When connected_count == 0 and at least one platform failed with a
non-retryable error, the runner exited with GATEWAY_FATAL_CONFIG_EXIT_CODE
(78) even if OTHER platforms failed for merely transient reasons.
Real-world shape (NS-609, hosted instance): WhatsApp enabled but never
paired (non-retryable whatsapp_not_paired) + Telegram TimedOut during
polling startup (retryable) => exit 78 => the gateway either goes
permanently down (supervisors honoring the exit-78 contract via
RestartPreventExitStatus / the s6 finish->125 translation from #51228) or
crash-loops (anything else). Either way Telegram never gets its retry and
the dashboard drops with every exit, so a single unpaired platform plus
one network blip disconnected every channel on the instance.
Now exit 78 is reserved for the case where ALL startup failures are
non-retryable (true config error, nothing to wait for). With mixed
failures the gateway stays alive in degraded state: the reconnect watcher
recovers the retryable platforms and the misconfigured ones stay
fatal-parked and visible in runtime status.
Shannon Sands
eb2f5b5723