feat(cli): add --arm and populate run meta from it

Model and instructions are recorded only when the LLM picker is the one that
will actually run, so a spec declaring generator = llm() that is run under the
seeded picker does not label its trace with a model it never called.

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01A5KmftdEJ49A9z5mF5ESrX

cmd/sanderling/main.go

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type testOptions struct {
 	androidAppPath string
 	duration       time.Duration
 	maxSteps       int
+	arm            string
 	seed           int64
 	output         string
 	clearData      bool
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ func parseTestArgs(args []string, stderr io.Writer) (testOptions, error) {
 	flagSet.Int64Var(&options.seed, "seed", 0, "RNG seed (0 = random)")
 	flagSet.StringVar(&options.output, "output", "./runs", "output directory for traces")
 	flagSet.BoolVar(&options.clearData, "clear-data", true, "clear app data before launching so each run starts from a fresh install; pass --clear-data=false to resume prior state")
+	flagSet.StringVar(&options.arm, "arm", "", "experiment cell label, recorded in meta.json so a directory of runs can be attributed to a cell")
 	flagSet.StringVar(&options.generator, "generator", "seeded", "action generator: seeded (weighted random) or llm (model picks from the same candidate set; requires generator = llm() in the spec)")
 	if err := flagSet.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return testOptions{}, err

cmd/sanderling/main_test.go

@@ -297,3 +297,17 @@ func TestParseTestArgs_RejectsNegativeMaxSteps(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected an error for a negative --max-steps")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseTestArgs_ArmLabel(t *testing.T) {
+	options, err := parseTestArgs([]string{
+		"--spec", "s.ts",
+		"--bundle-id", "com.example",
+		"--arm", "seeded-identifier",
+	}, io.Discard)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if options.arm != "seeded-identifier" {
+		t.Errorf("arm: got %q, want seeded-identifier", options.arm)
+	}
+}

cmd/sanderling/test_run.go

@@ -23,5 +23,6 @@ func runTestPipeline(ctx context.Context, options testOptions, stdout io.Writer)
 		Output:         options.output,
 		ClearData:      options.clearData,
 		Generator:      options.generator,
+		Arm:            options.arm,
 	}, stdout)
 }

internal/testrun/testrun.go

@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ type Options struct {
 	Seed           int64
 	Output         string
 	ClearData      bool
+	// Arm labels the experiment cell this run belongs to and is recorded in
+	// meta.json so a directory of runs can be attributed to a cell.
+	Arm string
 	// Generator selects the action picker: "llm" or the default seeded picker.
 	Generator string
 
@@ -48,6 +51,32 @@ type Options struct {
 }
 
 // Execute runs the full test pipeline: bundle, launch app, verify properties.
+// buildRunMeta assembles the run's meta.json. Model and Instructions are
+// recorded only when the LLM picker is the one that will actually run, so a
+// spec that declares generator = llm() but is run under the seeded picker does
+// not label its trace with a model it never called.
+func buildRunMeta(options Options, bundleSHA256 string, seed int64, host string, llmConfig verifier.LLMConfig, hasLLMConfig bool) trace.Meta {
+	meta := trace.Meta{
+		Seed:              seed,
+		SpecPath:          options.Spec,
+		BundleSHA256:      bundleSHA256,
+		Platform:          options.Platform,
+		BundleID:          options.BundleID,
+		StartedAt:         time.Now().UTC(),
+		SanderlingVersion: "0.0.1",
+		Arm:               options.Arm,
+		Generator:         options.Generator,
+		MaxSteps:          options.MaxSteps,
+		DurationMillis:    options.Duration.Milliseconds(),
+		Host:              host,
+	}
+	if options.Generator == "llm" && hasLLMConfig {
+		meta.Model = llmConfig.Model
+		meta.Instructions = llmConfig.Instructions
+	}
+	return meta
+}
+
 func Execute(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) error {
 	switch options.Platform {
 	case "android":
@@ -141,15 +170,9 @@ func Execute(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("trace writer: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer traceWriter.Close()
-	meta := trace.Meta{
+	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
-		Seed:              seed,
+	llmConfig, hasLLMConfig := verifierInstance.LLMConfig()
-		SpecPath:          options.Spec,
+	meta := buildRunMeta(options, bundle.SHA256, seed, hostname, llmConfig, hasLLMConfig)
-		BundleSHA256:      bundle.SHA256,
-		Platform:          options.Platform,
-		BundleID:          options.BundleID,
-		StartedAt:         time.Now().UTC(),
-		SanderlingVersion: "0.0.1",
-	}
 	if err := traceWriter.WriteMeta(meta); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("trace meta: %w", err)
 	}

internal/testrun/testrun_test.go

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/verifier"
 )
 
 func TestResolveSeed_UsesConfiguredWhenNonZero(t *testing.T) {
@@ -181,3 +184,50 @@ func TestResolveSpecAPIPath_ReturnsEmptyWhenMissing(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("got %q, want empty (no sanderling source tree reachable)", got)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBuildRunMeta_RecordsArmMembership(t *testing.T) {
+	options := Options{
+		Spec:      "spec.ts",
+		BundleID:  "com.example",
+		Platform:  "android",
+		Duration:  3 * time.Minute,
+		MaxSteps:  300,
+		Arm:       "llm-visible-text",
+		Generator: "llm",
+	}
+	meta := buildRunMeta(options, "deadbeef", 7, "farm-01",
+		verifier.LLMConfig{Model: "claude-sonnet-5", Instructions: "exercise the outbox"}, true)
+
+	if meta.Arm != "llm-visible-text" || meta.Generator != "llm" {
+		t.Errorf("arm membership: got arm=%q generator=%q", meta.Arm, meta.Generator)
+	}
+	if meta.Model != "claude-sonnet-5" || meta.Instructions != "exercise the outbox" {
+		t.Errorf("llm config: got model=%q instructions=%q", meta.Model, meta.Instructions)
+	}
+	if meta.MaxSteps != 300 || meta.DurationMillis != 180000 {
+		t.Errorf("budget: got maxSteps=%d durationMillis=%d", meta.MaxSteps, meta.DurationMillis)
+	}
+	if meta.Host != "farm-01" || meta.Seed != 7 {
+		t.Errorf("host and seed: got host=%q seed=%d", meta.Host, meta.Seed)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildRunMeta_OmitsModelWhenSeededPickerRuns(t *testing.T) {
+	options := Options{Platform: "android", Generator: "seeded", Duration: time.Minute}
+	meta := buildRunMeta(options, "deadbeef", 1, "farm-01",
+		verifier.LLMConfig{Model: "claude-sonnet-5", Instructions: "hunt bugs"}, true)
+
+	if meta.Model != "" || meta.Instructions != "" {
+		t.Errorf("a seeded run must not be labelled with a model it never called: model=%q instructions=%q",
+			meta.Model, meta.Instructions)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildRunMeta_OmitsModelWhenSpecDeclaresNoLLMGenerator(t *testing.T) {
+	options := Options{Platform: "android", Generator: "llm", Duration: time.Minute}
+	meta := buildRunMeta(options, "deadbeef", 1, "farm-01", verifier.LLMConfig{}, false)
+
+	if meta.Model != "" {
+		t.Errorf("model recorded without a spec-declared llm generator: %q", meta.Model)
+	}
+}