diff --git a/docs/roadmap/future.md b/docs/roadmap/future.md
index 39699604..8bf79020 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap/future.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap/future.md
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ section only after a concrete workflow, contract, and priority emerge.
 ### Distribution And Operations
 
 - Packaged release artifacts for alpha distribution.
-- A documented versioning and release process.
 - Optional generated example-output fixtures with a regeneration procedure.
 - Additional diagnostics or reporting views.
 
diff --git a/docs/roadmap/implementation.md b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..354ef58c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/roadmap/implementation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,428 @@
+# Source-Only Release Implementation Plan
+
+## Purpose
+
+Implement the target state defined by
+[Source-Only Releases](source-releases.md): immutable source tags with checked-in
+release notes, a diagnostic version interface, strong shared candidate checks,
+validation-only tag CI, Linux support, best-effort macOS compilation, and no
+packaged binaries or Windows support.
+
+This plan is ordered. Each numbered stage is one implementation prompt for a
+gpt-5.6-terra coding agent. Complete and validate one stage before beginning
+the next. Preserve all unrelated worktree changes, follow every policy under
+`docs/policy/`, and update current-behavior documentation in the same stage as
+the behavior it describes.
+
+Do not create or push a release tag while implementing this plan. Do not invent
+a release note for `v0.1.0`, `v0.2.0`, or `v0.3.0`. The first real release
+under the completed procedure will add its own note in a separate release
+operation.
+
+## Decisions Fixed For Implementation
+
+- Releases are stable `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH` source tags on `main`; prereleases
+  are unsupported initially.
+- Tags are lightweight and immutable after publication.
+- No release binaries, archives, checksums, signatures, containers,
+  package-manager entries, or Gitea release objects are produced.
+- Linux is supported. Release checks compile Linux `amd64` and `arm64` with
+  `CGO_ENABLED=0`.
+- macOS is best-effort. Release checks compile Darwin `amd64` and `arm64` with
+  `CGO_ENABLED=0`, without promising runtime CI or packaged output.
+- Windows is unsupported and must not be added to build checks.
+- Release notes begin with the first release made under the new procedure;
+  historical tags are left untouched.
+- `notarius --version` is informational. Receipt and artifact contracts remain
+  authoritative for downstream compatibility.
+- One checked-in POSIX shell command owns substantive source-candidate checks.
+  The release procedure and tag CI call it rather than maintaining duplicate
+  test/build matrices.
+- Tag CI validates only. Pre-publication local guards remain mandatory because
+  tag CI cannot prevent an already-pushed tag.
+
+## Stage 1: Add Build Version Resolution And `--version`
+
+### Goal
+
+Add a small, testable build-information boundary and expose the public root
+version flag without affecting existing command behavior.
+
+### Implementation
+
+1. Create `internal/buildinfo` with an exported link-time string variable named
+   `Override` and an exported resolver such as `Version() (string, error)`.
+   Keep this package independent of CLI and application packages.
+2. Resolve the displayed value using this precedence:
+   1. a nonempty `Override`;
+   2. the main-module version returned by `runtime/debug.ReadBuildInfo`; then
+   3. the literal `development`.
+3. Accept a release value only when it matches the complete stable SemVer tag
+   form `^v(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)\.(0|[1-9][0-9]*)$`.
+   Whitespace, prerelease/build suffixes, pseudo-versions, and arbitrary text
+   are not release versions. A nonempty invalid linker override is an error;
+   an empty, `(devel)`, pseudo-version, or otherwise non-release main-module
+   version falls back to `development`.
+4. Add `--version` to the root dispatch in `internal/cli`. It is valid only as
+   the sole argument, writes exactly `notarius <resolved-version>\n` to stdout,
+   writes nothing to stderr, and exits zero. Additional arguments are a syntax
+   error using the existing exit-2 and stderr conventions. An invalid linker
+   override is a runtime/build error using exit 1 and stderr.
+5. Add the flag to root usage without changing the existing behavior of empty
+   arguments, help spellings, or subcommands.
+6. Update `docs/cli.md` as the canonical public contract and
+   `docs/internal/cli.md` as the implementation owner. State that tagged
+   `go install` builds can obtain the main-module tag from Go build information,
+   controlled builds may inject
+   `gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/notarius/internal/buildinfo.Override`, and an
+   ordinary unversioned checkout reports `development`.
+
+### Tests
+
+- Add table-driven `internal/buildinfo` tests for valid stable versions,
+  leading-zero rejection, whitespace, prerelease/build suffixes, pseudo-
+  versions, override precedence, invalid nonempty override, and development
+  fallback. Test the pure resolution decision rather than trying to mutate
+  process build information.
+- Extend the CLI command-contract tests to cover exact stdout/stderr/exit
+  behavior for `--version`, extra arguments, and unchanged help/unknown-command
+  behavior.
+- Do not snapshot the whole usage document solely for the new line; assert the
+  stable semantic fragments already owned by the CLI contract tests.
+
+### Validation
+
+```sh
+go test ./internal/buildinfo ./internal/cli
+go test ./...
+go vet ./...
+go build ./cmd/notarius
+go run ./cmd/notarius --version
+```
+
+Build a temporary Linux host binary with:
+
+```sh
+go build -trimpath \
+  -ldflags '-X gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/notarius/internal/buildinfo.Override=v0.0.0' \
+  -o /path/to/temp/notarius ./cmd/notarius
+```
+
+and verify that its output is exactly `notarius v0.0.0`.
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- The public and internal documentation matches the implemented version
+  behavior.
+- Ordinary builds print `notarius development`.
+- A valid linker override prints the exact stable tag.
+- Invalid linker content cannot masquerade as a release version.
+- Existing CLI commands, help, streams, and exit classes remain unchanged.
+
+## Stage 2: Add One Reusable Source-Candidate Checker
+
+### Goal
+
+Create one repository-owned, offline validation command used identically by a
+maintainer and release CI.
+
+### Implementation
+
+1. Create executable POSIX shell script `scripts/check-release-source.sh`.
+   Require exactly one positional argument containing a stable SemVer tag. The
+   script must locate and enter the repository root from its own checked-in
+   path so callers cannot accidentally validate another working directory.
+2. Use `set -eu`, quote all expansions, reject invalid versions before using
+   them in paths or linker arguments, and use a freshly created temporary
+   directory for cross-build output. Install a cleanup trap scoped only to that
+   resolved temporary directory.
+3. Keep release-note, branch, remote, clean-worktree, and tag-existence guards
+   out of this script. Those publication-specific checks belong in
+   `docs/release.md` and tag CI. This script owns the substantive source checks
+   that both workflows share.
+4. Implement these checks in a clear fail-fast order:
+   - require the expected Notarius module path in `go.mod`;
+   - reject tracked `go.work` or `go.work.sum`, an existing `vendor` directory,
+     and any `replace` directive in `go.mod`;
+   - `GOWORK=off go test -count=1 ./...`;
+   - `GOWORK=off go test -race -count=1 ./...`;
+   - `GOWORK=off go vet ./...`;
+   - `GOWORK=off go build ./...`;
+   - `GOWORK=off go mod tidy -diff`;
+   - require no output from `gofmt -l` for tracked Go files;
+   - `git diff --check` and `git diff --cached --check`;
+   - validate `examples/dnd-minimal.config.yml` and
+     `examples/dnd-complete.config.yml` for pipeline `dnd-session` using the
+     built or `go run` Notarius command;
+   - build `./cmd/notarius` with `CGO_ENABLED=0` for Linux `amd64` and `arm64`
+     and Darwin `amd64` and `arm64`; and
+   - inject the supplied tag through `internal/buildinfo.Override` in every
+     cross-build.
+5. Execute the built command and verify exact `--version` output when the
+   current host GOOS/GOARCH matches one of the four targets. Do not attempt to
+   execute a foreign target.
+6. Do not compile for Windows, write output beneath the repository, contact an
+   LLM provider, require credentials, or mutate tracked files.
+
+### Tests And Validation
+
+- Run the script with `v0.0.0` as a synthetic build version. It does not require
+  or create a corresponding release note or Git tag.
+- Exercise its cheap argument guards separately with missing, extra, malformed,
+  prerelease, and leading-zero versions. These failures must occur before Go
+  tests or builds begin.
+- Confirm temporary outputs are removed on success and ordinary command
+  failure. Do not add a large shell-test framework solely for this script;
+  retain focused automated tests only if they protect a realistic failure that
+  is not more clearly covered by executing the checker itself.
+
+```sh
+./scripts/check-release-source.sh v0.0.0
+git status --short
+```
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- One command runs every substantive source-candidate check required by the
+  feature roadmap.
+- The command is deterministic, offline, credential-free, POSIX-compatible,
+  fail-fast, and safe with temporary paths.
+- The Linux and Darwin target matrix succeeds and Windows is absent.
+- Version injection and host-binary reporting are checked as part of the same
+  matrix.
+- Successful execution leaves the worktree and index unchanged.
+
+## Stage 3: Add Validation-Only Tag CI
+
+### Goal
+
+Independently validate every newly pushed release tag without publishing or
+mutating release state.
+
+### Implementation
+
+1. Add `.woodpecker/release.yml` triggered only by tag events.
+2. Use the Go 1.25.5 container image to match the version currently declared
+   by `go.mod`. When the declared Go version changes in a future release, the
+   release pipeline image and release documentation must be reviewed in the
+   same change.
+3. In one validation step:
+   - read the candidate version only from `CI_COMMIT_TAG`;
+   - require the stable SemVer form fixed above;
+   - require a nonempty `docs/releases/$CI_COMMIT_TAG.md`;
+   - require the exact heading `# Notarius $CI_COMMIT_TAG`;
+   - require exact `## Summary`, `## Compatibility`, `## Upgrade`, and
+     `## Changes` headings; and
+   - invoke `./scripts/check-release-source.sh "$CI_COMMIT_TAG"`.
+4. Do not include a release plugin, API token, artifact upload, Gitea release
+   creation, archive/checksum step, Windows target, tag mutation, or retry that
+   could overwrite published state.
+5. Keep the CI file thin: note/tag guards belong in it, while the substantive
+   source checks remain in the shared script.
+
+### Validation
+
+- Review the YAML trigger and commands against the repository's Woodpecker
+  syntax and the established Weatherreporter tag pipeline structure.
+- Confirm every invoked path exists and the script is executable.
+- Run the shared checker locally with `v0.0.0`.
+- Search the new pipeline for release-plugin configuration, upload commands,
+  secrets, Windows targets, and mutation commands; none may be present.
+- Run `git diff --check`.
+
+Do not push a synthetic tag merely to test this stage. The first real release
+will exercise the remote trigger; local source validation and review provide
+the pre-release confidence boundary.
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- Every stable release tag triggers the validation pipeline.
+- Missing or malformed version-matched release notes fail before the expensive
+  source checks.
+- CI calls the same substantive checker used locally.
+- The pipeline cannot publish binaries, releases, checksums, or other assets
+  and requires no release secret.
+
+## Stage 4: Establish The Canonical Release Procedure And Documentation Policy
+
+### Goal
+
+Make the complete source-release workflow executable by a maintainer without
+undocumented knowledge, and give release documentation an explicit canonical
+home.
+
+### Implementation
+
+1. Create `docs/release.md`, adapted to Notarius's source-only model. It must
+   define:
+   - stable SemVer selection and the pre-`v1` compatibility policy;
+   - the exact `docs/releases/<tag>.md` template and validation guards;
+   - invocation of `./scripts/check-release-source.sh "$RELEASE_VERSION"`;
+   - manual review of changed Markdown links and unintended repository files;
+   - committing and pushing the release note and current documentation before
+     tagging;
+   - recording `RELEASE_COMMIT` from `HEAD^{commit}`;
+   - a copyable guard that requires `main`, a clean worktree/index, disabled Go
+     workspace use, an exact match between `RELEASE_COMMIT` and
+     `origin/main`, a matching note, and an unused local and remote tag;
+   - explicit lightweight-tag creation against `RELEASE_COMMIT`;
+   - pushing only
+     `refs/tags/$RELEASE_VERSION:refs/tags/$RELEASE_VERSION`;
+   - remote tag and tagged-note verification;
+   - a fresh `go install ...@"$RELEASE_VERSION"` or fresh exact-tag checkout
+     verification, including exact `--version` output; and
+   - immutable-tag failure and correction policy.
+2. The procedure must say that the tag and checked-in note are the release and
+   that tag CI is validation-only. It must explicitly exclude binaries,
+   archives, checksums, signatures, containers, package-manager publication,
+   Gitea release objects, Windows, and retrospective notes for existing tags.
+3. Document private-module installation through standard `GOPRIVATE` and Git
+   authentication mechanisms without including credentials or private
+   environment dumps. Do not make one maintainer's credential setup part of
+   the release contract.
+4. Update `docs/policy/documentation.md`:
+   - add canonical-owner rows for `docs/release.md` and `docs/releases/`;
+   - state that release notes are historical summaries, not current-state
+     contract owners;
+   - state that the checked-in note at the immutable tag is the release record;
+     and
+   - require current canonical docs to change with behavior rather than using
+     release notes as substitutes.
+5. Update `docs/development.md` with a release-preparation/tagging/verification
+   routing row pointing to `docs/release.md` and the relevant policies.
+6. Do not create an empty placeholder release note or a retrospective note.
+   `docs/releases/` first becomes tracked when the next actual release note is
+   prepared.
+
+### Validation
+
+- Follow every local Markdown link added or changed in this stage.
+- Execute every non-destructive candidate-validation command that does not
+  require an actual new release note, remote tag, or publication.
+- Compare the procedure line by line with the shared checker and CI so their
+  tag syntax, note headings, target matrix, and validation ownership agree.
+- Confirm the procedure never uses `git push --tags`, moves a published tag,
+  uploads an asset, or embeds credentials.
+- Run `git diff --check`.
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- `docs/release.md` is sufficient to prepare, guard, tag, publish, verify, and
+  recover from a source release.
+- Release procedure and release-note ownership are explicit and nonduplicative.
+- The procedure calls the shared checker rather than restating its full command
+  matrix.
+- No historical or placeholder release note is introduced.
+
+## Stage 5: Align Platform, Installation, And Operational Documentation
+
+### Goal
+
+Make the supported-platform and source-installation story discoverable in the
+canonical current-state documents without duplicating the release procedure.
+
+### Implementation
+
+1. Update `README.md` with a concise source-installation section. Show
+   `go install gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/notarius/cmd/notarius@<tag>` as a
+   version-pinned pattern and retain the existing minimal product quickstart.
+   Link release maintainers to `docs/release.md` rather than reproducing its
+   guards.
+2. Update `docs/operations.md` with operator-facing source deployment facts:
+   Linux support, the Go version declared by `go.mod`, version pinning, exact
+   tag builds, and `notarius --version` as a diagnostic. Link command semantics
+   to `docs/cli.md` and maintainer publication mechanics to `docs/release.md`.
+3. Update `docs/policy/architecture.md` with the durable platform and
+   distribution invariants: supported Linux deployment, best-effort macOS
+   development, unsupported Windows, and source-only distribution. Keep tag
+   commands and release mechanics out of architecture.
+4. Review `docs/internal/overview.md` navigation after adding
+   `internal/buildinfo`. Add only the smallest component entry needed if the
+   current inventory would otherwise omit a meaningful implemented boundary;
+   do not inflate build information into a subsystem.
+5. Confirm `docs/roadmap/future.md` no longer lists the active documented
+   release-process work. Retain packaged alpha artifacts as deferred work; the
+   source-only release feature does not permanently reject reconsideration.
+6. Review the completed feature roadmap against the implementation and correct
+   only genuine target-state inconsistencies. Do not convert it into a
+   changelog or duplicate `docs/release.md`.
+
+### Validation
+
+- Verify all added and changed local Markdown links.
+- Confirm commands agree with the implemented CLI and declared module path.
+- Confirm no current-state document claims that Notarius publishes binary
+  assets or supports Windows.
+- Run:
+
+```sh
+go run ./cmd/notarius --version
+go run ./cmd/notarius help
+git diff --check
+```
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- Users can discover how to install a pinned source release.
+- Operators can identify the deployed version and understand the support
+  boundary.
+- Architecture records durable platform/distribution policy without owning
+  maintainer release commands.
+- Packaged artifacts remain clearly deferred rather than accidentally promised
+  or permanently prohibited.
+
+## Stage 6: Final Release-System Verification
+
+### Goal
+
+Review the implemented feature as one system and prove that code,
+documentation, shared validation, and CI converge on the same release model.
+
+### Verification Work
+
+1. Inspect all commits associated with Stages 1–5 and compare the result with
+   `docs/roadmap/source-releases.md` and this plan.
+2. Run the shared candidate checker with synthetic version `v0.0.0`. This is a
+   build identity only; do not create a note or tag for it.
+3. Independently run the repository-wide baseline checks if any are not already
+   performed by the shared checker:
+
+```sh
+go test ./...
+go vet ./...
+go build ./cmd/notarius
+```
+
+4. Verify exact development and injected release output:
+   - ordinary checkout: `notarius development`;
+   - injected `v0.0.0`: `notarius v0.0.0`;
+   - invalid linker override: nonzero exit, no false release identity.
+5. Confirm both maintained D&D configurations validate offline.
+6. Verify all added or changed local Markdown links and run
+   `git diff --check`.
+7. Audit `.woodpecker/release.yml` and `docs/release.md` for agreement on tag
+   form, note location/headings, Go image/version expectations, and shared
+   checker use.
+8. Confirm the repository contains no generated release binary, distribution
+   directory, checksum file, release credential, Windows target, release
+   plugin, synthetic release note, or new tag.
+9. Review tests under the repository testing policy. Retain behavior-level
+   coverage for the public version contract and important validation guards;
+   remove redundant tests that merely duplicate the shared checker or CI text.
+10. Report any remaining divergence as a concrete finding. Fix only in-scope
+    release-feature defects discovered during this verification; do not expand
+    into packaged distribution or unrelated cleanup.
+
+### Acceptance Criteria
+
+- All feature-roadmap acceptance criteria are met except creation of the first
+  real post-procedure release, which is intentionally a separate operator
+  action.
+- Local validation and tag CI share one substantive source checker.
+- Version reporting, source installation, platform policy, documentation
+  ownership, tag guards, and immutable failure handling are internally
+  consistent.
+- The full test suite, vet, build, configuration validation, four-target cross-
+  build matrix, Markdown link review, and whitespace checks pass.
+- The worktree contains no release side effects beyond the intended source,
+  automation, and documentation changes.
diff --git a/docs/roadmap/source-releases.md b/docs/roadmap/source-releases.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b094e803
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/roadmap/source-releases.md
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+# Source-Only Releases
+
+## Status
+
+Proposed.
+
+## Purpose
+
+Define a repeatable, guarded release process for Notarius without taking on a
+binary-distribution system that its current operator audience does not need.
+The process should make an exact source revision, its compatibility impact,
+and its validation status easy to identify while keeping installation in the
+hands of technically capable operators and deployment automation.
+
+The model is adapted from Weatherreporter's release procedure, but its target
+is deliberately narrower: an immutable source tag and checked-in release note
+are the release. Notarius does not publish executable archives or support
+Windows as part of this work.
+
+## Release Model
+
+Notarius releases come from commits on `main` and use stable semantic-version
+tags in the form `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`. Prerelease tags are not part of the
+initial process.
+
+Every release has one nonempty, version-matched note at
+`docs/releases/<tag>.md`. The note and every affected current-state document
+must be present in the tagged commit. The Git tag and checked-in note together
+are the durable release record; no separately editable release page is
+required.
+
+Published tags are immutable. A maintainer must never move, reuse, or delete a
+published tag. If a published candidate is defective, the correction is made
+on `main` and released under a new patch version. An unpublished local tag may
+be deleted when candidate inspection finds a problem before any remote push.
+
+Before `v1.0.0`, a minor release may intentionally change a documented CLI,
+configuration, durable artifact, integration, or operating contract when its
+release note explains the impact and required operator action. A patch release
+must not intentionally break those documented contracts within its minor
+line.
+
+The existing `v0.1.0`, `v0.2.0`, and `v0.3.0` tags remain unchanged. They
+predate this procedure and do not need retrospective release notes. The first
+release made under this process establishes the release-note series.
+
+## Source-Only Distribution
+
+Notarius does not publish release binaries, archives, installers, container
+images, package-manager entries, checksum files, or signatures. A release tag
+is suitable for Go-native installation and for an operator-controlled build
+from an exact checkout.
+
+The primary installation form is:
+
+```sh
+GOWORK=off go install \
+  gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/notarius/cmd/notarius@vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
+```
+
+Operator documentation should also describe cloning the repository, checking
+out the tag in detached-head state, and building `./cmd/notarius` with the Go
+version declared by `go.mod`. Private-module authentication and `GOPRIVATE`
+configuration belong to the operator environment and must be documented by
+mechanism rather than with real credentials.
+
+Consumers such as Narratio should pin the desired Notarius tag in provisioning
+or deployment configuration. They must continue to decide runtime
+compatibility from Notarius's published receipt and artifact schema contracts,
+not merely from the executable's product version.
+
+Packaged binaries may be reconsidered if distribution demand, installation
+friction, or a broader user audience justifies their build, signing, retention,
+and platform-support costs. They are not a prerequisite for a disciplined
+release process.
+
+## Platform Policy
+
+Linux is the supported deployment platform. Release validation must run the
+test suite and the release build on Linux and must confirm that the command
+builds with `CGO_ENABLED=0` for Linux `amd64` and `arm64`.
+
+macOS is a best-effort development and testing platform. Release validation
+should confirm that the command cross-compiles with `CGO_ENABLED=0` for Darwin
+`amd64` and `arm64`, but the project does not promise packaged artifacts or a
+separate runtime test environment for those targets.
+
+Windows is unsupported. The release process must not require Windows builds,
+Windows-specific compatibility work, or Windows documentation. Platform-
+specific implementation may intentionally use Unix facilities when they are
+important to Notarius's filesystem safety and operational model. Any later
+decision to support Windows requires its own feature scope and validation
+policy.
+
+## Version Reporting
+
+Add a root `notarius --version` interface for deployment diagnostics. It
+prints exactly one line:
+
+```text
+notarius vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
+```
+
+when the build has a valid release version, and:
+
+```text
+notarius development
+```
+
+when no release version is available.
+
+The implementation must obtain the main-module version from Go build
+information so `go install ...@vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH` reports the selected tag. It
+must also accept an optional link-time version override so controlled builds
+and release CI can identify an exact tag from a checkout. The override must be
+validated and must not silently turn arbitrary text into a release version.
+Ordinary unversioned checkout builds remain `development`; the release process
+must not modify a tracked source constant for each release.
+
+Version reporting is an informational product interface. It does not replace
+receipt, configuration, prompt, or artifact schema versioning, and it must not
+be used as the sole downstream compatibility check.
+
+## Release Notes
+
+Each new `docs/releases/<tag>.md` document has this minimum structure:
+
+```markdown
+# Notarius vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
+
+This release ...
+
+## Summary
+
+## Compatibility
+
+## Upgrade
+
+## Changes
+```
+
+The note should concisely explain the release's purpose, compatibility with the
+preceding release, operator actions, and material user-visible, operational,
+integration, and maintainer-visible changes. It should link to canonical
+current-state documentation for exact contracts rather than duplicating those
+contracts.
+
+Release notes are durable historical summaries. They must not contain
+credentials, private infrastructure detail, sensitive campaign material, or
+claims that are not true of the tagged candidate. A release note does not
+excuse stale current-state documentation; affected canonical documents are
+updated in the same candidate.
+
+## Candidate Validation
+
+The release procedure must provide copyable POSIX-shell guards that validate
+the release version, release-note filename and heading, required note sections,
+repository state, and module hygiene. Validation must be run from the Notarius
+repository root with Go workspace behavior disabled.
+
+At minimum, a candidate must pass:
+
+- no tracked `go.work` or `go.work.sum`, no vendored tree, and no `replace`
+  directive in `go.mod`;
+- `GOWORK=off go test -count=1 ./...`;
+- `GOWORK=off go test -race -count=1 ./...`;
+- `GOWORK=off go vet ./...`;
+- `GOWORK=off go build ./...`;
+- `GOWORK=off go mod tidy -diff`;
+- `gofmt` verification for every tracked Go file;
+- `git diff --check` and `git diff --cached --check`;
+- validation of both maintained D&D configuration examples with their selected
+  pipeline;
+- Linux `amd64` and `arm64` static command builds;
+- best-effort Darwin `amd64` and `arm64` static command builds; and
+- a focused manual or automated check that every added or changed local
+  Markdown link resolves.
+
+The candidate review also checks for generated binaries, test output,
+credentials, temporary files, module replacements, vendored dependencies, and
+other unintended source-control content. Tests remain offline and do not call
+an LLM provider or require live credentials.
+
+## Candidate Publication
+
+The release procedure must guard the exact commit immediately before tagging.
+It requires:
+
+- the current branch is `main`;
+- the worktree and index are clean;
+- the candidate commit has been pushed and exactly matches `origin/main`;
+- the matching release note exists in that commit;
+- no local or remote tag already uses the selected version; and
+- the substantive release checks have passed for that exact candidate.
+
+The maintainer records the exact candidate commit, creates a lightweight tag
+bound explicitly to that commit, verifies the local tag target, and pushes only
+that tag ref. The procedure must not recommend `git push --tags`.
+
+After publication, the maintainer verifies that the remote tag resolves to the
+guarded commit and that the release note can be read from the tagged tree. A
+fresh temporary checkout or `go install ...@<tag>` must build successfully, and
+the resulting command must report the expected version through `--version`.
+
+## Validation-Only Release Automation
+
+Add a tag-triggered Woodpecker pipeline that validates source releases without
+publishing artifacts. It should:
+
+- accept only stable semantic-version tags;
+- require the version-matched release note;
+- run the same substantive module, test, race, vet, build, formatting, and
+  whitespace checks as the documented local procedure;
+- validate the maintained configuration examples;
+- perform the supported and best-effort cross-build checks; and
+- verify a release-version build's `notarius --version` output on the CI host.
+
+The pipeline must not upload binaries, create archives or checksums, create or
+edit a Gitea release object, or require a release API token. Local guards remain
+authoritative before tag publication because CI begins only after the tag is
+already remote.
+
+If tag validation fails, preserve the published tag, fix the cause on `main`,
+select a new patch version, and repeat the full process. Do not weaken tag
+immutability merely because the release contains source rather than binaries.
+
+## Documentation Ownership
+
+In the target state:
+
+- `docs/release.md` owns the maintainer release procedure, commands, ordering,
+  publication checks, and failure recovery;
+- `docs/releases/` owns one historical summary per release made under the new
+  process;
+- `docs/cli.md` owns the `--version` contract;
+- `README.md` owns the shortest source-installation example and links to the
+  release procedure where useful;
+- `docs/development.md` routes release preparation, tagging, and verification
+  work to `docs/release.md`;
+- `docs/policy/documentation.md` assigns canonical ownership to the release
+  procedure and release notes;
+- `docs/policy/architecture.md` records Linux support, best-effort macOS
+  development, unsupported Windows, and source-only distribution only if those
+  are judged durable development invariants rather than release mechanics; and
+- `docs/operations.md` describes only installation or deployment consequences
+  relevant to operators and links to canonical CLI and release contracts.
+
+Current-state documentation must not describe the new release process,
+`--version`, or automated validation until the corresponding behavior exists.
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+
+- A maintainer can prepare, validate, tag, publish, and verify a source release
+  by following `docs/release.md` without relying on undocumented knowledge.
+- Every new release has an immutable semantic-version tag and matching
+  checked-in release note in the tagged commit.
+- The guarded candidate is clean, synchronized with `origin/main`, and passes
+  the documented substantive checks before tagging.
+- Tag-triggered CI independently validates the published source and never
+  publishes binary artifacts.
+- `go install` of a tagged version succeeds and `notarius --version` reports
+  that version; ordinary unversioned builds report `development`.
+- Linux is the documented supported deployment platform, macOS has a
+  best-effort development build check, and Windows is explicitly unsupported.
+- Downstream compatibility remains based on durable Notarius contracts rather
+  than the product version alone.
+- Existing pre-procedure tags remain untouched and require no invented release
+  history.
+
+## Non-Goals
+
+- Publishing executable archives, installers, container images, checksums,
+  signatures, or package-manager entries.
+- Supporting or cross-compiling for Windows.
+- Creating or maintaining a mutable Gitea release page.
+- Supporting prerelease tag syntax in the initial procedure.
+- Automating version selection, release-note authorship, commits, or tag
+  creation.
+- Retrospectively creating release notes for `v0.1.0` through `v0.3.0`.
+- Treating a product version as a substitute for receipt, configuration,
+  prompt, or artifact schema compatibility.