docs: say what the archived status changes

The README, the setup pages and adding-a-platform tied archived to a
scraping schedule and a CI matrix that do not exist. Archived keeps a
platform out of the runs that cover every platform unless
--include-archived is passed.

README.md

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ The Files column counts what a pack holds once extracted, the figure a file mana
 
 ZIPs are made for the setups most people download. The others read "Use the command": the installer above installs every file for them and checks each one, and `--dry-run` shows what it would install ([why no ZIP](https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/wiki/faq/#why-is-there-no-zip-for-my-setup)).
 
-\* Archived: the configuration is kept and the installer serves it, but upstream is no longer scraped on a schedule.
+\* Archived: the installer serves it, and checks that cover every setup include it only on request.
 
 ## What's included
 
@@ -206,4 +206,4 @@ The scripts and tooling are released under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
 The BIOS and firmware files are not covered by that license: they are third-party system software, preserved and provided for personal backup, archival, and interoperability with emulation software. [NOTICE](NOTICE) sets out their status and how to ask for a file to be removed.
 The reasoning, and where it is weakest, is in [the project's legal position](https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/wiki/legal/).
 
-*Auto-generated on 2026-11-05T22:45:23Z*
+*Auto-generated on 2026-11-06T02:18:34Z*

scripts/generate_pack.py

@@ -3639,9 +3639,9 @@ def _main(held: contextlib.ExitStack) -> None:
     # Platform mode
     if args.all and args.manifest:
         # Install manifests cover every registered platform: the installer
-        # serves each one, with or without a release pack. "Archived" means
-        # upstream is no longer scraped on a schedule, not that the platform
-        # lost its users.
+        # serves each one, with or without a release pack. "Archived" keeps a
+        # platform out of the runs that cover every platform, not out of the
+        # installer: it has not lost its users.
         platforms = list_registered_platforms(args.platforms_dir, include_archived=True)
     elif args.all:
         # A release publishes the packs the registry marks release_pack and

scripts/generate_readme.py

@@ -638,8 +638,8 @@ def generate_readme(db: dict, platforms_dir: str, db_path: str = "database.json"
         lines.extend(
             [
                 "",
-                "\\* Archived: the configuration is kept and the installer serves it,"
-                " but upstream is no longer scraped on a schedule.",
+                "\\* Archived: the installer serves it, and checks that cover every"
+                " setup include it only on request.",
             ]
         )
 

scripts/generate_site.py

@@ -3346,8 +3346,8 @@ def setup_table(coverages: dict, registry: dict | None = None) -> list[str]:
     lines += ["No ZIP: the setup is served by the command alone. "
               f"[Why?](../{NO_ZIP_FAQ})", ""]
     if archived:
-        lines += ["An archived setup keeps its page and the command. Its list is no longer "
-                  "read again on a schedule.", ""]
+        lines += ["An archived setup keeps its page and the command. Checks that cover "
+                  "every setup include it only on request.", ""]
     return lines
 
 

scripts/list_platforms.py

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""List available platforms for CI matrix strategy.
+"""List the registered platforms.
 
 Respects the `status` field in _registry.yml:
-- active: included in CI releases and automated scraping
-- archived: excluded from CI, user can generate manually
+- active: listed by default
+- archived: listed with --include-archived only
 
 Usage:
-    python scripts/list_platforms.py                # Active platforms (for CI)
+    python scripts/list_platforms.py                # active platforms
     python scripts/list_platforms.py --include-archived  # archived ones too
     python scripts/list_platforms.py >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 """

tests/test_doc_pages.py

@@ -1900,5 +1900,34 @@ class SkipFlagsNameTheSteps(unittest.TestCase):
                     self.assertEqual(set(re.findall(self.STEP, text)), steps)
 
 
+class ArchivedIsWhatTheToolsDo(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The README and the setup pages said an archived platform is no longer
+    scraped on a schedule, and adding-a-platform said `active` feeds a CI
+    matrix and the scrapers. No workflow calls list_platforms.py and no tool
+    reads `schedule:`: what `archived` changes is which full runs include it."""
+
+    def test_no_text_ties_the_status_to_automation(self):
+        import generate_pack  # noqa: PLC0415
+        import generate_readme  # noqa: PLC0415
+        import generate_site  # noqa: PLC0415
+        import list_platforms  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        texts = {
+            "adding-a-platform.md": (WIKI / "adding-a-platform.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8"),
+            "generate_readme": inspect.getsource(generate_readme),
+            "generate_site": inspect.getsource(generate_site),
+            "generate_pack": inspect.getsource(generate_pack),
+            "list_platforms": inspect.getsource(list_platforms),
+        }
+        for name, text in texts.items():
+            with self.subTest(name):
+                for claim in ("scraped on a schedule", "read again on a schedule",
+                              "CI matrix", "without the automation"):
+                    self.assertNotIn(claim, text)
+        self.assertIn("`--include-archived`", texts["adding-a-platform.md"])
+        for workflow in (ROOT / ".github" / "workflows").glob("*.yml"):
+            self.assertNotIn("list_platforms", workflow.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

wiki/adding-a-platform.md

@@ -732,10 +732,13 @@ This executes in sequence, numbered as the run prints them (`STEP_LABELS` in
 
 `--offline` skips steps 2 to 2b2.
 
-A new platform is archived-by-default nowhere: `status: active` puts it in
-`list_platforms.py`, the CI matrix, and the scrapers. Set
-`status: archived` to keep the configuration without the automation. Archived
-platforms are excluded unless `--all` or `--include-archived` is passed.
+A new platform is `status: active`. `status: archived` keeps the platform
+out of the runs that cover every platform (`verify.py --all`,
+`generate_pack.py --all`, `slots.py`, `pipeline.py`, `list_platforms.py`)
+unless `--include-archived` is passed. The installer manifests, the site, the
+native export and `check_freshness.py` cover archived platforms as well. No
+tool scrapes a platform on its own, archived or not: the `schedule:` field is
+the cadence a maintainer keeps by hand.
 
 A new platform has no release ZIP: `release_pack: true` is set for the setups
 most people download, and the installer serves every other one from its