chosenBrowser, userDataDir, pid, detectedBrowser*, detectError) from /status payload
• server-context.ts — drops Playwright tab-op fallbacks (listPages/createPage/focus/close ViaPlaywright); removes local Chrome launch path entirely (launchRemoteClawChrome is gone — only attached/extension/remote modes remain); replaces chrome.ts reachability calls with new cdp-reachability.ts; resetProfile now only moves user-data dir for local-loopback profiles, no Chrome shutdown
• server-context.types.ts — drops RunningChrome from ProfileRuntimeState (running field gone)
• profiles-service.ts — switches resolveRemoteClawUserDataDir import to new profile-paths.ts helper; switches movePathToTrash to new infra location
• server.ts — drops pw-ai-state.isPwAiLoaded shutdown branch
• control-service.ts — drops pw-ai.closePlaywrightBrowserConnection shutdown branch
• client.ts — drops browserSnapshot (uses deleted /snapshot route); drops dead BrowserStatus fields (pid, chosenBrowser, userDataDir, executablePath, detectedBrowser*, detectError); drops SnapshotResult/SnapshotAriaNode types
• gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts — drops closeTrackedBrowserTabsForSessions call (the registry was never populated by any caller in this codebase, so the call was a no-op)
• gateway/server-methods/agents.ts — switches movePathToTrash import to infra/trash.js
• gateway/server-methods/browser.ts — switches proxy-files import to local browser-proxy-files.ts

Relocated (used by KEEP code)

Other

• package.json — removes playwright-core dependency
• Dockerfile — drops the Playwright browser install step (still installs Xvfb when REMOTECLAW_INSTALL_BROWSER=1)
• src/dockerfile.test.ts — updated to assert playwright-core is NOT in the Dockerfile
• src/browser/cdp-timeouts.ts — renames CHROME_REACHABILITY_TIMEOUT_MS/CHROME_WS_READY_TIMEOUT_MS to CDP_* (more accurate; the chrome bootstrap/launch timeouts that are no longer used were removed)
• server.control-server.test-harness.ts — slimmed down: only mocks what still exists (cdp-reachability, profile-paths, infra/trash, cdp.js); drops the Playwright/Chrome mock surface
• New server-context.cdp-test-harness.ts — minimal CDP reachability mock for the few tests that need it

Acceptance criteria

• No pw-* files remain in src/browser/
• No routes/agent.* files remain
• No chrome.* process management files remain
• server-context.ts has no Playwright imports
• routes/index.ts registers only basic + tabs routes
• Node-routing layer intact: bridge-server, extension-relay, profiles, config, security, CDP, client, basic+tabs routes
• Build passes
• Tests pass (743 files / 6488 tests)

Test plan

• pnpm check (format + typecheck + lint) — clean
• pnpm build — clean (warnings unchanged from main)
• pnpm test — 743 files, 6488 tests pass, 0 failures
• Manual: remoteclaw browser status, remoteclaw browser tabs, remoteclaw browser open, remoteclaw browser focus, remoteclaw browser close against an attached Chrome
• Manual: profile create/delete/reset CRUD via CLI
• Manual: extension-driver profile end-to-end

Closes #2304

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