docs: require uv in release protocol

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ Notable changes to this project are documented in this file. The format is based
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
+### Changed
+
+- **The release protocol now treats `uv` as a required tool and uses a `uv`-managed Python 3.13 environment for public install verification.**
+  The maintainer runbook no longer assumes a host `python3.13` binary is present on PATH during
+  the final release smoke test; it now verifies the published package in a seeded
+  `uv venv --python 3.13` environment, which matches the project's actual Python management model.
 
 ## [0.164.0] - 2026-04-23
 ### Changed

docs/RELEASE_PROTOCOL.md

@@ -11,25 +11,27 @@ route:
 # Release Protocol
 
 **Purpose**: Publish a tagged FTLLexEngine release through GitHub CLI and verify the GitHub Release and PyPI handoff.
-**Prerequisites**: `gh` installed and authenticated, the target release version chosen, and a checkout topology that can produce a clean release payload.
+**Prerequisites**: `gh` installed and authenticated, `uv` installed, the target release version chosen, and a checkout topology that can produce a clean release payload.
 
 ## Overview
 
 The release flow is `gh`-first and branch-based. Do not push release commits directly to `main`.
 Use a release branch, open a PR, merge it, verify the merged `main` commit is green, tag that
 commit, and then verify the GitHub Release and published artifacts directly.
 
-## Step 0: Verify GitHub CLI Readiness
+## Step 0: Verify Tooling Readiness
 
 Before doing anything else, run:
 
 ```bash
 gh --version
 gh auth status
+uv --version
 ```
 
-If either command fails, stop immediately. Do not continue with release work until `gh` is both
-installed and authenticated for the target repository.
+If any command fails, stop immediately. Do not continue with release work until `gh` is both
+installed and authenticated for the target repository and `uv` is available for managed Python
+and packaging operations.
 
 ## Step 1: Choose The Authoritative Checkout
 
@@ -302,12 +304,16 @@ gh release download vX.Y.Z \
   shasum -a 256 -c "ftllexengine-X.Y.Z.sha256"
 )
 
-python3.13 -m venv "$TMP_DIR/py313"
+uv venv --python 3.13 --seed "$TMP_DIR/py313"
 "$TMP_DIR/py313/bin/pip" install --no-cache-dir "ftllexengine==X.Y.Z"
 "$TMP_DIR/py313/bin/python" -c "import ftllexengine as pkg; print(pkg.__version__)"
 rm -rf "$TMP_DIR"
 ```
 
+Use `uv` for this installability check even if the host shell does not expose a direct
+`python3.13` binary. The release verifier must exercise a real Python 3.13 environment, but it
+does not need to come from the system PATH.
+
 The release is not complete until the release object, assets, and real install test all succeed.
 
 ## Step 8: Branch And Checkout Hygiene