ci: always build deb and rpm packages

Signed-off-by: Evan Lezar <elezar@nvidia.com>

.github/workflows/branch-e2e.yml

@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ jobs:
 
   build-vm-driver:
     needs: [pr_metadata, version, build-binaries]
-    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.run_core_e2e == 'true' || needs.pr_metadata.outputs.run_integration_upgrades == 'true'
+    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.should_run == 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: read
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build-vm-driver.yml
@@ -246,10 +246,10 @@ jobs:
     with:
       rpm-artifact-name: rpm-linux-x86_64
 
-  build-deb-upgrade:
-    name: Build Debian package for upgrade qualification
+  build-deb:
+    name: Build Debian packages
     needs: [pr_metadata, version, build-binaries, build-vm-driver]
-    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.run_integration_upgrades == 'true'
+    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.should_run == 'true'
     permissions:
       actions: read
       contents: read
@@ -259,10 +259,10 @@ jobs:
       deb-version: ${{ needs.version.outputs.deb }}
       checkout-ref: ${{ github.sha }}
 
-  build-rpm-upgrade:
-    name: Build RPM packages for upgrade qualification
+  build-rpm:
+    name: Build RPM packages
     needs: [pr_metadata, version, build-binaries]
-    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.run_integration_upgrades == 'true'
+    if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.should_run == 'true'
     permissions:
       actions: read
       contents: read
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ jobs:
 
   prepare-integration-upgrades:
     name: Prepare upgrade qualification inputs
-    needs: [pr_metadata, build-binaries, build-images, build-deb-upgrade, build-rpm-upgrade]
+    needs: [pr_metadata, build-binaries, build-images, build-deb, build-rpm]
     if: needs.pr_metadata.outputs.run_integration_upgrades == 'true'
     permissions:
       actions: read

.github/workflows/e2e-label-help.yml

@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ jobs:
               status_summary="The matching required CI gate status on this PR will flip green automatically once the run finishes."
               ;;
             test:upgrade)
-              suite_summary="the Debian upgrade qualification"
-              build_summary="the Debian package, VM driver, sandbox image, and supervisor image"
+              suite_summary="the Debian and RPM upgrade qualification"
+              build_summary="DEB and RPM packages, VM driver, sandbox image, and supervisor image"
               status_summary="This is an optional proof-of-life suite; failures are visible in the workflow run but do not publish a required CI gate status."
               ;;
             test:e2e-kubernetes)

CI.md

@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ the matching runtime images. Release Dev and Release Tag run the same RPM lane.
 
 Four opt-in labels enable the long-running E2E suites:
 
+Every approved `Branch E2E Checks` run builds the DEB and RPM packages, even
+when no optional E2E label is present. The `test:upgrade` label controls only
+the tmachine upgrade execution and its runtime-image preparation.
+
 - `test:e2e` runs the Docker, rootless Podman, Kubernetes, and VM E2E suites
   with both managed and standalone compute drivers in `Branch E2E Checks`
 - `test:e2e-gpu` runs GPU E2E in `Branch E2E Checks`