fix(release-settle): supersede a previous settle PR instead of force-pushing its branch

.github/actions/README.md

@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ by the GitHub Release that `release-publish` creates.
 |---|---|---|
 | `release-candidate` `stage: propose` | `workflow_dispatch` on the default branch | bumps `version_file`, runs `bump_command` (lockfile, path-dep versions), drafts this release's changelog entry under `## vX.Y.Z` (dated at settle), syncs the previous release's entry from its tag, opens `chore/release-candidate-vX.Y.Z` PR |
 | `release-candidate` `stage: cut` | that PR merging | creates `release-vX.Y.Z` at the merge commit |
-| `release-settle` | `workflow_dispatch` with version + tip SHA | guards, regenerates the entry up to the tip and stamps the date, opens `chore/release-settle-vX.Y.Z` PR onto the release branch — or, with `settle_mode: direct` and an authorised actor (`settlers`), commits it straight to the branch and publishes at once |
+| `release-settle` | `workflow_dispatch` with version + tip SHA | guards, warns if the tip lacks a workflow the default branch has, regenerates the entry up to the tip and stamps the date, opens `chore/release-settle-vX.Y.Z` PR onto the release branch (a re-run on a new tip closes the previous settle PR and opens a fresh one; nothing is ever force-pushed) — or, with `settle_mode: direct` and an authorised actor (`settlers`), commits it straight to the branch and publishes at once |
 | `release-publish` | the settle PR merging | annotated tag at the merge commit (refuses if it exists or the branch drifted), GitHub Release with the entry as notes |
 
 The changelog has one owner per phase and is never back-merged: the candidate

.github/actions/release-settle/action.yml

@@ -257,24 +257,31 @@ runs:
         fi
         git add "$CHANGELOG"
         git commit --quiet -m "chore(release): settle v$VERSION" -m "Changelog entry $what for v$VERSION at $COMMIT."
-        git push --quiet --force origin "$head"
+        # A previous settle branch (the tip moved, or settlement was re-run)
+        # is superseded, never force-pushed: a no-force-push ruleset rejects
+        # the rewrite, and a settle PR is a statement about one commit, so a
+        # new commit gets a new PR. Close its PR first so the reason is on
+        # record, then drop the branch and push this one fresh.
+        if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin "refs/heads/$head" >/dev/null; then
+          for n in $(gh pr list --head "$head" --base "$BRANCH" --state open --json number -q '.[].number'); do
+            gh pr close "$n" --comment "Superseded: settlement of v$VERSION was re-run (now at \`$COMMIT\`); a fresh settle PR follows." >/dev/null
+            echo "closed superseded settle PR #$n"
+          done
+          gh api -X DELETE "repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/git/refs/heads/$head" >/dev/null
+          echo "dropped previous settle branch $head"
+        fi
+        git push --quiet origin "$head"
         body="$RUNNER_TEMP/settle-pr-body.md"
         {
           echo "Settle **v$VERSION** at \`$COMMIT\` (tip of \`$BRANCH\`)."
           echo
-          echo "Merging this PR is the settlement decision: \`release-publish\` will tag the merge commit as \`v$VERSION\` and publish the GitHub Release with the notes below. The default branch picks this entry up in the next release candidate PR. If more commits land on \`$BRANCH\` first, this PR goes stale and must be regenerated."
+          echo "Merging this PR is the settlement decision: \`release-publish\` will tag the merge commit as \`v$VERSION\` and publish the GitHub Release with the notes below. The default branch picks this entry up in the next release candidate PR. If more commits land on \`$BRANCH\` first, this PR goes stale: re-run settle on the new tip, which closes this PR and opens a fresh one."
           echo
           echo "<!-- release-settle: v$VERSION $COMMIT -->"
           echo
           cat "$NOTES"
         } > "$body"
-        existing="$(gh pr list --head "$head" --base "$BRANCH" --state open --json url -q '.[0].url')"
-        if [[ -n "$existing" ]]; then
-          gh pr edit "$existing" --body-file "$body" >/dev/null
-          url="$existing"
-        else
-          url="$(gh pr create --base "$BRANCH" --head "$head" --title "chore(release): settle v$VERSION" --body-file "$body" "${label_args[@]}")"
-        fi
+        url="$(gh pr create --base "$BRANCH" --head "$head" --title "chore(release): settle v$VERSION" --body-file "$body" "${label_args[@]}")"
         echo "pr_url=$url" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         echo "settle PR: $url"