feat: real release notes, restart button, reliable .run installer (0.0.10)

- feat(ci): set each Gitea release body from the matching CHANGELOG section
  (was hardcoded "Automated release for…")
- feat(updater): show "What's new" — release notes dialog before applying (GUI)
  and in `rigdoctor update` (CLI); fetch_latest/update_state now return notes
- feat(gui): "Restart now" button relaunches the app after an update is applied
- fix(packaging): build the self-extracting .run with a pure-Python extractor
  (packaging/make_run.py) instead of makeself, so it attaches to every release
  (it was silently skipped before)
- chore: adopt Conventional Commits + git-cliff (cliff.toml, packaging/
  changelog.sh) for changelog generation going forward (D20)
- chore(gui): drop internal module refs (M4, M5, …) from Setup descriptions

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitea/workflows/release.yml

@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ jobs:
           python -m build
 
       - name: Build self-extracting installer (.run)
-        run: |
-          (apt-get update && apt-get install -y makeself && sh packaging/make-run.sh) \
-            || echo "makeself unavailable — skipping .run"
+        run: python packaging/make_run.py
 
       - name: Read version
         id: ver
@@ -38,6 +36,30 @@ jobs:
           V=$(python -c "import tomllib; print(tomllib.load(open('pyproject.toml','rb'))['project']['version'])")
           echo "version=$V" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
+      - name: Build release notes
+        run: |
+          python - <<'PY'
+          import json
+          version = "${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}"
+          tag = f"v{version}"
+          out, capturing = [], False
+          try:
+              for line in open("CHANGELOG.md", encoding="utf-8").read().splitlines():
+                  if line.startswith("## "):
+                      if capturing:
+                          break
+                      capturing = line.startswith(f"## [{version}]")
+                      continue
+                  if capturing:
+                      out.append(line)
+          except OSError:
+              pass
+          body = "\n".join(out).strip() or f"Release {tag}."
+          payload = {"tag_name": tag, "target_commitish": "${{ github.sha }}", "name": tag, "body": body}
+          open("/tmp/release.json", "w", encoding="utf-8").write(json.dumps(payload))
+          print(f"release notes: {len(body)} chars")
+          PY
+
       - name: Publish Gitea release
         env:
           TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -57,7 +79,7 @@ jobs:
           rid=$(curl -sS -X POST \
             -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}" \
             -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-            -d "{\"tag_name\":\"${TAG}\",\"target_commitish\":\"${{ github.sha }}\",\"name\":\"${TAG}\",\"body\":\"Automated release for ${TAG}. See CHANGELOG.md.\"}" \
+            -d @/tmp/release.json \
             "${API}/releases" | python -c "import sys, json; print(json.load(sys.stdin)['id'])")
 
           for f in dist/*; do

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,23 @@ All notable changes to RigDoctor are recorded here. Format follows
 (`MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`, pre-1.0). `__version__` and `pyproject.toml` must match the git
 release tag (so the auto-updater, D18, can compare versions).
 
+## [0.0.10] - 2026-05-21
+### Added
+- **"Restart now" button** after a successful in-app update — relaunches RigDoctor for you
+  instead of asking you to restart manually.
+- **Real release notes**: CI now sets each Gitea release's body from the matching CHANGELOG
+  section (instead of "Automated release for…"), and the updater shows **"What's new"** — a
+  notes dialog before applying (GUI) and in `rigdoctor update` (CLI).
+### Changed
+- Setup page / `rigdoctor install`: dropped internal module references (M4, M5, …) from the
+  component descriptions — end users don't need them.
+- Adopting **Conventional Commits** + **git-cliff** (`cliff.toml`, `packaging/changelog.sh`)
+  to generate CHANGELOG entries from commit history going forward (D20).
+### Fixed
+- The self-extracting **`.run` installer** is now built **without makeself** (a pure-Python
+  self-extractor, `packaging/make_run.py`), so it reliably attaches to every release — it was
+  silently skipped before because the CI runner couldn't install makeself.
+
 ## [0.0.8] - 2026-05-21
 ### Added
 - **Periodic update checks**: the GUI now re-checks for new releases while running (every

cliff.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# git-cliff configuration — generate CHANGELOG.md from Conventional Commits (D20).
+# Run via packaging/changelog.sh.
+
+[changelog]
+header = """
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to RigDoctor are recorded here. Format follows
+[Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/); versioning is SemVer-style
+(`MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`, pre-1.0). `__version__` and `pyproject.toml` must match the git
+release tag (so the auto-updater, D18, can compare versions).
+"""
+body = """
+{% for group, commits in commits | group_by(attribute="group") %}
+## {{ group | upper_first }}
+{% for commit in commits %}\
+- {{ commit.message | upper_first }}\
+{% endfor %}
+{% endfor %}
+"""
+trim = true
+
+[git]
+conventional_commits = true
+filter_unconventional = false
+commit_parsers = [
+    { message = "^feat", group = "Added" },
+    { message = "^fix", group = "Fixed" },
+    { message = "^docs", group = "Documentation" },
+    { message = "^perf", group = "Performance" },
+    { message = "^refactor", group = "Changed" },
+    { message = "^chore\\(release\\)", skip = true },
+    { message = "^chore|^build|^ci|^style|^test", group = "Internal" },
+    { message = ".*", group = "Other" },
+]
+tag_pattern = "v[0-9]*"
+sort_commits = "oldest"

docs/DECISIONS.md

@@ -191,12 +191,24 @@ desirable — access control is delegated to Gitea.
 PATCH for ordinary changes, MINOR for larger milestones). `__version__`
 (`rigdoctor/__init__.py`) and `pyproject.toml` are the single source of truth and **must match
 the git release tag** so the auto-updater (D18) can compare versions. Every change updates
-`CHANGELOG.md` (Keep a Changelog style). *Note:* an early placeholder `0.1.0` was corrected to
+`CHANGELOG.md` — now generated from **Conventional Commits** via git-cliff (see D20). *Note:* an early placeholder `0.1.0` was corrected to
 follow the released **0.0.x** line — first release was **V0.0.1**; current is **0.0.2**.
 
+### D20 — Automated changelog & release notes — *DECIDED 2026-05-21*
+**Release notes are generated from our changes, surfaced in the auto-updater.**
+- *Release body:* CI sets each Gitea release's `body` from the matching `CHANGELOG.md`
+  section (was a hardcoded "Automated release for…"). The updater fetches the release `body`
+  and shows **"What's new"** — a dialog before applying (GUI) and in `rigdoctor update` (CLI).
+- *Generation:* adopt **Conventional Commits** (`feat:`/`fix:`/`docs:`/`chore:` …) and
+  **git-cliff** (`cliff.toml`, `packaging/changelog.sh`) to generate `CHANGELOG.md` from
+  commit history. Refines D19's "hand-write CHANGELOG" to "generate it from conventional
+  commits"; `__version__`/`pyproject.toml`/tag still the source of truth for the version.
+- *CI does not auto-commit the changelog* (avoids push loops) — it's regenerated by the dev
+  via the script when cutting a version; CI only reads the section for the release body.
+
 ## Open
 
-None currently — all tracked decisions (D1–D19) are resolved. New questions will be added
+None currently — all tracked decisions (D1–D20) are resolved. New questions will be added
 here as they arise. Remaining detail to flesh out during build: the tray's supporting-action
 set (D13), per-module apt package names, M12's tunnel/token specifics, and M13's
 update mechanism (APT repo vs. self-installed `.deb`).

docs/MODULES.md

@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ Status: ⬜ not started · 🟦 designing · 🟨 in progress · ✅ done
   and dependency install via pkexec/sudo — `rigdoctor install [--check] [-y]` + GUI Setup tab.
   The **user-local app install** is `install.sh` (private venv + `~/.local/bin` launchers +
   desktop entry, no root; handles the `python3-venv` prerequisite) plus a self-extracting
-  **`.run`** (makeself, built by CI). *Pending:* config/module selection + `systemd --user`
+  **`.run`** (pure-Python self-extractor, `packaging/make_run.py`, built by CI). *Pending:*
+  config/module selection + `systemd --user`
   service enable.
 - **M12 Session sharing / remote assist** (D16) — let a helper inspect a user's machine, in
   an escalating ladder: (1) **diagnostic bundle export** (inventory + recent log + report,

packaging/changelog.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env sh
+# Regenerate CHANGELOG.md from Conventional Commits using git-cliff (D20).
+# Install once:  pip install git-cliff   (ships prebuilt binaries)
+# Usage:         packaging/changelog.sh [--tag vX.Y.Z]
+set -eu
+
+ROOT=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/.." && pwd)
+cd "$ROOT"
+
+command -v git-cliff >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "git-cliff not found. Install it: pip install git-cliff"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--tag" ] && [ -n "${2:-}" ]; then
+    git-cliff --tag "$2" -o CHANGELOG.md
+else
+    git-cliff -o CHANGELOG.md
+fi
+echo "Wrote CHANGELOG.md"

packaging/make-run.sh

@@ -1,33 +1,3 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
-# Build a self-extracting .run installer: bundles the wheel + install.sh so a user
-# can download one file, run it, and get a no-root user-local install.
-#
-# Requires `makeself` (apt install makeself). Run from the repo root.
-set -eu
-
-ROOT=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/.." && pwd)
-cd "$ROOT"
-
-command -v makeself >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
-    echo "makeself not found. Install it: sudo apt install makeself"
-    exit 1
-}
-
-VERSION=$(python3 -c "import tomllib; print(tomllib.load(open('pyproject.toml','rb'))['project']['version'])")
-mkdir -p dist
-
-# Build the wheel if it isn't already in dist/.
-if ! ls dist/rigdoctor-"$VERSION"-py3-none-any.whl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    python3 -m build --wheel
-fi
-
-STAGE=$(mktemp -d)
-cp dist/rigdoctor-"$VERSION"-py3-none-any.whl "$STAGE"/
-cp install.sh "$STAGE"/install.sh
-chmod +x "$STAGE/install.sh"
-
-OUT="dist/rigdoctor-$VERSION-installer.run"
-makeself --notemp-suffix "$STAGE" "$OUT" "RigDoctor $VERSION installer" ./install.sh
-rm -rf "$STAGE"
-echo "Built $OUT"
-echo "Run it with:  chmod +x $OUT && ./$OUT"
+# Build the self-extracting .run installer (delegates to make_run.py — no makeself).
+exec python3 "$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd)/make_run.py" "$@"

packaging/make_run.py

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Build a dependency-free self-extracting .run installer (no makeself).
+
+Produces dist/rigdoctor-<version>-installer.run: a POSIX shell stub with an appended
+tar.gz of the wheel + install.sh. Running it extracts to a temp dir and runs install.sh.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tarfile
+import tomllib
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+MARKER = "__RIGDOCTOR_ARCHIVE__"
+
+STUB = f"""#!/bin/sh
+# RigDoctor self-extracting installer. Extracts the embedded archive and runs install.sh.
+set -eu
+SKIP=$(awk '/^{MARKER}$/ {{ print NR + 1; exit 0 }}' "$0")
+TMP=$(mktemp -d)
+tail -n +"$SKIP" "$0" | tar -xz -C "$TMP"
+sh "$TMP/install.sh" "$@"
+RET=$?
+rm -rf "$TMP"
+exit $RET
+{MARKER}
+"""
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    version = tomllib.loads((ROOT / "pyproject.toml").read_text())["project"]["version"]
+    dist = ROOT / "dist"
+    dist.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+    wheel = dist / f"rigdoctor-{version}-py3-none-any.whl"
+    if not wheel.exists():
+        subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-m", "build", "--wheel"], cwd=ROOT, check=True)
+    if not wheel.exists():
+        print(f"wheel not found: {wheel}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    buf = io.BytesIO()
+    with tarfile.open(fileobj=buf, mode="w:gz") as tar:
+        tar.add(wheel, arcname=wheel.name)
+        tar.add(ROOT / "install.sh", arcname="install.sh")
+
+    out = dist / f"rigdoctor-{version}-installer.run"
+    with open(out, "wb") as f:
+        f.write(STUB.encode())
+        f.write(buf.getvalue())
+    os.chmod(out, 0o755)
+    print(f"Built {out}")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "rigdoctor"
-version = "0.0.8"
+version = "0.0.10"
 description = "Modular hardware monitoring & crash diagnostics for Linux gamers."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11"

src/rigdoctor/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """RigDoctor — modular hardware monitoring & crash diagnostics for Linux gamers."""
 
-__version__ = "0.0.8"
+__version__ = "0.0.10"

src/rigdoctor/cli.py

@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ def cmd_login(args) -> int:
         print("No token provided.")
         return 1
     config.save_token(token)
-    state, tag = updates.update_state()
+    state, tag, _notes = updates.update_state()
     if state == updates.AUTH:
         print("Token saved, but the server rejected it (check scope/permissions).")
         return 1
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def cmd_logout(args) -> int:
 def cmd_update(args) -> int:
     from .core import updates
 
-    state, tag = updates.update_state()
+    state, tag, notes = updates.update_state()
     if state == updates.NO_TOKEN:
         print("No update token. Run `rigdoctor login` after creating one at:")
         print(f"  {updates.TOKEN_PAGE}")
@@ -264,6 +264,8 @@ def cmd_update(args) -> int:
         return 0
     # AVAILABLE
     print(f"Update available: {tag}  (current v{__version__}).")
+    if notes:
+        print("\nWhat's new:\n" + "\n".join("  " + ln for ln in notes.splitlines()) + "\n")
     if args.check:
         return 0
     print(f"Installing {tag}…")

src/rigdoctor/core/catalog.py

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class Component:
 COMPONENTS: tuple[Component, ...] = (
     Component(
         "smartmontools", "SMART disk health", "Diagnostics",
-        "Disk health (SMART) in the health report (M4)", ("smartmontools",), "smartctl",
+        "Disk health (SMART) in the health report", ("smartmontools",), "smartctl",
     ),
     Component(
         "lm-sensors", "lm-sensors", "Diagnostics",
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ COMPONENTS: tuple[Component, ...] = (
     ),
     Component(
         "dmidecode", "dmidecode", "Diagnostics",
-        "Motherboard / BIOS / RAM details for system inventory (M5)", ("dmidecode",), "dmidecode",
+        "Motherboard / BIOS / RAM details for system inventory", ("dmidecode",), "dmidecode",
     ),
     Component(
         "pciutils", "pciutils", "Diagnostics",
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ COMPONENTS: tuple[Component, ...] = (
     ),
     Component(
         "libnotify", "Desktop notifications", "Monitoring",
-        "Desktop alert notifications (M8)", ("libnotify-bin",), "notify-send",
+        "Desktop alert notifications", ("libnotify-bin",), "notify-send",
     ),
     Component(
         "libsecret", "Encrypted token storage", "Updates",
-        "Store the update token in the OS keyring, encrypted (M13)", ("libsecret-tools",), "secret-tool",
+        "Store the update token in the OS keyring, encrypted", ("libsecret-tools",), "secret-tool",
     ),
 )

src/rigdoctor/core/updates.py

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-"""Update check (M13): ask the Gitea releases API for the latest version.
+"""Update check (M13): ask the Gitea releases API for the latest version + notes.
 
 Stdlib-only (urllib). The Gitea instance requires sign-in, so updates are gated to
 account holders via a Personal Access Token (D18): set $RIGDOCTOR_TOKEN or save one
-with `rigdoctor login`. Self-update (apply) is built on top of this; this module
-handles detection and exposes a clear state for the UI.
+with `rigdoctor login`. Returns the latest tag, its release notes (body), and a clear
+state for the UI; `apply_update` performs the no-root self-update.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ def is_newer(latest: str, current: str = __version__) -> bool:
         return False
 
 
-def fetch_latest(timeout: float = 5.0) -> tuple[str | None, str | None]:
-    """Return (tag, error). error is one of NO_TOKEN / AUTH / NETWORK, or None on success."""
+def fetch_latest(timeout: float = 5.0) -> tuple[str | None, str, str | None]:
+    """Return (tag, notes, error). error is NO_TOKEN/AUTH/NETWORK, or None on success."""
     token = load_token()
     if not token:
-        return (None, NO_TOKEN)
+        return (None, "", NO_TOKEN)
     req = urllib.request.Request(
         LATEST_API,
         headers={"Accept": "application/json", "Authorization": f"token {token}"},
@@ -54,27 +54,27 @@ def fetch_latest(timeout: float = 5.0) -> tuple[str | None, str | None]:
     try:
         with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=timeout) as resp:  # noqa: S310 (https)
             data = json.load(resp)
-        return (data.get("tag_name") or None, None)
+        return (data.get("tag_name") or None, (data.get("body") or "").strip(), None)
     except urllib.error.HTTPError as exc:
-        return (None, AUTH if exc.code in (401, 403) else NETWORK)
+        return (None, "", AUTH if exc.code in (401, 403) else NETWORK)
     except Exception:
-        return (None, NETWORK)
+        return (None, "", NETWORK)
 
 
 def check_latest(timeout: float = 5.0) -> str | None:
-    """Convenience: latest tag or None (ignores error reason)."""
-    tag, _ = fetch_latest(timeout)
+    """Convenience: latest tag or None (ignores notes/error)."""
+    tag, _notes, _error = fetch_latest(timeout)
     return tag
 
 
-def update_state(timeout: float = 5.0) -> tuple[str, str | None]:
-    """Return (state, tag). state in NO_TOKEN/AUTH/NETWORK/UP_TO_DATE/AVAILABLE."""
-    tag, error = fetch_latest(timeout)
+def update_state(timeout: float = 5.0) -> tuple[str, str | None, str]:
+    """Return (state, tag, notes). state in NO_TOKEN/AUTH/NETWORK/UP_TO_DATE/AVAILABLE."""
+    tag, notes, error = fetch_latest(timeout)
     if error:
-        return (error, None)
+        return (error, None, "")
     if tag and is_newer(tag):
-        return (AVAILABLE, tag)
-    return (UP_TO_DATE, tag)
+        return (AVAILABLE, tag, notes)
+    return (UP_TO_DATE, tag, notes)
 
 
 def apply_update(tag: str) -> tuple[int, str]:

src/rigdoctor/gui/main_window.py

@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
+import sys
 import threading
 
-from PySide6.QtCore import Qt, QTimer, Signal
+from PySide6.QtCore import Qt, QProcess, QTimer, Signal
 from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
+    QApplication,
     QButtonGroup,
     QFrame,
     QHBoxLayout,
     QLabel,
     QMainWindow,
+    QMessageBox,
     QPushButton,
     QStackedWidget,
     QVBoxLayout,
@@ -75,6 +79,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         # Update check (M13): once at launch, then periodically so a newly published
         # release is detected without restarting (interval from config; 0 disables).
         self._latest_tag = None
+        self._latest_notes = ""
         self._applied = False
         self._update_checked.connect(self._show_update_state)
         self._update_applied.connect(self._on_update_applied)
@@ -131,11 +136,33 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self._update_btn.clicked.connect(self._apply_update)
         self._update_btn.setVisible(False)
         v.addWidget(self._update_btn)
+        self._restart_btn = QPushButton("Restart now")
+        self._restart_btn.setObjectName("PrimaryButton")
+        self._restart_btn.setCursor(Qt.CursorShape.PointingHandCursor)
+        self._restart_btn.clicked.connect(self._restart)
+        self._restart_btn.setVisible(False)
+        v.addWidget(self._restart_btn)
         return bar
 
+    def _restart(self) -> None:
+        gui = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.executable), "rigdoctor-gui")
+        if os.path.exists(gui):
+            QProcess.startDetached(gui)
+        else:  # dev / not installed next to python
+            QProcess.startDetached(sys.executable, sys.argv)
+        QApplication.instance().quit()
+
     def _apply_update(self) -> None:
         if not self._latest_tag:
             return
+        box = QMessageBox(self)
+        box.setWindowTitle(f"Update to {self._latest_tag}")
+        box.setText(f"Update RigDoctor to {self._latest_tag}?")
+        box.setInformativeText(self._latest_notes or "(no release notes)")
+        box.setStandardButtons(QMessageBox.StandardButton.Ok | QMessageBox.StandardButton.Cancel)
+        box.button(QMessageBox.StandardButton.Ok).setText("Update")
+        if box.exec() != QMessageBox.StandardButton.Ok:
+            return
         self._update_btn.setEnabled(False)
         self._update_label.setText("updating…")
         tag = self._latest_tag
@@ -144,8 +171,9 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
     def _on_update_applied(self, rc: int) -> None:
         if rc == 0:
             self._applied = True
-            self._update_label.setText("updated — restart RigDoctor")
+            self._update_label.setText("update installed")
             self._update_btn.setVisible(False)
+            self._restart_btn.setVisible(True)
             if hasattr(self, "_update_timer"):
                 self._update_timer.stop()
         else:
@@ -161,8 +189,9 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
     def _show_update_state(self, result) -> None:
         if self._applied:  # an update was applied this session; awaiting restart
             return
-        state, tag = result
+        state, tag, notes = result
         self._latest_tag = tag
+        self._latest_notes = notes
         self._update_btn.setVisible(False)
         if state == updates.NO_TOKEN:
             self._update_label.setText("connect to update server")

src/rigdoctor/gui/setup_page.py

@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class SetupPage(QWidget):
         self._upd_state.emit((config.token_backend(), updates.update_state()))
 
     def _on_upd_state(self, result) -> None:
-        backend, (state, tag) = result
+        backend, (state, tag, _notes) = result
         msg = {
             updates.NO_TOKEN: "paste a token below to enable updates",
             updates.AUTH: "token rejected — check its scope/permissions",