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+# Releasing ScreenTinker
+
+`VERSION` (repo root) is the single source of truth the server reports at runtime.
+Cutting a release is three steps.
+
+## 1. Bump + tag
+
+```bash
+scripts/bump-version.sh X.Y.Z        # or: major | minor | patch
+```
+
+Syncs `VERSION`, `server/package.json` (+lockfile), the android `versionName` /
+`versionCode`, and the tizen widget version in one commit, then creates an
+annotated tag `vX.Y.Z`. It does NOT push - it prints the push command. Requires a
+clean working tree.
+
+## 2. Push (this publishes the release)
+
+```bash
+git push origin main && git push origin vX.Y.Z
+```
+
+Pushing the tag fires `.github/workflows/release.yml`:
+
+- **verify** - refuses to publish if the tag does not match `VERSION`.
+- **test** - the unit suite.
+- **artifacts** - builds the source tarball (bundling the unsigned Tizen `.wgt`)
+  and creates the GitHub Release with generated notes.
+- **docker** - builds a multi-arch (amd64 + arm64) image and pushes
+  `ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:X.Y.Z` and `:latest`.
+
+`artifacts` and `docker` are independent jobs: a docker (arm64/QEMU) failure does
+not block the GitHub Release and can be re-run on its own. Nothing here deploys to
+production.
+
+## 3. Finalize (adds the signed APK)
+
+The Android signing keystore stays off CI, so the signed apk and the complete
+(apk + wgt) tarball are assembled locally, then uploaded to the release:
+
+```bash
+KEYSTORE_PASSWORD=... KEY_PASSWORD=... scripts/finalize-release.sh
+```
+
+It builds the signed APK, pulls the CI-built unsigned `.wgt` back from the
+release, assembles a complete tarball (source + `ScreenTinker.apk` +
+`ScreenTinker.wgt` at the root, where `/download/apk` resolves the apk after
+extraction), and uploads the apk + complete tarball.
+
+## What a release contains
+
+Each release carries these as standalone assets AND bundled in the tarball:
+
+- `screentinker-X.Y.Z.tar.gz` - server + frontend source + apk + wgt at the root
+- `ScreenTinker.apk` - signed Android player
+- `ScreenTinker.wgt` - Tizen TV web app (unsigned; see [tizen/README.md](tizen/README.md))
+- `ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:X.Y.Z` + `:latest` - Docker image
+
+## One-time / occasional
+
+- **ghcr visibility:** new packages default to private. Set the package Public
+  once (Repo -> Packages -> `screentinker` -> Package settings -> Change
+  visibility -> Public) so anonymous `docker pull` works.
+- **Self-hosters upgrade** with `scripts/upgrade.sh [vX.Y.Z]` (see the README).