Forge 1.0 release-candidate compatibility review

• Target release: 1.0.0-rc.1
• Review date: 2026-09-02
• Generator candidate reviewed: @rm-industries/create-forge@0.4.0-beta.6
• Content-model candidate reviewed: @rm-industries/content-model@0.2.0-alpha.0
• Tracking issue: FGE-091

This report records the compatibility baseline used to decide whether Forge is ready to publish its first 1.0.0 release candidate. The package versions above are the latest published prereleases at the start of the review; the final release preparation will change their versions to 1.0.0-rc.1 without changing the reviewed compatibility contract.

Runtime and operating-system matrix

Each packed-generator lane creates six isolated projects from the actual npm tarball. The fixtures cover documented defaults, fully explicit non-interactive input, a scoped package name, generation into the current directory, --no-install, --no-git, successful dependency installation and Git initialization, and refusal of a non-empty destination without modifying its contents. Interactive prompt resolution and cancellation are exercised by the package test suite on every supported Node line; terminal-independent flags are exercised through the installed executable.

The generated core-quality run uses the committed lockfile and performs static quality, dependency audit, coverage, type checking, Astro diagnostics, a production build, and build-output validation outside the Forge workspace. The primary Node 26 end-to-end lane additionally runs browser, accessibility, and Lighthouse checks.

Browser matrix

The blocking Playwright suite runs the exact Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit revisions associated with the committed Playwright release. All 31 browser, navigation, accessibility, theme, metadata, CMS-boundary, and route tests run in each engine, producing 93 checks. Chromium also supplies the Lighthouse performance evidence. On macOS, WebKit keyboard tests use Safari’s native Option+Tab link-navigation behavior; other browser/platform combinations use Tab.

No Safari-specific defect required a separate manual Safari exception test for this candidate. Mobile behavior remains covered through the committed narrow viewport and touch-capable browser fixtures described in the support policy.

Reproducibility and support assessment

• Package and template engines agree on Node ^22.22.2 || ^24.0.0 || ^26.0.0 and npm ^10.9.0 || ^11.0.0.
• npm and the committed lockfiles remain the supported installation contract; other package managers are outside the release gate.
• Generated projects are validated from a packed package in OS temporary directories, so tests cannot resolve source through the Forge workspace.
• The generator uses Node filesystem, path, and process APIs. Shell commands are confined to explicitly Bash-based workflow steps.
• Linux and macOS are blocking generator platforms. Windows remains best effort and is not claimed by the v1 support contract.

Signed-off macOS smoke test

On 2026-09-02, the packed compatibility suite passed locally on macOS 26.6, Apple silicon, Node 26.6.0, npm 11.18.0, and Apple Git 2.50.1. It created all six fixtures, installed and validated the default generated project, initialized a main-branch Git repository, honored no-install/no-Git modes, generated into the current directory, and preserved the conflict fixture. The pull-request macOS runner must repeat the same suite before this report is complete.

Completion decision

This review passes when every pull-request matrix lane and the complete repository, template, browser, security, and generator gates succeed. Any failure must be reproduced and fixed, or the support policy must be narrowed in the same review before the issue closes.