RunanywhereAI · sanchitmonga22 · Aug 30, 2026 · coderabbitai · Aug 31, 2026
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,19 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  distribution:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Validate distribution tooling
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          python3 tests/test_release_assets.py
+          python3 -m py_compile scripts/verify-release-assets.py scripts/stamp-formula.py
+          bash -n install.sh scripts/package-rcli.sh scripts/update-tap.sh
+          ruby -c Formula/rcli.rb
+
   macos:
     # SDK Package.swift is swift-tools-version 6.2 (Xcode 26). macos-15 is
     # Xcode 16.4 / Swift 6.1; macos-14 is Xcode 15 / Swift 5.10.

diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ jobs:
           VERSION="${RCLI_VERSION#v}"
           RCLI_VERSION="${VERSION}" RCLI_SDK_KIT="${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/kit" \
             bash scripts/package-rcli.sh build macos-arm64
+          python3 scripts/verify-release-assets.py \
+            "dist/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz" \
+            "dist/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz.sha256"
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: rcli-macos-arm64
@@ -99,6 +102,9 @@ jobs:
           $kit = Join-Path $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE "kit"
           $env:RCLI_SDK_KIT = $kit
           & powershell -File scripts/package-rcli-windows.ps1 -BuildDir build -Version $ver -KitDir $kit
+          python scripts/verify-release-assets.py `
+            "dist/rcli-$ver-windows-x86_64.zip" `
+            "dist/rcli-$ver-windows-x86_64.zip.sha256"
       # Zip only. onnxruntime.dll lives next to rcli.exe *inside* the archive;
       # uploading the loose DLL/exe made them look like first-class release assets.
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
@@ -120,15 +126,32 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: artifacts
           merge-multiple: true
-      - name: Stamp formula (best effort)
+      - name: Verify release archives
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           VERSION="${RCLI_VERSION#v}"
-          mac=$(ls artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz.sha256 2>/dev/null || true)
-          if [[ -n "$mac" && -f scripts/stamp-formula.py ]]; then
-            digest=$(awk '{print $1}' "$mac")
-            python3 scripts/stamp-formula.py "$VERSION" "macos-arm64=${digest}" || true
-          fi
+          python3 scripts/verify-release-assets.py \
+            "artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz" \
+            "artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz.sha256"
+          python3 scripts/verify-release-assets.py \
+            "artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-windows-x86_64.zip" \
+            "artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-windows-x86_64.zip.sha256"
+      - name: Generate Homebrew formula update
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          VERSION="${RCLI_VERSION#v}"
+          sidecar="artifacts/rcli-${VERSION}-macos-arm64.tar.gz.sha256"
+          digest=$(awk 'NF == 2 { print $1 }' "$sidecar")
+          [[ "$digest" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{64}$ ]]
+          python3 scripts/stamp-formula.py "$VERSION" "macos-arm64=${digest}"
+          ruby -c Formula/rcli.rb
+          mkdir -p release-metadata
+          cp Formula/rcli.rb release-metadata/rcli.rb
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: rcli-homebrew-formula
+          path: release-metadata/rcli.rb
+          if-no-files-found: error
       - name: Create the release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
         with:

diff --git a/Formula/rcli.rb b/Formula/rcli.rb
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 class Rcli < Formula
   desc "Run language, speech and image models on your own machine"
   homepage "https://github.com/RunanywhereAI/RCLI"
+  version "0.5.2"
   license "MIT"
-  version "0.5.1"
 
-    # 0.5.1 is the kit-consumer CMake bottle. macOS arm64 ships the Swift MLX host
+  # macOS arm64 ships the Swift MLX host
   # (llama.cpp + ONNX + Sherpa + MLX). Linux is not in this cut.
   on_macos do
     on_arm do
-      url "https://github.com/RunanywhereAI/RCLI/releases/download/v0.5.0/rcli-0.5.0-macos-arm64.tar.gz"
-      sha256 "aa524eef31405d99c1fda4b90c3b1f3e8f74302fe209ba7fe81b343a1f92a266"
+      url "https://github.com/RunanywhereAI/RCLI/releases/download/v0.5.2/rcli-0.5.2-macos-arm64.tar.gz"
+      sha256 "fc16e5e3fdef1e62b7d05d569ce8a69cc86cdd2b880d5983c495a5e240384430"
     end
   end
 

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RunanywhereAI/RCLI/main/install.ps1 | iex
 
 ### Linux (x86_64)
 
-```bash
-curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RunanywhereAI/RCLI/main/install.sh | sh
-```
+No Linux release asset is currently published. Use the source build below;
+`install.sh` intentionally fails instead of claiming that an unavailable bottle
+was installed.
 
 ## Get started
 
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ rcli image generate --engine neurt --prompt "a red cube" --out out.png
 
 | Backend | macOS Apple Silicon | Windows x64 | Windows ARM64 | Linux x64 |
 |---|---|---|---|---|
-| [llama.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp) | public bottle | public bottle | — | public bottle |
+| [llama.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp) | public bottle | public bottle | — | source build only |
 | [MLX](https://github.com/ml-explore/mlx) (Apple GPU) | public bottle (product `rcli`, not `rcli-cxx`) | — | — | — |
-| [Sherpa-ONNX](https://github.com/k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx) | public bottle | public bottle | — | public bottle |
-| [ONNX Runtime](https://onnxruntime.ai) | public bottle | public bottle | — | public bottle |
+| [Sherpa-ONNX](https://github.com/k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx) | public bottle | public bottle | — | source build only |
+| [ONNX Runtime](https://onnxruntime.ai) | public bottle | public bottle | — | source build only |
 | NeuRT (Apple Neural Engine; Core ML is the format) | **overlay** rebuild | — | — | — |
 | QHexRT (Qualcomm Hexagon NPU) | — | — | **overlay** rebuild | — |
 

diff --git a/docs/RELEASING.md b/docs/RELEASING.md
@@ -45,52 +45,62 @@ llm           ok        HTTP 200    1           1         0
 - `auth login` runs the authenticated handshake (`/api/v1/auth/sdk/authenticate` → `/api/v1/devices/register` → model assignments). Production only.
 - `telemetry emit|blast` drive the real commons telemetry pipeline to `/api/v2/sdk/telemetry/{modality}`. Development is keyless (no JWT). Production logs in first. Modalities: `llm stt tts vlm rag imagegen embeddings vad voice lora model system`. Exit is non-zero when any POST fails or any tracked event never reached the backend.
 
-## macOS distribution signing
+## Published asset contract
 
-`release.yml` builds the combined Swift/C++ host from the same Apple artifacts as the SDK release, imports a Developer ID Application certificate into an ephemeral keychain, signs the executable and compatibility libraries with the hardened runtime and secure timestamp, notarizes a DMG, staples and validates its ticket, then deletes the temporary keychain and credential files.
+The current `release.yml` publishes two archives and matching SHA-256
+sidecars. It does not build or advertise a Linux release:
 
-The repository stores no signing material. Configure the Developer ID secrets and one complete notarization credential set before creating a release tag:
-
-- `RCLI_DEVELOPER_ID_CERT_P12_BASE64`
-- `RCLI_DEVELOPER_ID_CERT_PASSWORD`
-
-Preferred App Store Connect API-key notarization:
-
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_API_KEY_P8_BASE64`
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_KEY_ID`
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_ISSUER_ID`
-
-Apple ID fallback notarization:
-
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_APPLE_ID`
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD`
-- `RCLI_NOTARY_TEAM_ID`
-
-When both notarization sets are complete, the workflow uses the App Store Connect API key. The Apple ID fallback stores its run-scoped notarytool profile only in the same ephemeral keychain as the imported Developer ID identity, passes that keychain explicitly during submission, and deletes it after the package step.
-
-For a local or external release runner, `scripts/package-rcli.sh` accepts an already-available identity through `RCLI_CODESIGN_IDENTITY` (and optionally `RCLI_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN`). Set `RCLI_MACOS_NOTARIZE=1` and authenticate notarytool either with `RCLI_NOTARYTOOL_PROFILE` (plus `RCLI_NOTARYTOOL_KEYCHAIN` for a profile in a non-default keychain) or the API-key path, key ID, and issuer ID variables documented at the top of that script. The normal credential-free packaging path remains ad-hoc signed for pull-request smoke.
-
-## Windows distribution signing
-
-The release workflow Authenticode-signs `rcli.exe`, validates the resulting signature, and only then creates the Windows ZIP. Configure these repository secrets before creating a release tag:
-
-- `RCLI_WINDOWS_CODESIGN_PFX_BASE64`
-- `RCLI_WINDOWS_CODESIGN_PFX_PASSWORD`
-
-Pull-request builds remain credential-free and validate the same unsigned binary/package layout before the protected release job performs signing.
+| Platform | Asset | Required archive root |
+|---|---|---|
+| macOS Apple Silicon | `rcli-X.Y.Z-macos-arm64.tar.gz` | `rcli-macos-arm64/` |
+| Windows x86_64 | `rcli-X.Y.Z-windows-x86_64.zip` | `rcli-windows-x86_64/` |
+
+Each root contains a non-empty `README.md` and `bin/rcli` or `bin/rcli.exe`.
+Windows DLLs stay beside `bin/rcli.exe`. The macOS archive contains the Swift
+MLX host and its resource bundles. `scripts/verify-release-assets.py` verifies
+the sidecar digest, filename, single-root layout, required files, executable
+mode, duplicate paths, traversal, links, and expansion limits. Packaging jobs
+and the publish job all run it before a release is created.
+
+## Signing reality and production gates
+
+Credential-free macOS packaging is ad-hoc signed. `scripts/package-rcli.sh`
+checks that signature and can sign with an already-installed Developer ID
+identity via `RCLI_CODESIGN_IDENTITY` and optional `RCLI_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN`.
+Set `RCLI_REQUIRE_DEVELOPER_ID=1` to make ad-hoc signing an error. The GitHub
+workflow does **not** currently import an identity, notarize an archive, create
+a DMG, or staple a ticket.
+
+The Windows workflow currently packages an unsigned executable. It does not
+import a PFX, Authenticode-sign, or validate a certificate chain.
+
+Therefore these are launch gates, not completed workflow features:
+
+- import a Developer ID Application identity into an ephemeral keychain, sign
+  nested code and the host with hardened runtime/timestamp, notarize the exact
+  distributed artifact, and validate Gatekeeper acceptance;
+- Authenticode-sign `rcli.exe` and DLLs as required, then validate signatures on
+  a clean Windows host;
+- provide the signing/notarization credentials through protected release
+  environments and keep pull-request jobs credential-free.
+
+Do not describe an asset as notarized or Authenticode-signed until the workflow
+and the downloaded release prove it. Useful post-download checks are
+`codesign -dv --verbose=4`, `codesign --verify --strict`, and `spctl --assess`
+on macOS, and `Get-AuthenticodeSignature` on Windows.
 
 ## CI and release workflow
 
-- `pr-build.yml` builds macOS, Linux, and Windows rcli targets and runs unit, backend-registration, relocatable-package, and modelless smoke checks.
-- `release.yml` requires all three rcli packages before publishing the GitHub Release.
-- macOS GitHub Release assets include a Developer ID signed, notarized, and stapled disk image alongside the tarball.
-
-Published release assets are platform-specific:
-
-| Platform | Asset | Included engines |
-|---|---|---|
-| macOS Apple Silicon | `rcli-macos-arm64-vX.Y.Z.tar.gz` and signed/notarized DMG | llama.cpp + MLX + Sherpa-ONNX + ONNX Runtime + CoreML |
-| Linux x86_64 | `rcli-linux-x86_64-vX.Y.Z.tar.gz` | llama.cpp + Sherpa-ONNX + ONNX Runtime |
-| Windows x86_64 | `rcli-windows-x86_64-vX.Y.Z.zip` | llama.cpp + Sherpa-ONNX + ONNX Runtime |
-
-The tagged macOS release packages the `RunAnywhereMLXCLI` product as `bin/rcli` together with `mlx.metallib`, its SwiftPM resource bundles, and any deployment-target Swift compatibility libraries. The CMake `rcli` binary remains the fast, credential-free pull-request smoke target; it registers llama.cpp and exposes the dual catalog but cannot execute MLX without the Swift callbacks.
+- `ci.yml` builds and tests macOS and Windows. Its distribution job also tests
+  archive verification, shell syntax, formula syntax, and stamping code.
+- `release.yml` builds macOS and Windows, runs product e2e, packages, verifies
+  each archive twice, then publishes the two archives and sidecars.
+- The publish job generates a `rcli-homebrew-formula` workflow artifact from
+  the verified macOS checksum. It does not pretend that an ephemeral checkout
+  updated a default branch.
+
+Homebrew still needs one ownership decision: `install.sh` taps the RCLI repo as
+`runanywhereai/rcli`, while the historical update script targeted a separate
+`homebrew-tap` repo. Until one is declared canonical, pass `RCLI_TAP_REPO`
+explicitly to `scripts/update-tap.sh` and apply the generated formula to the
+same tap users install from.
diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ if (-not $Asset) {
     Fail "v$Version does not publish $AssetName. Open an issue at https://github.com/$Repo/issues"
 }
 $ShaAsset = $Release.assets | Where-Object { $_.name -eq "$AssetName.sha256" } | Select-Object -First 1
+if (-not $ShaAsset) {
+    Fail "v$Version does not publish $AssetName.sha256. Refusing an unverified download."
+}
 
 $Temp = Join-Path ([IO.Path]::GetTempPath()) ('rcli-' + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N'))
 New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Temp -Force | Out-Null
@@ -73,40 +76,67 @@ try {
         Fail "Could not download $($Asset.browser_download_url)"
     }
 
-    if ($ShaAsset) {
-        # Through a file rather than straight into a variable: the asset is
-        # served as octet-stream and the web cmdlets hand back bytes for that,
-        # not the line of text this needs.
-        $ShaFile = Join-Path $Temp $ShaAsset.name
-        Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $ShaAsset.browser_download_url -OutFile $ShaFile
-        # Both lowercased rather than relying on -ne being case-insensitive:
-        # Get-FileHash returns uppercase and the sidecar is written lowercase,
-        # so the comparison only looks wrong until you know that rule.
-        $Expected = ((Get-Content -Raw -LiteralPath $ShaFile) -split '\s+')[0].ToLowerInvariant()
-        $Actual = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $Zip -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLowerInvariant()
-        if ($Actual -ne $Expected) {
-            Fail "Checksum mismatch on $AssetName. Expected $Expected, got $Actual. Do not use this download."
-        }
-        Write-Ok 'Checksum verified'
-    } else {
-        Write-Warn "The release publishes no $AssetName.sha256, so the download could not be verified."
+    # Through a file rather than straight into a variable: the asset is served
+    # as octet-stream and the web cmdlets hand back bytes rather than text.
+    $ShaFile = Join-Path $Temp $ShaAsset.name
+    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $ShaAsset.browser_download_url -OutFile $ShaFile
+    $ShaLine = (Get-Content -Raw -LiteralPath $ShaFile).Trim()
+    if ($ShaLine -notmatch '^([0-9A-Fa-f]{64})\s+\*?([^\r\n]+)$') {
+        Fail "$($ShaAsset.name) is not a valid SHA-256 sidecar."
+    }
+    $Expected = $Matches[1].ToLowerInvariant()
+    $ListedAsset = $Matches[2].Trim()
+    if ($ListedAsset -ne $AssetName) {
+        Fail "$($ShaAsset.name) names $ListedAsset instead of $AssetName."
     }
+    $Actual = (Get-FileHash -LiteralPath $Zip -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLowerInvariant()
+    if ($Actual -ne $Expected) {
+        Fail "Checksum mismatch on $AssetName. Expected $Expected, got $Actual. Do not use this download."
+    }
+    Write-Ok 'Checksum verified'
 
     Write-Info "Installing RCLI v$Version to $InstallDir..."
     Expand-Archive -LiteralPath $Zip -DestinationPath $Temp -Force
     $Stem = [IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($AssetName)
-    $Unpacked = Join-Path $Temp "$Stem\libexec"
+    $Unpacked = Join-Path $Temp "$Stem\bin"
     if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Unpacked)) {
         Fail "$AssetName does not have the layout this installer expects. Open an issue at https://github.com/$Repo/issues"
     }
 
-    # libexec is the package's own layout, the one the Homebrew formula installs
-    # and symlinks a bin/rcli at. Nothing to symlink here, so its contents land
-    # directly in the install directory and that directory goes on PATH: rcli.exe
-    # finds its DLLs by being in the same folder as them.
-    Remove-Item -LiteralPath $InstallDir -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $InstallDir -Force | Out-Null
-    Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $Unpacked '*') -Destination $InstallDir -Recurse -Force
+    # Validate a complete candidate before replacing a working installation.
+    # rcli.exe and its DLLs stay together exactly as they are in archive bin/.
+    $Candidate = Join-Path $Temp 'install-candidate'
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Candidate -Force | Out-Null
+    Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $Unpacked '*') -Destination $Candidate -Recurse -Force
+    $CandidateExe = Join-Path $Candidate 'rcli.exe'
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $CandidateExe)) {
+        Fail "$AssetName is missing bin\rcli.exe."
+    }
+    $VersionOutput = @(& $CandidateExe --version 2>&1)
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+        Fail 'The downloaded rcli.exe does not run; the existing installation was left unchanged.'
+    }
+    $EscapedVersion = [Regex]::Escape($Version)
+    if (($VersionOutput -join "`n") -notmatch "(?m)^rcli\s+$EscapedVersion(?:\s|$)") {
+        Fail "The downloaded executable does not report RCLI v$Version; the existing installation was left unchanged."
+    }
+
+    $InstallParent = Split-Path $InstallDir -Parent
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $InstallParent -Force | Out-Null
+    $Backup = "$InstallDir.previous"
+    Remove-Item -LiteralPath $Backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $InstallDir) {
+        Move-Item -LiteralPath $InstallDir -Destination $Backup
+    }
+    try {
+        Move-Item -LiteralPath $Candidate -Destination $InstallDir
+    } catch {
+        if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Backup) {
+            Move-Item -LiteralPath $Backup -Destination $InstallDir
+        }
+        throw
+    }
+    Remove-Item -LiteralPath $Backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 } finally {
     Remove-Item -LiteralPath $Temp -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 }

diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
@@ -24,11 +24,10 @@ os=$(uname -s)
 arch=$(uname -m)
 case "${os}/${arch}" in
     # MLX is Metal and NeuRT is the Apple Neural Engine, so an Intel Mac would
-    # get neither and there is no build for it. Linux is x86-64 only for now.
+    # get neither and there is no build for it. No Linux release is published.
     Darwin/arm64)  ;;
-    Linux/x86_64)  ;;
     Darwin/*)      fail "RCLI needs an Apple Silicon Mac. Detected: ${arch}" ;;
-    Linux/*)       fail "RCLI on Linux is x86-64 only. Detected: ${arch}" ;;
+    Linux/*)       fail "RCLI does not currently publish a Linux binary. Build from source: https://github.com/${REPO}#build-from-source" ;;
     *)             fail "RCLI has no build for ${os}. On Windows, use install.ps1." ;;
 esac
 
@@ -77,6 +76,13 @@ if ! command -v rcli &>/dev/null; then
     fail "Installation failed. rcli not found in PATH."
 fi
 
+installed_version="$(rcli --version 2>/dev/null \
+    | sed -nE 's/^rcli ([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+).*/\1/p' \
+    | head -1)"
+if [[ "${installed_version}" != "${VERSION}" ]]; then
+    fail "Homebrew installed RCLI v${installed_version:-unknown}, but GitHub's latest release is v${VERSION}. The tap formula must be updated before this installer can claim success."
+fi
+
 ok "RCLI v${VERSION} installed successfully"
 echo ""
 info "Getting started:"