BetterDesk/docs/PRE_RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md

Pre-Release Validation Checklist

Use this checklist before every tagged release to ensure quality and stability.

---

1. Go Server

• Build: cd betterdesk-server && go build -o betterdesk-server . — exits 0
• Vet: go vet ./... — no warnings
• Tests: go test ./... — all pass
• Cross-compile: GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64, GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm64, GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64
• Binary starts: runs with --help, prints version
• SQLite migration: fresh DB created and migrated automatically
• PostgreSQL migration: (if available) fresh DB created and migrated

2. Node.js Console

• Install: cd web-nodejs && npm ci — exits 0
• Audit: npm audit --omit=dev --audit-level=moderate — 0 moderate+ vulnerabilities (or documented exceptions)
• Unit tests: npm run test:ci — all pass (same command as Web Console CI)
• Secret scan: gitleaks detect --source . --config .gitleaks.toml and bash scripts/check-no-sensitive-paths.sh — no operator fingerprints
• i18n coverage: npm run i18n:check — 0 missing keys across all languages
• Startup: node server.js starts without errors, serves on port 5000
• Login: Admin login works, session created
• Critical pages: Dashboard, Devices, Users, Settings render correctly

3. RdClient Desktop (Tauri)

• Install deps: cd rdclient-desktop && npm ci
• Rust check: cd rdclient-desktop/src-tauri && cargo check && cargo test discovery
• Tauri build: npm run build — deb/AppImage/MSI as configured
• Setup: LAN discovery or manual URL; probe_server_url rejects non-panel hosts
• Settings: sign out, reset client clears cookies + vault
• Linux session: VP9/H.264 stable on WebKitGTK (no AV1 decode loop)
• Windows: WebView2 runtime present; session connects
• Generator RdClient: new bundle → 6 platform builds queue on build host with Rust/Tauri toolchain

4. BetterDesk Desktop (native Rust + Flutter)

• Core tests: cd betterdesk-desktop && cargo test
• Flutter tests: cd betterdesk-desktop/flutter && flutter test
• Toolchain check: python betterdesk-desktop/build.py check
• Windows artifacts: EXE, portable ZIP and MSI are attached to the release
• Linux artifacts: .deb, .rpm, AppImage and .tar.gz are attached
• Checksums: DESKTOP_CHECKSUMS.sha256 matches every desktop artifact
• Setup: manual HTTPS URL, scheme-less auto-probe, explicit HTTP, deploy string and loopback URL work
• Security: explicit HTTP is visibly reported as plaintext; invalid server key and URL credentials are rejected
• Tray: closing the window hides it; tray menu restores or explicitly quits
• Elevation: machine/security settings fail closed without UAC/polkit confirmation
• Identity: durable device ID, secure Ed25519 key and rotating session password survive restart
• Remote desktop: Windows capture, input, clipboard, bounded files, audio negotiation and monitor enumeration are exercised in both directions
• Interop: BetterDesk Desktop ↔ BetterDesk server ↔ RustDesk peer and CDAP agent
• Performance: UI remains responsive during connection, reconnect and transfers

5. Desktop Client (Tauri — legacy betterdesk-mgmt)

• Install deps: cd betterdesk-mgmt && pnpm install
• Frontend build: pnpm build — no errors
• Tauri build: cargo tauri build — NSIS + MSI produced
• Installer runs: installs and launches without crash
• Single-instance: second launch brings first to foreground

5. Agent Client (Tauri)

• Install deps: cd betterdesk-agent-client && pnpm install
• Build: cargo tauri build — NSIS produced
• Setup wizard: 5-step onboarding completes successfully
• Registration: device appears in server peer list

6. Native Agent (Go)

• Build: cd betterdesk-agent && go build -o betterdesk-agent .
• Connection: connects to CDAP gateway, manifests registers
• Heartbeat: metrics flow (CPU / Memory / Disk)

7. Docker

• Build all images: docker compose build — no errors
• Start stack: docker compose up -d — all containers healthy
• API reachable: curl http://localhost:21114/api/health returns OK
• Console reachable: curl http://localhost:5000 returns HTML
• Single-container (local build): docker compose -f docker-compose.single.yml up -d works
• Official quick-start (GHCR pull): docker compose -f docker-compose.quick.single.yml pull && up -d works

8. Installer Scripts

• Linux fresh: sudo ./betterdesk.sh --auto on clean Ubuntu/Debian
• Linux update: sudo ./betterdesk.sh option 2 preserves DB + config
• Linux privilege migration: run sudo node web-nodejs/scripts/linux-ensure-console-user.js; verify the sudoers file contains only the fixed /usr/local/libexec/betterdesk/betterdesk-privileged-update.js broker and no ExecStartPre=+...linux-ensure-console-user.js remains in the console unit.
• Linux protected binary: if the Go server is root-owned, deploy the reviewed binary with the documented root-only helper; confirm the panel reports a manual step instead of using sudo on repository scripts.
• Windows fresh: .\betterdesk.ps1 -Auto on clean Windows Server
• Windows update: .\betterdesk.ps1 option 2 preserves DB + config
• Docker script: ./betterdesk-docker.sh option 1 installs successfully
• Static CI: Installer CI passes Bash syntax, PowerShell AST and Compose validation; install.sh is included in version verification.
• Installer unit gate: Installer CI runs the protocol, safe-path, disk-space preflight and binary-rollback tests; the non-mutating --help checks pass.
• Protocol matrix: run node scripts/installer-protocol-check.js against the selected API, console/reverse-proxy URL and signal/relay ports; for HTTPS confirm the certificate SAN and redirect behaviour.
• Agent fallback: Linux agent service and Windows NSSM service start; on a disposable Windows host with NSSM unavailable, the scheduled-task fallback starts and -Uninstall / -u removes both service/task variants while preserving data; use -Purge / --purge only for explicit cleanup.
• Support Agent lifecycle: betterdesk-support-agent -install is idempotent; -uninstall removes autostart and binaries while preserving enrollment state, and -uninstall -purge removes state only when requested.
• Native uninstall: betterdesk.sh --auto --uninstall and betterdesk.ps1 -Auto -Uninstall remove services while preserving data; repeat with --purge / -Purge only when data removal is intended.
• Docker uninstall: default install.sh --uninstall preserves volumes; --purge removes them only after an explicit data-loss decision.
• Rollback: force a failed update in a disposable environment and confirm the previous console/source/binary remains usable and update SHA is not advanced.
• Runtime smoke: run the manual Installer CI Docker runtime smoke workflow for the exact GHCR tag intended for release.
• Lifecycle E2E: on isolated Linux and Windows hosts, execute fresh install → update → repair → backup/restore → uninstall → reinstall; record elapsed time and confirm no duplicate services, rules or data.

See docs/important/installer-contract.md for the lifecycle guarantees and platform endpoint matrix.

9. Documentation & Release

Applies only to merges into main (stable). Version bump, tag, and GitHub Release are automated by .github/workflows/version-bump-main.yml — see branching-and-versioning.md.

• PR source: changes merged from dev → main (not direct commits to main)
• CHANGELOG.md: [Unreleased] section reflects this release (CI moves it into the version section on merge)
• README.md: reflects current features
• Version parity: node scripts/bump-version.js --verify passes locally (CI enforces on version file changes)
• After merge: verify CI created tag v<version> and GitHub Release
• GHCR image tags: verify ghcr.io/unitronix/betterdesk (official), betterdesk-server, and betterdesk-console show semver tag (e.g. 3.1.0) and git ref (v3.1.0) after workflow completes
• Sync dev: merge main → dev so development continues from the new minor version
• Manual fallback: Actions → “Build & Publish Docker Images” → Run workflow → leave tag latest (publishes latest + current VERSION) or set tag input v<version> if you only need a custom tag. Confirm package tags include both semver and latest after a stable release.
• No secrets in diff: git diff --cached has no API keys / passwords
• No debug code: no console.log debug statements, no TODO in shipped code