ci(release): trigger releases via cron + workflow_dispatch only

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -1,9 +1,33 @@
 name: Release
 
+# Releases are triggered on a fixed schedule, not on every merge.
+# This separates "code merged to main" from "version published" — merging
+# is still cheap and frequent, releasing is a deliberate, reviewable event.
+#
+# Triggers:
+#   - schedule: nightly at 04:00 UTC. semantic-release inspects all commits
+#     since the previous tag and publishes if there's at least one
+#     releasable commit (feat, fix, perf). Otherwise the run skips silently.
+#   - workflow_dispatch: manual trigger from the Actions tab when a
+#     release should happen ahead of schedule.
+#
+# When a scheduled run skips publishing:
+#   semantic-release evaluates the ENTIRE history since the last tag, not
+#   just commits made since the previous run. A scheduled release only
+#   skips if NO releasable commits (feat/fix/perf) exist between the last
+#   tag and HEAD. Adding a chore/docs/etc. commit on top of an already-
+#   present feat does NOT suppress the release — the existing feat will
+#   still trigger it.
 on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main]
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 4 * * *'   # daily at 04:00 UTC
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      dry_run:
+        description: "Dry run — analyse commits but don't publish"
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
 
 permissions:
   contents: write       # create tags + GitHub Releases
@@ -20,6 +44,9 @@ jobs:
   release:
     name: semantic-release
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    # workflow_dispatch can be triggered against any ref via the Actions UI.
+    # Releases must only ever come from main — refuse to run on anything else.
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
     outputs:
       new-release-published: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_published }}
       new-release-version: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new_release_version }}
@@ -38,6 +65,7 @@ jobs:
         id: semantic
         uses: cycjimmy/semantic-release-action@v6
         with:
+          dry_run: ${{ inputs.dry_run || false }}
           extra_plugins: |
             @semantic-release/changelog@6
             @semantic-release/git@10

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,21 +4,13 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) and uses [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) via [semantic-release](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release).
 
-## 1.0.0 (2026-05-10)
+## Pre-1.0 development
 
-* ci: make Python lint/test job branch-tolerant for dependabot PRs (#30) ([6ee8e16](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/6ee8e16)), closes [#30](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/30) [2-#9](https://github.com/2-/issues/9) [#2](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/2) [#3](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/3) [#4](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/4) [#6](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/6) [#7](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/7) [#8](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/8) [#9](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/9)
-* ci(deps): bump the actions-all group across 1 directory with 14 updates (#9) ([a88a027](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/a88a027)), closes [#9](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/9)
-* chore: initial repository skeleton ([0319e7e](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/0319e7e))
-* chore(deps-dev): bump @commitlint/cli from 19.8.1 to 21.0.0 (#3) ([2642b26](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/2642b26)), closes [#3](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/3)
-* chore(deps-dev): bump @commitlint/config-conventional (#4) ([44be5f9](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/44be5f9)), closes [#4](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/4)
-* chore(deps-dev): bump @semantic-release/exec from 6.0.3 to 7.1.0 (#2) ([a8097b0](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/a8097b0)), closes [#2](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/2)
-* chore(deps-dev): bump @semantic-release/github from 11.0.6 to 12.0.8 (#8) ([098e766](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/098e766)), closes [#8](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/8)
-* chore(deps-dev): bump conventional-changelog-conventionalcommits (#7) ([9f5370f](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/9f5370f)), closes [#7](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/7)
-* chore(deps-dev): bump semantic-release from 24.2.9 to 25.0.3 (#6) ([306010f](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/306010f)), closes [#6](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/6)
-* feat(status): add Brother 32-byte status block parser (#29) ([ced0ff8](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/ced0ff8)), closes [#29](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/29) [#11](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/11) [#19](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/19) [#29](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/29)
-* docs: refactor — ADRs in docs/decisions/, policies in docs/policies/, slim CLAUDE.md ([51c2cf1](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/51c2cf1)), closes [#1](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/1)
-* docs(decisions): ADR 0006 — PT vs QL ESC i S behaviour from Phase-0 hardware test ([0d12c63](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/0d12c63)), closes [#12](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/12) [#11](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/11)
-* docs(decisions): ADR 0012 — layout management; clarify integration push/pull capabilities ([effcbdf](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/effcbdf)), closes [#17](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/17) [#19](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/19)
-* docs(decisions): ADR 0013 + cart UI spec + AI-review workflow ([c72dc85](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/c72dc85)), closes [#26](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/26) [#27](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/27) [#28](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/issues/28)
-* docs(docker): document image tag scheme (latest, 1.0.0, 1.0, 1) ([1f72396](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/1f72396))
-* docs(examples): sample compose files for standalone/Traefik/Pangolin/Caddy ([a2f6f3d](https://github.com/strausmann/label-printer-hub/commit/a2f6f3d))
+The project is in active **pre-1.0 development**. The public API (REST endpoints, plugin protocol, configuration shape) may change between minor versions until `1.0.0` ships. Releases on the `0.x.y` track are explicitly *not* covered by SemVer's stable-API contract.
+
+When `1.0.0` ships, that release will mark the first stable, supported version. The expected breaking-change cadence will follow normal SemVer rules from there on.
+
+<!--
+Release notes are appended below this line by semantic-release on each
+scheduled or manual release run. Do not edit them by hand.
+-->

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -182,10 +182,18 @@ The CI workflow runs the same. PRs that fail any check won't be reviewed until g
 
 ## Releases
 
-Releases are **fully automated** via semantic-release on push to `main`:
-- Conventional commit messages → version bump + changelog → tag → GitHub Release → Docker images on GHCR + Docker Hub.
+Releases are **scheduled, not on every merge.** Merging to `main` does NOT publish a release — it only bundles changes for the next scheduled release window.
 
-Maintainers do not manually tag releases.
+| Trigger | When |
+|---|---|
+| `cron: '0 4 * * *'` | Nightly at 04:00 UTC. semantic-release analyses commits since the last tag and publishes if there's anything releasable, otherwise skips silently |
+| `workflow_dispatch` | Manual button in the Actions tab. Optional `dry-run` input lets a maintainer preview what would be released without publishing |
+
+Behind the scenes, semantic-release reads the Conventional Commit messages on `main` since the previous tag, decides the next semver version, generates the `CHANGELOG.md` entry, creates the Git tag and GitHub Release, and triggers the Docker image push to GHCR and Docker Hub.
+
+**A scheduled run only skips publishing when there are no releasable commits since the last tag.** semantic-release evaluates the entire history since the previous release, not just "today's" commits. If a `feat`, `fix`, or `perf` commit is already on `main` from an earlier merge, the next scheduled run **will** publish — adding a `chore` or `docs` commit on top doesn't suppress that. To genuinely skip a release window, the only options are: rely on there being no releasable commits, or postpone merges that would bump the version.
+
+Maintainers do not manually tag releases. If a hotfix needs to ship before the next scheduled window, use the **Run workflow** button on the Release workflow in the Actions tab. The dry-run input lets a maintainer preview which version would be published before committing.
 
 ## Trademarks
 

docs/decisions/0008-conventional-commits-and-semantic-release.md

@@ -34,15 +34,21 @@ We adopt **[Conventional Commits 1.0.0](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/)**
 
 Allowed scopes: `printer-models`, `queue`, `status`, `api`, `ui`, `webhook`, `docker`, `ci`, `examples`, `docs`, `integration`, `pwa`, `security`, `release`. Validated by `commitlint` on PR titles.
 
-**Release trigger:** push to `main`. Maintainers do not manually tag releases.
+**Release trigger:** **scheduled (nightly 04:00 UTC) + manual via `workflow_dispatch`**. Merges to `main` do NOT publish releases — they only accumulate changes for the next release window. This separation means merging stays cheap and frequent, while releasing remains a deliberate event the maintainer can review or postpone.
+
+Maintainers do not manually tag releases. To trigger an unscheduled release (e.g. for a security hotfix), use the **Run workflow** button on the Release workflow.
 
 **Release pipeline:**
-1. Push to `main`
-2. `release.yml` workflow runs `semantic-release`
-3. semantic-release inspects commits since last tag → decides version bump
-4. Updates `CHANGELOG.md`, creates Git tag, creates GitHub Release
+1. Schedule fires at 04:00 UTC (or maintainer hits "Run workflow")
+2. `release.yml` workflow runs `semantic-release` against `main` HEAD
+3. semantic-release inspects commits since last tag → decides version bump (or skips if no releasable commits exist)
+4. If a release is due: updates `CHANGELOG.md`, creates Git tag, creates GitHub Release
 5. Release-published event triggers `docker-publish.yml` → builds and pushes both backend and frontend images per ADR 0007
 
+**When a scheduled run skips publishing:** semantic-release evaluates *all* commits between the last tag and HEAD, not just commits made since the previous run. A scheduled release only skips when there are no `feat`, `fix`, or `perf` commits in that range. If a previous merge already added a `feat` commit, the next scheduled run will publish — adding `chore` or `docs` commits afterwards does not suppress the release. To intentionally postpone a release window, the only mechanism is to defer merges that would bump the version.
+
+**Branch guard:** the release job runs only when `github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'`. `workflow_dispatch` can be triggered against any branch from the Actions UI; the guard ensures a release can never be published from a non-main ref.
+
 ## Options considered
 
 ### Option A — Conventional Commits + semantic-release (chosen)