feat(release): write release copy with opus and draft tweets for betas too

- distillation runs on opus (env-overridable) with a 4-minute budget
- highlights must name the surface and outcome; vague filler is banned
- tweets target 200-280 chars with concrete changes and varied structure
- betas get their own tester-facing draft carrying `fn update --channel beta`
- prerelease openers read as "Fusion 0.74 beta:" instead of "Fusion 0.74-beta.0"

scripts/__tests__/distill-release-notes.test.mjs

@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ import {
   fitTweetToBudget,
   SHORT_RELEASE_URL,
   HIGHLIGHTS_MAX,
+  BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE,
+  DEFAULT_CLAUDE_MODEL,
+  RELEASE_LLM_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  TWEET_MAX_CHARS,
+  TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS,
+  resolveClaudeDistillConfig,
 } from "../lib/distill-release-notes.mjs";
 
 // --- distillDeterministic ---
@@ -316,8 +322,13 @@ test("system prompt contains key instructions", () => {
   assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /### Highlights/);
   assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /### New/);
   assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /### Fixed/);
-  assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /engagement/i);
   assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /280/);
+  // FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05 — the copy contract that keeps drafts usable:
+  // spend the character budget, stay concrete, and skip stock launch hype.
+  assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /USE THE BUDGET/);
+  assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /Banned as vague filler/);
+  assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /excited to announce/);
+  assert.match(DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT, /SURFACE/);
 });
 
 // --- AI path (injected chatComplete; no live Claude required) ---
@@ -482,3 +493,78 @@ test("normalizeAiDistillResult uses short URL when AI tweet is over budget", ()
   assert.ok(normalized.tweet.includes(SHORT_RELEASE_URL));
   assert.doesNotMatch(normalized.tweet, /https?:\/\//);
 });
+
+/*
+FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+Release copy is written by Opus, aims at the full 280-char budget, and is
+produced for BOTH channels — a beta draft must read as a call for testers with
+the real opt-in command instead of a GA announcement.
+*/
+
+test("release copy is authored by opus, with an env override", () => {
+  assert.equal(DEFAULT_CLAUDE_MODEL, "opus");
+  assert.equal(resolveClaudeDistillConfig({}).model, "opus");
+  assert.equal(
+    resolveClaudeDistillConfig({ FUSION_RELEASE_CLAUDE_MODEL: "sonnet" }).model,
+    "sonnet",
+  );
+  // Opus is slower than the sonnet-era budget; a too-tight timeout silently
+  // demotes every release to the deterministic fallback.
+  assert.ok(RELEASE_LLM_TIMEOUT_MS >= 180_000);
+});
+
+test("the tweet budget band asks for most of the 280 characters", () => {
+  assert.equal(TWEET_MAX_CHARS, 280);
+  assert.ok(TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS >= 180 && TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS < TWEET_MAX_CHARS);
+});
+
+test("beta prompts carry tester-facing guidance and the opt-in command", () => {
+  const entries = [{ summary: "Board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks.", category: "performance" }];
+  const beta = buildDistillationPrompt(entries, "0.74.0-beta.0", "example.com/CHANGELOG.md", {
+    channel: "beta",
+  });
+  assert.match(beta, /Channel: beta/);
+  assert.ok(beta.includes(BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE));
+  assert.match(beta, /fn update --channel beta/);
+  assert.match(BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE, /never imply general availability/i);
+});
+
+test("stable prompts omit the beta guidance", () => {
+  const entries = [{ summary: "Board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks.", category: "performance" }];
+  const stable = buildDistillationPrompt(entries, "0.74.0", "example.com/CHANGELOG.md", {
+    channel: "stable",
+  });
+  assert.match(stable, /Channel: stable/);
+  assert.ok(!stable.includes(BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE));
+  assert.doesNotMatch(stable, /fn update --channel beta/);
+  // No channel passed at all behaves like stable rather than throwing.
+  const defaulted = buildDistillationPrompt(entries, "0.74.0", "example.com/CHANGELOG.md");
+  assert.match(defaulted, /Channel: stable/);
+});
+
+test("prerelease tweet openers read as a beta, not a mangled patch version", () => {
+  assert.equal(formatTweetVersionLabel("0.74.0-beta.0"), "Fusion 0.74 beta");
+  assert.equal(formatTweetVersionLabel("v0.74.0-beta.3"), "Fusion 0.74 beta");
+  assert.equal(formatTweetVersionLabel("0.74.1-beta.0"), "Fusion 0.74.1 beta");
+  assert.equal(formatTweetVersionLabel("0.74.0-rc.1"), "Fusion 0.74 rc");
+  // Stable labels are unchanged.
+  assert.equal(formatTweetVersionLabel("0.74.0"), "Fusion 0.74");
+});
+
+test("distillWithAi forwards the channel into the prompt", async () => {
+  const entries = [{ summary: "Board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks.", category: "performance" }];
+  let seen = null;
+  await distillWithAi(entries, "0.74.0-beta.0", {
+    channel: "beta",
+    chatComplete: ({ user }) => {
+      seen = user;
+      return JSON.stringify({
+        highlights: ["Board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks"],
+        notes: "### Highlights\n\n- Board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks",
+        tweet: "Fusion 0.74 beta: board scrolls smoothly with 200+ tasks. fn update --channel beta",
+      });
+    },
+  });
+  assert.match(seen, /Channel: beta/);
+  assert.match(seen, /fn update --channel beta/);
+});

scripts/lib/distill-release-notes.mjs

@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@
  *
  * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-13-15:45:
  * Highlights + X draft are AI-authored via the local Claude CLI
- * (`claude -p --model sonnet`). Each release gets a fresh engagement-oriented
+ * (`claude -p --model <model>`). Each release gets a fresh engagement-oriented
  * tweet (not a fixed template). Deterministic ranking remains only as a soft
  * fallback so offline/CI releases without Claude never block.
+ *
+ * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+ * Authored by Opus (see DEFAULT_CLAUDE_MODEL), and channel-aware: BOTH channels
+ * get an X draft, with beta drafts written as a call for testers carrying the
+ * `fn update --channel beta` opt-in.
  */
 
 import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
@@ -17,11 +22,24 @@ import { CATEGORIES, CATEGORY_HEADINGS } from "./changeset-schema.mjs";
 export const HIGHLIGHTS_MIN = 3;
 export const HIGHLIGHTS_MAX = 5;
 
+/*
+ * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+ * Release copy is authored by OPUS, not sonnet: highlights and the X draft are
+ * the only release artifacts a human reads verbatim, they are written once per
+ * release, and the quality gap shows. Opus is slower, so the CLI budget triples
+ * to 4 minutes; the deterministic fallback still covers a timeout.
+ * `FUSION_RELEASE_CLAUDE_MODEL` still overrides the model.
+ */
+
 /** Wall-clock budget for the Claude CLI call. */
-export const RELEASE_LLM_TIMEOUT_MS = 90_000;
+export const RELEASE_LLM_TIMEOUT_MS = 240_000;
 
 /** Default Claude model alias for release distillation. */
-export const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_MODEL = "sonnet";
+export const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_MODEL = "opus";
+
+/** Tweet budget: X's hard cap, and the length below which a draft reads thin. */
+export const TWEET_MAX_CHARS = 280;
+export const TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS = 200;
 
 /**
  * Lower number = higher highlight priority (deterministic fallback only).
@@ -63,31 +81,77 @@ export const DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT = [
   "Return STRICT JSON only — no markdown fences, no preamble:",
   '{ "highlights": string[3..5], "notes": string, "tweet": string }',
   "",
+  /*
+   * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+   * Highlights are the section operators actually read, so they must name the
+   * surface and the outcome. Vague filler ("various improvements", "enhanced
+   * reliability") is what made past Highlights sections skimmable-but-useless.
+   */
   "highlights:",
-  "- Top 3–5 user-facing changes (prefer breaking, security, features, then fixes).",
-  "- Punchy, benefit-led phrasing. Do not invent features not in the input.",
-  "- One short phrase/sentence per item; no markdown inside the strings.",
+  "- The 3–5 changes an operator would most want to know about. Rank by impact:",
+  "  breaking > security > the release's headline feature > widely-hit fixes > performance.",
+  "- Each item names the SURFACE it lands on (board, Command Center, task detail, CLI,",
+  "  dashboard, engine, mobile, desktop, updater…) and the OUTCOME for the operator.",
+  "- Lead with the outcome, not the mechanism: \"Board scrolling stays smooth with 200+ tasks\",",
+  "  not \"Refactored the kanban virtualization layer\".",
+  "- Be concrete. Keep real numbers, versions, limits, and names from the input.",
+  "- Merge duplicates: several entries about one area become ONE highlight.",
+  "- Banned as vague filler: 'various', 'several improvements', 'under the hood',",
+  "  'enhanced', 'better overall', 'general polish', 'misc'.",
+  "- Never invent a change that is not in the input. Never name a file, class, or symbol.",
+  "- ≤ 100 characters each, sentence case, no trailing period, no markdown.",
   "",
   "notes:",
   "- Markdown body only (no version heading).",
   "- Start with ### Highlights using the same 3–5 items as `- ` bullets.",
   "- Then group under (omit empty): ### New, ### Fixed, ### Breaking, ### Security, ### Performance, ### Internal.",
   "- One `- ` bullet per entry; lightly edit for clarity; no file paths or class names.",
+  "- Within a group, most operator-visible first.",
   "",
+  /*
+   * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+   * The X draft must EARN the 280 characters: earlier drafts came back at ~120
+   * chars of generic hype and wasted more than half the budget. Specifics from
+   * the release are the engagement driver, so the prompt demands named changes
+   * and a target length band, and bans the stock launch-announcement voice.
+   */
   "tweet:",
-  "- Ready to post on X. Hard max 280 characters including spaces and the URL.",
-  "- Goal: drive engagement (curiosity, replies, clicks) — not a dry changelog dump.",
-  "- Vary tone per release (excited, wry, bold, founder-voice). Never reuse a fixed template.",
+  `- Ready to post on X. Hard max ${TWEET_MAX_CHARS} characters including spaces and the URL.`,
+  `- USE THE BUDGET: aim for ${TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS}–${TWEET_MAX_CHARS} characters. A short, vague tweet is a failure;`,
+  "  spend the room on specifics instead of adjectives. Count characters before answering.",
   "- Open with Fusion + version + colon, no leading v — e.g. \"Fusion 0.58: …\" (drop .0 patch when patch is 0; keep 0.58.1 as-is). Never \"v0.58.0:\" alone.",
+  "- After that opener, earn the read: a hook line, then 2–4 CONCRETE changes with their",
+  "  real numbers/surfaces, then the link. Line breaks are fine and improve scannability.",
+  "- Structure must vary release to release — pick one and commit: sharp one-liner + detail,",
+  "  before→after contrast, a stat or limit that surprises, a pointed question, a bold claim",
+  "  you then back up, or a tight list. Never reuse the previous release's shape.",
+  "- Voice: a technical founder shipping to peers. Confident, specific, a little opinionated.",
+  "- Banned openers and filler: 'excited to announce', 'we've been busy', 'thrilled',",
+  "  'a lot to unpack', 'game-changer', 'supercharged', 'and much more', 'ships with'.",
+  "- Do not enumerate every change — pick the ones a skeptical developer would stop for.",
   "- Include a link: prefer the static GitHub changelog path when it fits.",
   "- Link form: no https:// scheme — always github.com/Runfusion/Fusion/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md (not a version tag).",
-  "- If that still exceeds 280 chars, use runfusion.ai instead.",
-  "- Weave 2–4 of the highlights into a scroll-stopping hook; questions, contrast, or a bold claim are fine.",
-  "- Plain text only. At most one hashtag. Emoji optional and sparse.",
+  "- If that still exceeds the limit, use runfusion.ai instead.",
+  "- Plain text only. At most one hashtag. At most one emoji, and only if it earns its place.",
   "",
   "JSON only.",
 ].join("\n");
 
+/*
+ * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+ * Betas get their own X draft too (previously stable-only). A beta post is a
+ * call for testers, not a launch: it must say it is a beta and give the real
+ * opt-in command (`fn update --channel beta`), so nobody reads a prerelease as
+ * generally available.
+ */
+export const BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE = [
+  "This is a BETA prerelease, not a stable launch. Adjust the tweet accordingly:",
+  "- Say plainly that it is a beta; never imply general availability.",
+  "- Frame it as a call for testers: what to try, what feedback is useful.",
+  "- Include the opt-in command `fn update --channel beta` (it counts toward the character budget).",
+  "- Still specific and still ≤ the character limit; keep the same anti-hype rules.",
+].join("\n");
+
 /**
  * Build the user-facing prompt for AI distillation.
  *
@@ -96,18 +160,25 @@ export const DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT = [
  * @param {string} changelogUrl
  * @returns {string}
  */
-export function buildDistillationPrompt(entries, version, changelogUrl) {
+export function buildDistillationPrompt(entries, version, changelogUrl, options = {}) {
+  const channel = options.channel === "beta" ? "beta" : "stable";
   const opener = `${formatTweetVersionLabel(version)}:`;
   const lines = [
     `Version: ${version}`,
+    `Channel: ${channel}`,
     `Tweet opener (required form): ${opener}`,
-    `Changelog URL (prefer in the tweet when it fits ≤280): ${changelogUrl}`,
+    `Changelog URL (prefer in the tweet when it fits ≤${TWEET_MAX_CHARS}): ${changelogUrl}`,
     `Short link (use if the full changelog URL won't fit): ${SHORT_RELEASE_URL}`,
     "",
     "Write fresh, engagement-driving release copy from these changeset entries.",
     `Start the tweet with "${opener}" (no leading v; omit trailing .0 patch when patch is 0).`,
-    "Do not use a stock \"X is out!\" opener every time — earn the click after that prefix.\n",
+    "Do not use a stock \"X is out!\" opener every time — earn the click after that prefix.",
+    `Target ${TWEET_TARGET_MIN_CHARS}–${TWEET_MAX_CHARS} characters for the tweet; count them before answering.`,
   ];
+  if (channel === "beta") {
+    lines.push("", BETA_TWEET_GUIDANCE);
+  }
+  lines.push("");
   entries.forEach((entry, i) => {
     const num = i + 1;
     lines.push(`[${num}]`);
@@ -180,10 +251,18 @@ export function formatTweetVersionLabel(version) {
   const m = bare.match(/^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)(.*)$/);
   if (m) {
     const [, major, minor, patch, rest] = m;
-    const display = Number(patch) === 0
-      ? `${major}.${minor}${rest}`
-      : `${major}.${minor}.${patch}${rest}`;
-    return `Fusion ${display}`;
+    const core = Number(patch) === 0 ? `${major}.${minor}` : `${major}.${minor}.${patch}`;
+    /*
+     * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05:
+     * Prereleases now get their own opener. Reusing the stable rule produced
+     * "Fusion 0.74-beta.0" (patch dropped mid-identifier, unreadable); a beta
+     * post reads as "Fusion 0.74 beta:" — the beta counter is noise on X.
+     */
+    if (rest) {
+      const preTag = rest.replace(/^-/, "").split(".")[0];
+      return `Fusion ${core} ${preTag || "pre"}`;
+    }
+    return `Fusion ${core}`;
   }
   return `Fusion ${bare}`;
 }
@@ -568,6 +647,7 @@ export function chatViaClaudeCli(opts) {
  *   env?: Record<string, string | undefined>,
  *   chatComplete?: (args: {system: string, user: string}) => Promise<string | null> | string | null,
  *   allowClaudeCli?: boolean,
+ *   channel?: "beta" | "stable",
  *   timeoutMs?: number,
  *   spawnImpl?: typeof spawnSync,
  * }} [options]
@@ -578,7 +658,9 @@ export async function distillWithAi(entries, version, options = {}) {
 
   const changelogUrl = options.changelogUrl || buildChangelogUrl(version);
   const system = DISTILLATION_SYSTEM_PROMPT;
-  const user = buildDistillationPrompt(entries, version, changelogUrl);
+  const user = buildDistillationPrompt(entries, version, changelogUrl, {
+    channel: options.channel,
+  });
 
   let raw = null;
 

scripts/release.mjs

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 //                                 # preview only, but exercise the version prompt override
 //   pnpm release --channel beta   # beta release from `main`: enters changesets pre-mode,
 //                                 # versions X.Y.Z-beta.N, publishes npm dist-tag `beta`,
-//                                 # GitHub prerelease; skips Homebrew tap + X draft
+//                                 # GitHub prerelease; prints a tester-facing X draft; skips Homebrew tap
 //   pnpm release --channel stable # stable release from the `release` branch:
 //                                 # exits pre-mode if present, publishes dist-tag `latest`,
 //                                 # GitHub release marked latest, bumps Homebrew tap
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ const INTERACTIVE = args.has("--interactive");
  * Two release tracks (see docs/plans/2026-07-19-001-beta-stable-release-tracks-plan.md):
  * - `--channel beta` runs on `main`, uses changesets pre-mode (auto `pre enter beta`),
  *   publishes to the npm `beta` dist-tag, tags vX.Y.Z-beta.N, and creates a GitHub
- *   PRERELEASE. Homebrew tap and the X draft are stable-only and skipped.
+ *   PRERELEASE. Homebrew tap is stable-only; the X draft is printed for both
+ *   channels (betas get tester-facing copy).
  * - `--channel stable` runs on the long-lived `release` branch, exits
  *   pre-mode if `.changeset/pre.json` was merged in from main, publishes to `latest`,
  *   marks the GitHub Release latest, and bumps the Homebrew tap. After a stable
@@ -963,8 +964,8 @@ if (DRY_RUN) {
     const raw = readFileSync(join(".changeset", file), "utf8");
     return parseChangesetFile(raw).parsed;
   }).filter(Boolean);
-  info("Distilling release notes with Claude (sonnet; soft fallback if unavailable)…");
-  const dryDistilled = await distillReleaseNotes(dryEntries, chosenVersion);
+  info("Distilling release notes with Claude (opus; soft fallback if unavailable)…");
+  const dryDistilled = await distillReleaseNotes(dryEntries, chosenVersion, { channel: CHANNEL });
   console.log("");
   console.log(color(36, "─── Draft post for X (preview) ───"));
   console.log(dryDistilled.tweet);
@@ -1054,13 +1055,13 @@ ok("Root CHANGELOG.md updated.");
  * notes, and an engagement-oriented X draft ≤280 chars. Soft deterministic
  * fallback only if Claude is unreachable so release never blocks.
  */
-info("Distilling release notes with Claude (sonnet; soft fallback if unavailable)…");
+info("Distilling release notes with Claude (opus; soft fallback if unavailable)…");
 const {
   notes: distilledNotes,
   source: distillSource,
   highlights: releaseHighlights,
   tweet: releaseTweet,
-} = await distillReleaseNotes(capturedEntries, version);
+} = await distillReleaseNotes(capturedEntries, version, { channel: CHANNEL });
 const changelogBeforeDistill = readFileSync("CHANGELOG.md", "utf8");
 const changelogAfterDistill = replaceVersionSection(changelogBeforeDistill, version, distilledNotes);
 if (changelogAfterDistill !== changelogBeforeDistill) {
@@ -1196,13 +1197,14 @@ if (!IS_BETA) {
  * FNXC:ReleaseScript 2026-07-13-15:25:
  * After a successful publish/tag, print the LLM-authored X draft (≤280 chars)
  * produced during distillation so the operator can copy-paste to X.
- * FNXC:UpdateChannels 2026-07-19-13:20: stable-only — betas are not announced.
+ * FNXC:Changelog 2026-07-24-11:05: BOTH channels get a draft now (it was
+ * stable-only). Betas ship to testers who opt in, and that audience only hears
+ * about a prerelease if it is posted; the beta draft is written as a call for
+ * testers carrying `fn update --channel beta`, never as a GA announcement.
  */
-if (!IS_BETA) {
-  console.log("");
-  console.log(color(36, "─── Draft post for X (copy-paste) ───"));
-  console.log(releaseTweet);
-  console.log(color(90, `(${releaseTweet.length}/280 chars; source: ${distillSource})`));
-  console.log(color(36, "─────────────────────────────────────"));
-}
+console.log("");
+console.log(color(36, `─── Draft post for X (${CHANNEL}, copy-paste) ───`));
+console.log(releaseTweet);
+console.log(color(90, `(${releaseTweet.length}/280 chars; source: ${distillSource})`));
+console.log(color(36, "──────────────────────────────────────────────"));