Sauci/docs/releasing.md

Releasing Sauci Mobile App

This guide covers local release builds for Android and iOS.

Prerequisites

• Java JDK 17 - Required for Android Gradle builds
• Android Studio - For SDK and build tools (including Android SDK/NDK)
• Xcode - For iOS builds (macOS only)
• EAS CLI - npm install -g eas-cli
• Expo account - Run eas login to authenticate

---

EAS Build Local (Recommended)

The --local flag runs the EAS build process on your machine instead of Expo's cloud servers. This automatically handles signing credentials and produces the same output as cloud builds.

Quick Start

cd apps/mobile

# Android - produces .aab file (for Play Store)
npm run release:android

# iOS - produces .ipa file (for App Store)
npm run release:ios

Output files are placed in the current directory by default.

These scripts create signed artifacts only. They do not upload or submit them. Store mutation always requires a separate, explicitly authorized command.

Submit a local artifact with EAS

The production submission credentials are managed by EAS. Never add App Store Connect .p8 files, Google service-account JSON files, or local credential paths to the repository or eas.json.

Submit only an independently verified artifact by its exact absolute path:

cd apps/mobile

# Uploads an Android internal-track draft; it does not roll out the release.
eas submit --platform android --profile production --path /absolute/path/to/sauci.aab --wait

# Uploads to App Store Connect/TestFlight; it does not submit for App Review.
eas submit --platform ios --profile production --path /absolute/path/to/sauci.ipa --wait

Agents must not upload immediately after building, whether they use EAS, Fastlane, Xcode Organizer, or a store console. Once the artifact is verified, the agent must show the user the platform, exact path, bundle/package identifier, version, build number, signing identity, SHA-256 digest, and destination, then ask for a fresh confirmation to upload it. This confirmation authorizes one upload of that exact artifact to that exact destination, even if the earlier request already said to build, release, upload, or submit.

Before an iOS confirmation, inspect App Store Connect for automatic TestFlight distribution. If upload will add the build to existing groups or testers, name them in the confirmation and include that effect in the authorization. If the effect cannot be established, stop. Changing automatic-distribution settings is a separate action and requires its own authorization.

Do not use --latest for a local release. Before upload, verify the artifact's package or bundle identifier, public version, build number, signature, and SHA-256 digest. After upload, read back the same identity and version from Google Play Console or App Store Connect. Public rollout, App Review submission, and additional TestFlight group distribution remain separate, explicitly authorized actions. If an upload command returns an ambiguous result, inspect EAS and the store first; do not retry unless the user gives fresh authorization.

Source integrity

Sauci commits its native ios/ and android/ projects. Start a release from a clean worktree whose HEAD matches its fetched upstream, and do not run expo prebuild before a routine release build. EAS detects the native projects and packages the checked-in sources directly.

After the build, inspect git diff. Only the expected local EAS version fields may change: app.json, the platform native version file, and the iOS widget Info.plist for an iOS build. Any widget implementation, resource, or Xcode project rewrite means the source was regenerated and the artifact must be rebuilt from the clean tracked sources.

Android media permission policy

Sauci uses the Android system photo picker for user-selected images and videos. Android release manifests must not contain READ_MEDIA_IMAGES or READ_MEDIA_VIDEO. Gallery save flows request add-only access and must not add broad read access. After any Expo, media-library, image-picker, or native Android change, run :app:processReleaseMainManifest and inspect the merged release manifest before building an artifact for Google Play.

Building an APK (for Testing)

The production profile creates an AAB (Android App Bundle), which can't be directly installed on devices. To build an APK for testing:

# Use the preview profile (configured for APK output)
eas build --platform android --profile preview --local

Or add a custom profile to eas.json:

{
  "build": {
    "local-apk": {
      "android": {
        "buildType": "apk"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then run:

eas build --platform android --profile local-apk --local

Installing the APK

# Via ADB (device connected via USB)
adb install ./build-*.apk

# Or drag-and-drop onto Android Emulator

Build Profiles

Profile	Output	Use Case
production	.aab	Play Store / App Store submission
preview	.apk	Internal testing, device installation
development	.apk	Dev client with hot reload

Environment Variables

Useful for debugging build issues:

Variable	Purpose
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1	Keep build directory after completion
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_WORKINGDIR=/path	Custom build directory (default: /tmp)
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_ARTIFACTS_DIR=/path	Output directory for build artifacts

Example with debugging enabled:

EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_SKIP_CLEANUP=1 \
EAS_LOCAL_BUILD_WORKINGDIR=~/eas-builds \
eas build --platform android --profile production --local

Limitations of Local Builds

• Single platform only - Can't use --platform all
• Software versions ignored - node, yarn, ndk, image fields in eas.json are ignored
• No caching - Each build starts fresh
• Secret env vars not available - Set them in your local environment instead
• macOS/Linux only - Windows requires WSL (unsupported)

Troubleshooting Local Builds

Java version mismatch:

# Check Java version (should be 17)
java -version

# On macOS, switch Java version
export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 17)

Gradle daemon issues:

cd android && ./gradlew --stop && cd ..

Native regeneration after dependency changes:

Treat expo prebuild as a source change, not a release step. Run it separately only when native dependencies intentionally changed, review the full native diff, verify it, and commit it before starting the release from a clean worktree.

Out of memory:

# Increase Gradle memory
echo "org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx4g" >> android/gradle.properties

---

Manual Android Release Build

Step 1: Get the Production Keystore

The production keystore is stored in EAS. Download it:

cd apps/mobile
eas credentials --platform android

Select:

1. production
2. Keystore
3. Download Keystore

Save the keystore file and note the password and alias shown.

Step 2: Configure Signing

Ensure android/gradle.properties has the keystore configuration:

MYAPP_UPLOAD_STORE_FILE=sauci-release.keystore
MYAPP_UPLOAD_KEY_ALIAS=<alias from EAS>
MYAPP_UPLOAD_STORE_PASSWORD=<password from EAS>
MYAPP_UPLOAD_KEY_PASSWORD=<password from EAS>

Important: Never commit these credentials to git.

Step 3: Confirm tracked native sources

The committed android/ project is the release source. If native dependencies changed, regenerate and review that project as a separate change before release.

Step 4: Build the Release Bundle

cd android
./gradlew bundleRelease

The AAB file will be at:

android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

Step 5: Upload to Play Store

Apply the upload authorization gate above before opening or changing the release. Uploading the AAB and starting any rollout are separate actions; ask again before the rollout.

1. Go to Google Play Console
2. Select Sauci app
3. Go to Internal testing, unless the user authorized a different exact track
4. Create new release
5. Upload the .aab file
6. Add release notes, save the release as a draft, and read it back

Do not send the draft for review or start a rollout without the separate fresh authorization described above.

Verifying Keystore Fingerprint

To verify you're using the correct keystore:

keytool -list -v -keystore android/sauci-release.keystore -storepass <password>

Expected EAS production upload-key SHA1: F0:60:26:C7:54:B0:46:F2:80:FE:AC:43:8A:69:10:BD:9A:62:B4:59

---

iOS Release Build

Step 1: Confirm tracked native sources

The committed ios/ project is the release source. If native dependencies changed, regenerate and review that project as a separate change before release.

Step 2: Install Pods

cd ios
pod install
cd ..

Step 3: Build Archive in Xcode

1. Open ios/Sauci.xcworkspace in Xcode
2. Select Any iOS Device (arm64) as the build target
3. Go to Product → Archive
4. Wait for the build to complete

Step 4: Upload to App Store

Apply the upload authorization gate above before using Xcode Organizer. Include any verified automatic TestFlight distribution in the confirmation.

1. In Xcode Organizer (Window → Organizer), select the archive
2. Click Distribute App
3. Select App Store Connect → Upload
4. Follow the prompts to upload

Step 5: Submit in App Store Connect

Submitting for App Review is not authorized by the upload confirmation. Ask the user for fresh authorization immediately before this step.

1. Go to App Store Connect
2. Select Sauci
3. Create a new version or select the uploaded build
4. Fill in release notes and submit for review

---

Version Management

Version is managed locally by EAS with appVersionSource: "local" in apps/mobile/eas.json. Production builds auto-increment the platform build number and synchronize the tracked native version file.

To inspect or deliberately set versions:

# Check current version
eas build:version:get

# Set version manually
eas build:version:set --platform android --version 1.0.1
eas build:version:set --platform ios --version 1.0.1

The user-facing version remains in app.json:

{
  "expo": {
    "version": "1.0.1"
  }
}

And for Android, update android/app/build.gradle:

versionCode 2
versionName "1.0.1"

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Troubleshooting

Wrong Keystore Error

If Play Store rejects with "signed with wrong key":

1. Run eas credentials --platform android
2. Download the correct keystore
3. Verify fingerprint matches expected SHA1
4. Replace your local keystore file

Build Failures After Dependency Changes

# Clean the existing tracked Android project and rebuild it
cd android && ./gradlew clean && cd ..
cd android && ./gradlew bundleRelease

If native regeneration is genuinely required, do it as a separate reviewed and committed source change before running the release build.

iOS Signing Issues

Ensure your Apple Developer certificates and provisioning profiles are up to date in Xcode:

• Xcode → Settings → Accounts → Download Manual Profiles