freshtechbro · freshtechbro · Apr 24, 2026 · Apr 24, 2026 · Apr 24, 2026 · Apr 24, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export CLAUDECODE_HOME="$ISOLATED_ROOT/claudecode-home"
 export AMP_CLI_HOME="$ISOLATED_ROOT/ampcli-home"
 cd "$WORKDIR"
 npm init -y
-npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.25.tgz
+npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.26.tgz
 npx --no-install opendevbrowser --help
 npx --no-install opendevbrowser help
 ```

diff --git a/docs/AGENTS.md b/docs/AGENTS.md
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ When release-gate automation changes:
 - `docs/RELEASE_RUNBOOK.md`
 - `docs/EXTENSION_RELEASE_RUNBOOK.md`
 - `docs/DISTRIBUTION_PLAN.md`
-- the current version-scoped release evidence doc (for this release: `docs/RELEASE_0.0.21_EVIDENCE.md`)
+- the current version-scoped release evidence doc (for this release: `docs/RELEASE_0.0.26_EVIDENCE.md`)
 - older ledgers stay historical-only and should receive explicit status clarifications only
 - automation scripts:
   - `scripts/audit-zombie-files.mjs`

diff --git a/docs/CLI.md b/docs/CLI.md
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export CLAUDECODE_HOME="$ISOLATED_ROOT/claudecode-home"
 export AMP_CLI_HOME="$ISOLATED_ROOT/ampcli-home"
 cd "$WORKDIR"
 npm init -y
-npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.25.tgz
+npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.26.tgz
 npx --no-install opendevbrowser --help
 npx --no-install opendevbrowser help
 ```
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ npx opendevbrowser inspiredesign run --brief "Extract a reusable dashboard desig
 Flags:
 - `--brief` (required)
 - `--url` (repeatable inspiration URL input)
-- `--capture-mode` (`off|deep`)
+- `--capture-mode` (`off|deep`; `off` is ignored when any `--url` is provided)
 - `--include-prototype-guidance` (`true|false`; bare flag means `true`)
 - `--mode` (`compact|json|md|context|path`)
 - `--timeout-ms`
@@ -1738,7 +1738,7 @@ npm run test -- tests/providers-performance-gate.test.ts
 
 These commands are release guards, not the live release-proof lane. Use the direct-run harness commands above for release evidence.
 
-Release gate source of truth: `docs/RELEASE_RUNBOOK.md` and `docs/RELEASE_0.0.21_EVIDENCE.md`.
+Release gate source of truth: `docs/RELEASE_RUNBOOK.md` and `docs/RELEASE_0.0.26_EVIDENCE.md`.
 Benchmark fixture manifest: `docs/benchmarks/provider-fixtures.md`.
 
 ---

diff --git a/docs/FIRST_RUN_ONBOARDING.md b/docs/FIRST_RUN_ONBOARDING.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ This guide is the shipping checklist for validating OpenDevBrowser as a new user
 ```bash
 cd <public-repo-root>
 npm pack
-# -> opendevbrowser-0.0.25.tgz
+# -> opendevbrowser-0.0.26.tgz
 ```
 
 ## 2) Simulate a brand-new isolated user workspace
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export AMP_CLI_HOME="$WORKROOT/amp-home"
 mkdir -p "$WORKDIR" "$HOME" "$OPENCODE_CONFIG_DIR" "$OPENCODE_CACHE_DIR" "$CODEX_HOME" "$CLAUDECODE_HOME" "$AMP_CLI_HOME"
 cd "$WORKDIR"
 npm init -y
-npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.25.tgz
+npm install <public-repo-root>/opendevbrowser-0.0.26.tgz
 npx --no-install opendevbrowser version --output-format json
 ```
 

diff --git a/docs/RELEASE_0.0.26_EVIDENCE.md b/docs/RELEASE_0.0.26_EVIDENCE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# v0.0.26 Release Evidence
+
+Status: active release ledger
+Target release date: 2026-04-24
+Last updated: 2026-04-24
+
+## Scope
+
+Tracks the `0.0.26` release cycle for the post-`0.0.25` review fixes, daemon lifecycle hardening, canvas/CDP live proof, annotation timeout-boundary evidence, packaging proof, and public publication evidence.
+
+## Baseline comparison
+
+- Reference release: npm `latest` is `0.0.25` before publish.
+- Target branch: `main`
+- Release-prep branch: `codex/release-0-0-26`
+- Target tag: `v0.0.26`
+- GitHub release assets expected after release:
+  - `opendevbrowser-extension.zip`
+  - `opendevbrowser-extension.zip.sha256`
+
+## Release summary
+
+- Recovers from stale cached relay bindings even when the retried daemon call already requires a binding.
+- Keeps `/status` probes inside the requested timeout budget even if the daemon stalls after returning headers.
+- Rejects stale daemon stop attempts using current daemon fingerprints, including stale OpenCode cached package attempts.
+- Reports fingerprint-rejected `serve --stop` and `daemon uninstall` paths explicitly instead of silently ignoring them.
+- Keeps live-regression release-gate child process failures truthful: nonzero child exit forces scenario `fail` while preserving child summary status as evidence.
+- Aligns package, extension, lockfile, and tarball-reference versions at `0.0.26`.
+
+## Version authority
+
+- `package.json`: `0.0.26`
+- `package-lock.json`: `0.0.26`
+- `extension/package.json`: `0.0.26`
+- `extension/manifest.json`: `0.0.26`
+- `npm view opendevbrowser version` before publish: `0.0.25`
+
+## Mandatory release gates
+
+- [x] `npm run lint`
+  - Result: passed.
+- [x] `npm run typecheck`
+  - Result: passed.
+- [x] `npm run extension:sync`
+  - Result: passed; extension metadata already at `0.0.26`.
+- [x] `npm run build`
+  - Result: passed.
+- [x] `npm run extension:build`
+  - Result: passed.
+- [x] `npm run version:check`
+  - Result: passed, `Version check passed: 0.0.26`.
+- [x] `npm run test:release-gate`
+  - Result: passed.
+- [x] `npm run test`
+  - Result: passed.
+  - Test files: `266 passed | 1 skipped (267)`.
+  - Tests: `3943 passed | 1 skipped (3944)`.
+  - Coverage: `98.11%` statements, `97.01%` branches, `97.78%` functions, `98.17%` lines.
+- [x] `node scripts/audit-zombie-files.mjs`
+  - Result: passed, `ok=true`, `scanned=1008`, `flagged=[]`.
+- [x] `node scripts/docs-drift-check.mjs`
+  - Result: passed, `ok=true`, version `0.0.26`, counts `77` CLI commands, `70` tools, `59` `/ops`, `35` `/canvas`.
+- [x] `node scripts/chrome-store-compliance-check.mjs`
+  - Result: passed, manifest v3, extension version `0.0.26`, all permission, privacy, and asset checks passed.
+- [x] `./skills/opendevbrowser-best-practices/scripts/validate-skill-assets.sh`
+  - Result: passed, `22` files referenced/present and `10` JSON templates parsed.
+- [x] `./skills/opendevbrowser-best-practices/scripts/run-robustness-audit.sh`
+  - Result: passed for all robustness checks.
+- [x] `npx opendevbrowser --help`
+  - Result: passed, generated help lists `77` commands and `70` tools.
+- [x] `npx opendevbrowser help`
+  - Result: passed, generated help lists `77` commands and `70` tools.
+- [x] `node scripts/cli-smoke-test.mjs`
+  - Result: passed on sequential run.
+- [x] `node scripts/cli-onboarding-smoke.mjs`
+  - Result: passed on sequential run.
+- [x] `npm pack --json`
+  - Result: passed.
+  - Prepack reran `version:check`, `build`, and `extension:build`.
+- [x] `npm run extension:pack`
+  - Result: passed after final `npm pack` build.
+
+## Live release proof
+
+- [x] `node scripts/live-regression-direct.mjs --release-gate --out artifacts/release/v0.0.26/live-regression-direct.json`
+  - Result: passed with `ok=true` after final packaging rebuild.
+  - Counts: `pass=6`, `skipped=2`, `fail=0`, `env_limited=0`, `expected_timeout=0`.
+  - Canvas extension: `pass`.
+  - Canvas CDP: `pass`.
+  - Annotation relay: `skipped`, expected manual annotation timeout boundary, not a passing annotation capture proof.
+  - Annotation direct: `skipped`, expected manual annotation timeout boundary, not a passing annotation capture proof.
+
+- [ ] `node scripts/provider-direct-runs.mjs --release-gate --out artifacts/release/v0.0.26/provider-direct-runs.json`
+  - Result: executed, but not a passing strict gate. It exited nonzero by strict release-gate policy because strict mode promotes live `env_limited` rows.
+  - Counts: `pass=18`, `env_limited=12`, `fail=0`, `skipped=0`, `expected_timeout=0`.
+  - Verdict: no provider code failures; strict live environment limitations remain truthfully recorded and need explicit release acceptance before publish.
+
+- [x] `node scripts/provider-direct-runs.mjs --smoke --out artifacts/release/v0.0.26/provider-direct-runs-smoke.json`
+  - Result: passed with `ok=true`.
+  - Counts: `pass=8`, `env_limited=3`, `skipped=2`, `fail=0`, `expected_timeout=0`.
+
+## Artifacts
+
+- [x] `opendevbrowser-0.0.26.tgz`
+  - SHA-256: `68790192961d6a0838dcdea46440a4ac7e2ec74acf67382c6d981efd06093117`
+  - npm pack shasum: `b4b7ad44bb4271f2a4b5ca9e1bcda21cf81d8b09`
+  - npm pack integrity: `sha512-yKAQNPhY8WZU04Gt2CIk1cHW2ULpBAb+q9z+SVyb0acPGd8yKdF7JdV9y5xpFhTw7Vc8jISRXVGT/9CpJkOaPw==`
+  - Package size: `2102968` bytes.
+  - Unpacked size: `10961171` bytes.
+  - Total files: `982`
+
+- [x] `opendevbrowser-extension.zip`
+  - SHA-256: `a49b1b651f62bbb713db3a50d359b6a6284a0c269e6a5cea268c41ac95fad4d6`
+  - Package size: `174915` bytes.
+
+## Repo sanity checks
+
+- [x] `git diff --check`
+  - Result: passed with no whitespace errors.
+- [x] `git status --short`
+  - Result: expected release-prep source, test, docs, and version-owner changes only.
+
+## External release workflow evidence
+
+- [ ] npm publish verification
+  - Pre-publish `npm view opendevbrowser version`: `0.0.25`
+  - Local npm auth: `npm whoami` returned `bishopdotun`
+- [ ] Registry consumer smoke JSON
+  - Pending until npm publish.
+- [ ] GitHub release URL
+  - Pending until PR merge or release cut.
+- [ ] GitHub release asset verification
+  - Pending until GitHub release upload.
+- [ ] Chrome Web Store upload status
+  - Blocked in this shell: `CWS_CLIENT_ID`, `CWS_CLIENT_SECRET`, `CWS_REFRESH_TOKEN`, and `CWS_EXTENSION_ID` are not present.
+- [ ] Chrome Web Store publish or submit-for-review status
+  - Blocked until Chrome Web Store credentials are available.
+
+## Notes
+
+- `0.0.25` is already published to npm and is the baseline for this follow-up fix release.
+- CLI smoke and onboarding smoke share the default relay port. The release evidence uses sequential runs to avoid a false relay-port collision.
+- Keep this ledger active until npm publish, GitHub release assets, and Chrome Web Store status are completed or blocked with final evidence.
diff --git a/extension/manifest.json b/extension/manifest.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "OpenDevBrowser Relay",
-  "version": "0.0.25",
+  "version": "0.0.26",
   "description": "Optional bridge to reuse existing Chrome tabs with OpenDevBrowser.",
   "permissions": [
     "debugger",

diff --git a/extension/package.json b/extension/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "opendevbrowser-extension",
-  "version": "0.0.25",
+  "version": "0.0.26",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {

diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "opendevbrowser",
-  "version": "0.0.25",
+  "version": "0.0.26",
   "description": "Browser automation runtime with snapshot-refs-actions, browser replay screencasts, public read-only desktop observation, and browser-scoped computer-use orchestration",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",

diff --git a/scripts/cli-smoke-test.mjs b/scripts/cli-smoke-test.mjs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ const DAEMON_LOG_DIR_PREFIX = "opendevbrowser-daemon-";
 const DAEMON_STDOUT_LOG = "daemon.stdout.log";
 const DAEMON_STDERR_LOG = "daemon.stderr.log";
 const DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_SHELL = process.env.SHELL || "/bin/sh";
-const BACKGROUND_NODE_COMMAND = "node";
+const BACKGROUND_NODE_COMMAND = JSON.stringify(process.execPath);
 
 function isValidPid(value) {
   return Number.isInteger(value) && value > 0;