Package local_runner binary and reuse in smoke

.github/workflows/build-binaries.yml

@@ -63,12 +63,14 @@ jobs:
           # Work around flate2 1.1.6 ambiguity issues by pinning to a fixed release.
           cargo +nightly-2025-09-14 update -p flate2 --precise 1.1.5
           cargo +nightly-2025-09-14 build --features testing --bins
+          cargo +nightly-2025-09-14 build --features testing --bin local_runner -p runner-examples
       - name: Package binaries
         run: |
           mkdir -p artifacts
           cp "${CARGO_TARGET_DIR}/debug/nomos-node" artifacts/
           cp "${CARGO_TARGET_DIR}/debug/nomos-executor" artifacts/
           cp "${CARGO_TARGET_DIR}/debug/nomos-cli" artifacts/
+          cp "${CARGO_TARGET_DIR}/debug/local_runner" artifacts/
           mkdir -p artifacts/circuits
           rsync -a "$NOMOS_CIRCUITS"/ artifacts/circuits/
           tar -czf nomos-binaries.tar.gz -C artifacts .

.github/workflows/lint.yml

@@ -212,6 +212,9 @@ jobs:
             echo "Circuits bundle missing in nomos-binaries tarball" >&2
             exit 1
           fi
+          if [ -f "${BIN_DIR}/local_runner" ]; then
+            echo "LOCAL_RUNNER_BIN=${BIN_DIR}/local_runner" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          fi
       - name: Download KZG params for DA (raw)
         run: |
           mkdir -p "$(dirname "${NOMOS_KZGRS_PARAMS_PATH}")"
@@ -226,7 +229,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "NOMOS_KZGRS_PARAMS_PATH=${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/testing-framework/assets/stack/kzgrs_test_params/kzgrs_test_params" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
       - name: Run local runner smoke (ignored test)
         run: |
-          NOMOS_TESTS_KEEP_LOGS=true cargo +nightly-2025-09-14 test -p runner-examples --test local_runner_bin_smoke -- --ignored --nocapture
+          NOMOS_TESTS_KEEP_LOGS=true LOCAL_DEMO_RUN_SECS=60 cargo +nightly-2025-09-14 test -p runner-examples --test local_runner_bin_smoke -- --ignored --nocapture
       - name: Archive local smoke logs
         if: always()
         run: |

examples/tests/local_runner_bin_smoke.rs

@@ -7,16 +7,31 @@ use std::{env, path::Path, process::Command};
 #[test]
 #[ignore = "runs local_runner binary (~2min) and requires local assets/binaries"]
 fn local_runner_bin_smoke() {
-    let output = Command::new("cargo")
-        .args([
-            "run",
-            "-p",
-            "runner-examples",
-            "--bin",
-            "local_runner",
-            "--",
-            "--nocapture",
-        ])
+    // Prefer a prebuilt local_runner binary (if provided), otherwise fall back to
+    // cargo run.
+    let runner_bin = env::var("LOCAL_RUNNER_BIN").ok();
+    let mut cmd = match runner_bin.as_deref() {
+        Some(path) => {
+            let mut c = Command::new(path);
+            c.args(["--nocapture"]);
+            c
+        }
+        None => {
+            let mut c = Command::new("cargo");
+            c.args([
+                "run",
+                "-p",
+                "runner-examples",
+                "--bin",
+                "local_runner",
+                "--",
+                "--nocapture",
+            ]);
+            c
+        }
+    };
+
+    let output = cmd
         .env("POL_PROOF_DEV_MODE", "true")
         .env(
             "NOMOS_CIRCUITS",
@@ -31,12 +46,21 @@ fn local_runner_bin_smoke() {
                 })
                 .expect("NOMOS_CIRCUITS must be set or .tmp/nomos-circuits must exist"),
         )
-        .env("LOCAL_DEMO_RUN_SECS", "120")
-        .env("LOCAL_DEMO_VALIDATORS", "1")
-        .env("LOCAL_DEMO_EXECUTORS", "1")
+        .env(
+            "LOCAL_DEMO_RUN_SECS",
+            env::var("LOCAL_DEMO_RUN_SECS").unwrap_or_else(|_| "120".into()),
+        )
+        .env(
+            "LOCAL_DEMO_VALIDATORS",
+            env::var("LOCAL_DEMO_VALIDATORS").unwrap_or_else(|_| "1".into()),
+        )
+        .env(
+            "LOCAL_DEMO_EXECUTORS",
+            env::var("LOCAL_DEMO_EXECUTORS").unwrap_or_else(|_| "1".into()),
+        )
         .env("RUST_BACKTRACE", "1")
         .output()
-        .expect("failed to spawn cargo run");
+        .expect("failed to spawn local runner");
 
     if !output.status.success() {
         panic!(