From f622dff0a425223047467f49fca22c7b26b2c572 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Lawrence Chen <54008264+lawrencecchen@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:52:39 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] Update release skill to use PR workflow with CI monitoring

---
 .claude/commands/release.md | 41 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.claude/commands/release.md b/.claude/commands/release.md
index caf509f3..5145bf63 100644
--- a/.claude/commands/release.md
+++ b/.claude/commands/release.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Release
 
-Prepare a new release for cmuxterm. This command updates the changelog, bumps the version, and creates a release tag.
+Prepare a new release for cmuxterm. This command updates the changelog, bumps the version, creates a PR, monitors CI, and then merges and tags.
 
 ## Steps
 
@@ -8,33 +8,50 @@ Prepare a new release for cmuxterm. This command updates the changelog, bumps th
    - Get the current version from `GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj` (look for `MARKETING_VERSION`)
    - Bump the minor version unless the user specifies otherwise (e.g., 1.12.0 → 1.13.0)
 
-2. **Gather changes since the last release**
+2. **Create a release branch**
+   - Create branch: `git checkout -b release/vX.Y.Z`
+
+3. **Gather changes since the last release**
    - Find the most recent git tag: `git describe --tags --abbrev=0`
    - Get commits since that tag: `git log --oneline <last-tag>..HEAD --no-merges`
    - Categorize changes into: Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed
 
-3. **Update the changelog**
+4. **Update the changelog**
    - Add a new section at the top of `CHANGELOG.md` with the new version and today's date
    - Write clear, user-facing descriptions (not raw commit messages)
    - Focus on what matters to users: new features, bug fixes, breaking changes
    - Also update `docs-site/content/docs/changelog.mdx` with the same content
 
-4. **Bump the version in Xcode project**
+5. **Bump the version in Xcode project**
    - Update all occurrences of `MARKETING_VERSION` in `GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj`
    - There are typically 4 occurrences (Debug/Release for main app and CLI)
 
-5. **Commit the changes**
+6. **Commit and push the release branch**
    - Stage: `CHANGELOG.md`, `docs-site/content/docs/changelog.mdx`, `GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj`
    - Commit message: `Bump version to X.Y.Z`
+   - Push: `git push -u origin release/vX.Y.Z`
 
-6. **Create and push the tag**
-   - Create tag: `git tag vX.Y.Z`
-   - Push commits: `git push origin main`
-   - Push tag: `git push origin vX.Y.Z`
+7. **Create a pull request**
+   - Create PR: `gh pr create --title "Release vX.Y.Z" --body "...changelog summary..."`
+   - Include the changelog entries in the PR body
 
-7. **Monitor the release**
-   - Watch the workflow: `gh run watch --repo manaflow-ai/cmuxterm`
-   - Verify the release appears at: https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmuxterm/releases
+8. **Monitor CI**
+   - Watch the CI workflow: `gh pr checks --watch`
+   - If CI fails, fix the issues and push again
+   - Wait for all checks to pass before proceeding
+
+9. **Merge the PR**
+   - Merge: `gh pr merge --squash --delete-branch`
+   - Switch back to main: `git checkout main && git pull`
+
+10. **Create and push the tag**
+    - Create tag: `git tag vX.Y.Z`
+    - Push tag: `git push origin vX.Y.Z`
+
+11. **Monitor the release workflow**
+    - Watch: `gh run watch --repo manaflow-ai/cmuxterm`
+    - Verify the release appears at: https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmuxterm/releases
+    - Check that the DMG is attached to the release
 
 ## Changelog Guidelines