diff --git a/.github/workflows/buildandrelease.yml b/.github/workflows/buildandrelease.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index cd2a212f..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/buildandrelease.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-name: Build and Release
-
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      version:
-        description: 'Netmaker version'
-        required: true
-  release:
-    types: [published]
-
-jobs:
-  version:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      tag: ${{ steps.version.outputs.package_version }}
-      version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
-    steps:
-      - name: Get Version Number
-        id: version
-        run: |
-          if [[ -n "${{ github.event.inputs.version }}" ]]; then
-            NETMAKER_VERSION=${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
-          else
-            NETMAKER_VERSION=$(curl -fsSL https://api.github.com/repos/gravitl/netmaker/tags | grep 'name' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f4)
-          fi
-          echo "VERSION=${NETMAKER_VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          # remove everything but digits and . for package (deb, rpm, etc) versions
-          PACKAGE_VERSION=$(echo ${NETMAKER_VERSION} | tr -cd '[:digit:].')
-          echo "PACKAGE_VERSION=${PACKAGE_VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-  netmaker-nmctl:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: version
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          ref: release_${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - run: git fetch --force --tags
-      - name: Setup go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@v3
-        with:
-          go-version: 1.19
-      - name: GoReleaser
-        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v4
-        with:
-          args: release --clean
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/packages.yml b/.github/workflows/packages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28b9cb41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/packages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+name: Build linux packages
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "netmaker version"
+        required: true
+  release:
+    types: [released]
+
+jobs:
+
+  packages:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: setup ssh
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.ssh/
+          echo "$SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/id_devops
+          chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_devops
+          cat >>~/.ssh/config <<END
+          Host *.clustercat.com
+            User root
+            IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_devops
+            StrictHostKeyChecking no
+          END
+        env:
+          SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.TESTING_SSH_KEY }}
+      - name: set version
+        run: |
+          if [[ -n "${{ github.event.inputs.version }}" ]]; then
+            # remove everything but digits and . for package (deb, rpm, etc) versions
+            VERSION=$(echo ${{ github.event.inputs.version }} | tr -cd '[:digit:].')
+          else
+            VERSION=$(echo ${{ github.ref.name }} | tr -cd '[:digit:].')
+          fi
+            echo "VERSION=${VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+            echo ${VERSION}
+      - name: apt/rpm
+        run: |
+          ssh fileserver.clustercat.com "cd packages/nmcli; export VERSION=${{ ENV.version }}; export REVISION=0; ./buildall.sh "
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml
index 75790aff..1685954e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ on:
       tag:
         description: 'docker tag'
         required: true
-  release:
-    types: [published]
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      tag:
+        type: string
+        required: true
 
 jobs:
   docker:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dc3dc60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# creates a PR from release branch to master
+name: Create Release PR to master
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "netmaker version"
+        required: true
+  release:
+    types: [released]
+
+jobs:
+  pr-to-main:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: create pr
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          gh api --method POST \
+          -H 'Accept: application/vnd.github+json' -H 'X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28'  \
+          /repos/${{ github.repository }}/pulls \
+          -f title='${{ github.event.inputs.version }}' \
+          -f head='release_${{ github.event.inputs.version }}' \
+          -f base="master"
+
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/purgeGHCR.yml b/.github/workflows/purgeGHCR.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 09edb8ba..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/purgeGHCR.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-name: Purge untagged images from GHCR
-
-on: 
-    workflow_dispatch:
-    schedule:
-      - cron: '1 1 1 * *'
-jobs:
-  purge:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - name: Prune Netmaker
-        uses: vlaurin/action-ghcr-prune@main
-        with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          organization: gravitl
-          container: netmaker
-          dry-run: false # Dry-run first, then change to `false`
-          untagged: true
-      - name: Prune Netclient
-        uses: vlaurin/action-ghcr-prune@main
-        with:
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          organization: gravitl
-          container: netclient
-          dry-run: false # Dry-run first, then change to `false`
-          untagged: true
-          
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-assets.yml b/.github/workflows/release-assets.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1919d69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-assets.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# generates release assets and uploads to release 
+name: Upload Release Assets
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+      prerelease:
+        required: true
+        type: boolean
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "netmaker version"
+        required: true
+      prerelease:
+        required: true
+        type: boolean
+        description: "prerelease"
+jobs:
+  release-assets:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          ref: release_${{ github.event.inputs.version}}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Get Tags
+        run: |
+          git fetch --force --tags
+      - name: Setup go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v3
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.19
+      - name: GoReleaser (full release)
+        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease == 'false'}}
+        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v4
+        with:
+          args: release --clean --release-notes release.md
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: GoReleaser (prerelease)
+        if: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease == 'false'}}
+        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v4
+        with:
+          args: release --clean --release-notes release.md -f .goreleaser.prerelease.yaml
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-branch.yml b/.github/workflows/release-branch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2dfdf1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-branch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# creates new branch (release_{{ version }} with tag {{ version }} from develop 
+# will fail if branch or tag already exists on github
+name: Create Release Branch
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "netmaker version"
+        required: true
+jobs:
+  release-branch:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: checkout develop
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          ref: develop
+      - name: setup go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v3
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.19
+      - name: setup git
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "Github Actions"
+          git config user.emaail "info@netmaker.io"
+      - name: create release Branch
+        run: |
+          git switch -c release_${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          git tag -f ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          #push branch
+          git push origin release_${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          #push tag
+          git push origin ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+  
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcb8749e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# creates a release from develop
+# creates release branch, generates release assets, publishes docker image and copies release.md to release
+# if formal release, linux packages are generated and a PR from release branch to master is created 
+name: Release
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "new version number"
+        required: true
+      prerelease:
+        required: true
+        type: boolean
+        description: Is this a pre-release
+
+jobs:
+
+  release-branch:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-branch.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+  
+  release-assets:
+    needs: release-branch
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-assets.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+      prerelease: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease == 'true' }}
+
+  docker:
+    needs: release-branch
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/publish-docker.yml
+    with:
+      tag: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+
+  packages:
+    if: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease == 'false' }}
+    needs: release-branch
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/packages.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+
+  pull-request:
+    if: ${{ github.event.inputs.prerelease == 'false' }}
+    needs: release-branch
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upgraderelease.yml b/.github/workflows/upgraderelease.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50106875
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/upgraderelease.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: UpgradeRelease
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "release/version to update"
+        required: true
+
+jobs:
+
+  update:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          ref: release_${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - run: |
+          git fetch --force --tags
+      - name: Setup go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v3
+        with:
+          go-version: 1.19
+      - name: goreleaser
+        uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v4
+        with:
+          args: release --clean --release-notes release.md -f .goreleaser.update.yaml
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN  }}
+
+  packages:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/packages.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
+
+  pull-request:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.goreleaser.prerelease.yaml b/.goreleaser.prerelease.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fb93ef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.goreleaser.prerelease.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+before:
+  hooks:
+    # You may remove this if you don't use go modules.
+    - go mod tidy
+builds:
+  - main: ./
+    env:
+      - CGO_ENABLED=1
+    ldflags:
+      - -s -w
+    targets:
+      - linux_amd64
+    binary: '{{ .ProjectName }}'
+
+  - main: ./cli
+    id: 'nmctl'
+    env:
+      - CGO_ENABLED=0
+    ldflags:
+      - -s -w
+    targets:
+      - linux_amd64
+      - linux_arm64
+      - darwin_amd64
+      - darwin_arm64
+      - freebsd_amd64
+      - windows_amd64
+    binary: 'nmctl'
+archives:
+  - format: binary
+    name_template: '{{ .Binary }}_{{ .Os }}_{{ .Arch }}{{ with .Arm }}v{{ . }}{{ end }}{{ with .Mips }}_{{ . }}{{ end }}'
+release:
+  prerelease: true
+    
diff --git a/.goreleaser.update.yaml b/.goreleaser.update.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c87b01e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.goreleaser.update.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+builds:
+  - skip: true
+release:
+  prerelease: false
diff --git a/.goreleaser.yaml b/.goreleaser.yaml
index b40fd361..8e6415b2 100644
--- a/.goreleaser.yaml
+++ b/.goreleaser.yaml
@@ -4,16 +4,16 @@ before:
     - go mod tidy
 builds:
   - main: ./
-    id: "netmaker"
     env:
       - CGO_ENABLED=1
     ldflags:
       - -s -w
     targets:
       - linux_amd64
-    binary: netmaker
+    binary: '{{ .ProjectName }}'
+
   - main: ./cli
-    id: "nmctl"
+    id: 'nmctl'
     env:
       - CGO_ENABLED=0
     ldflags:
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ builds:
       - darwin_arm64
       - freebsd_amd64
       - windows_amd64
-    binary: nmctl
+    binary: 'nmctl'
 archives:
   - format: binary
     name_template: '{{ .Binary }}_{{ .Os }}_{{ .Arch }}{{ with .Arm }}v{{ . }}{{ end }}{{ with .Mips }}_{{ . }}{{ end }}'
-changelog:
-  skip: true
+release:
+  prerelease: false
+    
diff --git a/release.md b/release.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67ba24c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Netmaker v0.18.1
+
+## whats new
+
+## whats fixed
+
+## known issues