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+---
+name: update-patch-base
+description: >
+  Retarget the FieldWorks patch installer workflow to a new base build.
+  Use whenever the user asks to update, retarget, or bump the patch base,
+  base release, or base build number (e.g. "retarget patching to base 1440",
+  "build patches on top of build-1442", "update the patch installer base"),
+  or when a new base installer release has been published and patches must
+  be rebuilt on top of it.
+version: "1.0.0"
+---
+
+# Update Patch Installer Base Build
+
+The Patch Installer workflow (`.github/workflows/patch-installer-cd.yml`)
+builds a FieldWorks `.msp` patch on top of artifacts from a previously
+published base build. The base is identified by a GitHub release tag
+(`build-NNNN`) on `sillsdev/FieldWorks`. When a new base installer ships,
+the workflow defaults must be retargeted so scheduled and push-triggered
+patch builds pick up the new base.
+
+## Why two separate values exist
+
+`base_release` (the release tag) and `base_build_number` (the bare number)
+are independent inputs only to support bootstrapping patches on bases that
+were built by the old Jenkins system. After FieldWorks 9.3 is the stable
+release, the release tag can be computed from the number and the inputs
+can be consolidated — see the comment block above `base_release` in the
+workflow.
+
+`FW_BUILD_NUMBER` for a patch must always be **higher** than its base
+build number, or Windows Installer will not treat the patch as an upgrade.
+The workflow computes this from `GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER` plus an offset; you do
+not normally need to touch it, but keep the invariant in mind if the base
+number ever jumps dramatically.
+
+## Procedure
+
+1. **Verify the new base release exists and is complete** before changing
+   anything. The workflow downloads two assets from the release:
+
+   ```powershell
+   gh release view build-NNNN --repo sillsdev/FieldWorks --json tagName,assets --jq '{tag: .tagName, assets: [.assets[].name]}'
+   ```
+
+   Both `BuildDir.zip` and `ProcRunner.zip` must be present. If either is
+   missing, stop and report — retargeting to an incomplete release breaks
+   every subsequent patch build.
+
+2. **Update all four references** in
+   `.github/workflows/patch-installer-cd.yml`. Searching the file for the
+   old number finds them all:
+
+   - `base_release` input `default:` — `'build-NNNN'`
+   - `base_build_number` input `default:` — `'NNNN'`
+   - `BASE_BUILD_NUMBER` env fallback — `${{ inputs.base_build_number || 'NNNN' }}`
+   - artifact download fallback in the *Import Base Build Artifacts* step —
+   `${{ inputs.base_release || 'build-NNNN' }}`
+
+   The fallbacks matter as much as the input defaults: scheduled (cron)
+   and push-triggered runs have no inputs, so they use the `||` fallbacks
+   exclusively.
+
+3. **Confirm nothing else references the old number.** Search the repo for
+   the bare number; ignore coincidental matches inside GUIDs in
+   `TestLangProj/*.fwdata`. Only the workflow file should need changes.
+
+4. **Commit and open a PR.** Use a subject like
+   `Retarget patch installer to base build NNNN`, note in the body that
+   the release was verified to contain both artifacts, and run
+   `git diff --check --cached` before committing. This is a workflow-only
+   change — no local build or test run is required; the Patch Installer
+   workflow itself is the validation.
+
+## Validation after merge
+
+The next scheduled or push-triggered Patch Installer run should show the
+*Import Base Build Artifacts* step downloading from the new release. A
+manual `workflow_dispatch` with `make_release: false` is the safe way to
+smoke-test without publishing to S3.