M5: CI matrix — precompiled native driver with Zend parity tests

[PurHur]

Summary

Move the project default from Zend php bin/compile.php to the prelinked native driver (prelinked/bootstrap-gen0/bin-compile-aot, build/bin-compile-aot-inventory) while keeping Zend as the correctness oracle for tests.

Phases

Phase A — Artifact pipeline (CI)

• Job builds and caches prelinked/bootstrap-gen0/*, vendor .o, inventory argv driver
• Publish sidecar SHA + manifest as CI artifact / release asset

Phase B — Dual-runner test matrix

• Zend leg (existing): php vendor/bin/phpunit, compliance PHPT, bin/compile.php lint
• Native leg: same suites where applicable via build/bin-compile-aot-inventory + AOT binaries
• Fail native leg only on bootstrap-tagged tests initially; expand as coverage grows

Phase C — Developer workflow

• make bootstrap-selfhost-link produces usable local driver without vendor/
• Document when Zend is still required (cold boot regen, allowlist bisect)

Phase D — Strict M5 close

• north-star5-verify --strict green without Zend gen-0
• BOOTSTRAP_M3_HELLOWORLD_STRICT=1 native emit end-to-end

Related

• M5: Prelink vendor (php-cfg, php-types, php-llvm) — no composer at cold boot #1416 vendor prelink, Epic: Self-host critical path — compiler compiles itself (M3→M5) #1492 north star, Self-host M5: gen-0 bootstrap-selfhost-link without Zend bin/compile.php (compiled driver only) #3053 cold boot no-Zend
• docs/bootstrap-m5-fast-path.md

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — starting this run (bootstrap-aot-link foreach_by_ref AOT regression blocker on M5 path)

[PurHur]

Merged bootstrap-aot foreach_by_ref AOT blocker fix: #8580

Root cause: {main} promoted foreach loop local $v to a script-global slot; fused TYPE_ITER_VALUE writes went to __value__writeLong on that slot instead of __hashtable__setLongAt on $a.

Verification (all 246):

• php bin/vm.php test/bootstrap-aot/foreach_by_ref.php
• php bin/jit.php test/bootstrap-aot/foreach_by_ref.php
• php bin/compile.php -o /tmp/fbr test/bootstrap-aot/foreach_by_ref.php && /tmp/fbr
• ./vendor/bin/phpunit test/aot/AotTest.php --filter 'foreach_by_ref"'

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — continuing M5 path after #8580 foreach_by_ref merge; targeting remaining bootstrap-aot-link gate failures

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — continuing M5 bootstrap-aot-link gate (#8555); targeting AOT ?: return + remaining failures

[PurHur]

Lane C update: merged #8563 nullable ?string param AOT return fix (PR #8586). Unblocks aot_ternary_ne_null / direct param return patterns on bootstrap-aot-link path. Full gate still has unrelated hash/stdlib failures — continuing M5 work on remaining smokes.

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — bridging inline array literal call-arg temporaries (#8561 bootstrap-aot-link)

[PurHur]

Merged #8588 — inline array literal call-arg bridge.

Root cause: php-cfg uses distinct temporaries for Expr_Array result vs FuncCall arg (f(['a'=>1])); INIT_ARRAY only filled the producer slot.

Fix: Compiler::compileCallArgSends() emits TYPE_ASSIGN from producer → arg slot when an immediately-preceding Expr_Array feeds the call.

Verification:

• test/repro/array_literal_call_arg.php — Zend/AOT/VM: 1
• test/bootstrap-aot/switch_equal_value_long.php — AOT: one
• ./vendor/bin/phpunit test/aot/BootstrapPhaseCTest.php --filter testInlineArrayLiteralCallArgAotLinkAndExecute — OK

Unblocks switch/const-string-folder bootstrap smokes; full make bootstrap-aot-link still has unrelated stdlib_hash/include_path failures.

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — continuing M5 bootstrap-aot-link gate after #8588 inline array literal merge; targeting next AOT smoke failure

[PurHur]

Merged #8590 — extend inline expr call-arg bridging to `new` expressions.

Root cause: php-cfg also splits `Expr_New` results from `FuncCall` / `New_` ctor args (same pattern as #8588 array literals). AOT failed on `TYPE_ASSIGN` type mismatch when bridging array → ctor arg.

Fix: Generalize producer-slot routing in `compileCallArgSends()` for `Array_` and `New_` producers with `FuncCall` / `New_` consumers; pass producer slot directly to `TYPE_ARG_SEND`.

Verification (all green on branch):

• `test/repro/inline_new_call_arg.php`, `inline_new_array_ctor_arg.php` — VM + AOT
• `test/bootstrap-aot/const_string_folder_smoke.php` — VM/AOT `11`
• `test/bootstrap-aot/const_string_folder_func_call_args.php` — VM/AOT `1`
• `./vendor/bin/phpunit test/aot/BootstrapPhaseCTest.php --filter 'InlineNew|InlineArray'` — OK (3 tests)

bootstrap-aot-link: additional smokes now pass (`const_string_folder_*`, `switch_equal_value_long`, `dirname_value_path`, `instanceof_check`, `deploy_path_include`). Remaining gate failures: `stdlib_hash`, `include_path_resolver`, `file_exists_concat`, compile-failed stdlib smokes — continuing M5 work.