Run API-only recovery independently of consumer vendoring

docs/roadmap/implementation.md

@@ -454,13 +454,20 @@ failures without additional consumer release infrastructure.
    command selecting that exact path. Partial records can explain missing
    evidence. Earlier failures still report their saved path when available.
    Successful publication reports the path without prescribing a recovery step.
-4. Build the printed command from the running executable's absolute path and the
-   absolute record path, quoting each argument for the POSIX-shell runbooks.
-   This works for a directly built CLI and a Go-tool-launched cached executable
-   without assuming `releasekit` is on PATH or that the consumer registered a
-   tool directive. Quote apostrophes safely; print the command without executing
-   a shell. Explain in recovery guidance that operators can use their selected
-   supported CLI if the original executable is no longer available.
+4. Prefer the consumer module's registered Go tool for the printed command.
+   API-only consumers use durable private module/checksum files under Git
+   metadata, with a separate bootstrap module root so consumer vendoring does
+   not govern tool resolution. Retain the selected requirements, checksums,
+   versioned replacements, and original locations of local replacements.
+   Consumers without a selected ReleaseKit dependency use the native executable
+   path. Select the absolute record path explicitly and quote every argument
+   for the POSIX-shell runbooks, including apostrophes. The command survives a
+   cold Go-tool executable's removal and launcher-owned metadata cleanup.
+   Explain how to use another selected supported CLI if an entry point becomes
+   unavailable.
+
+**R14 follow-up completed:** API-only recovery uses an independent private module
+root. R15 tracks cancellation and preparation-failure handling separately.
 
 **Verification:** Extend existing publication CLI tests for the default, override,
 recording warning with successful status, and original failed/unknown status.
@@ -468,6 +475,10 @@ Use a built CLI in an assembled test to execute the printed recovery command
 and verify it selects the original record among retries/modules. Test shell
 argument quoting with synthetic paths. Keep the existing module-selected Go-tool
 launchers and source bootstrap working without adding consumer-owned recording.
+Include an API-only consumer that vendors the library without declaring the CLI
+tool; execute its handoff and verify source/vendor contents remain unchanged.
+Exercise relative local replacements, versioned replacements, and ReleaseKit's
+own source-module recovery entry point.
 
 ## Stage 8: Finish assembled coverage and canonical documentation
 
@@ -482,6 +493,8 @@ contracts and a short consumer recovery workflow.
    coordinate cancellation/interruption without arbitrary sleeps. Remove or move
    the local tag and change branch, HEAD, remote URLs, or transport settings
    before later recovery. Cover root/nested tags and original-record selection.
+   Retain the assembled vendored API-only handoff coverage added for R14,
+   alongside cold registered-tool and temporary-launcher recovery.
 2. Establish read-only behavior through resulting refs, worktree/branch state,
    saved records, and controlled observations of candidate/hosted boundaries.
    Reuse lower-level classification and codec tests. Tests use local remotes,

docs/roadmap/remediation.md

@@ -604,6 +604,11 @@ correctness for these additional combinations.
 
 ## R14: Support recovery for vendored API-only consumers — P2
 
+**Completed:** API-only recovery uses a private module root with preserved module
+settings and relocated local replacements. Vendored API-only, relative/versioned
+replacement, cold Go-tool, native handoff, and source-module entry-point tests
+passed. Stage 7/8 instructions and consumer/internal guidance are updated.
+
 **Relevant code:** `internal/gotool/recovery.go:95–107`; the command assembly in
 `cmd/releasekit/main.go:126–145`. Affects Stage 7 and its Stage 8 coverage.