Release

Releasing loopbase

Package: @superdesign/loopbase (scoped — the bare loopbase name is blocked by npm as "too similar to loopback"). Installed bins stay loopbase/lb. Source is published (no build step); npm publish packs the files whitelist from the working tree, so always publish from a clean checkout.

Preconditions

• All fixes for this release are merged into main (publish from main, not a dirty tree or a feature branch).
• Pick the new version: patch for fixes, minor for features. Versions are immutable — you can't republish or cleanly unpublish, so bump every time. Current published: npm view @superdesign/loopbase version.

Steps

1. Publish from a clean checkout of main (isolated worktree → never ships a dirty tree or another session's WIP):

   git fetch origin
   git worktree add -b release/x.y.z /tmp/lb-pub origin/main
   cd /tmp/lb-pub
   npm version x.y.z --no-git-tag-version    # bumps package.json only (no git tag)
   npm publish --dry-run                      # sanity: name, version, file count
   

2. Auth + OTP. The npm account has 2FA, and the token expires between releases.

   npm whoami        # 401? → tell the user to run `npm login` (browser flow), confirm "Logged in"
   

   The write needs a fresh OTP (~30s lifetime) which only the user's authenticator can produce. So: stage everything first, then ask the user for a 6-digit code, then publish immediately:

   npm publish --access public --otp=<code>
   

   • --access public is required for a scoped package.
   • A misleading 404 … not in this registry almost always means the token expired → re-npm login, then retry with a new OTP.

3. Record the version bump via PR — never push to main directly.

   git commit -aqm "release: vx.y.z"
   git push origin release/x.y.z
   gh pr create --base main --head release/x.y.z --title "release: vx.y.z" --body "…"
   

   Merge the PR so the repo's package.json matches the registry.

4. Clean up + update the local global install:

   cd <repo> && git worktree remove /tmp/lb-pub --force && git branch -D release/x.y.z
   bun add -g @superdesign/loopbase     # updates global loopbase/lb to latest
   bun pm ls -g | grep loopbase         # verify the new version
   

Gotchas (learned the hard way)

• OTP timing: do the bump + worktree + dry-run BEFORE asking for the code. The OTP expires in ~30s — don't set up after you have it.
• Token expiry between releases is normal (npm whoami → 401) — re-login.
• Publish from clean main: npm publish packs the working tree, so a dirty tree ships uncommitted edits. The origin/main worktree avoids that.
• Branch-first: the version-bump commit goes through a PR, like every other change — don't push it straight to main.
• The CLI has no --version flag; check the installed version with bun pm ls -g | grep loopbase.