chore: remove release-drafter, document release process

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ Fixes #
 - [ ] Added/updated tests
 - [ ] Lint/format passes (`golangci-lint run`)
 - [ ] Updated documentation (if applicable)
-- [ ] Added an entry to `CHANGELOG.md` under `[Unreleased]` (for user-facing changes)
+- [ ] Added a Changie changelog fragment for user-facing changes (`changie new`, see [docs/release.md](../docs/release.md)) — or N/A (docs/tests/chore only)

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ Thanks for your interest in contributing! This file is a short pointer — the f
 
 ## Commit message style
 
-Conventional prefixes are preferred: `feat:`, `fix:`, `chore:`, `docs:`, `test:`, `refactor:`. This helps release-drafter categorize changes automatically.
+Conventional prefixes are preferred: `feat:`, `fix:`, `chore:`, `docs:`, `test:`, `refactor:`.
+
+Release notes are **not** generated from commits — they come from [Changie](https://changie.dev) fragments. Add one for any user-facing change with `changie new` (see [docs/release.md](docs/release.md)).
 
 ## License of Contributions
 

docs/README.md

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Located under [`services/`](services/):
 ## Contributing
 
 - **[Contributing Guide](contributing.md)** — dev setup, testing, codegen, adding new services
+- **[Releasing](release.md)** — Changie + GoReleaser release process, versioning, dry runs
 - Root-level pointers: [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md), [CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md](../CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md), [SECURITY.md](../SECURITY.md), [SUPPORT.md](../SUPPORT.md)
 
 ## Meta

docs/release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# Releasing DevCloud
+
+DevCloud ships versioned releases through **[Changie](https://changie.dev)** (changelog
+management) and **[GoReleaser](https://goreleaser.com)** (build + publish). Release notes
+are authored as Changie fragments during development, batched into a version file, and
+handed to GoReleaser at tag time — commits and PR labels are **not** used to generate
+release notes.
+
+Versions follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org): `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`.
+
+## Two pipelines
+
+| Pipeline | Trigger | What it produces | Workflow |
+|----------|---------|------------------|----------|
+| **Release** | pushing a `v*` tag (or manual dispatch) | GitHub Release with binaries, checksums, and versioned `*-alpine` container images | [`.github/workflows/release.yml`](../.github/workflows/release.yml) |
+| **CD** | every successful CI run on a push | rolling multi-arch `latest` / branch container images to GHCR | [`.github/workflows/cd.yml`](../.github/workflows/cd.yml) |
+
+CD keeps `ghcr.io/skyoo2003/devcloud:latest` current with `main`. The Release pipeline is
+what produces an actual tagged, downloadable release. This document covers the Release pipeline.
+
+## During development: add a changelog fragment
+
+Any user-facing change should carry a Changie fragment. From the repo root:
+
+```sh
+changie new
+```
+
+You'll be prompted for a **kind** (`Added`, `Changed`, `Deprecated`, `Removed`, `Fixed`,
+`Security`, `Documentation`), a one-line **body**, and the **issue number**. This writes a
+small YAML file under `changes/unreleased/`. Commit it alongside your code change.
+
+Config lives in [`.changie.yaml`](../.changie.yaml).
+
+## Cutting a release
+
+1. **Make sure `main` is green** and holds all changes you want in the release.
+
+2. **Batch the unreleased fragments** into a version file. Pick the next version per SemVer:
+
+   ```sh
+   changie batch v0.3.0
+   ```
+
+   This consumes everything in `changes/unreleased/` and writes `changes/v0.3.0.md`.
+
+3. **Merge into the changelog:**
+
+   ```sh
+   changie merge
+   ```
+
+   This regenerates [`CHANGELOG.md`](../CHANGELOG.md) from all version files.
+
+4. **Commit** the generated files:
+
+   ```sh
+   git add changes/ CHANGELOG.md
+   git commit -m "chore(release): v0.3.0"
+   git push origin main
+   ```
+
+5. **Tag and push.** The tag name **must** match the batched version — the Release workflow
+   fails if `changes/<tag>.md` does not exist.
+
+   ```sh
+   git tag v0.3.0
+   git push origin v0.3.0
+   ```
+
+Pushing the tag triggers the Release workflow. It will:
+
+- verify `changes/v0.3.0.md` exists (guard against tagging without release notes),
+- run GoReleaser, which builds binaries for **darwin/linux/windows × amd64/arm64**, packages
+  them as `tar.gz` (`zip` on Windows) with `LICENSE`/`README.md`/`CHANGELOG.md`, and generates
+  a SHA-256 `CHECKSUMS` file,
+- build and push `*-alpine` container images to `ghcr.io/skyoo2003/devcloud`,
+- publish a **GitHub Release** whose notes come from `changes/v0.3.0.md`
+  (`--release-notes`, `mode: replace`).
+
+GoReleaser config: [`.goreleaser.yaml`](../.goreleaser.yaml).
+
+## Dry run
+
+To validate the build without publishing, run the workflow manually from the Actions tab
+(**Release → Run workflow**) with a tag and `dry_run: true`. This runs GoReleaser in
+`--snapshot` mode: it builds artifacts and uploads them to the run, but publishes nothing to
+GHCR or GitHub Releases.
+
+## Requirements recap
+
+- The tag (`v0.3.0`) and the fragment file (`changes/v0.3.0.md`) must match exactly.
+- `changie batch` + `changie merge` must be committed **before** the tag is pushed.
+- No manual GitHub Release editing — release notes are owned by Changie fragments.