README-release
1Here are most of the steps we (maintainers) follow when making a release.
2
3* Start from a clean, up-to-date git directory on "master":
4
5 make -k maintainer-clean || { ./configure && make maintainer-clean; }
6 git checkout master
7 git pull origin master
8
9* Ensure that the latest stable versions of autoconf, automake, etc.
10 are in your PATH. See the buildreq list in bootstrap.conf for
11 the complete list of tools.
12
13* Ensure that you have no uncommitted diffs. This should produce no
14 output:
15
16 git diff
17
18* Ensure that you've pushed all changes that belong in the release:
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20 git push origin master
21
22* Check that the NixOS/Hydra autobuilder is reporting all is well:
23
24 https://hydra.nixos.org/project/gnu/@PACKAGE@-master
25
26* Run the following command to download any new translations:
27
28 ./bootstrap && ./configure
29
30* Pre-release testing: ensure that the following commands succeed:
31
32 c=check ve=check-very-expensive; git grep -q "^$ve:\$" && c=$ve
33 make $c syntax-check distcheck
34
35* To (i) set the date, version number, and release TYPE on line 3 of
36 NEWS, (ii) commit that, and (iii) tag the release, run
37
38 # "TYPE" must be stable, beta or alpha
39 make release-commit RELEASE='X.Y TYPE'
40
41* Run the following to create release tarballs. Your choice selects the
42 corresponding upload-to destination in the emitted gnupload command.
43 The different destinations are specified in cfg.mk. See the definitions
44 of gnu_ftp_host-{alpha,beta,stable}.
45
46 make release RELEASE='X.Y TYPE'
47
48* Test the tarball. Copy it to a few odd-ball systems and ensure that
49 it builds and passes all tests.
50
51* While that's happening, write the release announcement that you will
52 soon post. Start with the template, $HOME/announce-@PACKAGE@-X.Y
53 that was just created by that "make" command.
54
55Once all the builds and tests have passed,
56
57* Run the gnupload command that was suggested by your "make release"
58 run above, or run
59
60 make upload RELEASE='X.Y TYPE'
61
62* Wait a few minutes (maybe up to 30?) and then use the release URLs to
63 download all tarball/signature pairs and use gpg --verify to ensure
64 that they're all valid.
65
66* Push the NEWS-updating changes and the new tag:
67
68 v=$(cat .prev-version)
69 git push origin master tag v$v
70
71* Announce it on Savannah first, so you can include the savannah.org
72 announcement link in the email message.
73
74 Go to the news-submission form:
75
76 https://savannah.gnu.org/news/submit.php?group=@PACKAGE@
77
78 If it does not work, then enable "News" for the project via this link:
79
80 https://savannah.gnu.org/project/admin/editgroupfeatures.php?group=@PACKAGE@
81
82 Write something like the following:
83
84 Subject: @PACKAGE@-X.Y released [stable]
85 +verbatim+
86 ...paste the announcement here...
87 -verbatim-
88
89 Then go here to approve it:
90
91 https://savannah.gnu.org/news/approve.php?group=@PACKAGE@
92
93* Send the announcement email message.
94
95* After each non-alpha release, run
96
97 make web-manual-update
98
99 to update the on-line manual accessible at
100
101 https://www.gnu.org/software/@PACKAGE@/manual/
102