feat(job): wire use-git-clone + submodules; default in-guest clone

The job command previously discarded --use-git-clone and --submodules
(`del`) and always in-guest cloned with submodules off — making both
action inputs dead no-ops (submodule repos silently broken).

- job.py: --use-git-clone/--host-clone and --submodules/--no-submodules
  are real booleans defaulting to ON. Default = in-guest clone with
  submodules. --host-clone clones on the host into a temp dir
  (_host_clone) and transfers a zip; temp dir cleaned in finally.
  clone_submodules now honoured (was hardcoded False).
- action.yml: use-git-clone / submodules default 'true'; forward the
  explicit positive/negative flag so the Python default is overridden
  deterministically.
- self-test.yml: add smoke-{windows,linux}-hostclone jobs covering the
  host-side transport (default jobs already cover in-guest).
- tests: default-transport, host-clone, and --no-submodules coverage.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitea/actions/local-ci-build/action.yml

@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ inputs:
 
   submodules:
     description: >
-      Set to "true" to clone the repository with --recurse-submodules.
+      Recurse submodules when cloning. Default "true". Set to "false"
+      to skip submodule init/update.
     required: false
-    default: 'false'
+    default: 'true'
 
   guest-os:
     description: >
@@ -61,12 +62,14 @@ inputs:
 
   use-git-clone:
     description: >
-      Set to "true" to clone the repository inside the VM rather than
-      transferring a zip from the host. Requires Git in the template (see
-      Install-CIToolchain-WinBuild2025.ps1 Step 12 / Install-CIToolchain-Linux2404.sh).
-      Preferred for repositories larger than ~200 MB.
+      Transport for the repo source. Default "true": clone inside the
+      build VM (requires Git in the template — see
+      Install-CIToolchain-WinBuild2025.ps1 Step 12 /
+      Install-CIToolchain-Linux2404.sh). Set to "false" for the
+      host-side variant: the host clones the repo and transfers a zip
+      to the guest (useful when the guest cannot reach Gitea).
     required: false
-    default: 'false'
+    default: 'true'
 
   configuration:
     description: >
@@ -269,8 +272,13 @@ runs:
             '--snapshot-name',         $resolvedSnapshotName
         )
 
-        if ($env:INPUT_SUBMODULES       -eq 'true') { $pyArgs += '--submodules' }
-        if ($env:INPUT_USE_GIT_CLONE    -eq 'true') { $pyArgs += '--use-git-clone' }
+        # Submodules and transport default to ON; pass the explicit
+        # negative flag when the caller opted out so the Python default
+        # (also ON) is overridden deterministically.
+        if ($env:INPUT_SUBMODULES -eq 'false') { $pyArgs += '--no-submodules' }
+        else { $pyArgs += '--submodules' }
+        if ($env:INPUT_USE_GIT_CLONE -eq 'false') { $pyArgs += '--host-clone' }
+        else { $pyArgs += '--use-git-clone' }
         if ($env:INPUT_USE_SHARED_CACHE -eq 'true') { $pyArgs += '--use-shared-cache' }
         if ($env:INPUT_SKIP_ARTIFACT    -eq 'true') { $pyArgs += '--skip-artifact' }
         if ($env:INPUT_EXTRA_GUEST_ENV_JSON -and $env:INPUT_EXTRA_GUEST_ENV_JSON -ne '{}') {

.gitea/workflows/self-test.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 # VM clone -> start -> IP detect -> trivial build -> artifact collect -> destroy
 #
 # Trigger: workflow_dispatch only (never runs on push/tag).
-# Both jobs are independent — a failure in one does not cancel the other.
+# Jobs are independent — a failure in one does not cancel the others.
+# Covers both source transports: in-guest git clone (default) and the
+# host-side clone + zip transfer variant (use-git-clone: 'false').
 #
 # Prerequisites (must be in place before running):
 #   - Runner labels: windows-build:host and linux-build:host active
@@ -43,4 +45,29 @@ jobs:
           artifact-source: '/opt/ci/output'
           guest-os:        'Linux'
           job-id-suffix:   'smoke-linux'
-          artifact-name:   'smoke-linux-${{ github.run_id }}'
+          artifact-name:   'smoke-linux-${{ github.run_id }}'
+
+  # ── Host-side clone + zip transfer variant (use-git-clone: 'false') ───────
+  smoke-windows-hostclone:
+    runs-on: windows-build
+    steps:
+      - uses: https://gitea.emulab.it/Simone/local-ci-cd-system/.gitea/actions/local-ci-build@main
+        with:
+          build-command:   'New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path C:\CI\output -Force | Out-Null; Set-Content C:\CI\output\smoke.txt "smoke-ok"'
+          artifact-source: 'C:\CI\output'
+          guest-os:        'Windows'
+          use-git-clone:   'false'
+          job-id-suffix:   'smoke-win-hostclone'
+          artifact-name:   'smoke-windows-hostclone-${{ github.run_id }}'
+
+  smoke-linux-hostclone:
+    runs-on: linux-build
+    steps:
+      - uses: https://gitea.emulab.it/Simone/local-ci-cd-system/.gitea/actions/local-ci-build@main
+        with:
+          build-command:   'mkdir -p /opt/ci/output && echo smoke-ok > /opt/ci/output/smoke.txt'
+          artifact-source: '/opt/ci/output'
+          guest-os:        'Linux'
+          use-git-clone:   'false'
+          job-id-suffix:   'smoke-linux-hostclone'
+          artifact-name:   'smoke-linux-hostclone-${{ github.run_id }}'