diff --git a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
index 172d28c..f37b4c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #
 # Created: 15th August 2026
-# Updated: 27th August 2026
+# Updated: 28th August 2026
 #
 
 name: Ruby
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ on:
       - rc1
       - rc2
       - rc3
+      - warnings
   pull_request:
 
 permissions:
diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index c842ae7..dc7c4ab 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 # cmpfs.Ruby - Changes <!-- omit in toc -->
 
 
+## 0.2.6 - 30th August 2026
+
+* removed unused local variable assignments from text stream comparison;
+* parenthesised the regular expression argument in the version test to eliminate an ambiguous regular expression warning under Ruby 3.4 `-W`;
+* added the `warnings` branch to CI push triggers and upgraded **actions/checkout** to v7;
+* centralised the project URL in **cmpfs-ruby.gemspec** for the homepage and metadata URLs;
+
+
 ## 0.2.5 - 27th August 2026
 
 * renamed **cmpfs.gemspec** to **cmpfs-ruby.gemspec** so the filename stem matches `spec.name`;
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ffb3aee..d75e3e0 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 | Date             | News Item                                                                                |
 | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| 30th August 2026 | [**cmpfs.Ruby** 0.2.6](https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.6) |
 | 27th August 2026 | [**cmpfs.Ruby** 0.2.5](https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.5) |
 | 15th August 2026 | [**cmpfs.Ruby** 0.2.4](https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.4) |
 | 4th April 2024   | [**cmpfs.Ruby** 0.2.3](https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/releases/tag/0.2.3) |
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index c90fa18..d54611b 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 ## Functional improvements
 
-* [ ] quiet assigned-but-unused variable warnings in **lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb** (`lhs_ix`, `rhs_ix`, `lhs_nr`, `rhs_nr`; Ruby 3.4 `-W` / CI **Warnings** job);
-* [ ] quiet the ambiguous `/` regexp warning in **test/unit/tc_version.rb** (Ruby 3.4 `-W` / CI **Warnings** job);
+* [x] ~~~quiet assigned-but-unused variable warnings in **lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb** (`lhs_ix`, `rhs_ix`, `lhs_nr`, `rhs_nr`; Ruby 3.4 `-W` / CI **Warnings** job)~~~ - ✅;
+* [x] ~~~quiet the ambiguous `/` regexp warning in **test/unit/tc_version.rb** (Ruby 3.4 `-W` / CI **Warnings** job)~~~ - ✅;
 
 
 ## Performance improvements
diff --git a/cmpfs-ruby.gemspec b/cmpfs-ruby.gemspec
index 6c3b73c..5f6dc52 100644
--- a/cmpfs-ruby.gemspec
+++ b/cmpfs-ruby.gemspec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Purpose:  Gemspec for cmpfs.Ruby library
 #
 # Created:  1st March 2019
-# Updated:  27th August 2026
+# Updated:  28th August 2026
 #
 # ######################################################################## #
 
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ $:.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'lib')
 require 'cmpfs/version'
 
 
+PROJECT_URL = 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby'
+
+
 Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
 
   spec.name         = 'cmpfs-ruby'
@@ -31,16 +34,16 @@ END_DESC
   spec.email        = [
     'matthew@synesis.com.au',
   ]
-  spec.homepage     = 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby'
+  spec.homepage     = PROJECT_URL
   spec.license      = 'BSD-3-Clause'
 
   spec.required_ruby_version = [ '>= 1.9.3' ]
 
   spec.metadata = {
-    'bug_tracker_uri' => 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/issues',
-    'changelog_uri' => 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby/blob/master/CHANGES.md',
-    'homepage_uri' => 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby',
-    'source_code_uri' => 'https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby',
+    'bug_tracker_uri' => "#{PROJECT_URL}/issues",
+    'changelog_uri' => "#{PROJECT_URL}/blob/master/CHANGES.md",
+    'homepage_uri' => PROJECT_URL,
+    'source_code_uri' => PROJECT_URL,
   }
 
   spec.files = Dir[
diff --git a/lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb b/lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb
index 3e5ba1c..5dc200f 100644
--- a/lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb
+++ b/lib/cmpfs/compare/text/internal_.rb
@@ -83,13 +83,10 @@ def self.compare_text_streams_ lhs_stm, rhs_stm, options
         rhs_en.rewind if rhs_stm.respond_to?(:rewind)
       end
 
-      lhs_ix  = 0
-      rhs_ix  = 0
-
       loop do
 
-        lhs_ln, lhs_nr  = self.next_line_or_nil_ lhs_en, options
-        rhs_ln, rhs_nr  = self.next_line_or_nil_ rhs_en, options
+        lhs_ln, = self.next_line_or_nil_ lhs_en, options
+        rhs_ln, = self.next_line_or_nil_ rhs_en, options
 
         if lhs_ln != rhs_ln
 
diff --git a/lib/cmpfs/version.rb b/lib/cmpfs/version.rb
index e41b3ba..4b5e3ca 100644
--- a/lib/cmpfs/version.rb
+++ b/lib/cmpfs/version.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Purpose:  Version for cmpfs.Ruby library
 #
 # Created:  1st March 2019
-# Updated:  27th August 2026
+# Updated:  30th August 2026
 #
 # Home:     https://github.com/synesissoftware/cmpfs.Ruby
 #
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 module CmpFS
 
   # Current version of the cmpfs.Ruby library
-  VERSION           = '0.2.5'
+  VERSION           = '0.2.6'
 
   private
   VERSION_PARTS_    = VERSION.split(/[.]/).collect { |n| n.to_i } # :nodoc:
diff --git a/test/unit/tc_version.rb b/test/unit/tc_version.rb
index de72b19..97e98f9 100755
--- a/test/unit/tc_version.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tc_version.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def test__VERSION_has_consistent_format
     version = CmpFS::VERSION
     j_n_p   = "#{CmpFS::VERSION_MAJOR}.#{CmpFS::VERSION_MINOR}.#{CmpFS::VERSION_PATCH}"
 
-    assert_match /^#{j_n_p}(|\..+)$/, version
+    assert_match(/^#{j_n_p}(|\..+)$/, version)
   end
 end