From 7ebda0e87a3d885f6ecc9ce1400fc179f0fd3f06 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "pulse-triage[bot]"
 <249995291+pulse-triage[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:16:39 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Migrate committed release visual evidence

Carry an explicit model-selection decision in every existing visual sidecar and enforce that invariant for future packets after the visual-plan schema became evidence-bearing.
---
 .../subsystems/deployment-installability.md   |  3 +-
 ...RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.11.md.visuals.json |  1 +
 ...RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.12.md.visuals.json |  1 +
 ...RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.13.md.visuals.json |  1 +
 .../installtests/build_release_assets_test.go | 28 +++++++++++++++++++
 5 files changed, 33 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
index 16a4da7f5..1edebb9e2 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ Canonical publish triggers rerun visual evidence discovery and selection for the
 exact notes and comparison range being dispatched. A committed visual sidecar is
 review material only and cannot substitute for that run. The model may still
 select zero captures when its investigation finds that screenshots add no
-meaningful customer value.
+meaningful customer value. Committed sidecars remain schema-valid review
+records and retain the evidence-backed reason for selecting captures or none.
 
 Customer-facing notes use one outcome list for features and fixes. Each visible
 change is described once under `What's improved`; a parallel `Fixes` section is
diff --git a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.11.md.visuals.json b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.11.md.visuals.json
index bc7713b0f..c52bb2d9a 100644
--- a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.11.md.visuals.json
+++ b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.11.md.visuals.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "schema_version": 1,
+  "decision": "The inline View preferences and mobile Settings workspace are the clearest static demonstrations of this candidate's visible workflow improvements.",
   "captures": [
     {
       "id": "inline-view-preferences",
diff --git a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.12.md.visuals.json b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.12.md.visuals.json
index 87008c94d..f8440bd3d 100644
--- a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.12.md.visuals.json
+++ b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.12.md.visuals.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
   "schema_version": 1,
+  "decision": "The updater fallback and provider normalization corrections do not have a meaningful deterministic static UI comparison.",
   "captures": []
 }
diff --git a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.13.md.visuals.json b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.13.md.visuals.json
index 87008c94d..af433d790 100644
--- a/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.13.md.visuals.json
+++ b/docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.4.0-rc.13.md.visuals.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
   "schema_version": 1,
+  "decision": "The Docker daemon cadence and host-agent identity corrections do not have a meaningful deterministic static UI comparison.",
   "captures": []
 }
diff --git a/scripts/installtests/build_release_assets_test.go b/scripts/installtests/build_release_assets_test.go
index be125894e..6148ab6d6 100644
--- a/scripts/installtests/build_release_assets_test.go
+++ b/scripts/installtests/build_release_assets_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -3240,6 +3241,33 @@ func TestReleaseTriggersReevaluateVisualsInsteadOfTrustingSidecars(t *testing.T)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCommittedReleaseVisualSidecarsCarrySelectionEvidence(t *testing.T) {
+	paths, err := filepath.Glob(repoFile("docs", "releases", "*.visuals.json"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("glob release visual sidecars: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(paths) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("no committed release visual sidecars found")
+	}
+	for _, path := range paths {
+		content, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("read %s: %v", path, err)
+		}
+		var plan struct {
+			SchemaVersion int             `json:"schema_version"`
+			Decision      string          `json:"decision"`
+			Captures      json.RawMessage `json:"captures"`
+		}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &plan); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("parse %s: %v", path, err)
+		}
+		if plan.SchemaVersion != 1 || strings.TrimSpace(plan.Decision) == "" || len(plan.Captures) == 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("%s must carry schema version, visual selection evidence, and a captures decision", path)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func assertFileContainsAllNormalized(t *testing.T, path string, required ...string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	content, err := os.ReadFile(path)