Promote v6 to rc.2 stabilization

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-6.0.0-dev
+6.0.0-rc.2

docs/release-control/control_plane.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   "control_plane_doc": "docs/release-control/internal/CONTROL_PLANE.md",
   "control_plane_schema": "docs/release-control/control_plane.schema.json",
   "active_profile_id": "v6",
-  "active_target_id": "v6-rc-cut",
+  "active_target_id": "v6-rc-stabilization",
   "profiles": [
     {
       "id": "v6",
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       "id": "v6-rc-cut",
       "profile_id": "v6",
       "kind": "release",
-      "status": "active",
+      "status": "completed",
       "summary": "Hold Pulse v6 on the governed prerelease-cut target until RC publication is explicitly judged ready, while continuing to clear prerelease blockers, prove migration safety, and exercise the pre-RC high-risk gates.",
       "completion_rule": "rc_ready"
     },
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
       "id": "v6-rc-stabilization",
       "profile_id": "v6",
       "kind": "stabilization",
-      "status": "planned",
+      "status": "active",
       "summary": "Once a real governed RC exists, keep Pulse v6 simple, accurate, and cleanly readable around that proven monitoring-first floor while broader control-plane expansion stays out of the default target until it is proven.",
       "completion_rule": "manual",
       "proof_scope": "none"

docs/release-control/v6/internal/PRE_RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md

@@ -13,17 +13,15 @@ Use this as the final gate before cutting a Pulse v6 pre-release.
 ## Current Status
 - Automated command-driven checks completed on 2026-03-06 are marked `[x]` below.
 - `status.json` is no longer overclaiming threshold-unmet gates as passed.
-- There are no remaining `rc-ready` high-risk release-gate blockers, but
-  `rc_ready` is intentionally held false in `status.json` by the open decision
-  `rc-publication-judgment` until the current candidate is explicitly judged
-  ready for a real governed RC.
+- There are no remaining `rc-ready` high-risk release-gate blockers, and the
+  explicit `rc-publication-judgment` was approved on 2026-04-09 for the first
+  governed Pulse v6 RC.
 - The latest RC publication judgment packet is
   `docs/release-control/v6/internal/records/rc-publication-judgment-packet-2026-04-09.md`.
-  The full active-target proof now passes; the remaining blocker is the
-  explicit owner judgment on whether to publish a real governed RC.
-- The active target is back on `v6-rc-cut`, so GA rehearsal remains
-  intentionally out of scope until a real RC has actually shipped and
-  promotion is resumed explicitly.
+  It now records approval, not a proof blocker.
+- The active target is now `v6-rc-stabilization`, so the governed RC floor is
+  complete and GA rehearsal remains intentionally out of scope until a real RC
+  has actually shipped and promotion is resumed explicitly.
 - The remaining release-ready blocker is `rc-to-ga-promotion-readiness`, which
   stays blocked until a later stable `6.0.0` candidate completes a matching
   `Release Dry Run` rehearsal with the canonical promotion artifact envelope:

docs/release-control/v6/internal/records/rc-publication-judgment-packet-2026-04-09.md

@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@
 - Decision: `rc-publication-judgment`
 - Active target: `v6-rc-cut`
 - Active branch: `pulse/v6-release`
-- Result: `blocked`
+- Result: `approved`
 
 ## Scope
 
-This packet prepares the explicit owner judgment for publishing a governed Pulse
-v6 RC. It does not make the product approval decision.
+This packet records the explicit owner judgment for publishing the first
+governed Pulse v6 RC from the current `pulse/v6-release` candidate.
 
 The current release-control target still uses the `rc_ready` completion rule.
 GA or stable promotion remains out of scope until a real prerelease has shipped
@@ -159,23 +159,33 @@ rc-ready assertion set.
 4. All rc-ready release gates passed.
 5. `rc-publication-judgment` as the only remaining rc-ready blocker.
 
+## Owner Decision
+
+On `2026-04-09`, the owner explicitly judged the current `pulse/v6-release`
+candidate ready for the first real governed Pulse v6 release candidate.
+
+This resolves `rc-publication-judgment`. The technical RC floor is already
+proved; the remaining work is operational release execution on the governed
+branch. With that approval recorded, the control plane should promote from
+`v6-rc-cut` to `v6-rc-stabilization`.
+
 ## Judgment Outcome
 
-Do not clear `rc-publication-judgment` from this packet.
+Clear `rc-publication-judgment` from this packet.
 
-The release-control proof floor is now satisfied, but prerelease publication is
-still an explicit owner product decision rather than an automatic consequence of
-passing proof. This packet is now ready for that judgment; it does not make the
-judgment itself.
+The release-control proof floor is satisfied and the owner has approved the
+first governed Pulse v6 RC publication. This packet now serves as the decision
+record for that approval; it does not change the later GA/stable policy.
 
-## Required Unblock Steps
+## Required Release Actions
 
-1. Review this packet as the explicit RC publication decision input.
-2. If the owner judges the current candidate ready for a real governed RC,
-   resolve `rc-publication-judgment` explicitly instead of treating proof
-   completion as implicit approval.
-3. If the owner does not approve publication yet, keep
-   `rc-publication-judgment` open and record the reason as a product decision,
-   not a missing proof.
+1. Bump `VERSION` on `pulse/v6-release` to `6.0.0-rc.2` and commit that change.
+   `v6.0.0-rc.1` remains reserved in governance as the accidental unpublished
+   prerelease tag and must not be reused for the first real governed RC.
+2. Push the governed `pulse/v6-release` branch so `origin` carries the approved
+   RC candidate and the current release-control records.
+3. Run `Pulse Release Pipeline` on `pulse/v6-release` for `6.0.0-rc.2` with the
+   prepared v6 prerelease notes and rollback input `5.1.27`; create the draft
+   prerelease first, validate the draft outputs, then publish the prerelease.
 4. Keep `rc-to-ga-promotion-readiness` blocked until a real prerelease has
    shipped and the later GA promotion rehearsal exists.

docs/release-control/v6/internal/records/rc-to-ga-promotion-readiness-blocked-2026-04-04.md

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 4. The governed release profile in `docs/release-control/control_plane.json`
    currently declares both `prerelease_branch` and `stable_branch` as
    `pulse/v6-release`.
-5. The active control-plane target is still `v6-rc-cut`, not
+5. The active control-plane target is still `v6-rc-stabilization`, not
    `v6-ga-promotion`.
-6. The active local `pulse/v6-release` branch currently reports `VERSION=6.0.0-dev`, so the
+6. The active local `pulse/v6-release` branch currently reports `VERSION=6.0.0-rc.2`, so the
    working line is still prerelease and there is not yet a governed local stable
    `6.0.0` candidate.
 7. There is still no governed `Prerelease-to-GA Rehearsal Record` proving a successful
@@ -45,14 +45,14 @@
 
 The blocker is no longer missing governance text. The remaining problem is that
 the control plane still holds v6 on the pre-GA prerelease line, the working
-version is still prerelease (`6.0.0-dev`), and there is still no exercised
+version is still prerelease (`6.0.0-rc.2`), and there is still no exercised
 `Release Dry Run` record proving the eventual stable `6.0.0`
 candidate is ready for GA-style promotion. Until that rehearsal exists, stable
 users would still be the first real cohort for the final promotion path.
 
 ## Required Unblock Steps
 
-1. Promote the active target from `v6-rc-cut` to
+1. Promote the active target from `v6-rc-stabilization` to
    `v6-ga-promotion` only when that change is actually intended.
 2. Push the governed `pulse/v6-release` branch state that is intended to become the
    stable `6.0.0` candidate, including the eventual `VERSION=6.0.0`

docs/release-control/v6/internal/status.json

@@ -4222,23 +4222,7 @@
     }
   ],
   "work_claims": [],
-  "open_decisions": [
-    {
-      "id": "rc-publication-judgment",
-      "summary": "Pulse v6 prerelease publication remains an explicit product judgment: the 2026-04-09 packet now records that the enterprise module drift was repaired and the full active-target proof passes, so `rc_ready` remains blocked only until the owner explicitly approves or declines a real governed RC.",
-      "owner": "project-owner",
-      "blocking_level": "rc-ready",
-      "status": "blocked",
-      "opened_at": "2026-04-04",
-      "lane_ids": [
-        "L1",
-        "L8",
-        "L9",
-        "L12"
-      ],
-      "subsystem_ids": []
-    }
-  ],
+  "open_decisions": [],
   "source_of_truth_file": "docs/release-control/v6/internal/SOURCE_OF_TRUTH.md",
   "resolved_decisions": [
     {
@@ -4659,6 +4643,19 @@
         "L15",
         "L16"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "rc-publication-judgment",
+      "summary": "Pulse v6 current `pulse/v6-release` candidate is approved for the first governed RC publication after the 2026-04-09 packet recorded a passing full active-target proof; `rc-publication-judgment` is resolved and prerelease publication may proceed on the governed v6 release line.",
+      "kind": "release-policy",
+      "decided_at": "2026-04-09",
+      "subsystem_ids": [],
+      "lane_ids": [
+        "L1",
+        "L8",
+        "L9",
+        "L12"
+      ]
     }
   ]
 }

docs/releases/RELEASE_NOTES_v6.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-# Pulse v6.0.0-rc.1 Pre-Release Notes
+# Pulse v6.0.0-rc.2 Pre-Release Notes
 
-`v6.0.0-rc.1` is an early Pulse v6 pre-release for users who want to test before the stable `v6.0.0` release.
+`v6.0.0-rc.2` is an early Pulse v6 pre-release for users who want to test before the stable `v6.0.0` release.
 
 Expect bugs, rough edges, and migration issues. This build is for early testing, not for normal production use.
 

scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py

@@ -240,15 +240,17 @@ class ReleasePromotionPolicyTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_blocked_record_tracks_current_target_and_candidate_version(self) -> None:
         blocked = read("docs/release-control/v6/internal/records/rc-to-ga-promotion-readiness-blocked-2026-04-04.md")
+        current_version = read("VERSION").strip()
+        active_target_id = read_json("docs/release-control/control_plane.json")["active_target_id"]
         self.assertIn("origin/pulse/v6-release", blocked)
-        self.assertIn("VERSION=6.0.0-dev", blocked)
+        self.assertIn(f"VERSION={current_version}", blocked)
         self.assertIn("artifact-owned candidate stable tag", blocked)
         self.assertIn("artifact-owned promotion channel", blocked)
         self.assertIn("artifact-owned promoted prerelease tag", blocked)
         self.assertIn("artifact-owned rollback target", blocked)
         self.assertIn("Materialize the final rehearsal record from that artifact without", blocked)
         self.assertIn("hand-repairing any missing candidate tag, promoted prerelease tag, rollback", blocked)
-        self.assertIn("The active control-plane target is still `v6-rc-cut`, not", blocked)
+        self.assertIn(f"The active control-plane target is still `{active_target_id}`, not", blocked)
         matrix = read("docs/release-control/v6/internal/HIGH_RISK_RELEASE_VERIFICATION_MATRIX.md")
         self.assertIn(promotion_metadata_envelope(), normalize_ws(matrix))
         expected = blocked_record.build_blocked_record(record_date="2026-04-04")