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+# MVP release and acceptance guide
+
+This guide is the reproducible handoff for the ESP32-C6 Battleship MVP. It
+does not replace the locked rules in [MVP.md](MVP.md), the HTTP contract in
+[API_CONTRACT.md](API_CONTRACT.md), or the resource limits in
+[RESOURCE_BUDGET.md](RESOURCE_BUDGET.md).
+
+## Release prerequisites
+
+- Target environment: `esp32-c6-devkitm-1` from `platformio.ini`.
+- ESP32-C6FH4, revision v0.2, 4 MB flash; no PSRAM is assumed.
+- PlatformIO Core 6.1.19, `espressif32` 7.0.1, ESP-IDF 6.0.1, and
+  `esp_littlefs` 1.20.4.
+- USB serial device: normally `/dev/ttyACM0`; confirm with `pio device list`
+  before an upload.
+- A local `include/wifi_config.h`, copied from `include/wifi_config.h.example`.
+  It is ignored by Git. Never commit the SSID or password.
+
+## Build and upload
+
+From the repository root, run the automated release checks:
+
+```sh
+make -C test/host run
+pio run -e esp32-c6-devkitm-1 -t buildfs
+pio run -e esp32-c6-devkitm-1
+```
+
+Confirm the build remains within the limits in `RESOURCE_BUDGET.md`, then
+connect only the intended board and upload the browser assets before firmware:
+
+```sh
+pio run -e esp32-c6-devkitm-1 -t uploadfs --upload-port /dev/ttyACM0
+pio run -e esp32-c6-devkitm-1 -t upload --upload-port /dev/ttyACM0
+```
+
+Replace `/dev/ttyACM0` when `pio device list` identifies another device. Do
+not use erase targets for this release procedure.
+
+After boot, obtain the DHCP address from the router or serial log, then open
+`http://<device-address>/`. The web application and API must be used only on
+the local network. The API health check is:
+
+```sh
+curl http://<device-address>/api/health
+```
+
+The response includes free/minimum heap, largest free block, connection count,
+rejected input count, Wi-Fi state, and reset reason. It must not contain Wi-Fi
+credentials or session tokens.
+
+## MVP acceptance checklist
+
+Record the observed result, device address, browser/device model, and any
+deviation for every item. A `PASS` requires all thirteen checks.
+
+| MVP criterion | Required physical check |
+| --- | --- |
+| 1 | Cold boot, Wi-Fi join, and Russian interface load from LittleFS. |
+| 2 | Two phones complete a human-versus-human game. |
+| 3 | One phone completes a human-versus-ESP32 game, including delayed bot turns. |
+| 4–6 | Verify fleet rules, rejected duplicate/out-of-turn shots, and role-safe views. |
+| 7 | Connect at least two spectators during a game; confirm controls stay unavailable. Repeat to the eight-spectator target. |
+| 8 | Interrupt WebSocket connectivity; confirm two-second HTTP fallback and WebSocket recovery. |
+| 9 | Refresh each player and a spectator; confirm token-based role/state recovery. |
+| 10–11 | Finish, inspect winner and statistics, rematch, then confirm fresh fleets and preserved cumulative totals. |
+| 12 | Check narrow-phone and tablet portrait/landscape views, including tabs and side-by-side boards. |
+| 13 | Complete 20 representative consecutive games with no reset, hang, or material heap decline. |
+
+For the final load run, keep two players and eight spectators connected and
+sample `/api/health` before, during, and after the run. The final report must
+compare minimum free heap, largest free block, reset reason, and observed
+state/delivery latency with the hard limits in `RESOURCE_BUDGET.md`.
+
+## Recovery and incident handling
+
+- A player refreshes the page to resume with the token stored in browser
+  `localStorage`; a reboot intentionally invalidates all tokens and resets
+  game/statistics state.
+- If WebSocket is unavailable, leave the page open: the browser uses HTTP
+  state polling and retries WebSocket at 1, 2, 5, then 10 seconds.
+- If the board has a new DHCP address, use the router/serial information and
+  open the new local URL. No fixed IP or external service is required.
+- If LittleFS assets fail to load, repeat `uploadfs` for the confirmed target
+  port before reflashing firmware. Do not format LittleFS automatically.
+- Capture `/api/health`, reset reason, and the exact source revision before
+  reporting a failure. Never capture or publish tokens or Wi-Fi credentials.
+
+## Release record template
+
+Complete this only after all physical checks pass:
+
+```text
+Source revision:
+PlatformIO / ESP-IDF / esp_littlefs:
+Firmware bytes / LittleFS bytes:
+RAM bytes / minimum heap / largest free block:
+Largest state payload / maximum observed delivery latency:
+Reset reason before and after run:
+20-game result:
+2-player + 8-spectator result:
+MVP criteria 1–13: PASS / FAIL with evidence:
+Release decision: PASS
+```
+
+Post-MVP work begins only after this record is complete and Milestone 017 is
+marked `DONE`.