Fix chrome menu disappearing after 5 seconds

.gitattributes

@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
 *.json  linguist-detectable=true
 *.md    linguist-detectable=true
 
+# Channel isolation — each branch keeps its own version of this file during merges.
+# When promoting code forward (dev → beta → main), the target branch's ChannelInfo.cs
+# is always preserved unchanged. See ChannelInfo.cs for full merge workflow notes.
+src/PortPane/ChannelInfo.cs merge=ours
+
 # Binary files — no line ending conversion
 *.ico       binary
 *.png       binary

.github/workflows/build.yml

@@ -11,22 +11,29 @@
 #            artifacts when a version tag is pushed.
 #
 # Triggers :
+#   - push to dev                    — build, test, publish; updates rolling latest-alpha release
 #   - push to main                   — build, run tests, publish exe artifact
 #   - push of v* tag                 — publish + build installer + create GitHub Release
 #   - pull_request to main           — build and run tests only (no publish)
 #   - workflow_dispatch (manual)     — always builds; two optional inputs:
 #       skip_tests:       skip xUnit tests (useful when you just need a compile check)
 #       publish_artifact: upload PortPane.exe artifact even without a tag/push to main
 #
+# Release channels (controlled by src/PortPane/ChannelInfo.cs on each branch):
+#   dev    — Alpha: rapid builds, 14-day expiry, all features unlocked, verbose logging
+#   beta   — Beta:  60-day expiry, opt-in telemetry, normal logging
+#   main   — Stable: no expiry, release tags only
+#
 # Required secrets/variables : None for build/test. GitHub token is provided
 #   automatically by Actions for the release job (contents: write permission).
 #   Future: SIGNING_PASSWORD when code signing is enabled.
 #
 # Outputs / artifacts :
-#   - test-results-{sha}         : xUnit .trx test results (always)
-#   - PortPane-{version}-{sha}   : PortPane.exe + SHA-256 hash (main/tags)
-#   - PortPane-Installer-{tag}   : Inno Setup installer .exe (tags only)
-#   - GitHub Release             : All artifacts + CHANGELOG notes (tags only)
+#   - test-results-{sha}              : xUnit .trx test results (always)
+#   - PortPane-{version}-{sha}        : PortPane.exe + SHA-256 hash (main/dev/tags)
+#   - PortPane-Installer-{tag}        : Inno Setup installer .exe (tags only)
+#   - GitHub Release (latest-alpha)   : Rolling alpha exe updated on every dev push
+#   - GitHub Release (versioned)      : All artifacts + CHANGELOG notes (tags only)
 #
 # Manual trigger : Go to Actions tab → "Build · Test · Publish · Release" →
 #   "Run workflow" → select branch → click "Run workflow"
@@ -35,7 +42,7 @@ name: Build · Test · Publish · Release
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ main ]
+    branches: [ main, dev ]
     tags:     [ 'v*' ]
     paths-ignore:
       - '**/*.md'
@@ -122,6 +129,7 @@ jobs:
     if: >
       github.event_name != 'pull_request' &&
       (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' ||
+       github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' ||
        startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') ||
        (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.publish_artifact))
 
@@ -143,14 +151,34 @@ jobs:
       - name: Restore NuGet packages
         run: dotnet restore ${{ env.SOLUTION }}
 
-      - name: Extract version from BrandingInfo
+      - name: Extract and compose version from BrandingInfo and ChannelInfo
         id: version
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          $version = (Select-String -Path 'src/PortPane/BrandingInfo.cs' `
+          $base    = (Select-String 'src/PortPane/BrandingInfo.cs' `
             -Pattern 'Version\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"').Matches[0].Groups[1].Value
+          $suffix  = (Select-String 'src/PortPane/ChannelInfo.cs' `
+            -Pattern 'VersionSuffix\s*=\s*"([^"]*)"').Matches[0].Groups[1].Value
+          $channel = (Select-String 'src/PortPane/ChannelInfo.cs' `
+            -Pattern 'Channel\s*=\s*ReleaseChannel\.(\w+)').Matches[0].Groups[1].Value
+          $stamp   = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString("yyyyMMdd-HHmm")
+          $version = switch ($channel) {
+            'Alpha'  { "$base-$suffix.$stamp" }
+            'Beta'   { "$base-$suffix" }
+            default  { $base }
+          }
           echo "version=$version" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "Version: $version"
+          echo "channel=$channel" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Version: $version (channel: $channel)"
+
+      - name: Stamp BuildDate into BrandingInfo
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $now  = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString("yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ")
+          $file = 'src/PortPane/BrandingInfo.cs'
+          (Get-Content $file) -replace '(BuildDate\s*=\s*)"[^"]*"', "`$1`"$now`"" |
+            Set-Content $file
+          echo "Stamped BuildDate = $now"
 
       - name: Publish — single self-contained exe
         run: >
@@ -305,3 +333,48 @@ jobs:
           draft: false
           prerelease: ${{ contains(github.ref_name, '-beta') || contains(github.ref_name, '-alpha') }}
           generate_release_notes: false
+
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  rolling-alpha:
+    name: Update Rolling Alpha Release
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    needs: publish
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev'
+
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Download exe artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          pattern: PortPane-*-${{ github.sha }}
+          path: ./release
+          merge-multiple: true
+
+      - name: Rename artifact with composed version
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $version = '${{ needs.publish.outputs.version }}'
+          Get-ChildItem './release/${{ env.APP_EXE }}' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+            Rename-Item -NewName "PortPane-$version-win-x64.exe"
+          Get-ChildItem './release/${{ env.APP_EXE }}.sha256' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+            Rename-Item -NewName "PortPane-$version-win-x64.exe.sha256"
+
+      - name: Update rolling latest-alpha release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          tag_name: latest-alpha
+          name: "Latest Alpha — ${{ needs.publish.outputs.version }}"
+          body: |
+            Automated alpha build from the `dev` branch.
+
+            **Version:** `${{ needs.publish.outputs.version }}`
+            **Commit:** `${{ github.sha }}`
+
+            This build has a 14-day expiry. Always download the current version from this page.
+            Not recommended for general use — for testing purposes only.
+          prerelease: true
+          files: |
+            ./release/PortPane-*.exe
+            ./release/PortPane-*.sha256

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -36,6 +36,55 @@ Versioning follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- `ChannelInfo.cs`: multi-channel release system — `ReleaseChannel` enum (`Alpha`, `Beta`, `Stable`)
+  with per-branch constants controlling build expiry, feature unlock, telemetry default,
+  logging verbosity, and version suffix; protected from forward merges via `.gitattributes` `merge=ours`
+- `BrandingInfo.FullVersion`: computed property composing base version, channel suffix, and
+  CI-stamped build date (e.g. `0.5.2-alpha.20260329`) for display, logging, and telemetry
+- `BrandingInfo.BuildDate`: CI-stamped ISO 8601 UTC constant; empty in source, patched at publish time
+- `AppSettings.LastSeenVersion`: records running version at each launch for future new-version prompts
+- `App.xaml.cs` — build expiry kill switch: blocks launch with download link when alpha/beta build
+  exceeds `ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays` past CI stamp date
+- `App.xaml.cs` — `--reset` flag: wipes all user data and relaunches fresh; enables clean
+  reinstall workflow for alpha/beta testers moving between builds
+- `build.yml` — `dev` branch trigger: push to `dev` builds, tests, and publishes automatically
+- `build.yml` — channel-aware version composition: reads `ChannelInfo.VersionSuffix` and appends
+  `yyyyMMdd-HHmm` timestamp for alpha builds; beta and stable use suffix or base only
+- `build.yml` — `rolling-alpha` job: updates a persistent `latest-alpha` pre-release tag on
+  every `dev` push so testers always have one bookmark to the current alpha exe
+- `build.yml` — `Stamp BuildDate` step: patches `BrandingInfo.BuildDate` at publish time so
+  the compiled exe carries an accurate expiry reference
+- `BrandingInfo.DaysRemaining`: computed property returning whole days until build expiry,
+  or `null` for stable builds or unstamped local builds
+- Drag strip channel watermark: always-visible `ALPHA` / `BETA` badge with days-remaining
+  countdown on the right side of the drag handle; hidden on stable builds
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Chrome menu bar auto-hides after 5 seconds making the menu unusable; replaced
+  5-second `DispatcherTimer` with focus/hover model: chrome appears on mouse-enter,
+  pins on click or Alt key (enabling keyboard menu navigation), and hides only when
+  the window loses focus — closes #8
+
+### Changed
+
+- `BrandingInfo.Version` stripped of channel suffix (was `"0.5.1-beta"`); suffix now provided
+  exclusively by `ChannelInfo.VersionSuffix` on each branch
+- `LicenseService`: `UnlockAllForTesting = true` returns Personal-tier license automatically,
+  bypassing all validation — eliminates license friction for alpha testers
+- `SettingsService`: fresh installs now apply `ChannelInfo.TelemetryOnByDefault` as the default
+  telemetry state (alpha: opt-out / true; beta and stable: opt-in / false)
+- `SetupSerilog`: minimum log level driven by `ChannelInfo.VerboseLogging`
+  (alpha: `Debug`; beta and stable: `Information`)
+- All display, logging, and telemetry version references updated from `BrandingInfo.Version`
+  to `BrandingInfo.FullVersion`
+
+---
+
+## [0.5.1-beta] — 2026-03-28
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - CI build failure (NETSDK1135): changed `net8.0-windows` to `net8.0-windows10.0.17763.0`

README.md

@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ When you plug in a USB radio interface, PortPane instantly shows you which audio
 COM ports Windows assigned — so you can configure your digital mode software without opening
 Device Manager.
 
-[![Build](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml)
+[![dev](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg?branch=dev)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml)
+[![main](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg?branch=main)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/actions/workflows/build.yml)
+[![Alpha](https://img.shields.io/badge/alpha-0.5.2-orange)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/releases)
+[![Stable](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane?label=stable&color=brightgreen)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/releases/latest)
 [![License: GPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPLv3-blue.svg)](LICENSE-GPL.md)
-[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-0.5.1--beta-orange)](CHANGELOG.md)
 [![Last Commit](https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/commits/main)
 [![Repo Size](https://img.shields.io/github/repo-size/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane)](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane)
 [![.NET 8](https://img.shields.io/badge/.NET-8.0-512BD4)](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0)
@@ -27,7 +29,10 @@ Device Manager.
 
 ## Download
 
-**[→ Download the latest release](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/releases)**
+| Channel | Link | Notes |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| **Alpha** | [Latest Alpha release](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/releases/tag/latest-alpha) | Updated on every `dev` push. 14-day expiry. For testers. |
+| **Stable** | [Latest stable release](https://github.com/Computer-Tsu/shackdesk-portpane/releases/latest) | No stable release yet — coming soon. |
 
 Download `PortPane.exe`. Run it directly. No installation required.
 

src/PortPane.Tests/UnitTests/LicenseValidationTests.cs

@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ public class LicenseValidationTests
 
     [Fact]
     public void LicenseService_DefaultTier_IsFree()
-        => Assert.Equal(LicenseTier.Free, new LicenseService().Current.Tier);
+        => Assert.Equal(LicenseTier.Free, new LicenseService(unlockForTesting: false).Current.Tier);
 
     [Fact]
     public void LicenseService_FreeTier_IsAlwaysValid()
-        => Assert.True(new LicenseService().Current.IsValid);
+        => Assert.True(new LicenseService(unlockForTesting: false).Current.IsValid);
 
     [Fact]
     public void LicenseService_FreeTier_Licensee_IsNull()
-        => Assert.Null(new LicenseService().Current.Licensee);
+        => Assert.Null(new LicenseService(unlockForTesting: false).Current.Licensee);
 
     // ── Feature availability ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public async Task LicenseService_TamperedLicenseFile_RevertsToFree()
         // If a license file has been modified, the SHA-256 hash won't match.
         // The service should silently revert to Free.
         // This test verifies that ActivateAsync rejects and doesn't throw.
-        var svc    = new LicenseService();
+        var svc    = new LicenseService(unlockForTesting: false);
         bool result = await svc.ActivateAsync("garbage=base64==data");
         Assert.False(result);
         // Service should remain Free

src/PortPane/App.xaml.cs

@@ -30,6 +30,41 @@
             return;
         }
 
+        // ── Build expiry check (alpha/beta only) ──────────────────────────────
+        if (ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays > 0 && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(BrandingInfo.BuildDate)
+            && DateTimeOffset.TryParse(BrandingInfo.BuildDate, null,
+                System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var buildDate))
+        {
+            var expiry = buildDate.AddDays(ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays);
+            if (DateTimeOffset.UtcNow > expiry)
+            {
+                MessageBox.Show(
+                    $"This {BrandingInfo.FullVersion} build expired on {expiry:yyyy-MM-dd}.\n\n" +
+                    $"Download the latest version at:\n{BrandingInfo.RepoURL}/releases",
+                    $"{BrandingInfo.AppName} — Build Expired",
+                    MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Warning);
+                Shutdown();
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // ── Reset flag (wipes all user data and relaunches fresh) ─────────────
+        if (e.Args.Contains("--reset", StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            bool isPortable = File.Exists(Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "portable.txt"));
+            string dataDir = isPortable
+                ? Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, "PortPane-Data")
+                : Path.Combine(
+                    Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData),
+                    BrandingInfo.SuiteName, BrandingInfo.AppName);
+            if (Directory.Exists(dataDir))
+                Directory.Delete(dataDir, recursive: true);
+            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(
+                new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(Environment.ProcessPath!) { UseShellExecute = true });
+            Shutdown();
+            return;
+        }
+
         VelopackApp.Build().Run();
 
         // ── Bootstrap logging (before DI so DI errors are captured) ──────────
@@ -40,7 +75,7 @@
         AppDomain.CurrentDomain.UnhandledException += OnDomainException;
 
         Log.Information("{AppName} {Version} starting. Fingerprint: {FP}",
-            BrandingInfo.AppName, BrandingInfo.Version, Attribution.Fingerprint);
+            BrandingInfo.AppName, BrandingInfo.FullVersion, Attribution.Fingerprint);
 
         // ── Dependency injection ──────────────────────────────────────────────
         var services = new ServiceCollection();
@@ -171,8 +206,11 @@
     private static void SetupSerilog(string logDir)
     {
         Directory.CreateDirectory(logDir);
-        Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
-            .MinimumLevel.Debug()
+        var logConfig = new LoggerConfiguration();
+        logConfig = ChannelInfo.VerboseLogging
+            ? logConfig.MinimumLevel.Debug()
+            : logConfig.MinimumLevel.Information();
+        Log.Logger = logConfig
             .WriteTo.File(
                 path: Path.Combine(logDir, "portpane-.log"),
                 rollingInterval: RollingInterval.Day,

src/PortPane/BrandingInfo.cs

@@ -9,7 +9,53 @@
     public const string AppName           = "PortPane";
     public const string SuiteName         = "ShackDesk";
     public const string FullName          = "PortPane by ShackDesk";
-    public const string Version           = "0.5.1-beta";
+    public const string Version           = "0.5.2";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// ISO 8601 UTC build timestamp. Empty string in source — patched by CI at
+    /// publish time. Used by App.xaml.cs to enforce ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays.
+    /// </summary>
+    public const string BuildDate         = "";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Full version string for display, logging, and telemetry.
+    /// Composed from Version + ChannelInfo.VersionSuffix at runtime.
+    /// Alpha builds also show the BuildDate stamp when available.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static string FullVersion
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(ChannelInfo.VersionSuffix))
+                return Version;
+
+            if (ChannelInfo.Channel == ReleaseChannel.Alpha && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(BuildDate)
+                && DateTimeOffset.TryParse(BuildDate, null,
+                    System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var dt))
+                return $"{Version}-alpha.{dt:yyyyMMdd}";
+
+            return $"{Version}-{ChannelInfo.VersionSuffix}";
+        }
+    }
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Whole days remaining before this build expires, or null if no expiry applies.
+    /// Returns null when: channel is Stable, BuildExpiryDays is 0, or BuildDate was not stamped by CI.
+    /// Returns 0 on the expiry day itself (not negative).
+    /// </summary>
+    public static int? DaysRemaining
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            if (ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays <= 0 || string.IsNullOrEmpty(BuildDate))
+                return null;
+            if (!DateTimeOffset.TryParse(BuildDate, null,
+                    System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var buildDate))
+                return null;
+            int days = (int)Math.Ceiling((buildDate.AddDays(ChannelInfo.BuildExpiryDays) - DateTimeOffset.UtcNow).TotalDays);
+            return Math.Max(0, days);
+        }
+    }
+
     public const string AuthorName        = "Mark McDow";
     public const string AuthorCallsign    = "N4TEK";
     public const string AuthorCompany     = "My Computer Guru LLC";