conductor(track): Initialize testing consolidation track and add execution order

TASKS.md

@@ -64,3 +64,26 @@
 
 **Scope:** Phase 1 (Meta-tooling token fix) → Phase 2 (Seal GUI HITL bypass) → Phase 3 (Fix DAG Engine cascading blocks).
 
+### `testing_consolidation_20260302` (initialized)
+**Priority:** Medium
+**Depends on:** `tech_debt_and_test_cleanup_20260302`
+**Track dir:** `conductor/tracks/testing_consolidation_20260302/`
+
+**Audit-confirmed gaps:**
+- `visual_mma_verification.py` manually runs `subprocess.Popen` instead of using the robust `live_gui` fixture.
+- Duplicate architectural logic between tests and `simulation/` directories causing fragmentation.
+
+**Scope:** Phase 1 (Migrate manual launchers to fixtures) → Phase 2 (Consolidate simulation scripts).
+
+---
+
+## Track Dependency Order (Execution Guide)
+To ensure smooth execution, execute the tracks in the following order:
+1. `feature_bleed_cleanup_20260302` (Base cleanup of GUI structure)
+2. `mma_agent_focus_ux_20260302` (Depends on feature bleed cleanup Phase 1)
+3. `architecture_boundary_hardening_20260302` (Fixes critical HITL & Token leaks; independent but foundational)
+4. `tech_debt_and_test_cleanup_20260302` (Re-establishes testing foundation; run after feature tracks)
+5. `testing_consolidation_20260302` (Refactors testing methodology; depends on tech debt cleanup)
+6. `conductor_workflow_improvements_20260302` (Meta-level updates to skills/workflow docs; can be run anytime)
+
+

conductor/tracks/testing_consolidation_20260302/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Track testing_consolidation_20260302 Context
+
+- [Specification](./spec.md)
+- [Implementation Plan](./plan.md)
+- [Metadata](./metadata.json)

conductor/tracks/testing_consolidation_20260302/metadata.json

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+{
+  "track_id": "testing_consolidation_20260302",
+  "type": "chore",
+  "status": "new",
+  "created_at": "2026-03-02T00:00:00Z",
+  "updated_at": "2026-03-02T00:00:00Z",
+  "description": "Consolidate divergent simulation tests to uniformly use the pytest live_gui fixture and remove redundant subprocess launcher scripts."
+}

conductor/tracks/testing_consolidation_20260302/plan.md

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+# Implementation Plan: Testing & Simulation Consolidation
+
+Architecture reference: [docs/guide_simulations.md](../../../docs/guide_simulations.md)
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: Migrate Manual Launchers to Pytest Fixtures
+Focus: Remove `subprocess.Popen` from visual verification scripts and convert them to proper pytest tests.
+
+- [ ] Task 1.1: Refactor `tests/visual_mma_verification.py` to be a standard pytest function: `def test_visual_mma_verification(live_gui):`. Remove all `subprocess.Popen` and directory changing logic.
+- [ ] Task 1.2: Audit `tests/` for any other file containing `subprocess.Popen` pointing to `gui_2.py` and refactor them similarly.
+
+## Phase 2: Consolidate Simulation Scripts
+Focus: Ensure the `simulation/` directory integrates cleanly with the pytest framework or serves a distinct non-testing purpose.
+
+- [ ] Task 2.1: Audit the `simulation/` directory. If scripts there are just tests in disguise, move them into `tests/` and wrap them in the `live_gui` fixture. If they are intended as standalone interactive demos, clearly document their purpose and ensure they don't duplicate `conftest.py` logic unnecessarily.

conductor/tracks/testing_consolidation_20260302/spec.md

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+# Track Specification: Testing & Simulation Consolidation
+
+## Overview
+Currently, the codebase has redundant testing paradigms. Some tests (`tests/visual_sim_gui_ux.py`) properly use the `live_gui` fixture managed by `pytest` in `conftest.py`. However, other visual verification scripts (like `tests/visual_mma_verification.py` and potentially files in `simulation/`) reinvent the wheel by manually opening subprocesses with `subprocess.Popen` to launch the GUI. This fragmentation causes tech debt and test flakiness.
+
+## Current State Audit
+1. **Redundant Subprocess Launching**: `tests/visual_mma_verification.py` manually spawns `gui_2.py` via `subprocess.Popen` instead of using the `conftest.py` `live_gui` fixture.
+2. **Simulation Redundancy**: The `simulation/` directory contains `sim_base.py`, `workflow_sim.py`, etc., that also use `ApiHookClient` but may be reinventing pytest workflows outside of the standard test runner.
+
+## Desired State
+- All "visual" or "integration" testing scripts that interact with the live GUI via `ApiHookClient` MUST use the `live_gui` pytest fixture and be executed via `pytest`.
+- Any standalone scripts in `tests/` that manually spawn `subprocess.Popen` for `gui_2.py` must be rewritten as standard pytest functions taking the `live_gui` argument.
+
+## Technical Constraints
+- No tests should manually spawn `gui_2.py`. They must rely on `conftest.py`.
+- Keep testing framework unified strictly under `pytest`.