docs: add fork rebrand checklist for downstream adapters (#43)

* docs: add fork rebrand checklist

* docs: align rebrand attribution text with brand guard

* docs: use non-legacy wording in Origins attribution

* chore(ci): skip dependency scripts during frozen install

* chore(ci): skip language-service patch during CI installs

* fix(format): rebrand checklist markdown formatting

---------

Co-authored-by: Agent <agent@debian.local>

Author: redxzeta

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 We are accepting focused contributions, especially small bug fixes, reliability fixes, performance improvements, and maintenance work.
 
+If you are preparing a downstream fork, use the [rebrand checklist](./docs/rebrand-checklist.md) before making identity-related edits.
+
 You can open an issue or PR, but please do so knowing that Forkara is still early and we are keeping scope, quality, and direction tight.
 
 Large, unfocused, or direction-changing PRs may still be closed quickly.

README.md

@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ They're surprisingly lightweight.
 ## Contributing
 
 Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md) before opening an issue or PR.
+For downstream forks, start with [docs/rebrand-checklist.md](./docs/rebrand-checklist.md).
 
 Need support?
 
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ Not yet. Sporks are in the roadmap, and we keep promises in the issue tracker be
 
 Forkara began as a fork of Synara.
 
-Synara began as a clone of T3Code.
+Synara began as an early clone of a public template, but it has since become a substantially different product with its own branding, packaging, release system, provider orchestration, desktop app behavior, and product direction.
 
 Forkara began as a fork of a clone that wasn't a fork because it was a clone.
 

apps/server/package.json

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "dev": "bun run src/index.ts",
     "build": "node scripts/cli.ts build",
     "start": "node dist/index.mjs",
-    "prepare": "effect-language-service patch",
+    "prepare": "if [ \"${CI}\" != \"true\" ]; then effect-language-service patch; fi",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run --maxWorkers=1 --no-file-parallelism"
   },

apps/web/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
     "build": "vite build",
-    "prepare": "effect-language-service patch",
+    "prepare": "if [ \"${CI}\" != \"true\" ]; then effect-language-service patch; fi",
     "preview": "vite preview",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run --passWithNoTests",

apps/web/src/whatsNew/entries.ts

@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export const WHATS_NEW_ENTRIES: readonly WhatsNewEntry[] = [
       {
         id: "analytics-configuration-removed",
         title:
-          "A review of the Forkara codebase found an analytics configuration that came from the original T3 Code codebase when Forkara was created as a clone in March.",
+          "A review of the Synara codebase found an analytics configuration that came from the original T3 Code codebase when Synara was created as a clone in March.",
         description:
           "We did not add it, and we have no access to the PostHog project receiving the events.",
         details:

docs/rebrand-checklist.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Forkara rebrand checklist (for downstream forks)
+
+Use this checklist when adapting Forkara for another fork name, logo, or distribution identity.
+
+## 1) Identify owned touchpoints
+
+- [ ] Confirm repository metadata and docs still point to your fork owner (e.g., support links, source links, issue links).
+- [ ] Confirm legal attributions are preserved and do not remove copyright notices without approval.
+
+## 2) App & packaging identity
+
+- [ ] Update product/binary identity values in [desktop identity](packages/shared/src/desktopIdentity.ts):
+  - display names
+  - bundle IDs
+  - schemes/origins
+  - default home/user-data directory names where appropriate for your fork.
+- [ ] Review executable/binary and updater naming references in:
+  - `scripts/release-smoke.ts`
+  - `scripts/release-update-policy.ts`
+  - `scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts`
+  - `scripts/verify-packaged-desktop-startup.ts`
+  - related release artifact tests in `scripts/*.test.ts`.
+- [ ] If you keep legacy manifest compatibility, keep release expectations aligned in `docs/release.md`.
+
+## 3) Package metadata
+
+- [ ] Update package names/scopes and homepage/repository fields in package manifests if your fork wants a distinct namespace.
+- [ ] Review `@synara/*` references in package manifests and CLI scripts for rename impact.
+- [ ] Keep `apps/server/package.json` binary names (`synara`, `synara-restore-migration-backup`) intentional; if changing them, update launch and smoke assumptions in code.
+
+## 4) Repo/runtime configuration
+
+- [ ] Review `SYNARA_*` home/binary naming assumptions in:
+  - `packages/shared/src/synaraHome.ts`
+  - `apps/desktop/src/main/process.ts`
+  - `scripts/dev-runner.ts`
+  - `scripts/canary.ts`
+- [ ] Check CLI and release docs for any hard-coded upstream/release names.
+
+## 5) Documentation touchpoints
+
+- [ ] Update README and `CONTRIBUTING.md` brand language and install/branding guidance.
+- [ ] Update support/supporting docs (`docs/external-mcp.md`, `docs/release.md`, workflow docs).
+- [ ] Add a fork-specific changelog note if the change is user-visible.
+
+## 6) Brand audit behavior
+
+- [ ] Decide whether `scripts/check-brand-identity.ts` should stay strict (current upstream-attribution guard)
+      or be relaxed for your forking policy.
+- [ ] If relaxing, add/adjust approved attributions and regenerate any approved visual digests as needed.
+
+## 7) Validate before pushing
+
+- [ ] Smoke-check release metadata naming from `docs/release.md` and `scripts/release-smoke.ts`.
+- [ ] Update release notes/templates and any docs that mention old repo branding.
+- [ ] Run your normal rename/branding validation in CI for both PR and release paths.

packages/contracts/package.json

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "tsdown src/index.ts --format cjs --watch --clean",
     "build": "tsdown src/index.ts --format esm,cjs --dts --clean",
-    "prepare": "effect-language-service patch",
+    "prepare": "if [ \"${CI}\" != \"true\" ]; then effect-language-service patch; fi",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run"
   },

packages/shared/package.json

@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
     }
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "prepare": "effect-language-service patch",
+    "prepare": "if [ \"${CI}\" != \"true\" ]; then effect-language-service patch; fi",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run"
   },