[jharlow-intel]

Description

Adds what Intel Python CI (gh-ci) needs from mkl-service, as IntelPython/mkl_fft#400, IntelPython/mkl_random#204 and IntelPython/mkl_umath#294 do for theirs: a ci/ directory and a new workflow, .github/workflows/intel-ci.yml. The workflow builds conda-recipe-cf for every platform and Python version the recipe declares, and tests each package in a clean conda-forge environment with ci/test.py. Intel's Jenkins then waits for that run, tests each package again on its own machines, scans it, and for a release tag publishes the packages it tested. Jenkins isn't switched on for mkl-service yet, so until it is, this only adds a GitHub Actions workflow.

• ci/matrix.py, ci/build.py, ci/hooks.py: the shared gh-ci scripts, standard library only, byte-identical to the other three repositories.
• ci/test.py: runs pytest --pyargs mkl against the installed package and writes a JUnit report.
• ci/config.yml: the workflow, the artifact names (mkl-service {platform} Python {python}, as conda-build-test.yml names them) and the test requirement, pytest.
• conda-recipe-cf/conda_build_config.yaml: now lists the Python versions conda-build-test.yml builds today, 3.10 to 3.15 plus 3.14t and 3.15t, for ci/matrix.py. conda-build-test.yml passes --python itself, so it is unaffected. mkl-service doesn't depend on NumPy, so there is no NumPy variant.
• ci/README.md, and pointers in AGENTS.md and .github/AGENTS.md.

A pull request builds the oldest and the newest regular Python versions on Linux and Windows; pushes to master and tags build all 16.

Verification

• python ci/matrix.py lists 16 builds, Linux and Windows for 3.10 to 3.15, 3.14t and 3.15t; with --event pull_request it lists 3.10 and 3.15 on both.
• ci/config.yml passes gh-ci's own plan check.
• Lint: pre-commit run on every changed file, all hooks passing, and zizmor on intel-ci.yml, no findings.
• Tests: this pull request's Intel Python CI run built Linux and Windows for Python 3.10 and 3.15, the oldest and the newest, and ran ci/test.py against each package; on Windows 3.10, 188 passed and 22 skipped.

Not verified

• The builds a tag or a push to master adds, Python 3.11 to 3.14, 3.14t and 3.15t; they use the same jobs.
• The Jenkins side, which isn't enabled for mkl-service yet.

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The native-package pipeline requires end-to-end Linux/Windows CI validation of conda solving and runtime loading for 3.14t/3.15t, which remain unverified by standard-library-only checks.

No open issues 🎉

What changed in this PR

Adds GitHub Actions build and package testing for Intel Python CI, preparing mkl-service for Jenkins integration. Jenkins is not yet enabled for this repository.

Changes:

• Derives Linux and Windows build matrices from the conda-forge recipe, selecting four builds for pull requests and all 16 for master pushes and tags.
• Adds build and isolated package-test scripts, with pytest results written as JUnit reports.
• Documents the integration and its configuration.

File	Description
conda-recipe-cf/​conda_build_config.yaml	Declares Python versions and ABI variants for matrix generation.
ci/​test.py	Checks the interpreter and runs installed-package tests with JUnit output.
ci/​README.md	Documents CI operation and local commands.
ci/​matrix.py	Generates platform and Python matrices from build declarations.
ci/​hooks.py	Installs artifacts into clean environments and runs package tests.
ci/​config.yml	Defines the workflow, artifact naming, and test requirements.
ci/​build.py	Builds packages for a selected Python variant and collects artifacts.
AGENTS.md	Adds a pointer to Intel Python CI documentation.
.github/​workflows/​intel-ci.yml	Orchestrates matrix generation, builds, artifact uploads, and tests.
.github/​AGENTS.md	Documents the workflow and its recipe-derived matrix exception.

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[antonwolfy]

conda-forge dropped 3.10 python, and so it's a bit confusing to have 3.10 listed here

[antonwolfy]

I was planning to rely on similar matrix building in #264 where I tried to improve cf testing workflow.
But we should not have 3.10 here then.