Open Collections Desktop v0.1.0 release checklist

Artifact checklist

• Upload the real Windows build to GitHub Releases before any public announcement.
• Attach the Windows installer to the tagged GitHub release so the public site can link to a stable external release page instead of bundling binaries.
• Verify the download links from the desktop release page, getting started page, and release notes all open the correct GitHub release page and expose the intended installer asset.
• Confirm the uploaded file is the intended v0.1.0 preview release artifact and not an older test build, unsigned debug build, or packaging stub.

Desktop runtime checklist

1. Install and launch the Windows build on a clean test machine or VM.
2. Verify the app launches cleanly without an immediate crash, broken shell chrome, or missing primary panels.
3. Confirm Manager opens by default for the first-run path expected for v0.1.0.
4. Open Browser and verify the built-in example content loads successfully.
5. Switch between Manager and Browser multiple times and verify the transitions work without losing the current session unexpectedly.
6. Check for any major shell or layout regressions, including clipped controls, unreadable labels, or obviously broken resize behavior.

Host flow checklist

Run the applicable manual checks for each supported host type in the preview:

• Example host: add or open the example host, verify it loads, switch away and back, and confirm no duplicate remembered host entries are created.
• Local folder host: add a local folder host, reconnect it after restart, run repair if available, publish a test change where applicable, and verify remembered host restoration does not create duplicates.
• GitHub host: add a GitHub host, reconnect it, run repair if needed, publish a test update, and verify the remembered host restores correctly without duplicate entries.
• S3-compatible host: add an S3-compatible host, reconnect it, run repair if needed, publish a test update, and verify remembered host restoration and duplicate prevention.

For local, GitHub, and S3-compatible hosts, explicitly check add host, reconnect, repair, publish, duplicate prevention, and remembered host restore behavior.

Persistence and restart checklist

• Restart the app after initial setup and after at least one publish flow.
• Verify remembered hosts are still present after restart.
• Verify the active host continues correctly or can be restored without confusing state loss.
• Verify Browser remembers the last useful manifest URL or expected browsing target where applicable.
• Verify desktop secure credential restore works where credentials are expected to persist for GitHub or S3-compatible hosts.

Publish-state checklist

• Verify publish messaging is understandable before, during, and after a publish attempt.
• Verify success and failure messages are clear enough for a preview user to understand what happened next.
• Verify host-state and publish-state UI still make sense after reconnect and repair flows.
• Confirm there is no misleading success state after a failed publish or partially repaired host.

Go / no-go criteria

Open Collections Desktop v0.1.0 preview is ready to publish only when all of the following are true:

• the download artifact is the real Windows preview executable, attached to the public GitHub release
• the app launches correctly and the shell is usable
• Browser example loading works
• Manager core host flows work for supported preview hosts
• reconnect and repair flows work for local folder, GitHub, and S3-compatible hosts
• no blocker layout, runtime, or publish-state issues remain
• known limitations remain acceptable for a preview release and are accurately documented

If any of these conditions fail, treat the release as no-go until the blocker is resolved or the release scope is explicitly adjusted.

Known limitations reminder

The following gaps remain intentionally out of scope for v0.1.0 preview and are not by themselves a release blocker unless they regress beyond the documented expectation:

• registry browsing is not included yet
• custom domain hosting is not included yet
• full sync and conflict-resolution workflows are not included yet