diff --git a/.github/release.yml b/.github/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb0ebaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# .github/release.yml
+
+changelog:
+  categories:
+    - title: Breaking changes
+      labels:
+        - breaking-change
+    - title: Enhancements
+      labels:
+        - enhancement
+    - title: Bug fixes
+      labels:
+        - bug
+    - title: Maintenance
+      labels:
+        - maintenance
+    - title: Documentation
+      labels:
+        - documentation
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS.md b/MAINTAINERS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bafdc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MAINTAINERS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Maintainers Guide
+
+This guide is intended for *maintainers* — anybody with commit access to the tetra-workspace-image repo.
+
+We use [github flow](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/quickstart/github-flow) for managing the kasm-dof-workspace repo.
+
+## Pull Requests
+
+All pull requests must be tagged with a GitHub label
+
+## Release Workflow
+
+1. finish merging all PR's for upcoming release into main
+2. update docker-compose.yml to point to upcoming release (i.e., semver tag)
+3. create/push semver tag (subsequently triggering build from tags
+4. wait for build from tag to complete
+5. publish upcoming release
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7a35405..3c80142 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ This repo provides an Immutable-Infrastructure-as-Code (IIaC) workspace based on
         - [Arduino Pico](https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico) 3.3.0
         - [Arduino ESP32](https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32) 2.0.9
     - [KiCAD](https://www.kicad.org/) 7.0.5
-    - [FreeCAD](https://www.freecad.org/) 0.19
-    - [PrusaSlicer](https://www.prusa3d.com/page/prusaslicer_424/) 2.5.1
+    - [FreeCAD](https://www.freecad.org/) 0.20.2
+    - [PrusaSlicer](https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer) 2.6.0
 
 ## How to Use this Repo
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 9fe3d9e..9f3d7b8 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ services:
         target: /home/kasm-user
     devices:
       - "/dev/ttyACM0"
+      - "/dev/ttyUSB0"
+    device_cgroup_rules:
+      - "c 188:* rmw"
+    privileged: true
     security_opt:
       - seccomp=unconfined
 ...
diff --git a/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partab b/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partab
deleted file mode 100644
index c38e5aa..0000000
Binary files a/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partab and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partaa b/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partaa
similarity index 79%
rename from install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partaa
rename to install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partaa
index 7ce27a9..e4dbf2a 100644
Binary files a/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.partaa and b/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partaa differ
diff --git a/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partab b/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partab
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e14ec0b
Binary files /dev/null and b/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.6.0+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220.tar.bz2.partab differ
diff --git a/playbook.yaml b/playbook.yaml
index ccb610d..7ce3558 100644
--- a/playbook.yaml
+++ b/playbook.yaml
@@ -247,19 +247,35 @@
   tags:
     - install_oshw_tools
 
+  vars:
+    - prusaslicer_version: "2.6.0"
+    - prusaslicer_dir: "PrusaSlicer-{{ prusaslicer_version }}+linux-x64-GTK3-202306191220"
+
   tasks:
   - name: Join parts of PrusaSlicer tarball
-    shell: cat /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2.parta* > /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2
+    shell: cat /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}.tar.bz2.parta* > /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}.tar.bz2
   - name: Extract PrusaSlicer for 64-bit Linux to /opt
     unarchive:
-      src: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201.tar.bz2
+      src: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}.tar.bz2
       dest: /opt
       remote_src: yes
+      creates: /opt/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}/bin/prusa-slicer
+  - name: Create symlink for prusa-slicer in /usr/local/bin
+    shell: ln -srv /opt/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}/bin/prusa-slicer /usr/local/bin/prusa-slicer
   - name: Create local application folder for PrusaSlicer
     shell: mkdir -p /home/kasm-default-profile/.local/share/applications/
   - name: Configure PrusaSlicer desktop shortcut
-    shell: echo "[Desktop Entry]\nName=PrusaSlicer\nGenericName=PrusaSlicer\nExec=/opt/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201/bin/prusa-slicer\nIcon=/opt/PrusaSlicer-2.5.2+linux-x64-GTK3-202303231201/resources/icons/PrusaSlicer.png\nTerminal=false\nType=Application\nStartupNotify=false\nCategories=Application;Development;" > /home/kasm-default-profile/.local/share/applications/prusaslicer.desktop
-
+    shell: echo "[Desktop Entry]\nName=PrusaSlicer\nGenericName=PrusaSlicer\nExec=/usr/local/bin/prusa-slicer\nIcon=/opt/{{ prusaslicer_dir }}/resources/icons/PrusaSlicer.png\nTerminal=false\nType=Application\nStartupNotify=false\nCategories=Application;Development;" > /home/kasm-default-profile/.local/share/applications/prusaslicer.desktop
+  - name: Get prusa-slicer version
+    shell: prusa-slicer --help | grep PrusaSlicer- | awk '{ print $1 '}
+    register: installed_prusaslicer_version
+  - name: Display prusa-slicer version
+    debug:
+      msg: "prusa-slicer = {{ installed_prusaslicer_version.stdout }}"
+  - name: Test prusa-slicer version
+    fail:
+      msg: "prusa-slicer Error: Expected {{ prusaslicer_dir }} | Found {{ installed_prusaslicer_version.stdout }}"
+    when: installed_prusaslicer_version.stdout != prusaslicer_dir
 
 -
   # install NodeJs
@@ -590,11 +606,52 @@
     - install_oshw_tools
 
 
+  vars:
+    freecad_version: "0.20.2"
+    freecad_release_date: "2022-12-27"
+
   tasks:
-  - name: Apt install FreeCAD
+  - name: Install kmod with apt
     apt:
-      name: freecad
+      name: kmod
       update_cache: yes
+  - name: add universe for installing FUSE 2.x # as per https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/FUSE#install-fuse
+    shell: add-apt-repository universe
+  - name: Install FUSE 2.x with apt # as per https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/FUSE#install-fuse and https://docs.appimage.org/user-guide/troubleshooting/fuse.html#setting-up-fuse-2-x-alongside-of-fuse-3-x-on-recent-ubuntu-22-04-debian-and-their-derivatives
+    apt:
+      name: libfuse2
+      update_cache: yes
+  - name: Download FreeCAD {{ freecad_version }} source tarball
+    shell: wget https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/archive/refs/tags/{{ freecad_version }}.tar.gz -O /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/freecad-{{ freecad_version }}.tar.gz
+  - name: Download FreeCAD {{ freecad_version }} AppImage
+    shell: wget https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases/download/{{ freecad_version }}/FreeCAD_{{ freecad_version }}-{{ freecad_release_date }}-conda-Linux-x86_64-py310.AppImage -O /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/FreeCAD_{{ freecad_version }}-{{ freecad_release_date }}-conda-Linux-x86_64-py310.AppImage
+  - name: Unarchive FreeCAD {{ freecad_version }} source tarball
+    unarchive:
+      src: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/freecad-{{ freecad_version }}.tar.gz
+      dest: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files
+      remote_src: yes
+      creates: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/FreeCAD-{{ freecad_version }}/LICENSE
+  - name: Create FreeCAD folder in /opt
+    shell: mkdir -p /opt/FreeCAD
+  - name: Copy FreeCAD icon to FreeCAD directory
+    copy:
+      src: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/FreeCAD-{{ freecad_version }}/src/Gui/Icons/freecad-icon-16.png
+      dest: /opt/FreeCAD
+      remote_src: yes
+  - name: Install FreeCAD {{ freecad_version }}
+    copy:
+      src: /home/kasm-default-profile/install_files/FreeCAD_{{ freecad_version }}-{{ freecad_release_date }}-conda-Linux-x86_64-py310.AppImage
+      dest: /opt/FreeCAD/FreeCAD_{{ freecad_version }}-{{ freecad_release_date }}-conda-Linux-x86_64-py310.AppImage
+      remote_src: yes
+      owner: root
+      group: root
+      mode: '0755'
+  - name: Create symlink for FreeCAD AppImage in /usr/local/bin
+    shell: ln -srv /opt/FreeCAD/FreeCAD_{{ freecad_version }}-{{ freecad_release_date }}-conda-Linux-x86_64-py310.AppImage /usr/local/bin/freecad
+  - name: Create local application folder for FreeCAD
+    shell: mkdir -p /home/kasm-default-profile/.local/share/applications/
+  - name: Configure FreeCAD desktop shortcut
+    shell: echo "[Desktop Entry]\nName=FreeCAD\nGenericName=FreeCAD\nExec=/usr/local/bin/freecad\nIcon=/opt/FreeCAD/freecad-icon-16.png\nTerminal=false\nType=Application\nStartupNotify=false\nCategories=Application;Development;" > /home/kasm-default-profile/.local/share/applications/freecad.desktop
 
 -
   # install Python packages with pip