DEVX-126: ci: consolidate CI and post-merge workflows

docs/tech/architecture.md

@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ Configures repository branch protection and labels via the Gitea REST API.
 Sets up master branch protection (required status checks, block on rejected
 reviews, block on outdated branch) and creates standard labels. Status check
 contexts are read from `DEVX_STATUS_CHECKS` or default to
-`CI / quality (pull_request)`.
+`CI / validate (pull_request)`.
 
 ### `generate_badges.py`
 
@@ -456,13 +456,14 @@ Developer pushes and creates PR (title: "DEVX-N: <vikunja task title>")
     ▼
 CI workflow (ci.yml) triggers:
     │
-    ├── quality (lint, tests, coverage, test speed, doc coverage,
-    │            translation check, dependency scan, workflow dry-run)
-    │
-    ├── detect-changes (classify_changes.py → user-facing or workflow-only)
-    │       └── if user-facing → release-dry-run (release.py --dry-run)
-    │
-    ├── pr-review (pr_review.py → posts COMMENT or REQUEST_CHANGES)
+    ├── validate (single job: quality + detect-changes +
+    │            release-dry-run + pr-review + pre-merge validation)
+    │       ├── quality steps (lint, tests, coverage, test speed, doc coverage,
+    │       │                 translation check, dependency scan, workflow dry-run)
+    │       ├── detect-changes (classify_changes.py → user-facing or workflow-only)
+    │       │       └── if user-facing → release-dry-run (release.py --dry-run)
+    │       ├── pre-merge validation (check_auto_merge_ready.py)
+    │       └── pr-review (pr_review.py → posts COMMENT or REQUEST_CHANGES)
     │
     └── auto-merge (auto_merge.py)
             ├── validate PR title format
@@ -483,50 +484,54 @@ Push to master (squash-merge commit: "DEVX-N <conventional commit>")
     ▼
 Post-merge workflow (post-merge.yml) triggers:
     │
-    ├── detect-type (detect_release_commit.py)
-    │       └── is-release? → skip all jobs except badges
+    ├── detect-and-configure (single job)
+    │       ├── configure-repo (configure_repo.py)
+    │       ├── detect-type (detect_release_commit.py)
+    │       │       └── is-release? → skip all steps except badges
+    │       └── validate-commit-msg (validate_commit_msg.py --branch master)
     │
-    ├── validate-commit-msg (validate_commit_msg.py --branch master)
-    │
-    ├── release (release.py)
-    │       ├── classify_changes.py → skip if workflow-only
-    │       ├── git-cliff → calculate next version
-    │       ├── update __version__ in __init__.py
-    │       ├── update CHANGELOG.md
-    │       ├── run make lint-ruff && make pytest-cov
-    │       ├── commit "release: vX.Y.Z [skip ci]"
-    │       ├── create annotated tag vX.Y.Z
-    │       └── push commit + tag to master
-    │               │
-    │               ▼
-    │       Tag push triggers publish workflow (see below)
-    │
-    ├── sync-wiki (sync_wiki.py --strict)
-    │       └── sync docs/ to Gitea wiki with integrity check
-    │
-    ├── badges (push_badges.py) [ALWAYS runs, even on release commits]
-    │       ├── fetch latest master
-    │       ├── generate_badges.py → SVG files
-    │       ├── push to orphan badges branch
-    │       └── update README.md + docs/index.md with cache-busting URLs
-    │
-    ├── vikunja (post_merge.py)
-    │       ├── extract task ID from commit message
-    │       ├── mark Vikunja task as done
-    │       └── post comment with merge SHA
-    │
-    └── configure-repo (configure_repo.py)
-            └── ensure branch protection and labels
+    └── release-and-maintain (needs detect-and-configure)
+            ├── release (release.py) [skip if release commit or workflow-only]
+            │       ├── classify_changes.py → skip if workflow-only
+            │       ├── git-cliff → calculate next version
+            │       ├── update __version__ in __init__.py
+            │       ├── update CHANGELOG.md
+            │       ├── run make lint-ruff && make pytest-cov
+            │       ├── commit "release: vX.Y.Z [skip ci]"
+            │       ├── create annotated tag vX.Y.Z
+            │       └── push commit + tag to master
+            │               │
+            │               ▼
+            │       publish (publish.py) [if release created a tag]
+            │               ├── build package (python -m build)
+            │               ├── publish to Gitea PyPI registry (twine upload)
+            │               │   OR publish to standard PyPI (if PYPI_TOKEN set)
+            │               │   OR skip publish (if --skip-build)
+            │               └── create Gitea release with git-cliff notes
+            │
+            ├── sync-wiki (sync_wiki.py --strict) [skip if automated]
+            │       └── sync docs/ to Gitea wiki with integrity check
+            │
+            ├── vikunja (post_merge.py) [skip if automated]
+            │       ├── extract task ID from commit message
+            │       ├── mark Vikunja task as done
+            │       └── post comment with merge SHA
+            │
+            └── badges (push_badges.py) [ALWAYS runs, even on release commits]
+                    ├── fetch latest master
+                    ├── generate_badges.py → SVG files
+                    ├── push to orphan badges branch
+                    └── update README.md + docs/index.md with cache-busting URLs
 ```
 
 ### Publish flow
 
 ```text
-Tag push (vX.Y.Z) triggers publish workflow (publish.yml):
+Within release-and-maintain job (after release step creates a tag):
     │
-    ▼
     ├── install build, twine, git-cliff, tea
     ├── configure tea login
+    ├── checkout release tag
     │
     └── publish (publish.py)
             ├── build package (python -m build)