docs(release): generalize RELEASE.md to be version-agnostic + drop one-time scaffolding

[ayhammouda]

Summary

Post-launch cleanup of .github/RELEASE.md. After running the v0.1.5 → v0.1.6 release arc through the existing runbook, three structural issues surfaced:

1. Two parallel "release process" sections (lines 32–58 "Creating a Release" + lines 73–204 "v0.1.1 Release Checklist") describing essentially the same workflow with different levels of detail. Merged into one canonical checklist.

2. Stale version-specific strings throughout: 0.1.1 in 7 places, 0.1.2 in 2 places, <owner> template URLs in 4 places. Replaced with an X.Y.Z placeholder convention and the actual repo URL.

3. Entire "Post-PyPI Launch Pack Cleanup" section (lines 164–188) was scaffolding for the PyPI debut: PRE-PYPI fence removal, manual mcp-publisher submission, docs/launch/ post coordination. All of that is now either done (PRE-PYPI gone), automated (MCP Registry publish), or out of scope (docs/launch/ is local-only).

Result

• File shrunk from 205 → 114 lines (-91, -44%)
• Single source of truth for the release process
• Lockstep version check across all 4 version-bearing files (was previously only pyproject.toml)
• Cache-bust step in fresh-install verification (lesson from v0.1.6 where uvx python-docs-mcp-server --version returned stale 0.1.5 until --refresh-package)
• MCP Registry isLatest check via JSON API (so the verification doesn't depend on a human eyeballing the registry page)

Preserved

• One-Time Setup: PyPI Trusted Publishing instructions
• Coverage notes (Python 3.13 release matrix; docs 3.10–3.14)
• mcp-publisher validate pre-tag check from PR docs(release): add mcp-publisher validate pre-tag check + backfill phase issue links #35
• Slow E2E workflow gate, Claude Desktop smoke test

Test plan

• No hardcoded 0.1.x versions except the example (0.1.7) and the historical reference (v0.1.5 → v0.1.6)
• No <owner> template strings
• mcp-publisher validate step still present
• Each command in the checklist is copy-paste-ready after substituting X.Y.Z
• CI green

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Updated internal release checklist and procedures with clarified setup instructions and structured verification steps for the release workflow.

[coderabbitai]

Caution

Review failed

The pull request is closed.

ℹ️ Recent review info

⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro Plus

Run ID: 836804b2-f63f-4c41-bd9a-5cd65faea0fe

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 2532244 and 6876ea8.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

• .github/RELEASE.md

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The release documentation in .github/RELEASE.md is replaced with a generalized, current release checklist. It documents one-time PyPI Trusted Publishing setup, specifies Python version coverage (3.13 for release, 3.12 for CI), and provides a structured verification sequence from pre-release checks through post-release validation and completion assertions.

Changes

Release Documentation Update

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Trusted Publishing Setup and Coverage Documentation .github/RELEASE.md	Adds one-time PyPI Trusted Publishing setup instructions for configuring the python-docs-mcp-server publisher, release.yml workflow, and pypi GitHub environment, alongside Python version coverage notes (3.13 for release workflow, 3.12 for CI).
Release Process Verification Checklist .github/RELEASE.md	Structures release as a sequential checklist: pre-release verification (CI green, local tests, version cross-checks including server.json validation, integration tests, doctor pass, changelog), tag and annotated release workflow, post-release verification (PyPI provenance, clean installs, full install flow, registry isLatest targeting, GitHub Release validation, optional E2E and Claude smoke tests), and final completion assertions.

Estimated Code Review Effort

🎯 1 (Trivial) | ⏱️ ~3 minutes

Possibly Related PRs

• ayhammouda/python-docs-mcp-server#28: Both PRs modify the same .github/RELEASE.md file, specifically the PyPI Trusted Publishing and release workflow setup sections, with direct overlap in the release-checklist steps and configuration references.
• ayhammouda/python-docs-mcp-server#26: Both PRs update .github/RELEASE.md release and trusted-publishing checklist content, covering overlapping areas of the release process documentation.

Poem

🐰 The release docs now dance with grace,
From chaos old to structure's place,
Each step aligned, no more to fear,
A checklist true for every year!
Trusted and clear, the path is bright—
Release with confidence and might!

✨ Finishing Touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Commit unit tests in branch chore/release-runbook-cleanup

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