ci: add semantic-release workflow and docs

.github/workflows/container-image.yml

@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
 name: Container Image
-run-name: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && format('Image - {0} ({1})', github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.message, github.event.workflow_run.head_branch) || format('Image - {0}', github.ref_name) }}
+run-name: >-
+  ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && format('Image - {0} ({1})', github.event.workflow_run.head_commit.message, github.event.workflow_run.head_branch) || github.event_name == 'pull_request' && format('Image check - PR #{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) || format('Image - {0}', github.ref_name) }}
 
 on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
   # Break-glass: bypasses CI/E2E gate. Use only when CI is broken and a hotfix image is urgently needed.
   workflow_dispatch:
   workflow_run:
     workflows: ["CI"]
     types: [completed]
     branches: [main]
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - "v*"
 
 concurrency:
-  # Use the commit SHA across all trigger types so a workflow_run completion and a
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && github.event.workflow_run.head_sha || github.event_name == 'pull_request' && format('pr-{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) || github.sha }}
-  # simultaneous tag push for the same commit share one concurrency slot and cancel correctly.
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && github.event.workflow_run.head_sha || github.sha }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 permissions:
@@ -28,10 +26,11 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   image:
-    name: Build and Push Image
+    name: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && 'Build and Scan Image' || 'Build and Push Image' }}
     if: >
-      github.event_name != 'workflow_run' ||
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
-      (github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' && github.event.workflow_run.event == 'push')
+      github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' ||
+      (github.event_name == 'workflow_run' && github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' && github.event.workflow_run.event == 'push')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 45
     permissions:
@@ -48,7 +47,6 @@ jobs:
           GH_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
           WORKFLOW_RUN_HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
         run: |
-          # SHA resolution mirrors the concurrency group logic at the top of this workflow.
           if [[ "$EVENT_NAME" == "workflow_dispatch" && "$GH_REF" != "refs/heads/main" ]]; then
             echo "workflow_dispatch is only supported from main."
             exit 1
@@ -63,41 +61,28 @@ jobs:
           SHORT_SHA="${SHA:0:12}"
           IMAGE="$REGISTRY/$IMAGE_NAME"
 
-          PRIMARY_TAG="$GH_REF_NAME"
-
           echo "checkout_ref=${SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "image=${IMAGE}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "scan_tag=${IMAGE}:sha-${SHORT_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          echo "tags<<EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
-          echo "${IMAGE}:${PRIMARY_TAG}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          if [[ "$EVENT_NAME" == "pull_request" ]]; then
-          echo "${IMAGE}:sha-${SHORT_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "should_push=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          echo "EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "tags<<EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "${IMAGE}:sha-${SHORT_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "should_push=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "tags<<EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "${IMAGE}:${GH_REF_NAME}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "${IMAGE}:sha-${SHORT_SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
 
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
         with:
           ref: ${{ steps.vars.outputs.checkout_ref }}
 
-      - name: Verify CI succeeded for tag commit
-        if: github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
-        shell: bash
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-          COMMIT_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
-          GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
-        run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          echo "Checking CI status for commit ${COMMIT_SHA}..."
-          success_count=$(gh api --paginate \
-            "repos/${GH_REPO}/actions/workflows/ci.yml/runs?head_sha=${COMMIT_SHA}&status=completed&event=push&branch=main" \
-            --jq '[.workflow_runs[] | select(.conclusion == "success")] | length' \
-            | awk '{sum += $1} END {print sum}')
-          if [[ "${success_count:-0}" -lt 1 ]]; then
-            echo "No successful CI run found for tag commit ${COMMIT_SHA}. Refusing to publish image."
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          echo "CI verification passed: ${success_count} successful run(s) found."
-
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
         uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@4d04d5d9486b7bd6fa91e7baf45bbb4f8b9deedd # v4.0.0
 
@@ -124,6 +109,7 @@ jobs:
           exit-code: "1"
 
       - name: Log in to GHCR
+        if: steps.vars.outputs.should_push == 'true'
         uses: docker/login-action@4907a6ddec9925e35a0a9e82d7399ccc52663121 # v4.1.0
         with:
           registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
@@ -131,6 +117,7 @@ jobs:
           password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Push image
+        if: steps.vars.outputs.should_push == 'true'
         shell: bash
         run: |
           while IFS= read -r tag; do

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,233 @@
+name: Release
+run-name: >-
+  ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && format('Release - {0}', github.ref_name) || format('Release checks - PR #{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) }}
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && 'release' || format('pr-{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' }}
+
+permissions:
+  actions: read
+  contents: write
+  issues: write
+  pull-requests: write
+  packages: write
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+  NODE_VERSION: "24"
+  PNPM_VERSION: "10"
+
+jobs:
+  commitlint:
+    name: Lint PR Title
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js and pnpm
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+          pnpm-version: ${{ env.PNPM_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: Lint PR title
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          PR_TITLE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}
+        run: printf '%s\n' "$PR_TITLE" | pnpm exec commitlint --config commitlint.config.cjs
+
+  release-dry-run:
+    name: Release Dry Run
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js and pnpm
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+          pnpm-version: ${{ env.PNPM_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: Semantic release dry run
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: pnpm exec semantic-release --dry-run --no-ci
+
+  release:
+    name: Publish Release
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+    outputs:
+      published: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_published }}
+      version: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_version }}
+      tag: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_git_tag }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Guard against non-main branch
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          GH_REF: ${{ github.ref }}
+        run: |
+          if [[ "$GH_REF" != "refs/heads/main" ]]; then
+            echo "::error::Release workflow must be dispatched from main. Current ref: $GH_REF"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Verify CI success for current SHA
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          COMMIT_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
+          GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          echo "Checking CI status for commit ${COMMIT_SHA}..."
+          success_count=$(gh api --paginate \
+            "repos/${GH_REPO}/actions/workflows/ci.yml/runs?head_sha=${COMMIT_SHA}&status=completed&event=push&branch=main" \
+            --jq '[.workflow_runs[] | select(.conclusion == "success")] | length' \
+            | awk '{sum += $1} END {print sum}')
+          if [[ "${success_count:-0}" -lt 1 ]]; then
+            echo "::error::No successful CI run found for commit ${COMMIT_SHA}. Refusing to release."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "CI verification passed: ${success_count} successful run(s) found."
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js and pnpm
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node-pnpm
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+          pnpm-version: ${{ env.PNPM_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: Run semantic-release
+        id: semantic
+        uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@16ca923e6ccbb50770c415a0ccd43709a8c5f7a4 # v4.2.2
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Release summary
+        if: steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_published == 'true'
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_version }}
+          TAG: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_git_tag }}
+        run: |
+          echo "## Release Published" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          echo "" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          echo "- **Version:** ${VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          echo "- **Tag:** ${TAG}" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+
+  docker-publish:
+    name: Publish Docker Image
+    needs: [release]
+    if: needs.release.outputs.published == 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 45
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+    env:
+      REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+      IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ needs.release.outputs.tag }}
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@4d04d5d9486b7bd6fa91e7baf45bbb4f8b9deedd # v4.0.0
+
+      - name: Resolve image tags
+        id: tags
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.release.outputs.version }}
+          REGISTRY: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          IMAGE: ${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
+        run: |
+          FULL_IMAGE="${REGISTRY}/${IMAGE}"
+          echo "scan_tag=${FULL_IMAGE}:${VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "tags<<EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "${FULL_IMAGE}:${VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "${FULL_IMAGE}:latest" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "EOF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Build image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@bcafcacb16a39f128d818304e6c9c0c18556b85f # v7.1.0
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: ./Dockerfile
+          push: false
+          load: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.tags }}
+          platforms: linux/amd64
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+
+      - name: Scan image with Trivy
+        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@ed142fd0673e97e23eac54620cfb913e5ce36c25 # v0.36.0
+        with:
+          image-ref: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.scan_tag }}
+          format: table
+          vuln-type: os,library
+          severity: CRITICAL,HIGH
+          ignore-unfixed: true
+          exit-code: "1"
+
+      - name: Log in to GHCR
+        uses: docker/login-action@4907a6ddec9925e35a0a9e82d7399ccc52663121 # v4.1.0
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Push image
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          while IFS= read -r tag; do
+            [ -n "$tag" ] || continue
+            docker push "$tag"
+          done <<'EOF'
+          ${{ steps.tags.outputs.tags }}
+          EOF
+
+      - name: Docker publish summary
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.release.outputs.version }}
+        run: |
+          echo "## Docker Image Published" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          echo "" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          echo "- **Tags:** \`${VERSION}\`, \`latest\`" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"

.releaserc.json

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+{
+  "branches": ["main"],
+  "tagFormat": "v${version}",
+  "plugins": [
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
+      {
+        "preset": "conventionalcommits",
+        "releaseRules": [
+          { "type": "feat", "release": "minor" },
+          { "type": "fix", "release": "patch" },
+          { "type": "perf", "release": "patch" },
+          { "type": "security", "release": "patch" },
+          { "type": "db", "release": "patch" },
+          { "type": "style", "release": "patch" },
+          { "type": "revert", "release": false }
+        ]
+      }
+    ],
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator",
+      {
+        "preset": "conventionalcommits",
+        "presetConfig": {
+          "types": [
+            { "type": "feat", "section": "Features" },
+            { "type": "fix", "section": "Bug Fixes" },
+            { "type": "security", "section": "Security" },
+            { "type": "perf", "section": "Performance" },
+            { "type": "db", "section": "Database" },
+            { "type": "style", "section": "Visual Changes" }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    ],
+    "@semantic-release/github"
+  ]
+}

DEVELOPMENT.md

@@ -368,6 +368,19 @@ The same pipeline plus:
 
 - **Container image build** (`.github/workflows/container-image.yml`) - Builds a Docker image and pushes to GitHub Container Registry.
 
+### Releases
+
+Releases are created manually via `workflow_dispatch` on the `release.yml` workflow. The release workflow:
+
+1. Verifies CI has passed for the current `main` commit.
+2. Runs semantic-release to determine the next version from commit history.
+3. Creates a Git tag and GitHub Release with auto-generated release notes.
+4. Builds, scans, and publishes a Docker image with version and `latest` tags.
+
+PR titles are validated by commitlint to ensure they follow the [commit guidelines](COMMIT_GUIDELINES.md). Only releasable types (`feat`, `fix`, `perf`, `security`, `db`, `style`) trigger version bumps.
+
+For the full release runbook, see [`docs/release-process.md`](docs/release-process.md).
+
 ### E2E in CI
 
 E2E suites are dispatched automatically based on which files changed. On nightly builds and manual dispatches, all suites run. Each suite runs in its own job with a dedicated PostgreSQL service container.

README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # BookOrbit
 
 [![CI](https://github.com/neonsolstice/bookorbit/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/neonsolstice/bookorbit/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+[![Release](https://github.com/neonsolstice/bookorbit/actions/workflows/release.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/neonsolstice/bookorbit/actions/workflows/release.yml)
 
 A self-hostable book and library management app with Kobo device support. Organize your epub, pdf, and cbz collections, track reading progress, and sync with your Kobo.
 
@@ -92,14 +93,13 @@ All commands run from the **repo root** unless noted otherwise.
 
 ### Everyday workflow
 
-| Command              | Description                                        |
+| Command              | Description                                         |
-| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
+| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
-| `pnpm setup`         | One-time bootstrap                                 |
+| `pnpm setup`         | One-time bootstrap                                  |
-| `pnpm dev`           | Daily development                                  |
+| `pnpm dev`           | Daily development                                   |
-| `pnpm verify`        | Default local checks before push                   |
+| `pnpm verify`        | Default local checks before push                    |
-| `pnpm quick`         | Faster local checks while coding                   |
+| `pnpm verify:fast`   | Faster local checks while coding (lint + typecheck) |
-| `pnpm verify:strict` | Aspirational strict gate (format + full typecheck) |
+| `pnpm verify:strict` | Aspirational strict gate (format + full typecheck)  |
-| `pnpm guide`         | Print command reference                            |
 
 ### Development
 
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ All commands run from the **repo root** unless noted otherwise.
 
 ### Testing
 
-| Command                         | Description                  |
+| Command                               | Description                  |
-| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
+| ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
-| `pnpm test`                     | Server + client unit tests   |
+| `pnpm test`                           | Server + client unit tests   |
-| `pnpm test:server`              | Server unit tests            |
+| `pnpm test:server`                    | Server unit tests            |
-| `pnpm test:client`              | Client unit tests            |
+| `pnpm test:client`                    | Client unit tests            |
-| `pnpm test:e2e:smoke`           | Server smoke e2e             |
+| `pnpm run e2e:run -- guard-mechanics` | Server smoke e2e             |
-| `pnpm coverage`                 | Coverage for server + client |
+| `pnpm coverage`                       | Coverage for server + client |
-| `pnpm --filter server test:e2e` | Server e2e only              |
+| `pnpm --filter server test:e2e`       | Server e2e only              |
 
 ### Database
 
@@ -133,25 +133,21 @@ All commands run from the **repo root** unless noted otherwise.
 
 ### Production operations
 
-| Command                                    | Description                                  |
+| Command          | Description                           |
-| ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------------------- |
-| `pnpm prod:up`                             | Start/update production compose stack        |
+| `pnpm prod:up`   | Start/update production compose stack |
-| `pnpm prod:down`                           | Stop production compose stack                |
+| `pnpm prod:down` | Stop production compose stack         |
-| `pnpm db:backup:prod`                      | Create Postgres backup (`local/backups/`)    |
-| `pnpm db:restore:prod -- <file.dump>`      | Restore backup into production database      |
-| `pnpm db:restore:test:prod -- <file.dump>` | Restore into temp DB to validate backup file |
 
 ### Linting & formatting
 
-| Command                                 | Description                                |
+| Command               | Description                        |
-| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
+| --------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
-| `pnpm format:check`                     | Check formatting                           |
+| `pnpm format:check`   | Check formatting                   |
-| `pnpm format`                           | Auto-format source files                   |
+| `pnpm format`         | Auto-format source files           |
-| `pnpm lint:check`                       | Non-mutating lint checks                   |
+| `pnpm lint:check`     | Non-mutating lint checks           |
-| `pnpm lint:fix`                         | Auto-fix lint issues                       |
+| `pnpm lint:fix`       | Auto-fix lint issues               |
-| `pnpm typecheck`                        | Server typecheck + no-new client TS errors |
+| `pnpm typecheck`      | Typecheck server + client          |
-| `pnpm typecheck:full`                   | Typecheck server + client (strict)         |
+| `pnpm typecheck:full` | Typecheck server + client (strict) |
-| `pnpm typecheck:client:baseline:update` | Refresh accepted client TS baseline        |
 
 ---
 
@@ -375,9 +371,10 @@ Make sure you're accessing the client at `http://localhost:5173` (not port 3000)
 
 ## Further Reading
 
-| Doc                                        | What it covers                                               |
+| Doc                                                  | What it covers                                               |
-| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
-| [`docs/production.md`](docs/production.md) | Production compose deployment, backups, restore testing      |
+| [`docs/production.md`](docs/production.md)           | Production compose deployment, backups, restore testing      |
-| [`server/README.md`](server/README.md)     | Backend module map, DB commands, NestJS conventions          |
+| [`docs/release-process.md`](docs/release-process.md) | Release workflow, PR title format, Docker publish, rollback  |
-| [`client/README.md`](client/README.md)     | Frontend project layout, IDE setup, Vue/Tailwind conventions |
+| [`server/README.md`](server/README.md)               | Backend module map, DB commands, NestJS conventions          |
-| [`packages/types/`](packages/types/)       | Shared type definitions between server and client            |
+| [`client/README.md`](client/README.md)               | Frontend project layout, IDE setup, Vue/Tailwind conventions |
+| [`packages/types/`](packages/types/)                 | Shared type definitions between server and client            |

commitlint.config.cjs

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+module.exports = {
+  extends: ["@commitlint/config-conventional"],
+  rules: {
+    "type-enum": [2, "always", ["feat", "fix", "db", "perf", "refactor", "style", "docs", "test", "build", "ci", "chore", "security", "revert"]],
+    "scope-enum": [
+      2,
+      "always",
+      [
+        "auth",
+        "library",
+        "books",
+        "authors",
+        "series",
+        "cover",
+        "metadata",
+        "kobo",
+        "opds",
+        "reader",
+        "collections",
+        "annotations",
+        "users",
+        "stats",
+        "notifications",
+        "settings",
+        "scanner",
+        "email",
+        "audit",
+        "smart-scope",
+        "types",
+        "docker",
+        "deps",
+        "server",
+        "client",
+      ],
+    ],
+    "scope-empty": [0],
+  },
+};

docs/release-process.md

@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+# Release Process
+
+This document covers how releases are created, what triggers Docker image publishing, and how to roll back if needed.
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+BookOrbit uses [semantic-release](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release) for automated versioning and GitHub Release creation. Releases are triggered manually via `workflow_dispatch` and produce:
+
+- A Git tag (`vX.Y.Z`)
+- A GitHub Release with auto-generated release notes
+- A Docker image pushed to GHCR (`X.Y.Z` + `latest`)
+
+---
+
+## PR Requirements
+
+### Squash merge required
+
+All PRs to `main` must use **squash merge**. The squash commit message becomes the commit that semantic-release analyzes for version bumps.
+
+### PR title format
+
+PR titles must follow the [commit guidelines](../COMMIT_GUIDELINES.md):
+
+```
+<type>(<scope>): <summary>
+```
+
+The PR title is validated by commitlint in the release workflow. Invalid titles will fail the `Lint PR Title` check.
+
+### Types that trigger releases
+
+| Type       | Release | Notes                    |
+| ---------- | ------- | ------------------------ |
+| `feat`     | minor   | New features             |
+| `fix`      | patch   | Bug fixes                |
+| `perf`     | patch   | Performance improvements |
+| `security` | patch   | Security patches         |
+| `db`       | patch   | Database/schema changes  |
+| `style`    | patch   | Visual/CSS changes       |
+| `revert`   | none    | No release               |
+| `refactor` | none    | No release               |
+| `docs`     | none    | No release               |
+| `test`     | none    | No release               |
+| `build`    | none    | No release               |
+| `ci`       | none    | No release               |
+| `chore`    | none    | No release               |
+
+Breaking changes (`BREAKING CHANGE:` in footer) always trigger a **major** release regardless of type.
+
+---
+
+## Manual Release Runbook
+
+Releases are triggered manually from the GitHub Actions UI.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+1. All changes are merged to `main`.
+2. CI has passed for the latest commit on `main`.
+
+### Steps
+
+1. Go to **Actions** > **Release** workflow.
+2. Click **Run workflow**.
+3. Select `main` branch.
+4. Click **Run workflow**.
+
+The workflow will:
+
+1. Verify the dispatch is from `main`.
+2. Verify CI has passed for the current commit.
+3. Run semantic-release to determine the next version.
+4. Create a Git tag and GitHub Release with release notes.
+5. Build, scan, and push the Docker image (if a new version was published).
+
+### No release produced
+
+If all commits since the last release are non-releasable types (`chore`, `docs`, `test`, `build`, `ci`, `refactor`), semantic-release will skip the release. The Docker publish job will also be skipped.
+
+---
+
+## Docker Image Publishing
+
+### Release images
+
+The `release.yml` workflow publishes Docker images after a successful release:
+
+- `ghcr.io/neonsolstice/bookorbit:<X.Y.Z>` - version-specific tag
+- `ghcr.io/neonsolstice/bookorbit:latest` - latest stable release
+
+Images are scanned with Trivy before push. If critical or high vulnerabilities are found, the push is blocked.
+
+### Continuous validation images
+
+The `container-image.yml` workflow still runs on CI success (push to `main`) and publishes validation images with branch and SHA tags. These are not release images.
+
+---
+
+## Rollback
+
+### Rolling back to a previous release
+
+To deploy a previous version:
+
+```bash
+# In your production docker-compose.yml or .env, set:
+APP_IMAGE=ghcr.io/neonsolstice/bookorbit:X.Y.Z
+```
+
+Replace `X.Y.Z` with the version you want to roll back to, then redeploy:
+
+```bash
+pnpm prod:down
+pnpm prod:up
+```
+
+### Deleting a bad release tag
+
+If a release was created in error and needs to be removed:
+
+```bash
+# Delete tag locally and remotely
+git tag -d vX.Y.Z
+git push origin :refs/tags/vX.Y.Z
+```
+
+Then delete the corresponding GitHub Release from the Releases page.
+
+---
+
+## Release Workflow Architecture
+
+The `release.yml` workflow has four jobs:
+
+```
+┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
+│  commitlint  │     │ release-dry-run  │    (PR only)
+└──────────────┘     └──────────────────┘
+
+┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
+│   release    │────>│  docker-publish  │    (workflow_dispatch only)
+└──────────────┘     └──────────────────┘
+```
+
+- **commitlint**: Validates PR title format (PR only).
+- **release-dry-run**: Runs semantic-release in dry-run mode to validate config (PR only).
+- **release**: Creates the actual release (manual dispatch only). Outputs `published`, `version`, and `tag`.
+- **docker-publish**: Builds and pushes Docker image (only when a release was published).
+
+### Concurrency
+
+- PR checks cancel older runs for the same PR.
+- Manual release runs are serialized and never canceled mid-flight.
+- PR checks and manual releases do not block each other.
+
+---
+
+## Configuration Files
+
+| File                            | Purpose                                          |
+| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
+| `.releaserc.json`               | semantic-release config (plugins, release rules) |
+| `commitlint.config.cjs`         | commitlint config (type/scope validation)        |
+| `.github/workflows/release.yml` | Release and Docker publish workflow              |

package.json

@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
   "packageManager": "pnpm@10.32.1",
   "scripts": {
     "setup": "bash ./scripts/bootstrap/local.sh",
-    "dev": "concurrently --names \"types,server,client\" --prefix-colors \"cyan,blue,green\" \"pnpm --filter @bookorbit/types dev\" \"npm run dev:server\" \"npm run dev:client\"",
+    "dev": "concurrently --names \"types,server,client\" --prefix-colors \"cyan,blue,green\" \"pnpm --filter @bookorbit/types dev\" \"pnpm run dev:server\" \"pnpm run dev:client\"",
-    "dev:client": "cd client && npm run dev -- --host",
+    "dev:client": "cd client && pnpm dev -- --host",
-    "dev:server": "cd server && npm run start:dev",
+    "dev:server": "cd server && pnpm start:dev",
-    "verify:fast": "pnpm run lint:check && pnpm run typecheck && pnpm run test",
+    "verify:fast": "pnpm run lint:check && pnpm run typecheck",
     "verify": "pnpm run lint:check && pnpm run typecheck && pnpm run test",
     "verify:strict": "pnpm run format:check && pnpm run lint:check && pnpm run typecheck:full && pnpm run test",
     "build:client": "pnpm --filter client build",
@@ -44,10 +44,17 @@
     "pnpm": ">=9"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@commitlint/cli": "^19.8.1",
+    "@commitlint/config-conventional": "^19.8.1",
+    "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer": "^13.0.1",
+    "@semantic-release/github": "^11.0.1",
+    "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator": "^14.0.3",
     "concurrently": "^9.2.1",
+    "conventional-changelog-conventionalcommits": "^8.0.0",
     "husky": "^9.1.7",
     "lint-staged": "^16.4.0",
-    "prettier": "^3.8.3"
+    "prettier": "^3.8.3",
+    "semantic-release": "^24.2.5"
   },
   "lint-staged": {
     "*.{md,json,yml,yaml}": [