chore: refresh RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT for release prep (#332)

[cobusgreyling]

Summary

Updates release prep for #332 (changelog-drafter L1 dogfood).

• Refreshes RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT.md for window 2026-07-16 → 2026-07-23
• Records published work (loop-cost 1.2.0, loop-context 1.5.0)
• Surfaces unpublished main-branch features that need version bumps:
  • loop-audit → 1.8.0 (feat(loop-audit): add --auto-fix command to self-heal repository structures #358/feat: implement memory-engineering bridge (--with-memory flag and readiness signals) #359)
  • loop-init → 1.6.0 (feat: implement memory-engineering bridge (--with-memory flag and readiness signals) #359)
  • loop-mcp-server → 1.2.0 (feat: expose loop-audit and circuit breaker over MCP #360)
• Adds changelog-drafter-state.md with scan window + human publish gate

Not in this PR

• No npm tags or publishes (human gate)
• No package.json version bumps (separate version PR recommended)

Human next steps

1. Review the draft wording
2. Open version-bump PR for the three packages above
3. Tag + publish, then Discussion + close Release prep — week of 2026-07-20 #332

Related: #332

Checklist

• Draft PR only
• Report-only — no tags, no Discussions post, no auto-publish

[github-actions]

Loop Readiness Audit

Score: 100/100 (L3)

Strong loop readiness — good candidate for L3 with explicit gates.

Top suggestions

• Loop Ready 80+: version this loop's memory — npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --with-memory
• Loop Ready 80+: version this loop as a harness — npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --with-foundry · showcase https://github.com/cobusgreyling/harness-foundry/blob/main/docs/showcase.md
• Scaffold a harness: npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --with-foundry (or npx @cobusgreyling/harness-foundry init --from loop-engineering:daily-triage)
• Scaffold memory tiers: npx @cobusgreyling/loop-init . --with-memory

_{Posted by audit.yml · loop-audit docs}

[cobusgreyling]

Decision (PR maintenance 2026-07-23)

Status: still cooking (keep draft).

Reasons:

1. Draft correctly flags version bumps still required before any npm announce (loop-audit 1.8.0, loop-init 1.6.0, loop-mcp-server 1.2.0).
2. After this draft was opened we also merged feat: implement fleet-engineering bridge #366 (fleet bridge) and fix: sync gate.yaml across tools and resolve autofix discrepancy #367 (gate.yaml audit + autofix). Those need to land in RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT.md + likely further version bumps (loop-audit/loop-init beyond 1.8/1.6).
3. Docs-only merges today: docs: add Pluribus to the list of adopters in documentation #368 Pluribus adopter, docs: add StackMap ecosystem graph reference (#300) #369 StackMap sources, docs: add Cursor Issue Triage example (#224) #364 Cursor issue-triage — fold into the window when refreshing.

Next human/agent step: open a version-bump PR, refresh this draft (or supersede it), then mark ready + merge as part of #332 publish gate.

[cobusgreyling]

PR triage 2026-07-27

Status: still cooking (keep draft) — no change from 2026-07-23 decision.

Since the draft was opened, main has moved further (including #399 loop-sandbox lock today, #402 daily triage, etc.). Before ready-for-review:

1. Refresh RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT.md window through current main
2. Recompute unpublished version bumps (loop-audit / loop-init / loop-mcp-server / any newer packages)
3. Keep human publish gate for Release prep — week of 2026-07-20 #332 (no tags/Discussions from automation)

Supersede this PR with a fresh draft if the delta is large.

[cobusgreyling]

Triage status (2026-07-27)

Still keep draft — do not merge yet.

Since the prior note (2026-07-23), more has landed on main that this draft does not cover (including recent merges such as loop-action harden #395 and loop-sandbox advisory lock #399). Version bumps called out in the draft may also need a further bump pass.

Next: refresh RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT.md (or supersede this PR), open package version-bump PR(s), then mark ready as part of the #332 publish gate.

[cobusgreyling]

PR triage 2026-07-29

Still keep draft — do not merge yet.

Main has moved further since the 2026-07-27 note (docs/tool merges today including loop-sandbox QUICKSTART, loop-action QUICKSTART, CI Sweeper story, Windsurf CI Sweeper, @types/node bump, etc.). Before ready-for-review:

1. Refresh RELEASE_NOTES_DRAFT.md window through current main HEAD
2. Re-check which packages still need version bumps / publish (loop-audit, loop-init, loop-mcp-server, and any newer tools)
3. Keep the human publish gate explicit in changelog-drafter-state.md

No action required from other contributors — maintainer-owned release prep.

[cobusgreyling]

Superseded for content: release notes + publish checklist have been refreshed through 2026-07-29 (docs wave, MiniMax, loop-swarm, public lock, version bumps) on the publish-queue PR.

Please use that PR as the current release-prep surface for #332. This draft branch can stay open if you want the older 07-23 window as history, or close it as superseded.

[cobusgreyling]

PR triage 2026-07-29

Status: still cooking (keep draft).

Main has moved far past this draft window (loop-swarm #398, budget-negotiator #400, worktree lock public API #407, publish queue #420, concurrent manifest fix #430, docs batch today). Prefer superseding with a fresh release-prep draft that:

1. Extends the window through current main
2. Recomputes unpublished package versions after chore: publish queue — version bumps + sandbox/swarm release workflows #420/fix(loop-worktree): prevent manifest entry loss during concurrent ope… #430
3. Keeps human publish gate for remaining tags/announce

No auto-merge of this draft.