# lightdrift-libraw 1.0.0-rc.2

## Summary

RC.2 presents the stable v1 SDK through a clearer first-time user journey. It
keeps the RC.1 stable API and native implementation while rebuilding the
landing README, documentation hub, getting-started guide, format guidance, and
release validation around real application tasks.

## Highlights

- Outcome-focused README with live release and CI signals.
- Representative camera/format table and an explicit fixture matrix.
- Copy-paste ESM and CommonJS workflows for files and owned buffers.
- Focused metadata, thumbnail, encoding, and bounded batch examples.
- Clear reliability contract for workers, FIFO execution, cancellation,
  copied memory, typed errors, recycle, and close.
- Automated checks for internal links, HTTPS external links, fenced-code
  languages, required landing sections, and stale release claims.
- A release-aware npm dry-run that selects `next` for prereleases and `latest`
  for stable versions.

## Compatibility

- Node.js 22 and 24.
- ESM and CommonJS package exports.
- Linux glibc x64/arm64, macOS x64/arm64, and Windows x64 prebuilds.
- Vendored LibRaw 0.22.2 and zlib 1.3.2 source fallback.
- Deprecated beta compatibility at `lightdrift-libraw/legacy` throughout v1.
- No stable API or native contract change from RC.1.

## Install

```bash
npm install lightdrift-libraw@next
```

The `next` dist-tag resolves to RC.2 after the release workflow publishes it.
The `latest` and `beta` dist-tags remain unchanged.

## Verification

Local verification passed on macOS arm64 (Node.js 25.8.2): documentation and
TypeScript checks, 76 stable tests, 3 legacy contract/type tests, 12 format and
fixture tests, 14 queue/cancellation tests, production dependency audit,
package-content validation, packaged ESM/CommonJS consumers without install
scripts, `publish:check`, and an npm `next` publication dry-run. Node.js 25 is
used only for this local preflight; the supported Node.js 22/24 matrix is
validated by the hosted release workflow.

Cross-platform release verification must pass before publication:

- Linux glibc x64 and arm64 prebuilds.
- macOS x64 and arm64 prebuilds.
- Windows x64 prebuild.
- Linux source-build fallback with vendored dependencies.
- ASan and UBSan native jobs.
- Node.js 22 and 24 tarball consumers without install scripts.
- npm package-content validation, CycloneDX SBOM, OIDC publication, and SLSA
  provenance.

## Known limits

- Node.js 20, Alpine/musl, browser/WASM, and system LibRaw are not supported.
- The SDK processes complete files or buffers; it does not advertise
  incremental streaming.
- Callback events are emitted after native operations as ordered processing
  records, not as live progress-bar updates.
- The build profile disables DNG SDK, RawSpeed, Jasper, LCMS, and OpenMP.
- Windows native writer/profile paths retain the limitations documented in the
  [platform guide](../platform-support.md).

## Promotion to 1.0.0

RC.2 passed every local and hosted release gate, including clean ESM/CommonJS
registry smoke tests, and was promoted without API or native changes. New
installations should use the [stable 1.0.0 release](1.0.0.md).

## Related

- [Project README](../../README.md) — Installation and common workflows.
- [Getting started](../getting-started.md) — Beginner file and buffer guide.
- [Documentation index](../README.md) — Complete navigation.
- [Stable 1.0.0 release notes](1.0.0.md) — The version-only stable promotion.
- [RC.2 documentation design](../superpowers/specs/2026-08-15-lightdrift-libraw-rc2-documentation-design.md)