[Epic] Repository Split: go-semrel → 4 Independent Repos

[mwaldheim]

Epic: Split go-semrel from Monorepo → 4 Independent Repositories

Goal: Transform go-semrel from a single monorepo into 4 independently-versioned repositories while maintaining all current features (including end-user monorepo support).

Rationale

See ADR-002. TL;DR: Clearer ownership and versioning, plugin SDK evolves independently, reduced coupling.

Repository Split Plan

Repo	Purpose	Source	Status
go-semrel (main)	CLI, release orchestration	\cmd/, \internal/\	Base
go-semrel-api	gRPC API, Protocol Buffers	\�pi/proto/v1/\	PR #101
go-semrel-plugins	Plugin SDK	\plugins/\	WIP
go-semrel-lib	Shared libs	\pkg/\	WIP

Blockers

• PR docs: ADR-001 - out-of-process plugin transport via hashicorp/go-plugin + gRPC #100: REUSE/SPDX compliance
• PR feat: define semantic_release.proto v1 plugin contract #101: Protocol Buffers definition
• PR feat: REUSE/SPDX compliance - license headers, dep5 bulk assignment, CI check #102: ADR-001

Next Steps (After PRs Merged)

1. Create new repos ✅ (done: api, plugins, lib created)
2. Use \git subtree split\ to extract code with history
3. Setup CI/workflows in new repos
4. Update go.mod imports in main repo
5. Tag coordinated v0.1.0 release

Important: Monorepo Support as FEATURE

Issues #40-43 remain fully in scope. Those are USER-FACING features for end-users who want to manage their own monorepos with go-semrel. This split is about go-semrel's internal structure only.

[mwaldheim]

✅ Infrastructure Setup Complete

All 4 repositories are now configured and ready:

Repo	Status	Details
go-semrel	Main	CLI, release orchestration
go-semrel-api	PUBLIC ✓	gRPC API, Protocol Buffers (topics: go-semrel, semantic-release, protocol-buffers, grpc, plugin-sdk)
go-semrel-plugins	PUBLIC ✓	Plugin SDK (topics: go-semrel, semantic-release, plugin-sdk, plugin-architecture)
go-semrel-lib	PUBLIC ✓	Shared libraries (topics: go-semrel, semantic-release, go-libraries)

Configuration Applied

✅ All new repos:

• Visibility: PUBLIC
• Topics: go-semrel, semantic-release, + specific topics
• CODEOWNERS: @GoSemantics/maintainers
• Issue Templates: bug_report.yml, feature_request.yml
• Discussions: Enabled
• Wiki: Enabled
• go.mod: Ready for dependency injection

✅ Main repo (feat/split-repos):

• go.mod: Updated with new module imports
• Branch: Rebased on feat/79-reuse-spdx-compliance
• PR docs(adr): ADR-002 - Repository Separation Plan #104: ADR-002 + go.mod changes
• Milestone: v0.1.0-split (PRs docs: ADR-001 - out-of-process plugin transport via hashicorp/go-plugin + gRPC #100-102 linked)

Next Phase (After PRs #100-102 merge to main)

• Use \git subtree split\ to extract code + history
• Setup CI/CD workflows in each new repo
• Cross-repo testing
• Coordinated v0.1.0 release

[mwaldheim]

⚠️ CORRECTION: Repository Split Restructured (2 repos instead of 4)

After team review, we've corrected the strategy:

Previous (Incorrect) Plan

❌ 4 repos:

• go-semrel
• go-semrel-api (ARCHIVED)
• go-semrel-plugins
• go-semrel-lib (ARCHIVED)

Current (Correct) Plan

✅ 2 repos:

• go-semrel (MAIN): CLI, release engine, api/proto/v1/, pkg/
• go-semrel-plugins (SDK): Plugin SDK for external developers

Why the Correction?

• api/proto/v1/ is small (just definitions) → keep internal in go-semrel
• pkg/ are internal libraries (changelog, commits, semver) → keep internal
• Only plugin SDK needs external visibility → separate repo makes sense

What Changed

• ADR-002 updated to reflect 2-repo architecture
• go.mod corrected (removed invalid module imports)
• go-semrel-api and go-semrel-lib marked as ARCHIVED
• PR docs(adr): ADR-002 - Repository Separation Plan #104 force-pushed with corrections

Status

✅ Architecture corrected
✅ Documentation updated
⏳ Awaiting PR #100-102 merge for code migration