fix: update release script

VERSION

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+0.0.2
+stable
+0

packages/release/release.sh

@@ -194,8 +194,14 @@ generate_version_files() {
 
 # ── version source (built-in) ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-do_read_version() {
+# Initializes $ROOT_DIR/VERSION from git tags if it doesn't exist.
-  if [[ ! -f "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION" ]]; then
+# Must be called outside of any subshell so log output stays on stderr
+# and never contaminates the stdout of do_read_version.
+init_version_file() {
+  if [[ -f "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
   local highest_tag=""
   while IFS= read -r raw_tag; do
     local tag="${raw_tag#v}"
@@ -223,16 +229,15 @@ do_read_version() {
 
   printf '%s\n%s\n%s\n' "$BASE_VERSION" "$channel_to_write" "$n_to_write" > "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION"
   log "Initialized $ROOT_DIR/VERSION from highest tag: v$highest_tag"
-  fi
+}
 
+do_read_version() {
   local base_line channel_line n_line
   base_line="$(sed -n '1p' "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION" | tr -d '\r')"
   channel_line="$(sed -n '2p' "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION" | tr -d '\r')"
   n_line="$(sed -n '3p' "$ROOT_DIR/VERSION" | tr -d '\r')"
 
-  if [[ -z $channel_line ]]; then
+  if [[ -z $channel_line || $channel_line == "stable" ]]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "$base_line"
-  elif [[ $channel_line == "stable" ]]; then
     printf '%s\n' "$base_line"
   else
     printf '%s-%s.%s\n' "$base_line" "$channel_line" "$n_line"
@@ -265,6 +270,10 @@ main() {
   START_HEAD="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
   trap revert_on_failure ERR
 
+  # Initialize VERSION file outside any subshell so log lines never
+  # bleed into the stdout capture below.
+  init_version_file
+
   local raw_version
   raw_version="$(do_read_version | grep -E '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z]+\.[0-9]+)?$' | tail -n1)"
   if [[ -z $raw_version ]]; then