fix(release): count manifests, mcp.json and LICENSE as plugin content

v0.153.0 added the Blender Lab MCP server to both plugin manifests, and its
release notes said "No changes to the plugin content". release_notes.py and
plugin-content-changed.sh each kept their own list of five directories, while
the plugin-dist build also ships LICENSE, both manifests, the Cursor
marketplace and logo, and mcp.json. A fix: that only bumps the MCP pin would
not have read as a plugin change either.

build_plugin_dist.py now owns the list (SHIPPED = DIRS + FILES, printed by
--list-paths) and both release scripts read it.

Closes #494

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: TMHSDigital <154358121+TMHSDigital@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: TMHSDigital

.github/scripts/plugin-content-changed.sh

@@ -3,13 +3,26 @@
 #
 #   bash .github/scripts/plugin-content-changed.sh v0.143.9
 #
-# Plugin content is what scripts/build_plugin_dist.py ships: skills/, claude/,
-# rules/, snippets/, templates/. release.yml cuts a patch release when this
-# says yes even if no commit subject is feat:/fix:, so a `docs:` correction to
-# a skill still reaches plugin users (#350).
+# Plugin content is every path scripts/build_plugin_dist.py ships (its
+# --list-paths: skills/, claude/, rules/, snippets/, templates/, the manifests,
+# mcp.json, LICENSE), so the list has one owner (#494). release.yml cuts a
+# patch release when this says yes even if no commit subject is feat:/fix:, so
+# a `docs:` correction to a skill or a pin bump in mcp.json still reaches
+# plugin users (#350). Exit 2 if the path list cannot be read. PYTHON
+# overrides the interpreter (default python3).
 set -euo pipefail
 base="${1:?usage: plugin-content-changed.sh BASE}"
-if git diff --quiet "$base" HEAD -- skills claude rules snippets templates; then
+here="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+paths=()
+while IFS= read -r p; do
+  p="${p%$'\r'}"
+  [ -n "$p" ] && paths+=("$p")
+done < <("${PYTHON:-python3}" "$here/../../scripts/build_plugin_dist.py" --list-paths)
+if [ "${#paths[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "::error::plugin-content-changed.sh: build_plugin_dist.py --list-paths printed nothing" >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+if git diff --quiet "$base" HEAD -- "${paths[@]}"; then
   exit 1
 fi
 exit 0

.github/scripts/release_notes.py

@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 Splits the commits in two (#455):
 
 - **For agents and users**: commits that touched what the plugin ships
-  (skills/, rules/, snippets/, templates/, claude/), grouped Features, Fixes,
+  (scripts/build_plugin_dist.py DIRS + FILES: skills/, rules/, snippets/,
+  templates/, claude/, the manifests, mcp.json, LICENSE), grouped Features, Fixes,
   Other. This is what a plugin user gets from the update, so it leads.
 - **Maintenance**: everything else (CI, tests, the site and gallery,
   showcase pieces, examples, docs), in a collapsed <details> block.
@@ -24,18 +25,24 @@
 import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent.parent / "scripts"))
+from build_plugin_dist import DIRS, FILES  # noqa: E402  (the one list of shipped paths)
 
 REPO_URL = "https://github.com/TMHSDigital/Blender-Developer-Tools"
 GROUPS = (
     ("Features", re.compile(r"^(feat|feature)(\(.+?\))?!?:", re.I)),
     ("Fixes", re.compile(r"^fix(\(.+?\))?!?:", re.I)),
 )
 SKIP = re.compile(r"^chore: bump version to ", re.I)
-# What the plugin ships (scripts/build_plugin_dist.py DIRS): a change here is
-# a change a plugin user receives.
-USER_PATHS = ("skills/", "rules/", "snippets/", "templates/", "claude/")
-NO_USER_CHANGES = ("No changes to the plugin content (skills, rules, snippets, templates) "
-                   "in this release.")
+# What the plugin ships (scripts/build_plugin_dist.py DIRS + FILES, #494): a
+# change here is a change a plugin user receives, including the manifests and
+# mcp.json.
+USER_DIRS = tuple(d + "/" for d in DIRS)
+USER_FILES = frozenset(FILES)
+NO_USER_CHANGES = ("No changes to the plugin content (skills, rules, snippets, templates, "
+                   "manifests, MCP config) in this release.")
 
 
 def commits(since: str | None) -> list[tuple[str, str, list[str]]]:
@@ -55,7 +62,7 @@ def commits(since: str | None) -> list[tuple[str, str, list[str]]]:
 
 
 def is_user_facing(files: list[str]) -> bool:
-    return any(f.startswith(USER_PATHS) for f in files)
+    return any(f.startswith(USER_DIRS) or f in USER_FILES for f in files)
 
 
 def _line(sha: str, subject: str) -> str:

scripts/build_plugin_dist.py

@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
 FILES = ("LICENSE", ".claude-plugin/plugin.json",
          ".cursor-plugin/plugin.json", ".cursor-plugin/marketplace.json",
          "assets/favicon.svg", "mcp.json")
+# Every repo path the plugin ships. release.yml's plugin-content-changed.sh and
+# release_notes.py read this (--list-paths), so a change to any shipped file,
+# manifests and mcp.json included, counts as a plugin change (#494).
+SHIPPED = DIRS + FILES
 MAX_BYTES = 2_000_000
 IGNORE = shutil.ignore_patterns("__pycache__", "*.pyc")
 
@@ -189,7 +193,12 @@ def main(argv=None) -> int:
                     help="replace a non-empty --out directory")
     ap.add_argument("--fingerprint", type=Path, metavar="DIR",
                     help="print the content fingerprint of a built tree and exit")
+    ap.add_argument("--list-paths", action="store_true",
+                    help="print every repo path the plugin ships, one per line, and exit")
     a = ap.parse_args(argv)
+    if a.list_paths:
+        print("\n".join(SHIPPED))
+        return 0
     if a.fingerprint:
         print(fingerprint(a.fingerprint))
         return 0

tests/test_plugin_content_changed.py

@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -37,7 +39,8 @@ def tearDown(self):
         self.tmp.cleanup()
 
     def changed(self):
-        return subprocess.run([BASH, SCRIPT.as_posix(), "v1"], cwd=self.repo).returncode == 0
+        env = {**os.environ, "PYTHON": Path(sys.executable).as_posix()}
+        return subprocess.run([BASH, SCRIPT.as_posix(), "v1"], cwd=self.repo, env=env).returncode == 0
 
     def commit(self, rel, text):
         path = self.repo / rel
@@ -58,6 +61,14 @@ def test_skill_edit_is_content(self):
         self.commit("skills/a/SKILL.md", "two\n")
         self.assertTrue(self.changed())
 
+    def test_mcp_config_manifests_and_license_count(self):
+        # #494: v0.153.0 shipped the MCP registration as "no plugin changes".
+        for rel in ("mcp.json", ".claude-plugin/plugin.json", "LICENSE"):
+            with self.subTest(rel=rel):
+                git(self.repo, "reset", "-q", "--hard", "v1")
+                self.commit(rel, "{}\n")
+                self.assertTrue(self.changed())
+
     def test_rule_and_snippet_dirs_count(self):
         self.commit("snippets/x.py", "print(1)\n")
         self.assertTrue(self.changed())

tests/test_release_notes.py

@@ -62,10 +62,12 @@ def test_maintenance_only_release_is_one_line_plus_collapsed_block(self):
 
     def test_plugin_paths(self):
         for path in ("skills/a/SKILL.md", "rules/a.mdc", "snippets/a.py", "templates/t/x.py",
-                     "claude/blender-rules.md"):
+                     "claude/blender-rules.md", "mcp.json", ".claude-plugin/plugin.json",
+                     ".cursor-plugin/plugin.json", "LICENSE"):
             self.assertTrue(rn.is_user_facing([path]), path)
         for path in ("examples/a/a.py", "showcase/a/README.md", "docs/gallery/index.html",
-                     "README.md", ".github/scripts/release_notes.py", "skillsfoo/x"):
+                     "README.md", ".github/scripts/release_notes.py", "skillsfoo/x",
+                     "mcp.json.bak", "examples/LICENSE"):
             self.assertFalse(rn.is_user_facing([path]), path)
 
     def test_bump_commits_are_skipped(self):