cut-rc-release

name

cut-rc-release

description

Cut a coco prerelease/RC from a dedicated `release/X.Y.Z-rc` branch. Use when the user asks to create a first or follow-up `vX.Y.Z-rc.N` release, version packages in Changesets prerelease mode, commit `.changeset/pre.json` plus package manifests and changelogs, tag the release commit, and push the prerelease branch and tag. Supports dry-run, preview, and rehearsal requests by stopping before push.

Cut RC Release

Purpose

Run the local git-side workflow for a coco RC release. This skill prepares the release commit and tag only; npm publish happens later when a GitHub prerelease is created for the tag.

Use this for tags like v2.0.0-rc.0. Do not use it for stable vX.Y.Z releases; use $cut-stable-release instead.

Safety

• Work from a clean worktree. If git status -sb shows local changes, stop.
• Use a dedicated prerelease branch named release/X.Y.Z-rc.
• Do not run changeset publish and do not create a GitHub Release from this skill. The publish workflow validates the committed .changeset/pre.json, removes it only in the CI checkout, and publishes with --tag rc.
• Treat dry run, dry-run, --dry-run, preview, or rehearsal as a request to create the local commit and tag but skip pushing.
• Networked git commands usually need escalation.

Workflow

1. Decide whether this is dry-run mode.

2. Confirm the worktree is clean:

   git status -sb
   

3. Confirm or create the prerelease branch.

   If already on release/X.Y.Z-rc, continue. If starting a new RC cycle from master, sync master and create the prerelease branch:

   git fetch origin master --tags
   git switch master
   git pull --ff-only origin master
   git switch -c release/X.Y.Z-rc
   

   If the current worktree is not a dedicated release worktree, create a new worktree instead of switching a feature worktree in place.

4. Confirm there are pending changesets:

   find .changeset -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.md' ! -name 'README.md' | sort
   

   If this is empty, stop unless the user explicitly asked for a no-change RC.

5. Enter prerelease mode only when needed:

   test -f .changeset/pre.json || bunx changeset pre enter rc
   

   If .changeset/pre.json exists, inspect it before continuing. It must have mode: "pre" and tag: "rc".

6. Generate prerelease versions and changelogs:

   bunx changeset version
   

7. Derive release metadata from the versioned files:

   eval "$(.agents/skills/cut-rc-release/scripts/derive-rc-release-metadata.sh)"
   printf '%s\n' "$NEW_PACKAGE_VERSION" "$NEW_RELEASE_TAG" "$RELEASE_BRANCH" "$COMMIT_MESSAGE"
   

8. Validate the committed release state and build:

   env RELEASE_TAG="$NEW_RELEASE_TAG" RELEASE_PRERELEASE=true PRERELEASE_TAG=rc \
     bun scripts/check-release.ts
   bun install --frozen-lockfile
   bun run build
   

9. Review the diff before committing:

   git diff --name-only
   git diff --stat
   

   Expect only .changeset/, packages/*/package.json, and packages/*/CHANGELOG.md release-file changes. Stop if unrelated files changed.

10. Commit and tag:

    git add .changeset packages/*/package.json packages/*/CHANGELOG.md
    git commit -m "$COMMIT_MESSAGE"
    git tag "$NEW_RELEASE_TAG"
    

11. Finish.

    Normal mode:

    git push --atomic origin "$RELEASE_BRANCH" "refs/tags/$NEW_RELEASE_TAG"
    

    Dry-run mode:

    git status -sb
    git log --decorate --oneline -1
    git show --stat --decorate --no-patch HEAD
    git tag --list "$NEW_RELEASE_TAG"
    

12. Report the package version, tag, release branch, commit SHA, and whether the branch/tag were pushed or intentionally left local.

Notes

• For a follow-up RC, merge or otherwise bring the intended changesets onto the existing prerelease branch first, then run this workflow from step 4.
• If validation fails, fix the release files before tagging. Do not bypass scripts/check-release.ts.