alpha v0.0.90 (c7ea02d3)

Release Notes: SD-16 Feedback Loop and Self-Update Hardening

Summary

Tranche 2.5 makes the Codex shell scaffold the real operational path for defect submission and self-update. The shell will be able to file a defect through a real GitHub browser handoff, consume governed release-channel indexes, display tranche release notes, install an AppImage update through a staged transaction, verify relaunch, and prove that the originally reported defect is fixed in the updated build.

User-Visible Changes

• Add shell defect submission flow that opens a prefilled GitHub issue form.
• Add alpha/beta/stable update channel selector.
• Add Check action that fetches the release-lane-generated channel index and displays release notes/update eligibility.
• Add Install action for eligible Linux AppImage builds.
• Add compact updater diagnostics showing installed state, last check, pending/rollback state, and update storage status.
• Show explicit disabled reasons for local/dev/non-AppImage/non-writable/ineligible update contexts.

Defects Fixed

• Shell defect logging is no longer a side-channel/manual process after this tranche is complete.
• Shell updates are no longer manual download/install or mock status experiences after this tranche is complete.
• Prior release/channel ambiguity is repaired by introducing develop=alpha, test=beta, main=stable, protected promotion PRs, and channel indexes.
• Prior release-note ambiguity is repaired by using canonical tranche release notes generated at tranche inception and amended by PR review.

Operational Notes

• Linux AppImage is the first-class update target for Tranche 2.5.
• .deb may remain a secondary install artifact but is not the first self-update path.
• The update-index branch is a protected update-control surface; only the release lane writes channel index files in the normal path.
• Signing is deferred, but schema fields reserve future signing support.
• Todd retains approval/merge authority for promotion PRs unless explicitly delegated.

Verification Evidence

Final release evidence must include:

• GitHub issue URL
• PR URL
• merge commit
• GitHub Release URL
• update-index commit
• manifest URL
• checksum verification result
• shell Check evidence
• shell Install/relaunch verification evidence
• post-update installed-state
• defect-fixed verification

This section must be amended by each Spec Domain PR when execution produces concrete evidence.

Known Issues

• Cryptographic signing is not implemented in Tranche 2.5; signature fields are reserved for later hardening.
• Browser issue handoff does not prove issue submission inside the shell; acceptance verifies the real GitHub issue exists externally.
• macOS and Windows updater mechanics are out of scope for this tranche.
• Repair/reinstall mode is deferred unless separately scoped.

Update Eligibility

• Eligible install target: Linux AppImage official governed builds.
• Local/dev builds may Check for release notes but cannot Install.
• Install requires:
  • selected channel index validates
  • update manifest validates
  • AppImage checksum validates
  • current managed executable path matches installed-state
  • managed path is writable or stageable
  • selected release is newer/eligible under parsed channel/version/artifact policy
• Final alpha acceptance requires the shell to consume an alpha release produced from develop and update through the shell.