ctms/docs/guides/client-release.md

# CTMS Web and Desktop Release Guide

## Release Unit

CTMS uses one repository, one promotion path, and one product version. Web and
Desktop are build targets from the same source commit, not separately versioned
products.

The release identity consists of:

- semantic version, for example `1.8.0`
- Git tag, for example `v1.8.0`
- full Git commit SHA
- build channel: `dev`, `main`, or `release`
- client type: `web` or `desktop`

## Runtime Boundary

Shared Vue business code lives under `frontend/src/`. Platform decisions are
exposed through `frontend/src/runtime/index.ts`.

The runtime contract currently provides:

- API base URL resolution
- Web, macOS, Windows, and Linux runtime identification
- app version, source commit, build channel, and client type metadata
- explicit capability flags
- Desktop server address configuration
- secure session storage
- file picker/save/open adapters
- desktop system notification adapters
- desktop updater adapters
- native desktop application menu and shortcut synchronization
- desktop window lifecycle and system appearance synchronization

Business modules must use this public runtime entry point. They must not inspect
Tauri globals or import Tauri packages directly. Native files, notifications,
secure session storage, and automatic updates must remain behind
`frontend/src/runtime/` and explicit capability flags.

Desktop menu accelerators and window appearance are synchronized through narrow
Tauri commands owned by `frontend/src/runtime/`. macOS close/reopen behavior is
handled by the Tauri event loop so a genuinely closed main window can be rebuilt from the Dock;
these concerns must not move into Vue business modules.

## Version Change

Update every client manifest with one command:

```bash
cd frontend
npm run version:set -- 1.8.0
npm run version:check
```

This synchronizes:

- `frontend/package.json`
- `frontend/package-lock.json`
- `frontend/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json`
- `frontend/src-tauri/Cargo.toml`
- `frontend/src-tauri/Cargo.lock`

Manual edits that leave these files inconsistent fail CI.

## Stabilization Gates

Client builds require Node.js 22.13.0 or newer. The development frontend container,
Web CI, macOS and Windows release candidates, Windows internal validation, and the
production Web image use the same Node 22.13 baseline.

Client release candidates must pass the shared Web checks and the Desktop
release/security gate before promotion:

```bash
cd frontend
npm run version:check
npm run release:env:check
npm run runtime:check
npm run desktop:release:check
npm run ui:contract
npm run type-check
npm run test:unit
npm run build
npm run desktop:build:app
```

`release:env:check` verifies build channel and commit metadata, and becomes
platform-strict with `REQUIRE_DESKTOP_SIGNING=true` on macOS or
`REQUIRE_WINDOWS_SIGNING=true` on Windows.
`desktop:release:check` statically verifies the Tauri bundle, updater public
key, CSP, capability scopes, command allowlist, query-token ban, generic system
notification boundary, CI gate coverage, and secure session token boundary. The
full manual release, security, regression, and Desktop UX checklist lives in
`docs/audits/desktop-release-stabilization-checklist.md`.

## Promotion

1. Merge feature branches into `dev`.
2. Require the shared client/Web and macOS/Windows Desktop CI jobs to pass.
3. Promote the accepted scope from `dev` to `main`.
4. Set the release version and complete regression testing on `main`.
5. Promote `main` to `release`.
6. Create the matching `vX.Y.Z` tag on the accepted `release` commit.
7. Build both Web and Desktop artifacts from that exact tag.

Build metadata is injected by CI:

```bash
VITE_BUILD_CHANNEL=release
VITE_BUILD_COMMIT="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
```

These values support diagnostics but do not replace the semantic version.

## Desktop Updater

Formal Desktop release builds must use Tauri updater signatures. The application
embeds the updater public key in `frontend/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json`; the
private key must live only in the organization key vault or CI secret store.

Runtime update checks derive the feed from the currently configured CTMS origin:

```text
/desktop-updates/stable/latest.json
```

Production update feeds must use HTTPS. Local update testing may use HTTP only
for `localhost`, `127.0.0.1`, or `::1`.

The release pipeline must:

1. build from the accepted release tag and commit;
2. build the Universal macOS app/DMG and Windows x64 NSIS installer from that tag;
3. sign and notarize macOS, and Authenticode-sign Windows with an RFC 3161 timestamp;
4. produce macOS `.app.tar.gz` and Windows `.nsis.zip` updater artifacts plus their `.sig` files with the shared updater private key;
5. generate one combined `latest.json` and checksum manifest with `npm run desktop:update-feed:create`;
6. verify all macOS and Windows entries with `npm run desktop:update-feed:check -- --feed <release-dir>/latest.json --artifacts-dir <release-dir> --require-platform windows-x86_64`;
7. upload immutable artifacts first;
8. atomically replace `latest.json` last.

For Universal macOS artifacts, `latest.json` must provide both
`darwin-aarch64` and `darwin-x86_64` entries pointing at the same Universal
update package.

The same feed must also contain `windows-x86_64`, pointing to the signed NSIS
`.nsis.zip` updater package. The Windows `.exe` installer is distributed next
to the updater package but is not used as the updater URL.

The signed release candidate workflow lives at
`.github/workflows/desktop-release-candidate.yml`. It must be run from a
matching `vX.Y.Z` tag and produces a verified release directory as a GitHub
artifact. That artifact is still only a release candidate; the release owner
must upload immutable files to the production download origin and replace
`latest.json` atomically after validation.

## Windows Release and Internal Validation

Windows x64 NSIS is an approved formal Desktop target. Formal Windows builds
run in `.github/workflows/desktop-release-candidate.yml` from the same exact
`vX.Y.Z` tag and SHA as Web and macOS. They must:

- import a Base64-encoded PFX from `WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE` using
  `WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD`;
- configure the imported certificate thumbprint, SHA-256 digest,
  `WINDOWS_TIMESTAMP_URL`, and RFC 3161 timestamp mode dynamically in CI;
- set `REQUIRE_WINDOWS_SIGNING=true` and use the updater signing secrets;
- verify the application and installer with `Get-AuthenticodeSignature`,
  including signer and timestamp certificates;
- publish the signed NSIS `.exe`, `.nsis.zip`, and `.nsis.zip.sig` into the
  combined verified Desktop release directory.

Windows release validation also covers:

- WebView2 runtime prerequisite behavior;
- user-level installer assumptions;
- Windows Credential Manager session storage;
- path handling and temporary file cleanup;
- notification and updater compilation;
- code-signing trust, timestamp validity, and updater signature verification.

The manual internal Windows validation workflow lives at
`.github/workflows/desktop-windows-internal.yml`. It is `workflow_dispatch`
only, runs on `windows-latest`, injects `VITE_BUILD_CHANNEL` and
`VITE_BUILD_COMMIT` from the selected branch context, executes the shared client
and Desktop safety gates, builds an unsigned NSIS installer with updater
artifacts disabled, and uploads the `.exe` plus `SHA256SUMS.txt` as a GitHub
Actions artifact. This workflow is for internal compatibility verification
only; it must not generate `latest.json`, update feeds, signed release
directories, or formal Windows release artifacts. A successful internal build
does not substitute for the signed tag-only release workflow.

The formal workflow requires these organization settings:

- secrets: `TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY`,
  `TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD`, `WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE`, and
  `WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD`;
- variable: `WINDOWS_TIMESTAMP_URL`;
- shared versioned HTTPS artifact prefix: `DESKTOP_UPDATE_BASE_URL` or the
  manual workflow input.

The checked-in workflow implements the exportable PFX path. Confirm that the
organization's certificate policy permits an exportable CI certificate before
provisioning it. If the selected CA provides only hardware- or cloud-backed
keys, replace the PFX import with a reviewed Tauri `signCommand` integration
(for example, the organization's Azure signing provider) while retaining the
same Authenticode and timestamp verification gates.

## Required Checks

```bash
cd frontend
npm ci
npm run version:check
export VITE_BUILD_CHANNEL=release
export VITE_BUILD_COMMIT="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
npm run release:env:check
npm run runtime:check
npm run desktop:release:check
npm run ui:contract
npm run type-check
npm run test:unit
npm run build
npm run desktop:build:app
export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY="$UPDATER_PRIVATE_KEY"
export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD="$UPDATER_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD"
export REQUIRE_DESKTOP_SIGNING=true
npm run release:env:check
npm run desktop:release-readiness:check
npm run desktop:build:macos-release -- --ci
npm run desktop:update-feed:create -- --artifact <CTMS.app.tar.gz> --platform-artifact windows-x86_64=<CTMS.nsis.zip> --include <CTMS.dmg> --include <CTMS-installer.exe> --base-url <versioned-https-artifact-prefix> --output-dir <release-dir>
npm run desktop:update-feed:check -- --feed <release-dir>/latest.json --artifacts-dir <release-dir> --require-platform windows-x86_64
```

The macOS and Windows signed builds run in their native CI jobs. macOS requires
the Apple signing/notarization credentials defined by the release owner;
Windows requires the PFX certificate/password and timestamp URL above. Both use
the same updater signing key and are aggregated only after both native jobs
pass. Unsigned internal builds are not formal distributions.