# Release Captain

Run the weekly OpenShell release captain checklist.

- Repository: https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell (20903 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill release-captain -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill release-captain -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill release-captain -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill release-captain -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Run the weekly OpenShell release captain checklist. Monday checks the pre-release train, triages failures and the compatibility review, and drafts the coordination post. Tuesday promotes the qualified pre-release after approval, verifies publication, and starts the next train. Trigger keywords - release captain, weekly release, Tuesday release, cut the release, release checklist, pre-release status, release train, start next train, stable release.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Release Captain

OpenShell publishes a stable release every Tuesday from a qualified
pre-release ([RFC 0014](../../../rfc/0014-release-stability/README.md)). The
release captain keeps the week's pre-release train green, coordinates the last
merges, cuts the release, and starts the next train.

## How to use this skill

| When | Ask | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| The week before your turn | "I'm release captain next week. Is the train ready?" | Checks that the next version's `-pre.1` exists. If not, ask this week's captain to start the train (Tuesday step 6). Then check each weekday that Auto-Tag's pre-release ran and passed (`gh run list --workflow release-prerelease.yml --limit 3`), and fix failures as they happen (Monday step 3) instead of on Monday. |
| Monday | "Run the release captain Monday checklist." | Monday steps 1, 4. |
| A pre-release failed | "`vX.Y.Z-pre.N` failed, help me fix it." | Monday step 3 and Recovery. |
| Tuesday | "Cut the release." | Tuesday steps 1, 6, ending with starting the next train. |

## Guardrails

Get explicit approval, with the exact command and target SHA, before pushing a
tag, dispatching, rerunning, or cancelling a workflow, merging or approving a
PR, or posting in Slack or GitHub. Never repoint a stable tag, delete a `-pre.N`
tag, or start a second `Pre-release` run for a tag; it has no concurrency guard.

## How the train works

The rest: https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/blob/HEAD/.agents/skills/release-captain/SKILL.md