Configure system Python path once in runner/config.yaml (runner.envs) instead of probing N candidate locations in the workflow. Workflow now fails fast with a clear error if the env is unset or points to a missing file. Document the new env in AGENTS.md.
Reorder candidates to put C:\Program Files\Python314 first (verified install path on the production host). Drop py.exe -3.11 hint to plain -3 since host has only 3.14.
act_runner SYSTEM context may not have py.exe or python.exe in PATH. Try a list of common install paths (C:\Python3XX, Program Files, LocalAppData) and allow override via CI_PYTHON_LAUNCHER env var.
Native stderr from a broken python.exe shim ('No Python at ...') becomes a terminating exception under \Continue='Stop' BEFORE \0 can be read. Wrap the probe in try/catch + SilentlyContinue.
The venv at F:\CI\python\venv may exist but be broken if its pyvenv.cfg points to a deleted base interpreter (e.g. a stale actions/setup-python tool_cache). Detect this by running 'python --version' and rebuild the venv with py.exe -3.11 if it fails.
act_runner runs as SYSTEM and does not have plain 'python' in PATH; use py.exe launcher (-3.11) to bootstrap the venv when missing. The production venv at F:\CI\python\venv normally already exists, so the bootstrap is just a fallback. Also align coverage threshold to 80% (raised in A5, see AGENTS.md).
The runner's act_runner runs as SYSTEM, which only sees the Machine PATH.
Host has Python 3.14 installed at C:\Program Files\Python314\; once that
path is added to the machine PATH (one-time admin op) the simple
Get-Command python lookup works without network downloads.
The act_runner service account doesn't have python in PATH. Delegating
to actions/setup-python@v5 which downloads/caches Python 3.11 reliably.
Also bump timeout-minutes 15 -> 20 to absorb first-run pip install.
Gitea Actions only scans .gitea/workflows/ and .github/workflows/. The
file under gitea/workflows/ (no leading dot) was never picked up. Other
files in gitea/workflows/ remain as templates copied into consumer repos.
Simone
Simone