fix: support consumed release changesets (#4)

* docs: design release lifecycle regression fix

* fix: support consumed release changesets

Author: Illusion47586

.changeset/tender-symbols-beg.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+
+---
+
+

docs/superpowers/plans/2026-09-19-release-pr-lifecycle-test.md

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# Release PR Lifecycle Test Implementation Plan
+
+> **For agentic workers:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (`- [ ]`) syntax for tracking.
+
+**Goal:** Make release configuration tests pass both before and after Changesets consumes the initial release file.
+
+**Architecture:** Extract the lifecycle assertion into a small helper that reads a supplied package and changeset directory. Test the helper against temporary pre-release and versioned fixtures, then use it for the repository-level assertion.
+
+**Tech Stack:** TypeScript, Node.js test runner, pnpm, Changesets
+
+## Global Constraints
+
+- Preserve the permanent Changesets configuration assertions.
+- Require the seed changeset at version `0.0.0`.
+- Require the seed changeset to be absent after versioning.
+- Do not modify `README.md` or runtime package behavior.
+
+---
+
+### Task 1: Make the release test lifecycle-aware
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `test/release-config.test.ts`
+- Create: `.changeset/<generated-empty-changeset>.md`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Consumes: `package.json` version and `.changeset/initial-public-release.md`
+- Produces: `assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(root: string): void`
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Add failing fixture coverage**
+
+Add temporary fixtures proving that version `0.0.0` requires a matching seed,
+and a versioned package requires the seed to be absent.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run the focused test and verify failure**
+
+Run: `node --test test/release-config.test.ts`
+
+Expected: the versioned fixture fails because the current assertion reads the
+seed unconditionally.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Implement the lifecycle assertion**
+
+Read `package.json` relative to the supplied root. At version `0.0.0`, assert
+that the seed exists and matches `INITIAL_RELEASE`; otherwise assert that the
+seed does not exist. Call the helper from the repository configuration test.
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Verify focused and full checks**
+
+Run: `node --test test/release-config.test.ts`
+
+Expected: PASS.
+
+Run: `pnpm check`
+
+Expected: all lint, type, contract, example, and unit checks pass.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Record the CI-only fix and open a pull request**
+
+Create an empty Changeset decision, commit with Conventional Commits, push the
+branch, and open a pull request against `main`. Confirm required checks pass.

docs/superpowers/specs/2026-09-19-release-pr-lifecycle-test-design.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Release PR Lifecycle Test Design
+
+## Problem
+
+The generated Changesets release pull request consumes
+`.changeset/initial-public-release.md`. The release configuration test reads
+that transient file unconditionally, so every valid release pull request fails
+CI after versioning.
+
+## Design
+
+Keep the permanent Changesets configuration assertions unconditional. Make the
+initial-release assertion depend on the package lifecycle:
+
+- While `package.json` is version `0.0.0`, the seed changeset must exist and
+  request a minor release for `@brkn-labs/judge`.
+- After the package version changes from `0.0.0`, the seed changeset must no
+  longer exist because Changesets has consumed it.
+
+This preserves the original bootstrap guard without requiring an ephemeral
+file forever. No runtime package behavior, release workflow, or README content
+changes.
+
+## Verification
+
+Exercise both lifecycle states in isolated temporary fixtures, then run the
+repository's focused release-config test and complete `pnpm check` gate.

test/release-config.test.ts

@@ -8,17 +8,20 @@ import {
   readFileSync,
   rmSync,
   statSync,
+  writeFileSync,
 } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import test from "node:test";
 
 const COMMITLINT_CONFIG = /@commitlint\/config-conventional/u;
 const INITIAL_RELEASE = /"@brkn-labs\/judge": minor/u;
+const INITIAL_RELEASE_FILE = ".changeset/initial-public-release.md";
 const INVALID_COMMIT_MESSAGE = /type may not be empty/u;
 const MIT_COPYRIGHT = /Copyright \(c\) 2026 Dhruv Tiwari/u;
 const MIT_GRANT =
   /Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy/u;
+const UNRELEASED_VERSION = "0.0.0";
 const EXECUTABLE_DIVISORS = [64, 8, 1] as const;
 
 const hasExecutableBit = (file: string): boolean => {
@@ -38,6 +41,19 @@ const runCommitlint = (message: string) =>
 const readJson = (file: string): Record<string, unknown> =>
   JSON.parse(readFileSync(file, "utf8")) as Record<string, unknown>;
 
+const assertInitialReleaseLifecycle = (root: string): void => {
+  const packageJson = readJson(join(root, "package.json"));
+  const initialReleaseFile = join(root, INITIAL_RELEASE_FILE);
+
+  if (packageJson.version === UNRELEASED_VERSION) {
+    assert.equal(existsSync(initialReleaseFile), true);
+    assert.match(readFileSync(initialReleaseFile, "utf8"), INITIAL_RELEASE);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  assert.equal(existsSync(initialReleaseFile), false);
+};
+
 test("package is public and exposes release commands", () => {
   const packageJson = readJson("package.json");
   const scripts = packageJson.scripts as Record<string, string>;
@@ -72,16 +88,43 @@ test("package is public and exposes release commands", () => {
 
 test("Changesets targets public main releases", () => {
   const config = readJson(".changeset/config.json");
-  const initialChangeset = readFileSync(
-    ".changeset/initial-public-release.md",
-    "utf8"
-  );
 
   assert.equal(config.baseBranch, "main");
   assert.equal(config.access, "public");
   assert.equal(config.commit, false);
   assert.equal(config.changelog, "@changesets/cli/changelog");
-  assert.match(initialChangeset, INITIAL_RELEASE);
+  assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(".");
+});
+
+test("initial release seed follows the package lifecycle", () => {
+  const fixture = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "judge-release-lifecycle-"));
+
+  try {
+    mkdirSync(join(fixture, ".changeset"));
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(fixture, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "@brkn-labs/judge", version: UNRELEASED_VERSION })
+    );
+
+    assert.throws(() => assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(fixture));
+
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(fixture, INITIAL_RELEASE_FILE),
+      '---\n"@brkn-labs/judge": minor\n---\n\nInitial public release.\n'
+    );
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(fixture));
+
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(fixture, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "@brkn-labs/judge", version: "0.1.0" })
+    );
+    assert.throws(() => assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(fixture));
+
+    rmSync(join(fixture, INITIAL_RELEASE_FILE));
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertInitialReleaseLifecycle(fixture));
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(fixture, { force: true, recursive: true });
+  }
 });
 
 test("local hooks enforce quality and Conventional Commits", () => {