diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 4769cf1..31ec8c4 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ Start with:
 - `docs/ROADMAP.md` for sequenced work.
 - `docs/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md` for CLI contracts.
 - `docs/OPERATIONS.md` and `docs/RUNBOOKS.md` for operator workflows.
+- `docs/PACKAGING.md` for package layout and distro install paths.
 - `docs/THREAT_MODEL.md` for security boundaries and non-goals.
 
 ## Engineering Rules
@@ -180,5 +181,8 @@ When changing behavior, update the relevant set:
 - `docs/THREAT_MODEL.md` for trust-boundary/security-model changes.
 - `docs/ROADMAP.md` for planned or completed roadmap movement.
 - `docs/SCHEMAS.md` for stable JSON contracts.
+- `docs/PACKAGING.md` for package/install behavior.
+- `packaging/release-artifacts.sh` for release tarballs, checksums, and optional
+  GPG signatures.
 - `docs/VERSION.json` and `docs/INDEX.md` for documentation versioning.
 - `config/enodia-sentinel.toml` for config knobs.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index df779e2..bb0a979 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ LIBDIR        := $(PREFIX)/lib/enodia-sentinel
 SYSTEMDDIR    := /etc/systemd/system
 CONFDIR       := /etc
 LOGDIR        := /var/log/enodia-sentinel
+DOCDIR        := $(PREFIX)/share/doc/enodia-sentinel
+TMPFILESDIR   := /etc/tmpfiles.d
 
-.PHONY: install uninstall enable disable status logs check baseline drill test clean
+.PHONY: install uninstall enable disable status logs check baseline drill test release-artifacts clean
 
 # Installs the stdlib-only Python package as a plain directory + launcher
 # wrapper (no pip, no virtualenv, no site-packages). Zero runtime deps.
@@ -17,13 +19,27 @@ install:
 	install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel.service $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMDDIR)/enodia-sentinel.service
 	install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel-web.service $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMDDIR)/enodia-sentinel-web.service
 	install -Dm644 packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook $(DESTDIR)/etc/pacman.d/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
+	install -Dm644 packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles $(DESTDIR)$(TMPFILESDIR)/enodia-sentinel.conf
 	@if [ ! -e "$(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml" ]; then \
 		install -Dm644 config/enodia-sentinel.toml $(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml; \
-		echo "Installed default config at $(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml"; \
+		echo "Installed default config at $(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml"; \
 	else \
 		install -Dm644 config/enodia-sentinel.toml $(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml.new; \
-		echo "Existing config preserved; new template at $(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml.new"; \
+		echo "Existing config preserved; new template at $(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml.new"; \
 	fi
+	install -Dm644 README.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/README.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/INDEX.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/INDEX.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/SCHEMAS.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/SCHEMAS.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/PACKAGING.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/PACKAGING.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/OPERATIONS.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/OPERATIONS.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/RUNBOOKS.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/RUNBOOKS.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/RULES.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/RULES.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/SPECIFICATION.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/SPECIFICATION.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/ROADMAP.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/ROADMAP.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/THREAT_MODEL.md $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/THREAT_MODEL.md
+	install -Dm644 docs/VERSION.json $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/VERSION.json
+	install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)/examples/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf
 	install -dm750 $(DESTDIR)$(LOGDIR)
 	@echo "Installed. Run 'sudo make enable' to start the service."
 
@@ -34,7 +50,9 @@ uninstall:
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMDDIR)/enodia-sentinel.service
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSTEMDDIR)/enodia-sentinel-web.service
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)/etc/pacman.d/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
+	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(TMPFILESDIR)/enodia-sentinel.conf
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(CONFDIR)/enodia-sentinel.toml.new
+	rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)
 	@echo "Uninstalled. Config and logs preserved."
 
 enable:
@@ -66,5 +84,8 @@ web:
 drill:
 	./src/sentinel-redteam
 
+release-artifacts:
+	packaging/release-artifacts.sh
+
 clean:
 	find . -type d -name __pycache__ -prune -exec rm -rf {} +
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6f93adb..0f74f62 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ Project docs:
   response, fleet, and assurance layers.
 - [Operations guide](docs/OPERATIONS.md) — install checks, health checks, alert
   workflow, baseline hygiene, and evidence export.
+- [Packaging guide](docs/PACKAGING.md) — Arch package layout plus Debian/RPM
+  source-install paths.
 - [JSON schemas](docs/SCHEMAS.md) — stable v1 contracts for alerts, incidents,
   status, response plans, and response audit records.
 - [IR runbooks](docs/RUNBOOKS.md) — confirm/preserve/contain/recover playbooks
diff --git a/docs/INDEX.md b/docs/INDEX.md
index b07ccd5..52a4e30 100644
--- a/docs/INDEX.md
+++ b/docs/INDEX.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ same patch as any command, schema, or behavior documentation changes.
 | [COMMAND_REFERENCE.md](COMMAND_REFERENCE.md) | Manpage-style CLI and service command contract. |
 | [SCHEMAS.md](SCHEMAS.md) | Stable JSON schema IDs and required v1 fields. |
 | [OPERATIONS.md](OPERATIONS.md) | Install checks, health checks, alert workflow, baseline hygiene, and evidence export. |
+| [PACKAGING.md](PACKAGING.md) | Arch package layout and Debian/RPM source-install paths. |
 | [RUNBOOKS.md](RUNBOOKS.md) | Incident response playbooks for common Sentinel findings. |
 | [RULES.md](RULES.md) | Generated built-in event-rule reference by SID. |
 
diff --git a/docs/PACKAGING.md b/docs/PACKAGING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52eebb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/PACKAGING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+# Enodia Sentinel Packaging
+
+Applies to package version: `0.7.0`
+Docs version: `0.7`
+Schema generation: `v1`
+
+Sentinel is a stdlib-only Python package installed as a plain source directory
+plus launcher wrapper. The service and package are designed around Linux hosts
+with systemd.
+
+## Arch Linux
+
+Arch is the primary packaged target.
+
+Build from the repository root:
+
+```bash
+packaging/build-package.sh
+```
+
+Install the generated package:
+
+```bash
+sudo pacman -U enodia-sentinel-*.pkg.tar.zst
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable --now enodia-sentinel.service
+```
+
+The Arch package installs:
+
+| Path | Purpose |
+|---|---|
+| `/usr/bin/enodia-sentinel` | Launcher wrapper for the Python package. |
+| `/usr/bin/sentinel-redteam` | Safe local red-team harness. |
+| `/usr/lib/enodia-sentinel/enodia_sentinel/` | Stdlib-only Python package. |
+| `/etc/enodia-sentinel.toml` | Operator configuration, preserved as a pacman backup file. |
+| `/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel.service` | Hardened daemon unit. |
+| `/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel-web.service` | Read-only dashboard unit. |
+| `/usr/share/libalpm/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook` | Post-transaction FIM baseline refresh hook. |
+| `/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/enodia-sentinel.conf` | Runtime log directory definition. |
+| `/usr/share/doc/enodia-sentinel/` | Versioned operator docs and examples. |
+| `/var/log/enodia-sentinel/` | Alert snapshots, events, incidents, response plans, and audit logs. |
+
+The pacman hook calls `/usr/bin/enodia-sentinel fim-update` after package
+transactions so legitimate package changes refresh the FIM baseline. It does
+not silence unexplained non-package drift.
+
+Optional Arch packages:
+
+- `python-bpfcc` for eBPF exec/syscall telemetry.
+- `bpftrace` for short-lived exec capture inside forensic snapshots.
+- `libnotify` for local desktop notifications.
+- `libarchive` for signed-cache-package `.MTREE` verification helpers.
+
+The default service is hardened for polling mode. To enable eBPF, copy the
+packaged drop-in example and reload systemd:
+
+```bash
+sudo install -Dm644 /usr/share/doc/enodia-sentinel/examples/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf \
+  /etc/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel.service.d/ebpf.conf
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl restart enodia-sentinel.service
+```
+
+## Debian and Ubuntu
+
+There is no native `.deb` package yet. Use the source install path:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt install python3 iproute2 procps
+sudo make install PREFIX=/usr/local
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable --now enodia-sentinel.service
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+- The installed launcher does not require pip or a virtualenv.
+- `fim-check --packages` uses the available package-manager backend; Debian
+  package verification support should be validated for the target host before
+  relying on it operationally.
+- The source install path includes the pacman hook file for parity with Arch
+  source installs. On non-Arch systems it is inert unless pacman/libalpm is
+  installed; Debian installs should manage FIM baseline refresh through
+  operator procedure or a future dpkg trigger package.
+
+## RPM-family Linux
+
+There is no native RPM package yet. Use the same source install path:
+
+```bash
+sudo dnf install python3 iproute procps-ng
+sudo make install PREFIX=/usr/local
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable --now enodia-sentinel.service
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+- Native RPM packaging should eventually install systemd units under the distro
+  unit path, preserve `/etc/enodia-sentinel.toml`, and create a package-manager
+  trigger equivalent to the Arch FIM refresh hook.
+- Validate package verification behavior on the target distro before enabling
+  signed-package mismatch alerting.
+
+## Package Hardening Checklist
+
+- Package version matches `pyproject.toml` and `enodia_sentinel.__version__`.
+- Config is preserved across upgrades.
+- Log directory is created with mode `0750`.
+- Service units remain hardened and read-mostly by default.
+- eBPF privilege relaxation is shipped only as an opt-in drop-in example.
+- Package-manager hooks use absolute paths and do not depend on ambient `PATH`.
+- Versioned operator docs are installed with the package.
+
+## Release Artifacts
+
+Release artifacts are built with:
+
+```bash
+make release-artifacts
+```
+
+The release target writes to `dist/` by default:
+
+| Artifact | Purpose |
+|---|---|
+| `enodia-sentinel-<version>.tar.gz` | Versioned source release. |
+| `SHA256SUMS` | SHA-256 checksums for the source tarball and release manifest. |
+| `RELEASE_MANIFEST.json` | Project/version/git metadata for the generated release. |
+| `SHA256SUMS.asc` | Optional detached GPG signature over `SHA256SUMS`. |
+
+The script refuses a dirty git worktree by default so a release maps to a known
+commit. For local packaging smoke tests only, set `RELEASE_ALLOW_DIRTY=1`.
+
+To sign checksum artifacts:
+
+```bash
+RELEASE_SIGN=1 make release-artifacts
+```
+
+To select a specific GPG key:
+
+```bash
+RELEASE_SIGN=1 RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY=<key-id-or-fingerprint> make release-artifacts
+```
+
+Verification flow for operators:
+
+```bash
+gpg --verify SHA256SUMS.asc SHA256SUMS
+sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS
+```
diff --git a/docs/ROADMAP.md b/docs/ROADMAP.md
index 71e794c..b05a68a 100644
--- a/docs/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/docs/ROADMAP.md
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ Purpose: define a stable single-host product.
   audits.
 - ✅ Add compatibility tests for schema evolution.
 - ✅ Add documentation versioning and manpage-style command reference.
-- Harden packaging for Arch first, then document Debian/RPM install paths.
-- Add signed release artifacts and checksums.
+- ✅ Harden packaging for Arch first, then document Debian/RPM install paths.
+- ✅ Add signed release artifacts and checksums.
 - Improve dashboard from alert browser to local console:
   incidents, posture, integrity state, response plans, and watchdog status.
 - ✅ Add a local dashboard Settings menu with persistent themes for dark
diff --git a/docs/VERSION.json b/docs/VERSION.json
index 7f484b4..d212438 100644
--- a/docs/VERSION.json
+++ b/docs/VERSION.json
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@
   "docs_version": "0.7",
   "schema_generation": "v1",
   "command_reference": "docs/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md",
-  "schema_reference": "docs/SCHEMAS.md"
+  "schema_reference": "docs/SCHEMAS.md",
+  "packaging_reference": "docs/PACKAGING.md",
+  "release_artifact_target": "make release-artifacts"
 }
diff --git a/packaging/PKGBUILD b/packaging/PKGBUILD
index 525f421..b5cf949 100644
--- a/packaging/PKGBUILD
+++ b/packaging/PKGBUILD
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Maintainer: Enodia
 pkgname=enodia-sentinel
-pkgver=0.6.0
+pkgver=0.7.0
 pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc="Linux IDS/IPS/EDR agent with integrity, anti-rootkit, forensic evidence, and explicit prevention workflows"
 arch=('any')
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ license=('GPL-3.0-or-later')
 depends=('python>=3.11' 'iproute2' 'procps-ng')
 optdepends=('python-bpfcc: eBPF event-driven execve/syscall monitors (catches short-lived processes and memory telemetry)'
             'bpftrace: execve tracing of short-lived processes in snapshots'
-            'libnotify: desktop notifications on alert')
+            'libnotify: desktop notifications on alert'
+            'libarchive: signed-package verification against cached package .MTREE manifests')
 backup=('etc/enodia-sentinel.toml')
 source=()
 sha256sums=()
@@ -24,7 +25,21 @@ package() {
     install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel.service "$pkgdir/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel.service"
     install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel-web.service "$pkgdir/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel-web.service"
     install -Dm644 packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook "$pkgdir/usr/share/libalpm/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook"
+    install -Dm644 packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles "$pkgdir/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/enodia-sentinel.conf"
     install -Dm644 config/enodia-sentinel.toml "$pkgdir/etc/enodia-sentinel.toml"
     install -Dm644 LICENSE "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/$pkgname/LICENSE"
+    install -Dm644 README.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/README.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/INDEX.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/INDEX.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/SCHEMAS.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/SCHEMAS.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/PACKAGING.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/PACKAGING.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/OPERATIONS.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/OPERATIONS.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/RUNBOOKS.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/RUNBOOKS.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/RULES.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/RULES.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/SPECIFICATION.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/SPECIFICATION.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/ROADMAP.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/ROADMAP.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/THREAT_MODEL.md "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/THREAT_MODEL.md"
+    install -Dm644 docs/VERSION.json "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/VERSION.json"
+    install -Dm644 systemd/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf "$pkgdir/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/examples/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf"
     install -dm750 "$pkgdir/var/log/enodia-sentinel"
 }
diff --git a/packaging/build-package.sh b/packaging/build-package.sh
index 4699c5d..8208031 100755
--- a/packaging/build-package.sh
+++ b/packaging/build-package.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 # Build the Arch package from the repo root.
-set -e
+set -eu
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+command -v makepkg >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "error: makepkg not found; install pacman/base-devel tooling first" >&2
+    exit 127
+}
 echo "Building enodia-sentinel package..."
-makepkg -f --noconfirm
+umask 022
+makepkg -f --cleanbuild --noconfirm
 mv -f *.pkg.tar.zst ../ 2>/dev/null || true
 echo "Done. Install with:  sudo pacman -U enodia-sentinel-*.pkg.tar.zst"
diff --git a/packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook b/packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
index b998eec..c30b398 100644
--- a/packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
+++ b/packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Refresh the Enodia Sentinel file-integrity baseline after every package
 # transaction, so legitimate package changes never trigger a FIM alert.
-# Install as: /etc/pacman.d/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
+# Packaged as: /usr/share/libalpm/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook
 [Trigger]
 Operation = Install
 Operation = Upgrade
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@ Target = opt/*
 [Action]
 Description = Refreshing Enodia Sentinel file-integrity baseline...
 When = PostTransaction
-Exec = /usr/bin/env enodia-sentinel fim-update
+Exec = /usr/bin/enodia-sentinel fim-update
 Depends = python
diff --git a/packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles b/packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c3552a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+# Runtime log/state directory for Enodia Sentinel.
+d /var/log/enodia-sentinel 0750 root root -
diff --git a/packaging/release-artifacts.sh b/packaging/release-artifacts.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..686ce41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/release-artifacts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+# Build release artifacts: source tarball, checksum file, manifest, optional
+# detached signature over SHA256SUMS.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
+
+version="$(python3 - <<'PY'
+import tomllib
+from pathlib import Path
+print(tomllib.loads(Path("pyproject.toml").read_text())["project"]["version"])
+PY
+)"
+project="enodia-sentinel"
+prefix="${project}-${version}"
+distdir="${DISTDIR:-dist}"
+archive="${prefix}.tar.gz"
+manifest="RELEASE_MANIFEST.json"
+checksums="SHA256SUMS"
+signature="SHA256SUMS.asc"
+allow_dirty="${RELEASE_ALLOW_DIRTY:-0}"
+sign="${RELEASE_SIGN:-0}"
+signing_key="${RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY:-}"
+
+if git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    dirty=0
+    git diff --quiet || dirty=1
+    git diff --cached --quiet || dirty=1
+    if [ -n "$(git ls-files --others --exclude-standard)" ]; then
+        dirty=1
+    fi
+    git_commit="$(git rev-parse --verify HEAD)"
+    if [ "$dirty" -ne 0 ] && [ "$allow_dirty" != "1" ]; then
+        echo "error: worktree is dirty; commit changes or set RELEASE_ALLOW_DIRTY=1" >&2
+        exit 2
+    fi
+else
+    dirty=1
+    git_commit=""
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$distdir"
+tmp="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/enodia-release.XXXXXX")"
+cleanup() {
+    rm -rf "$tmp"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+mkdir -p "$tmp/$prefix"
+tar \
+    --exclude='./.git' \
+    --exclude='./dist' \
+    --exclude='./__pycache__' \
+    --exclude='*/__pycache__' \
+    --exclude='./.pytest_cache' \
+    --exclude='./.mypy_cache' \
+    --exclude='./.ruff_cache' \
+    --exclude='*.pyc' \
+    --exclude='*.pkg.tar.zst' \
+    -cf - . | tar -xf - -C "$tmp/$prefix"
+
+tar --sort=name --mtime='@0' --owner=0 --group=0 --numeric-owner \
+    -czf "$distdir/$archive" -C "$tmp" "$prefix"
+
+generated_at="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"
+cat > "$distdir/$manifest" <<JSON
+{
+  "project": "$project",
+  "version": "$version",
+  "generated_at": "$generated_at",
+  "git_commit": "$git_commit",
+  "dirty": $dirty,
+  "artifacts": [
+    "$archive",
+    "$checksums"
+  ]
+}
+JSON
+
+(
+    cd "$distdir"
+    sha256sum "$archive" "$manifest" > "$checksums"
+)
+
+if [ "$sign" = "1" ]; then
+    command -v gpg >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+        echo "error: RELEASE_SIGN=1 requires gpg" >&2
+        exit 127
+    }
+    gpg_args=(--batch --yes --armor --detach-sign)
+    if [ -n "$signing_key" ]; then
+        gpg_args+=(--local-user "$signing_key")
+    fi
+    gpg "${gpg_args[@]}" -o "$distdir/$signature" "$distdir/$checksums"
+    echo "Signed $distdir/$signature"
+else
+    echo "Signing skipped; set RELEASE_SIGN=1 to create $signature"
+fi
+
+echo "Wrote $distdir/$archive"
+echo "Wrote $distdir/$checksums"
+echo "Wrote $distdir/$manifest"
diff --git a/tests/test_docs_versioning.py b/tests/test_docs_versioning.py
index aa0e0f8..5b6155d 100644
--- a/tests/test_docs_versioning.py
+++ b/tests/test_docs_versioning.py
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@ class TestDocsVersioning(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(docs_version["schema_generation"], "v1")
         self.assertEqual(docs_version["command_reference"], "docs/COMMAND_REFERENCE.md")
         self.assertEqual(docs_version["schema_reference"], "docs/SCHEMAS.md")
+        self.assertEqual(docs_version["packaging_reference"], "docs/PACKAGING.md")
+        self.assertEqual(docs_version["release_artifact_target"], "make release-artifacts")
 
     def test_versioned_docs_headers_are_present(self):
         version = json.loads((DOCS / "VERSION.json").read_text())
-        for name in ("INDEX.md", "COMMAND_REFERENCE.md", "SCHEMAS.md"):
+        for name in ("INDEX.md", "COMMAND_REFERENCE.md", "SCHEMAS.md", "PACKAGING.md"):
             with self.subTest(name=name):
                 text = (DOCS / name).read_text()
                 self.assertIn(
diff --git a/tests/test_packaging.py b/tests/test_packaging.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a476ccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_packaging.py
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+"""Static checks for package metadata and install hardening."""
+import hashlib
+import json
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import tomllib
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from enodia_sentinel import __version__
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+def _read(path: str) -> str:
+    return (ROOT / path).read_text()
+
+
+class TestArchPackaging(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_pkgbuild_version_matches_project(self):
+        pkgbuild = _read("packaging/PKGBUILD")
+        pyproject = tomllib.loads(_read("pyproject.toml"))
+        docs_version = json.loads(_read("docs/VERSION.json"))
+
+        pkgver = re.search(r"^pkgver=([^\n]+)$", pkgbuild, re.M)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(pkgver)
+        self.assertEqual(pkgver.group(1), pyproject["project"]["version"])
+        self.assertEqual(pkgver.group(1), __version__)
+        self.assertEqual(docs_version["package_version"], pkgver.group(1))
+
+    def test_pkgbuild_installs_hardened_runtime_files(self):
+        pkgbuild = _read("packaging/PKGBUILD")
+        for expected in (
+            "/usr/bin/enodia-sentinel",
+            "/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel.service",
+            "/usr/lib/systemd/system/enodia-sentinel-web.service",
+            "/usr/share/libalpm/hooks/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook",
+            "/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/enodia-sentinel.conf",
+            "/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/PACKAGING.md",
+            "/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/VERSION.json",
+            "/usr/share/doc/$pkgname/examples/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf",
+            "/var/log/enodia-sentinel",
+        ):
+            self.assertIn(expected, pkgbuild)
+        self.assertIn("backup=('etc/enodia-sentinel.toml')", pkgbuild)
+        self.assertIn("install -dm750", pkgbuild)
+
+    def test_alpm_hook_uses_absolute_sentinel_path(self):
+        hook = _read("packaging/enodia-sentinel-fim.hook")
+        self.assertIn("Exec = /usr/bin/enodia-sentinel fim-update", hook)
+        self.assertNotIn("/usr/bin/env enodia-sentinel", hook)
+        self.assertIn("When = PostTransaction", hook)
+
+    def test_tmpfiles_declares_private_log_dir(self):
+        tmpfiles = _read("packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles")
+        self.assertIn("d /var/log/enodia-sentinel 0750 root root -", tmpfiles)
+
+    def test_build_script_uses_clean_package_build(self):
+        script = _read("packaging/build-package.sh")
+        self.assertIn("set -eu", script)
+        self.assertIn("command -v makepkg", script)
+        self.assertIn("--cleanbuild", script)
+
+
+class TestReleaseArtifacts(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_release_script_generates_checksummed_artifacts(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            env = os.environ.copy()
+            env.update({
+                "DISTDIR": d,
+                "RELEASE_ALLOW_DIRTY": "1",
+                "RELEASE_SIGN": "0",
+            })
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                [str(ROOT / "packaging" / "release-artifacts.sh")],
+                cwd=ROOT,
+                env=env,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                timeout=30,
+                check=True,
+            )
+            self.assertIn("Signing skipped", result.stdout)
+
+            version = tomllib.loads(_read("pyproject.toml"))["project"]["version"]
+            archive = Path(d) / f"enodia-sentinel-{version}.tar.gz"
+            manifest = Path(d) / "RELEASE_MANIFEST.json"
+            checksums = Path(d) / "SHA256SUMS"
+
+            self.assertTrue(archive.is_file())
+            self.assertTrue(manifest.is_file())
+            self.assertTrue(checksums.is_file())
+            self.assertFalse((Path(d) / "SHA256SUMS.asc").exists())
+
+            data = json.loads(manifest.read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(data["project"], "enodia-sentinel")
+            self.assertEqual(data["version"], version)
+            self.assertEqual(data["dirty"], 1)
+            self.assertIn(archive.name, data["artifacts"])
+            self.assertIn("SHA256SUMS", data["artifacts"])
+
+            expected = {
+                archive.name: hashlib.sha256(archive.read_bytes()).hexdigest(),
+                manifest.name: hashlib.sha256(manifest.read_bytes()).hexdigest(),
+            }
+            actual = {}
+            for line in checksums.read_text().splitlines():
+                digest, name = line.split(maxsplit=1)
+                actual[name] = digest
+            self.assertEqual(actual, expected)
+
+    def test_release_script_supports_gpg_signing(self):
+        script = _read("packaging/release-artifacts.sh")
+        self.assertIn("RELEASE_SIGN", script)
+        self.assertIn("RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY", script)
+        self.assertIn("--armor --detach-sign", script)
+        self.assertIn("SHA256SUMS.asc", script)
+
+
+class TestSourceInstallPackaging(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_makefile_installs_docs_and_tmpfiles(self):
+        makefile = _read("Makefile")
+        self.assertIn("TMPFILESDIR   := /etc/tmpfiles.d", makefile)
+        self.assertIn("packaging/enodia-sentinel.tmpfiles", makefile)
+        self.assertIn("docs/PACKAGING.md", makefile)
+        self.assertIn("docs/VERSION.json", makefile)
+        self.assertIn("systemd/enodia-sentinel-ebpf.conf", makefile)
+
+    def test_packaging_guide_documents_distro_paths(self):
+        guide = _read("docs/PACKAGING.md")
+        for phrase in (
+            "Arch is the primary packaged target",
+            "sudo pacman -U enodia-sentinel-*.pkg.tar.zst",
+            "There is no native `.deb` package yet",
+            "There is no native RPM package yet",
+            "Package-manager hooks use absolute paths",
+        ):
+            self.assertIn(phrase, guide)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()