docs: repair v0.35.0 release notes and automate release notes validation and rotation

.github/workflows/release-notes.yml

@@ -23,36 +23,14 @@ jobs:
     name: Release Notes
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Skip release notes check
-        if: contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog')
-        run: echo "Release notes check skipped by the no-changelog label."
-
       - name: git checkout
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog') }}
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Check for a release note
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog') }}
+      - name: Check release notes
         env:
           BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
           HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
-          RELEASE_NOTES_FILE: docs/release-notes/release-notes-next.md
-        run: |
-          if git diff --unified=0 "$BASE_SHA...$HEAD_SHA" -- \
-              "$RELEASE_NOTES_FILE" |
-              awk '
-                /^@@/ { in_hunk = 1; next }
-                in_hunk && /^\+/ {
-                  line = substr($0, 2)
-                  if (line ~ /[^[:space:]]/) found = 1
-                }
-                END { exit found ? 0 : 1 }
-              '
-          then
-            exit 0
-          fi
-
-          echo "::error file=$RELEASE_NOTES_FILE::Add a release note or apply the no-changelog label."
-          exit 1
+          NO_CHANGELOG: ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog') }}
+        run: scripts/release-notes.py pr "$BASE_SHA" "$HEAD_SHA"

Makefile

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ DOCKER_RELEASE_BUILDER = docker run \
   -v $(shell bash -c "go env GOMODCACHE 2>/dev/null || (mkdir -p /tmp/go-modcache; echo /tmp/go-modcache)"):/tmp/build/.modcache \
   -v $$(pwd):/repo \
   -e LOOPBUILDSYS='$(buildsys)' \
+  -e SKIP_RELEASE_NOTES_CHECK \
   loop-release-builder
 
 GREEN=\033[0;32m

docs/release-notes/README.md

@@ -6,9 +6,20 @@ Contributor lists are derived from non-merge commit authors and co-authors
 between consecutive official release tags.
 
 Add user-facing changes to [release-notes-next.md](release-notes-next.md).
-When preparing a release, use
-[release-notes-template.md](release-notes-template.md) to turn those notes into
-a versioned file, then reset the next-release sections.
+When preparing a release, run
+`./scripts/release-notes.py rotate <release-tag> <release-highlights>`.
+The script moves the unreleased notes into the versioned file, updates adjacent
+links and this table, then resets the next-release file from the template. It
+uses the current date by default; pass `--date YYYY-MM-DD` when preparing notes
+for another date. The template defines the complete notes structure. The
+scripts only read or update the release date, release page, previous-release,
+and next-release fields, so adding or rearranging sections requires no script
+changes.
+
+The release-notes CI check detects version-component changes in `version.go`.
+Those release-preparation pull requests must satisfy the same rotated-notes
+check as the release builder; other pull requests need a next-release entry or
+the `no-changelog` label.
 
 | Release notes | Date | Highlights |
 | --- | --- | --- |
@@ -110,4 +121,5 @@ a versioned file, then reset the next-release sections.
 | [v0.33.2-beta](release-notes-0.33.2.md) | 2026-06-08 | Exposed static swap details and hardened MuSig2 inputs |
 | [v0.33.3-beta](release-notes-0.33.3.md) | 2026-06-21 | Raised the LND floor and updated the LND dependency |
 | [v0.34.0-beta](release-notes-0.34.0.md) | 2026-07-23 | Tracked low-confirmation deposits and production Taproot channels |
+| [v0.35.0-beta](release-notes-0.35.0.md) | 2026-08-24 | Added stateless Loop Out HTLC recovery and hardened Instant Out handling |
 | [Next release](release-notes-next.md) | Unreleased | No changes yet |

docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.34.0.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 - **Release page:**
   [v0.34.0-beta](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/releases/tag/v0.34.0-beta)
 - **Previous release:** [v0.33.3-beta](release-notes-0.33.3.md)
-- **Next release:** [Next release](release-notes-next.md)
+- **Next release:** [v0.35.0-beta](release-notes-0.35.0.md)
 
 #### New Features
 

docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.35.0.md

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Loop Client Release Notes
+
+- **Release date:** 2026-08-24
+- **Release page:**
+  [v0.35.0-beta](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/releases/tag/v0.35.0-beta)
+- **Previous release:** [v0.34.0-beta](release-notes-0.34.0.md)
+- **Next release:** [Next release](release-notes-next.md)
+
+#### New Features
+
+* The `loop out sweephtlc` recovery command can reconstruct and sweep a
+  protocol-11 Loop Out HTLC from public swap data when the local swap database
+  record is unavailable. It can also request the server's cooperative MuSig2
+  signature to spend an original Taproot HTLC through its key path.
+
+#### Breaking Changes
+
+* Instant Out and reservation RPCs now require the `loop:out` permission.
+  Operators using custom scoped macaroons must rebake them before calling
+  `ListReservations`, `InstantOut`, `InstantOutQuote`, or `ListInstantOuts`.
+  [PR #1194](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1194)
+
+#### Bug Fixes
+
+* Loop Out requests now account for channel reserves when checking outbound
+  capacity, preventing swaps from starting when their off-chain payment cannot
+  be funded.
+
+* Improved Instant Out and reservation validation, lifecycle cleanup, recovery
+  timing, fee limits, and macaroon permissions.
+  [PR #1194](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1194)
+
+* Taproot Asset Loop Out handling now validates RFQ timeouts and asset rates,
+  keeps cached asset-name lookups responsive during slow `tapd` queries, and
+  closes `tapd` connections cleanly during shutdown and startup failures.
+  [PR #1189](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1189)
+
+#### Maintenance
+
+* Updated the gRPC dependency to v1.83.1.
+
+* Updated the Taproot Assets dependency to v0.8.1; asset conversions that
+  overflow a millisatoshi amount are now safely rejected.
+
+* Added a CI gate and repository agent guidance requiring every pull request to
+  include a non-empty entry in the next release notes unless it carries the
+  `no-changelog` label.
+
+#### Contributors (Alphabetical Order)
+
+- Alex Bosworth
+- Andras Banki-Horvath
+- Boris Nagaev
+- dependabot[bot]
+- Gustavo Stingelin
+- saubyk
+- Slyghtning
+- Viktor Torstensson

docs/release-notes/release-notes-next.md

@@ -2,18 +2,8 @@
 
 #### New Features
 
-* The `loop out sweephtlc` recovery command can reconstruct and sweep a
-  protocol-11 Loop Out HTLC from public swap data when the local swap database
-  record is unavailable. It can also request the server's cooperative MuSig2
-  signature to spend an original Taproot HTLC through its key path.
-
 #### Breaking Changes
 
-* Instant Out and reservation RPCs now require the `loop:out` permission.
-  Operators using custom scoped macaroons must rebake them before calling
-  `ListReservations`, `InstantOut`, `InstantOutQuote`, or `ListInstantOuts`.
-  [PR #1194](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1194)
-
 #### Bug Fixes
 
 * `loopd --version` inside the official Docker images now reports the commit
@@ -24,33 +14,15 @@
   `loopd` failed with `exec format error` on ARM hosts.
   [Issue #1211](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/issues/1211)
 
-* Loop Out requests now account for channel reserves when checking outbound
-  capacity, preventing swaps from starting when their off-chain payment cannot
-  be funded.
-
-* Improved Instant Out and reservation validation, lifecycle cleanup, recovery
-  timing, fee limits, and macaroon permissions.
-  [PR #1194](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1194)
-
-* Taproot Asset Loop Out handling now validates RFQ timeouts and asset rates,
-  keeps cached asset-name lookups responsive during slow `tapd` queries, and
-  closes `tapd` connections cleanly during shutdown and startup failures.
-  [PR #1189](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/pull/1189)
-
 #### Maintenance
 
+* Release-note CI and release builds now require a versioned release-notes file
+  and an empty next release-notes file, unless explicitly overridden for
+  historical or non-release builds.
+
 * The Docker image build now verifies that every platform of the image index
   holds binaries for the architecture it advertises, and gives a release its
   tag only once that check has passed.
   [Issue #1211](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/issues/1211)
 
-* Updated the gRPC dependency to v1.83.1.
-
-* Updated the Taproot Assets dependency to v0.8.1; asset conversions that
-  overflow a millisatoshi amount are now safely rejected.
-
-* Added a CI gate and repository agent guidance requiring every pull request to
-  include a non-empty entry in the next release notes unless it carries the
-  `no-changelog` label.
-
 #### Contributors (Alphabetical Order)

docs/release-notes/release-notes-template.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 - **Release page:**
   [vX.Y.Z-beta](https://github.com/lightninglabs/loop/releases/tag/vX.Y.Z-beta)
 - **Previous release:** [vX.Y.W-beta](release-notes-X.Y.W.md)
-- **Next release:** None
+- **Next release:** [Next release](release-notes-next.md)
 
 #### New Features
 

docs/reproducible_release.md

@@ -105,3 +105,13 @@ LOOPBUILDSYS='linux-amd64 windows-amd64' ./release.sh v0.32.1-beta
 This will produce the same artifacts in a `loop-<tag-of-release>` directory as
 the `make docker-release` command. The latter simply runs the `release.sh`
 script inside a Docker container.
+
+Before packaging a release, `release.sh` verifies that the matching versioned
+release-notes file exists and that `release-notes-next.md` contains no entries.
+To reproduce a historical release or build an untagged commit where that state
+does not apply, explicitly set `SKIP_RELEASE_NOTES_CHECK=1`. For Docker builds,
+set it on the `make` command so it is passed into the builder:
+
+```bash
+SKIP_RELEASE_NOTES_CHECK=1 make docker-release tag=<tag-or-git-describe-output>
+```

release.Dockerfile

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FROM golang:1.26.0
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
-    git ca-certificates zip gpg && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    git ca-certificates zip gpg python3 && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Add GPG key of Alex Bosworth to verify release tag signature.
 RUN gpg --keyserver keys.openpgp.org \

release.sh

@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@ commit=$(git --git-dir "${SCRIPT_DIR}/.git" rev-parse HEAD)
 green " - Checkout commit ${commit} in ${BUILD_DIR}"
 git checkout -b build-branch "$commit"
 
+green " - Checking release notes"
+./scripts/release-notes.py release "${1:-untagged}"
+
 green " - Checking tag $1"
 check_tag $1