fix(release): enforce the v1.8 What's New floor

scripts/iso-smoke-test.sh

@@ -165,16 +165,35 @@ else
     sudo rm -rf "$TMPBIN"
 fi
 
-# ── Frontend payload present ─────────────────────────────────────────
-if [ -f "$MNT/archipelago/web-ui/index.html" ]; then
+# ── Frontend + companion payload ─────────────────────────────────────
+WEB_UI="$MNT/archipelago/web-ui"
+if [ -f "$WEB_UI/index.html" ]; then
     ok "frontend payload (archipelago/web-ui/index.html)"
-    if [ -f "$MNT/archipelago/web-ui/aiui/index.html" ]; then
+    if [ -f "$WEB_UI/aiui/index.html" ]; then
         ok "AIUI included in frontend payload"
     else
-        warn "AIUI missing from archipelago/web-ui (verify rootfs copy before shipping)"
+        bad "AIUI missing from archipelago/web-ui"
+    fi
+
+    COMPANION_META="$WEB_UI/packages/archipelago-companion.json"
+    COMPANION_APK="$WEB_UI/packages/archipelago-companion.apk"
+    if [ -s "$COMPANION_APK" ] && [ "$(jq -r '.versionName // empty' "$COMPANION_META" 2>/dev/null)" = "0.5.28" ] \
+            && [ "$(jq -r '.versionCode // empty' "$COMPANION_META" 2>/dev/null)" = "48" ]; then
+        ok "Companion 0.5.28 (versionCode 48) APK included"
+    else
+        bad "Companion 0.5.28 APK/metadata missing or stale"
+    fi
+
+    SETTINGS_BUNDLE="$(grep -rlF "v$EXPECTED_VERSION" "$WEB_UI/assets" 2>/dev/null | head -1)"
+    if [ -n "$SETTINGS_BUNDLE" ] \
+            && grep -qF 'v1.8.0-alpha' "$SETTINGS_BUNDLE" \
+            && ! grep -qE 'v1\.[0-7]\.|v1\.2\.0-alpha' "$SETTINGS_BUNDLE"; then
+        ok "What's New is v1.8.6-first with a v1.8.0 history floor"
+    else
+        bad "What's New payload is missing v1.8 history or still contains pre-v1.8 entries"
     fi
 else
-    warn "no archipelago/web-ui payload on ISO (frontend may live in rootfs.tar only)"
+    bad "no archipelago/web-ui payload on ISO"
 fi
 
 echo

scripts/sync-whats-new.py

@@ -73,10 +73,15 @@ def undated_versions():
 
 
 def ordered_versions():
-    """Return modal versions in display order (top to bottom)."""
+    """Return generated modal versions in display order (top to bottom)."""
     return re.findall(r"<!-- (v\d+\.\d+\.\d+\S*) -->", MODAL.read_text())
 
 
+def legacy_blocks():
+    """Return old hand-written alpha blocks that predate generated markers."""
+    return re.findall(r"<!-- (alpha\.[^ ]+) -->", MODAL.read_text())
+
+
 def version_key(version):
     match = re.match(r"v(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)", version)
     return tuple(map(int, match.groups()))
@@ -85,7 +90,10 @@ def version_key(version):
 def sort_modal_blocks(entries):
     """Re-render current release-note blocks newest-first and remove old history."""
     lines = MODAL.read_text().splitlines(keepends=True)
-    marker = re.compile(r"^\s*<!-- (v\d+\.\d+\.\d+\S*) -->\s*$")
+    # Include the old hand-written `alpha.*` blocks in the replace range so
+    # normalization can delete them. Previously the checker saw only generated
+    # vX.Y.Z markers and falsely claimed the v1.8.0 history floor was enforced.
+    marker = re.compile(r"^\s*<!-- ((?:v\d+\.\d+\.\d+\S*)|(?:alpha\.[^ ]+)) -->\s*$")
     blocks = []
 
     for start, line in enumerate(lines):
@@ -115,7 +123,10 @@ def sort_modal_blocks(entries):
             raise RuntimeError("unexpected content between What's New release blocks")
 
     by_version = {entry["ver"]: entry for entry in entries}
-    retained = [b for b in blocks if version_key(b[2]) >= MIN_VISIBLE_VERSION]
+    retained = [
+        b for b in blocks
+        if b[2].startswith("v") and version_key(b[2]) >= MIN_VISIBLE_VERSION
+    ]
     sorted_segments = [
         render_block(by_version[b[2]]).splitlines(keepends=True)
         if b[2] in by_version else b[3]
@@ -181,6 +192,7 @@ def main():
     expected_order = sorted(displayed, key=version_key, reverse=True)
     out_of_order = displayed != expected_order
     too_old = [v for v in displayed if version_key(v) < MIN_VISIBLE_VERSION]
+    too_old.extend(legacy_blocks())
 
     if not missing and not out_of_order and not too_old:
         changed = False if check else sort_modal_blocks(entries)