diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84c81240
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+name: release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+    types: [closed]
+    branches: [main]
+  # this is required to trigger releases when the release PR is merged, or to rerun a release if needed
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  # Parse commits since the last tag, push a `release/vX.Y.Z` branch, open
+  # or update a draft release PR, and close any superseded release PRs
+  # (e.g. `release/v1.0.1` when the bump is now `release/v1.1.0`).
+  pr:
+    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == format('refs/heads/{0}', github.event.repository.default_branch)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write       # push the `release/vX.Y.Z` branch and delete superseded ones
+      pull-requests: write  # create a release PR, update its body, close superseded PRs
+    steps:
+      - uses: danielroe/uppt/pr@7bcfb5397c37202ef882363f755423130419d28a # v0.5.5
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          packages: |
+            aliases
+            core
+            fetchindex
+            newest
+            oldest
+            parsefiles
+            ranges
+            static
+            !opt
+            !translate
+            
+  # The release PR was merged: tag the squash commit, cut a GitHub release
+  # from the PR body, and dispatch the publish workflow. The `release/v`
+  # head-ref guard keeps regular feature-PR merges from triggering this;
+  # the head-repo guard keeps merged fork PRs from triggering it.
+  release:
+    if: |
+      github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+      && github.event.pull_request.merged == true
+      && startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'release/v')
+      && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    concurrency:
+      group: release-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+      cancel-in-progress: false
+    permissions:
+      contents: write       # push the `vX.Y.Z` tag and create the GitHub release
+      actions: write        # `gh workflow run release.yml --ref vX.Y.Z` chained dispatch
+    steps:
+      - uses: danielroe/uppt/release@7bcfb5397c37202ef882363f755423130419d28a # v0.5.5
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          packages: |
+            aliases
+            core
+            fetchindex
+            newest
+            oldest
+            parsefiles
+            ranges
+            static
+            !opt
+            !translate
+
+  # The chained dispatch from `release` lands here as a `workflow_dispatch`
+  # event on a `vX.Y.Z` tag ref. The `pack` job installs deps, runs
+  # `pnpm pack` (or `npm pack`), and uploads the tarball as a workflow
+  # artifact. See "Lifecycle scripts" below for what runs where. Manual
+  # recovery uses the same path (Run workflow -> pick a `v*` tag).
+  pack:
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    concurrency:
+      group: pack-${{ github.ref }}
+      cancel-in-progress: false
+    permissions: {}
+    outputs:
+      files: ${{ steps.pack.outputs.files }}
+    steps:
+      - id: pack
+        uses: danielroe/uppt/pack@7bcfb5397c37202ef882363f755423130419d28a # v0.5.5
+        with:
+          packages: |
+            aliases
+            core
+            fetchindex
+            newest
+            oldest
+            parsefiles
+            ranges
+            static
+            !opt
+            !translate
+
+  # `publish` downloads the prebuilt tarball from the pack job's
+  # artifact and stages it for publish.
+  publish:
+    if: |
+      github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+      && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+      && needs.pack.outputs.files != '[]'
+    needs: pack
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    concurrency:
+      group: publish-${{ github.ref }}
+      cancel-in-progress: false
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write       # OIDC claim for npm trusted publisher
+    environment: npm        # must match the trusted-publisher entry on npmjs.com
+    steps:
+      - uses: danielroe/uppt/publish@7bcfb5397c37202ef882363f755423130419d28a # v0.5.5
+        with:
+          files: ${{ needs.pack.outputs.files }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-core.yml b/.github/workflows/tests-core.yml
index 9d7772fe..b09ea3a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-core.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,4 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run npm install -w core
       run: npm install -w core
     - name: Run npm test -w core
-      run: npm test -w core
-    - name: 'Run npm run test:update and npm test -w core'
-      run: npm run test:update && npm test -w core
\ No newline at end of file
+      run: npm test -w core
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aliases/package.json b/aliases/package.json
index 26898bdb..f80fcc23 100644
--- a/aliases/package.json
+++ b/aliases/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/aliases",
-	"version": "0.0.2",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "available aliases for sets of Node.js versions",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"repository": {
diff --git a/core/package.json b/core/package.json
index cc28e5f4..5016fff9 100644
--- a/core/package.json
+++ b/core/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/core",
-	"version": "0.3.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "nodevu core API: comprehensive node.js version tooling",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"scripts": {
diff --git a/core/util/dev/beforeEachTemplate.js b/core/util/dev/beforeEachTemplate.js
index ab42e35b..a209d8a5 100644
--- a/core/util/dev/beforeEachTemplate.js
+++ b/core/util/dev/beforeEachTemplate.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 const dns = require('node:dns');
-const { MockAgent, setGlobalDispatcher } = require('undici');
+const {
+	fetch: undiciFetch,
+	MockAgent,
+	setGlobalDispatcher,
+} = require('undici');
 
 const staticIndex = require('../../test/data/static/index.json');
 const staticSchedule = require('../../test/data/static/schedule.json');
@@ -8,11 +12,16 @@ function beforeEachTemplate() {
 	// this fixes a bug in Node.js - it should be fixed _eventually_ and can be removed: https://github.com/nodejs/undici/issues/1248
 	dns.setDefaultResultOrder('ipv4first');
 
-	// this mock agent stuff isn't actually working for... some unkown reason
 	const mockAgent = new MockAgent();
 	mockAgent.disableNetConnect();
 	setGlobalDispatcher(mockAgent);
 
+	// Node.js's built-in globalThis.fetch uses a bundled copy of undici separate from
+	// the npm package, so setGlobalDispatcher above doesn't affect it. Replacing it here
+	// ensures all fetch calls (including those that fall through to globalThis.fetch in
+	// optionsParser) go through the mock dispatcher.
+	globalThis.fetch = undiciFetch;
+
 	const defaultIndexMock = mockAgent.get('https://nodejs.org');
 	defaultIndexMock
 		.intercept({ path: '/dist/index.json' })
@@ -25,13 +34,9 @@ function beforeEachTemplate() {
 		.intercept({ path: '/nodejs/Release/master/schedule.json' })
 		.reply(200, staticSchedule);
 
-	const customIndexMock = mockAgent.get('https://bnb.im');
-	customIndexMock
-		.intercept({ path: '/dist/index.json' })
-		.reply(200, staticIndex);
-
-	const customScheduleMock = mockAgent.get('https://bnb.im');
-	customScheduleMock
+	const customMock = mockAgent.get('https://bnb.im');
+	customMock.intercept({ path: '/dist/index.json' }).reply(200, staticIndex);
+	customMock
 		.intercept({ path: '/dist/schedule.json' })
 		.reply(200, staticSchedule);
 }
diff --git a/fetchindex/package.json b/fetchindex/package.json
index 63669079..b1d37db5 100644
--- a/fetchindex/package.json
+++ b/fetchindex/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/fetchindex",
-	"version": "0.1.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "A tool that fetches the /dist/index.json file from the Node.js website.",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"files": ["index.js", "LICENSE"],
diff --git a/newest/package.json b/newest/package.json
index 17a651ba..3fabd253 100644
--- a/newest/package.json
+++ b/newest/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/newest",
-	"version": "0.1.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "a module that returns the newest lts or security release of the release line passed.",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"files": ["index.js", "LICENSE"],
diff --git a/oldest/package.json b/oldest/package.json
index 2a78414e..4e2d15b6 100644
--- a/oldest/package.json
+++ b/oldest/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/oldest",
-	"version": "0.1.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "a module that returns the oldest lts or security release of the release line passed.",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"files": ["index.js", "LICENSE"],
diff --git a/opt/package.json b/opt/package.json
index aaaa803e..5b33b2a3 100644
--- a/opt/package.json
+++ b/opt/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/opt",
-	"version": "0.1.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "internal options parser for @nodevu packages.",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"files": ["index.js", "LICENSE"],
diff --git a/parsefiles/package.json b/parsefiles/package.json
index 0ceb1087..7792db6c 100644
--- a/parsefiles/package.json
+++ b/parsefiles/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/parsefiles",
-	"version": "0.0.3",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "parse the files identifiers from Node.js",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"scripts": {
diff --git a/ranges/package.json b/ranges/package.json
index 838f6a32..b55bd227 100644
--- a/ranges/package.json
+++ b/ranges/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/ranges",
-	"version": "0.2.0",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "support node's unofficial alias namespace",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"files": ["index.js", "LICENSE"],
diff --git a/static/package.json b/static/package.json
index 536ce181..f7457804 100644
--- a/static/package.json
+++ b/static/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/static",
-	"version": "0.0.4",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "static outputs from @nodevu/core",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"scripts": {
diff --git a/translate/package.json b/translate/package.json
index a66497ce..f294afbb 100644
--- a/translate/package.json
+++ b/translate/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nodevu/translate",
-	"version": "0.0.1",
+	"version": "1.0.0",
 	"description": "a translation layer between the nodevu naming mechanism and the Node.js supported mechanism. Neceessary for legacy interop.",
 	"keywords": ["nodevu", "node", "nodejs", "versions", "supported"],
 	"homepage": "https://github.com/cutenode/nodevu#readme",