Released v0.6.0 and updated the user shell release notes

- Updated CHANGELOG.md with v0.6.0 release notes
- Updated ROADMAP.md to mark v0.6.0 as released
- Moved relative path support to v0.8.0 planned features
- Updated README.md with current version status

Author: byteshiftlabs

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,78 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.6.0] - 2025-11-28 - "User Shell"
+
+### Overview
+Sixth release of ThunderOS. Implements a fully functional user-mode shell with fork+exec process launching, directory operations, and a suite of userland utilities. The shell runs entirely in user space and can execute programs from the ext2 filesystem.
+
+### Added
+
+#### Exec System Call (`kernel/core/process.c`)
+- **sys_exec Implementation**:
+  - Load and execute ELF programs from filesystem
+  - Replace current process image completely
+  - Argument passing support (argv, envp)
+  - Proper memory cleanup before loading new image
+
+#### Working Directory Support
+- **System Calls**:
+  - `sys_chdir(path)` - Change current working directory
+  - `sys_getcwd(buf, size)` - Get current working directory
+- **Per-Process Tracking**:
+  - Each process maintains its own cwd
+  - Inherited by child processes on fork
+
+#### Directory Operations
+- **System Calls**:
+  - `sys_mkdir(path, mode)` - Create new directory
+  - `sys_rmdir(path)` - Remove empty directory
+  - `sys_getdents(fd, buf, count)` - Read directory entries
+- **ext2 Integration**:
+  - Directory creation with proper inode allocation
+  - Directory removal with block deallocation
+  - Efficient directory entry iteration
+
+#### File Operations
+- **System Calls**:
+  - `sys_unlink(path)` - Remove file from filesystem
+- **ext2 Integration**:
+  - Proper inode and block deallocation
+  - Directory entry removal
+
+#### User-Mode Shell (ush)
+- **Shell Features**:
+  - Runs entirely in user space (loaded from /bin/ush)
+  - Fork+exec model for external commands
+  - Command line parsing and argument handling
+- **Built-in Commands**:
+  - `cd <path>` - Change directory
+  - `pwd` - Print working directory
+  - `mkdir <name>` - Create directory
+  - `rmdir <name>` - Remove directory
+  - `clear` - Clear screen
+  - `echo <text>` - Print text
+  - `help` - Show available commands
+  - `exit` - Exit shell
+- **External Commands**:
+  - Executes programs from /bin directory
+  - Supports: ls, cat, hello, and any ELF executable
+
+#### Userland Utilities (`userland/`)
+- **File Utilities**:
+  - `cat` - Display file contents
+  - `touch` - Create empty file
+  - `rm` - Remove file
+- **Directory Utilities**:
+  - `ls` - List directory contents
+  - `pwd` - Print working directory
+  - `mkdir` - Create directory
+  - `rmdir` - Remove directory
+- **System Utilities**:
+  - `clear` - Clear terminal screen
+  - `sleep` - Sleep for specified seconds
+  - `hello` - Test program
+
 ### Changed
 
 #### Test Infrastructure Refactoring
@@ -20,6 +92,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   - Organized programs into categories (Core Utilities, User Applications, Test Programs)
   - Added build summary with program count and output directory
   - Extracted common build logic into reusable `build_program()` function
+- **CI-friendly test runner**:
+  - Added non-interactive mode for CI environments
+  - Fixed TERM environment variable handling
+  - Simple text output for pipelines
 
 #### Clean Code Standards Applied to kernel/main.c
 - **Extracted helper functions** (all marked `static`):
@@ -42,6 +118,27 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - **Added forward declarations** after constants section
 - **Initialized all variables** explicitly
 
+### Technical Details
+
+#### Syscall Count
+- Total syscalls: 32 (up from 27 in v0.5.0)
+- New syscalls: sys_exec, sys_chdir, sys_getcwd, sys_mkdir, sys_rmdir
+
+#### Shell Architecture
+- Shell binary loaded from `/bin/ush` on boot
+- Falls back to kernel shell if user shell fails to load
+- Uses fork() to create child process for each command
+- Uses exec() in child to replace with target program
+- Parent waits for child with waitpid()
+
+### Testing
+- ✅ Fork+exec works reliably
+- ✅ Shell commands execute correctly
+- ✅ Directory navigation works (absolute paths)
+- ✅ File/directory creation and removal works
+- ✅ All CI tests passing
+- ✅ Kernel boots and shell launches automatically
+
 ## [0.5.0] - 2025-11-21 - "Communication"
 
 ### Overview

README.md

@@ -4,16 +4,16 @@ A RISC-V operating system focused on AI acceleration and educational use.
 
 ## Current Status
 
-**Version 0.4.0 - "Persistence"** 🎯 Released!
-
-- ✅ **v0.4.0 Released** - Persistent storage with VirtIO and ext2
-- ✅ VirtIO block device driver (modern MMIO interface)
-- ✅ ext2 filesystem with read/write support
-- ✅ Virtual Filesystem (VFS) abstraction layer
-- ✅ ELF64 loader for executing programs from disk
-- ✅ Interactive shell with ls, cat, and program execution
-- ✅ **Memory isolation** - Per-process page tables, VMAs, isolated heaps
-- 🚧 **Next**: Inter-process communication and networking (v0.5.0)
+**Version 0.6.0 - "User Shell"** 🎯 Released!
+
+- ✅ **v0.6.0 Released** - User-mode shell with fork+exec
+- ✅ User-mode shell (ush) running from filesystem
+- ✅ Fork+exec process model for launching programs
+- ✅ Directory operations (mkdir, rmdir, cd, pwd)
+- ✅ File operations (touch, rm, cat, ls)
+- ✅ 9 userland utilities available
+- ✅ 32 system calls implemented
+- 🚧 **Next**: Graphics and virtual terminals (v0.7.0)
 
 See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for complete feature list and [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) for future plans.
 

ROADMAP.md

@@ -251,9 +251,9 @@ Initial attempt at VirtIO block driver revealed fundamental gaps in memory infra
 
 ---
 
-## Version 0.6.0 - "User Shell" 🚧 IN PROGRESS
+## Version 0.6.0 - "User Shell" ✅ RELEASED
 
-**Status:** In Development (started November 28, 2025)
+**Status:** Released on November 28, 2025
 
 **Focus:** User-mode shell and process execution
 
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ Initial attempt at VirtIO block driver revealed fundamental gaps in memory infra
   - ✅ `sys_getdents()` - Read directory entries
 - ✅ File operations
   - ✅ `sys_unlink()` - Remove file
-- ✅ User-mode shell (ush v0.8.0)
+- ✅ User-mode shell (ush)
   - ✅ Runs entirely in user space
   - ✅ Fork+exec for external commands
   - ✅ Shell builtins: cd, pwd, mkdir, rmdir, clear, echo, help, exit
@@ -287,24 +287,23 @@ Initial attempt at VirtIO block driver revealed fundamental gaps in memory infra
   - ✅ rm - Remove file
   - ✅ clear - Clear screen
   - ✅ sleep - Sleep for seconds
-
-### Remaining Features
-- [ ] Relative path resolution in VFS (cd .., cd subdir)
-- [ ] Command history (up/down arrows)
-- [ ] Tab completion
+- ✅ Test infrastructure improvements
+  - ✅ CI-friendly test runner with non-interactive mode
+  - ✅ Clean code standards applied to kernel/main.c
+  - ✅ Improved build scripts with visual output
 
 ### Testing Completed
 - ✅ Fork+exec works reliably
 - ✅ Shell commands execute correctly
 - ✅ Directory navigation works (absolute paths)
 - ✅ File/directory creation and removal works
+- ✅ All CI tests passing
 
 **Release Criteria:**
 - ✅ User-mode shell runs from filesystem
 - ✅ Fork+exec launches programs
 - ✅ Basic shell builtins work
 - ✅ Userland utilities operational
-- [ ] Relative path support
 
 ---
 
@@ -334,15 +333,17 @@ Initial attempt at VirtIO block driver revealed fundamental gaps in memory infra
 **Focus:** POSIX compatibility and advanced shell features
 
 ### Planned Features
+- [ ] Relative path resolution in VFS (cd .., cd subdir, ./program)
 - [ ] Environment variables
 - [ ] Expanded syscall set (50+ syscalls)
-- [ ] Relative path resolution throughout VFS
 - [ ] File permissions and ownership
 - [ ] Simple shell scripting support
 - [ ] Process groups and sessions
 - [ ] Job control (background/foreground processes)
 - [ ] Pipes in shell syntax (cmd1 | cmd2)
 - [ ] I/O redirection (>, <, >>)
+- [ ] Command history (up/down arrows)
+- [ ] Tab completion
 
 **Release Criteria:**
 - Can run simple POSIX programs