fix: bump CLI version to 0.9.7-preview and relax E2E skill version check

.changeset/fix-cli-prerelease-version-skill.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+"@bradygaster/squad-cli": patch
+"@bradygaster/squad-sdk": patch
+---
+
+fix: bump CLI version to 0.9.7-preview; align E2E skill and policy gate with CONTRIBUTING.md
+
+The insider publish workflow stamped `@bradygaster/squad-cli` at `0.9.6-build.4`,
+which violates the prerelease version policy gate. Per CONTRIBUTING.md, the correct
+local dev version is `{next-version}-preview`.
+
+- `packages/squad-cli/package.json`: `0.9.6-build.4` → `0.9.7-preview`
+- All 4 copies of `e2e-template-testing/SKILL.md` (root `templates/`,
+  `packages/squad-sdk/templates/`, `packages/squad-cli/templates/`,
+  `.squad-templates/`):
+  - **Build commands** aligned with CONTRIBUTING.md (lines 253–256): use workspace
+    flags `npm run build -w packages/squad-sdk && npm run build -w packages/squad-cli`
+    and `npm link -w packages/squad-cli` instead of shell `cd` + bare `npm run build`
+  - **Version verify text** updated to version-agnostic `x.y.z-preview` placeholder
+    with an explicit note that the `-preview` suffix is required, linking to
+    CONTRIBUTING.md for the full local dev setup
+- `.github/workflows/squad-ci.yml` — Prerelease Version Guard: relaxed regex from
+  `/-/` (any hyphen) to `/-/ && not /^\d+\.\d+\.\d+-preview$/` so the CONTRIBUTING.md-
+  sanctioned `-preview` suffix is allowed while all other prerelease tags (e.g.
+  `-build.4`, `-alpha`, `-beta`) are still blocked

.github/workflows/squad-ci.yml

@@ -310,14 +310,15 @@ jobs:
               const pkgPath = path.join('packages', dir, 'package.json');
               if (!fs.existsSync(pkgPath)) continue;
               const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(pkgPath, 'utf8'));
-              if (pkg.version && /-/.test(pkg.version)) {
+              // Allow x.y.z-preview (CONTRIBUTING.md canonical dev suffix); block all other prerelease tags
+              if (pkg.version && /-/.test(pkg.version) && !/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+-preview$/.test(pkg.version)) {
                 violations.push({ name: pkg.name, version: pkg.version, path: pkgPath });
               }
             }
             if (violations.length > 0) {
-              console.error('::error::PRERELEASE VERSION DETECTED — cannot merge to dev/main.');
+              console.error('::error::UNSANCTIONED PRERELEASE VERSION DETECTED — cannot merge to dev/main.');
               violations.forEach(v => console.error('  ' + v.name + '@' + v.version + ' (' + v.path + ')'));
-              console.error('Fix: remove prerelease suffixes. Skip: add \"skip-version-check\" label.');
+              console.error('Fix: use x.y.z-preview (CONTRIBUTING.md) or a clean semver. Skip: add \"skip-version-check\" label.');
               process.exit(1);
             }
             console.log('✅ All package versions are release versions');

.squad-templates/skills/e2e-template-testing/SKILL.md

@@ -87,14 +87,17 @@ See **Progress Reporting** for the full comment lifecycle and update patterns.
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/squad          # your feature branch
 npm install
-npm run build              # compiles SDK + CLI
+npm run build -w packages/squad-sdk && npm run build -w packages/squad-cli
 
-# Link so `squad` command uses your local build
-cd packages/squad-cli
-npm link
+# Link so `squad` command uses your local build (workspace flag — no cd required)
+npm link -w packages/squad-cli
 ```
 
-Verify: `squad version` should show the `-preview` tag.
+Verify: `squad version` output includes the `-preview` suffix (e.g., `x.y.z-preview`),
+confirming the local dev build is active. If the output shows a plain semver without
+`-preview`, the globally-installed npm package is still in use — re-check the link step.
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md — Making the `squad` Command Use Your Local Build](../../../CONTRIBUTING.md)
+for the full guidance on local dev versioning.
 
 ### Step 2 — Create a disposable test repo
 

packages/squad-cli/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bradygaster/squad-cli",
-  "version": "0.9.6",
+  "version": "0.9.7-preview",
   "description": "Squad CLI — Command-line interface for the Squad multi-agent runtime",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^22.0.0",
     "@types/react": "^19.2.14",
-    "ink-testing-library": "^4.0.0",
-    "typescript": "^5.7.0"
+    "typescript": "^5.7.0",
+    "ink-testing-library": "^4.0.0"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "copilot",

packages/squad-cli/templates/skills/e2e-template-testing/SKILL.md

@@ -87,14 +87,17 @@ See **Progress Reporting** for the full comment lifecycle and update patterns.
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/squad          # your feature branch
 npm install
-npm run build              # compiles SDK + CLI
+npm run build -w packages/squad-sdk && npm run build -w packages/squad-cli
 
-# Link so `squad` command uses your local build
-cd packages/squad-cli
-npm link
+# Link so `squad` command uses your local build (workspace flag — no cd required)
+npm link -w packages/squad-cli
 ```
 
-Verify: `squad version` should show the `-preview` tag.
+Verify: `squad version` output includes the `-preview` suffix (e.g., `x.y.z-preview`),
+confirming the local dev build is active. If the output shows a plain semver without
+`-preview`, the globally-installed npm package is still in use — re-check the link step.
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md — Making the `squad` Command Use Your Local Build](../../../CONTRIBUTING.md)
+for the full guidance on local dev versioning.
 
 ### Step 2 — Create a disposable test repo
 

packages/squad-sdk/templates/skills/e2e-template-testing/SKILL.md

@@ -87,14 +87,17 @@ See **Progress Reporting** for the full comment lifecycle and update patterns.
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/squad          # your feature branch
 npm install
-npm run build              # compiles SDK + CLI
+npm run build -w packages/squad-sdk && npm run build -w packages/squad-cli
 
-# Link so `squad` command uses your local build
-cd packages/squad-cli
-npm link
+# Link so `squad` command uses your local build (workspace flag — no cd required)
+npm link -w packages/squad-cli
 ```
 
-Verify: `squad version` should show the `-preview` tag.
+Verify: `squad version` output includes the `-preview` suffix (e.g., `x.y.z-preview`),
+confirming the local dev build is active. If the output shows a plain semver without
+`-preview`, the globally-installed npm package is still in use — re-check the link step.
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md — Making the `squad` Command Use Your Local Build](../../../CONTRIBUTING.md)
+for the full guidance on local dev versioning.
 
 ### Step 2 — Create a disposable test repo
 

templates/skills/e2e-template-testing/SKILL.md

@@ -87,14 +87,17 @@ See **Progress Reporting** for the full comment lifecycle and update patterns.
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/squad          # your feature branch
 npm install
-npm run build              # compiles SDK + CLI
+npm run build -w packages/squad-sdk && npm run build -w packages/squad-cli
 
-# Link so `squad` command uses your local build
-cd packages/squad-cli
-npm link
+# Link so `squad` command uses your local build (workspace flag — no cd required)
+npm link -w packages/squad-cli
 ```
 
-Verify: `squad version` should show the `-preview` tag.
+Verify: `squad version` output includes the `-preview` suffix (e.g., `x.y.z-preview`),
+confirming the local dev build is active. If the output shows a plain semver without
+`-preview`, the globally-installed npm package is still in use — re-check the link step.
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md — Making the `squad` Command Use Your Local Build](../../../CONTRIBUTING.md)
+for the full guidance on local dev versioning.
 
 ### Step 2 — Create a disposable test repo