# Release Packaging (/docs/release-packaging)



RadioCLI uses two distribution lanes:

* npm for the scoped Node CLI package: `@ciphore/radiocli`
* Homebrew for the one-command macOS install path: `ciphore/tap/radiocli`

npm, pnpm, and Bun can install the npm package. The shipped executable still
runs with Node.js, and package-manager installs should not install system
packages from lifecycle scripts. The explicit, user-invoked `radiocli setup`
command may install selected native tools after displaying and confirming its
plan. Native playback and interactive controls come
from `mpv`, with `ffplay` from FFmpeg as an optional playback-only fallback.
Linux users install `mpv` through their distro package manager. Windows users
install Node.js and `mpv` through `winget` or Scoop, then install RadioCLI
through npm.

## NPM Release [#npm-release]

Before publishing:

```bash
npm ci
npm run verify:release
npm pack --dry-run
```

Test the packed tarball locally:

```bash
VERSION=0.2.3
npm pack
npm install -g "./ciphore-radiocli-$VERSION.tgz"
radiocli --help
radiocli doctor
radiocli check
```

Publish:

```bash
npm login
npm publish --access public
```

After publishing, `npm install -g @ciphore/radiocli` should install the
executable and all JavaScript dependencies. Users can run `radiocli setup` for
guided native-tool installation or `radiocli doctor` for read-only diagnostics.

Optional client smoke checks:

```bash
pnpm add -g @ciphore/radiocli
bun add -g @ciphore/radiocli
radiocli doctor
```

Cross-platform release smoke checks should cover macOS, Linux, and Windows
startup paths:

```bash
npm run fresh:check          # macOS/Linux
npm run fresh:check          # Windows, from PowerShell
radiocli doctor
```

## Homebrew Tap [#homebrew-tap]

The public tap is `Ciphore/homebrew-tap`, and users install with:

```bash
brew install ciphore/tap/radiocli
```

The reusable formula template lives in `packaging/homebrew/radiocli.rb.template`.
After each npm publish, fetch the npm tarball URL and SHA:

```bash
VERSION=0.2.3
TARBALL="$(npm view @ciphore/radiocli@$VERSION dist.tarball)"
curl -L "$TARBALL" -o "/tmp/radiocli-$VERSION.tgz"
shasum -a 256 "/tmp/radiocli-$VERSION.tgz"
```

Copy the template into a separate `homebrew-tap` repository:

```text
homebrew-tap/
  Formula/
    radiocli.rb
```

Replace `{{VERSION}}` and `{{SHA256}}`, then verify:

```bash
brew install --build-from-source ./Formula/radiocli.rb
brew test radiocli
radiocli doctor
```

## Windows And Linux Native Playback [#windows-and-linux-native-playback]

Windows setup uses native Node.js and native `mpv`:

```powershell
winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS -e
winget install --id shinchiro.mpv -e
npm install -g @ciphore/radiocli
radiocli doctor
```

The `shinchiro.mpv` WinGet installer does not currently add its `MPV Player`
directory to `PATH`. RadioCLI resolves that standard installation directly and
also checks registered Windows application locations. Doctor should report an
`mpv_path`, its `mpv_discovery` source, and `mpv_launch=ready`.

Scoop users can install `mpv` with:

```powershell
scoop bucket add extras
scoop install mpv
```

Linux users should install the distro `mpv` package before the npm package:

```bash
sudo apt install mpv       # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install mpv       # Fedora/RHEL-like
sudo pacman -S mpv         # Arch/Manjaro
sudo apk add mpv           # Alpine
sudo zypper install mpv    # openSUSE/SUSE
```

`ffplay` may be installed as an optional fallback through FFmpeg, but release
smoke checks should treat it as playback-only. `radiocli doctor` reports
`controls=limited` when only `ffplay` is available and `controls=full` when
`mpv` is available.

AirPlay is experimental on macOS. The npm package bundles the sender bridge,
and the Homebrew formula installs FFmpeg so the one-command macOS path exposes
AirPlay without extra user setup. Release checks should keep high/critical
sender dependency advisories out of the shipped tree. AirPlay should remain an
explicit session output rather than the automatic startup fallback.