Release-Green: keeping the queue and release branch green

The problem this solves

The full gate (.github/workflows/ci.yml — unit shards, vitest, ratchets, package-artifact, SonarQube, E2E) runs only on the release PR (PR → main). PRs targeting release/** receive only the fast-gates (quality.yml: TIA-impacted tests + typecheck + lint). Consequence: reds accumulate silently on the release branch and explode in layers of ~40 min at release time, one at a time.

The "release-green family" exists to anticipate those reds — validate the equivalent of the full gate locally / outside of release, at any time, so the release PR is already green on its first CI run.

Non-negotiable principle: none of this blocks the contributor. We do not add a required check that fails their PR. The drift (ratchets) is for the maintainer to rebaseline at release — never a contributor concern. No piece closes a PR (credit theft) nor weakens a test to pass.

The family (4 pieces) — and how each runs independently

Short answer to "is this only for releases?": no. /green-prs was designed to run periodically, between releases. Running independently is the normal use — release is just the moment when running it yields the most value.

Solution C — npm run check:release-green (the engine)

Reproduces release-equivalent validation against the current working tree and classifies each red:

• HARD (typecheck, lint errors, unit, vitest, db-rules, public-creds, optional package-artifact) → real defect; exit 1. Fixed on the source branch (TDD, Rule #18).
• DRIFT (eslint warnings, cognitive-complexity, file-size) → ratchet drift accumulated in the cycle, not the contributor's fault; it is only reported and rebaselined by the maintainer at release. Drift never changes the exit code — so it never blocks anyone.

npm run check:release-green                 # current branch (working tree)
node scripts/quality/validate-release-green.mjs --json   # structured output
node scripts/quality/validate-release-green.mjs --quick  # skips unit+vitest (drift+typecheck+lint only)
node scripts/quality/validate-release-green.mjs --with-build  # includes package-artifact (slow)

Diagnoses and reports only (no auto-fix). The fix-to-green orchestration lives in /green-prs and /review-prs.

Solution A — /green-prs (the queue scan)

Procedure (summary — see the green-prs skill for details):

1. Inventory the queue of open PRs against the active release branch.
2. Triage each PR (viable / reject-worthy / needs-author) — reject/needs-author are reported, not closed (the author decides).
3. For each viable PR, in an isolated worktree (Rule #19), bring the PR to the release tip and run npm run check:release-green:
   • HARD → fix on the contributor's branch via co-authorship (preserves the author's "Merged" status), re-run until all HARDs are cleared.
   • DRIFT → leave it; it will be rebaselined at release.
4. Report a PR × (verdict, HARD reds, fixed?, DRIFT, release-green now?) table.

Can prepare the queue without merging; only merges when explicitly requested — and never closes a PR.

Recommended cadence

• Run /green-prs periodically (e.g., weekly) and always before a /generate-release.
• Keep nightly-release-green.yml (Solution D) as a continuous signal: when it opens a HARD red issue, it is time for a scan.
• Use /validate-release-green ad-hoc to check a branch or a specific merge candidate.
• Use /babysit <PR#> when a specific PR needs to be driven to green on live CI.

Relationship to release

• /generate-release calls validation in Phase 0 (pre-flight): rebaselines DRIFT and fixes HARD before opening the release PR.
• /review-prs uses the release-green gate at the merge decision step (green-before-merge).

The goal of all pieces is the same: a green release PR on the first CI run, instead of surfing reds in 40-minute layers on release day.