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+# Upstream Release Process
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+* GPG key configured for signing tags and tarballs
+* GitHub personal access token with `repo` scope
+
+## Create a Signed Tag
+
+Tag the release commit on `main` with a signed annotated tag:
+
+```bash
+git tag -s csmock-X.Y.Z
+```
+
+The tag message should contain the version on the first line, followed
+by a blank line and a bullet-list changelog.  For example:
+
+```
+csmock-3.8.5
+
+- make `--embed-context` use `csgrep-static` in the chroot (#216)
+```
+
+Push the tag:
+
+```bash
+git push origin csmock-X.Y.Z
+```
+
+## Upload Release Artifacts
+
+Run the `upload-release.sh` script from the repository root:
+
+```bash
+./upload-release.sh csmock-X.Y.Z "$GITHUB_TOKEN"
+```
+
+The script performs the following steps:
+
+1. Creates a source tarball using `git archive`
+2. Compresses it into `.tar.gz` and `.tar.xz`
+3. Signs both tarballs with GPG (producing `.asc` detached signatures)
+4. Creates a GitHub release via the API
+5. Uploads the tarballs and signatures as release assets
+
+Upstream releases are published at:
+<https://github.com/csutils/csmock/releases>
+
+## Finalize on GitHub
+
+Open the newly created release in the GitHub web UI and review/edit
+the release description as needed.
+
+## Downstream Packaging
+
+Packit (configured in `.packit.yaml`) automatically picks up new tags
+and triggers COPR builds for Fedora and EPEL.