4
This document describes the processes for making and announcing a Bazaar
5
release, and managing the release process. This is just one phase of the
6
`overall development cycle <http://doc.bazaar.canonical.com/developers/cycle.html>`_,
7
but it's the most complex part. This document gives a checklist you can
8
follow from start to end in one go.
10
If you're helping the Release Manager (RM) for one reason or another, you
11
may notice that he didn't follow that document scrupulously. He may have
12
good reasons to do that but he may also have missed some parts.
14
Follow the document yourself and don't hesitate to create the missing
15
milestones for example (we tend to forget these ones a lot).
23
#. Download the pqm plugin and install it into your ``~/.bazaar/plugins``::
25
bzr branch lp:bzr-pqm ~/.bazaar/plugins/pqm
27
Release provisional planning
28
============================
30
We currently maintain four series. Concurrently releasing them all at the
31
same time makes it harder to shorten the delay between the source
32
availability and the package building longer than necessary (we delay the
33
official announcement until most of our users can install the new release).
35
In order to continue to do time-based releases, we need to plan the
36
releases by series to minimize the collisions.
38
We want to respect the following rules::
40
* the most recent series should release once a month,
42
* the most recent stable series should release every other month (based
43
on the amount of bug fixes, this can be shorter or longer depending
44
on the bugs importance),
46
* previous series should relesase on a a regular basis without
47
interfering with the most recent series with a decreasing order of
48
priority (again this should be based on bugs importance and user
51
* the death of a series should be planned ahead of time. 6 months
52
should give enough time to our users to migrate to a more recent
55
* there should not be more than 2 releases in the same week (but the
56
Release Manager is free to ignore this (get in touch with packagers
59
* the series are aligned with Ubuntu releases for convenience since we
60
create a new series every 6 months. This means that we support the
61
stable series for 2 years. Note that we also propose the most recent
62
stable series via the ppa, so whether we keep supporting LTS directly
63
or via the ppa is still an open question.
69
The 2.3 series has entered the beta phase and 2.3.0 should be released soon
70
enough to be included into Natty Narwhal. This gives the following expected
88
The 2.2 series is the current stable release and is included in Maverick
89
Meerkat. The planned releases are::
103
The 2.1 series is the stable release included in Lucid Lynx. The planned
124
The 2.0 series is the stable release included in Karmic Koala. The planned
127
* 2.0.7: 2011-03 will be the last release for the 2.0 series.
144
At the start of a release cycle
145
===============================
147
To start a new release cycle:
149
#. If this is the first release for a given *x.y* then create a new
150
series at <https://launchpad.net/bzr/+addseries>. There is one series
151
for every *x.y* release.
153
#. If you made a new series, create a new pqm-controlled branch for this
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release series, by asking a Canonical sysadmin. This branch means that
155
from the first release beta or candidate onwards, general development
156
continues on the trunk, and only specifically-targeted fixes go into
159
#. If you made a new series, add milestones at
160
<https://edge.launchpad.net/bzr/x.y/+addmilestone> to that series for
161
the beta release, release candidate and the final release, and their
164
#. Create a new milestone <https://edge.launchpad.net/bzr/x.y/+addmilestone>
165
and add information about this release. We will not use it yet, but it
166
will be available for targeting or nominating bugs.
168
#. Send mail to the list with the key dates, who will be the release
169
manager, and the main themes or targeted bugs. Ask people to nominate
170
objectives, or point out any high-risk things that are best done early,
171
or that interact with other changes. This is called the metronome mail
172
and is described in `Development cycles <cycle.html>`_.
174
#. Make a local branch for preparing this release. (Only for the first
175
release in a series, otherwise you should already have a branch.) ::
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bzr branch trunk prepare-1.14
179
#. Configure pqm-submit for this branch, with a section like this (where
180
x.y is the version to release). **Or use hydrazine for easy use**
181
``~/.bazaar/locations.conf``::
183
[/home/mbp/bzr/prepare-x.y]
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pqm_email = Canonical PQM <pqm@bazaar-vcs.org>
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submit_branch = http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~bzr-pqm/bzr/x.y
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parent_branch = http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~bzr-pqm/bzr/x.y
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public_branch = http://bazaar.example.com/prepare-x.y
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submit_to = bazaar@lists.canonical.com
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smtp_server = mail.example.com:25
191
Please see <http://doc.bazaar.canonical.com/developers/HACKING.html#an-overview-of-pqm>
192
for more details on PQM
194
#. Update the version number in the ``bzr`` script, and the
195
``bzrlib/__init__.py`` file::
197
version_info = (x, y, z, 'dev', 0)
199
#. Add a new section at the top of ``NEWS`` about the new release,
200
including its version number and the headings from
201
``NEWS-template.txt``.
203
#. Update the "What's New" documents in ``doc/en/whats-new``.
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#. Commit this and send it to PQM.
208
Doing a particular release
209
==========================
211
Update the source code
212
----------------------
214
#. Check that there is a milestone for the release you're doing. If there
215
is no milestone it indicates a process problem - make the milestone but
216
also mail the list to raise this issue in our process. Milestones are
217
found at <https://launchpad.net/bzr/+milestone/x.y.z>.
219
#. In the release branch, update ``version_info`` in ``./bzrlib/__init__.py``.
220
Make sure the corresponding milestone exists.
221
Double check that ./bzr ``_script_version`` matches ``version_info``. Check
222
the output of ``bzr --version``.
224
For beta releases use::
226
version_info = (2, 1, 0, 'beta', SERIAL)
230
version_info = (2, 1, 0, 'beta', 1)
232
For release candidates use::
234
version_info = (2, 0, 1, 'candidate', SERIAL)
236
For stable releases use::
238
version_info = (2, 1, 2, 'final', 0)
240
#. Update the ``./NEWS`` section for this release.
242
Fill out the date and a description of the release under the existing
243
header. If there isn't one, follow the above for using the NEWS
246
See *2.1.1* or similar for an example of what this looks like.
248
#. Add a summary of the release into the "What's New" document.
250
#. To check that all bugs mentioned in ``./NEWS`` are actually marked as
251
closed in Launchpad, you can run ``tools/check-newsbugs.py``::
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./tools/check-newsbugs.py NEWS
255
(But note there will be many false positives, and this script may be
256
flaky <https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/bzr/+bug/354985>. Don't let
257
this slow you down too much.)
259
#. Commit these changes to the release branch, using a command like::
261
bzr commit -m "Release 1.14."
263
The diff before you commit will be something like::
265
=== modified file 'NEWS'
266
--- NEWS 2008-09-17 23:09:18 +0000
267
+++ NEWS 2008-09-23 16:14:54 +0000
275
+This release includes many bug fixes and a few performance and feature
276
+improvements. ``bzr rm`` will now scan for missing files and remove them,
277
+like how ``bzr add`` scans for unknown files and adds them. A bit more
278
+polish has been applied to the stacking code. The b-tree indexing code has
279
+been brought in, with an eye on using it in a future repository format.
280
+There are only minor installer changes since bzr-1.7rc2.
282
bzr 1.7rc2 2008-09-17
283
---------------------
286
=== modified file 'bzrlib/__init__.py'
287
--- bzrlib/__init__.py 2008-09-16 21:39:28 +0000
288
+++ bzrlib/__init__.py 2008-09-23 16:14:54 +0000
290
# Python version 2.0 is (2, 0, 0, 'final', 0)." Additionally we use a
291
# releaselevel of 'dev' for unreleased under-development code.
293
-version_info = (1, 7, 0, 'candidate', 2)
294
+version_info = (1, 7, 0, 'final', 0)
297
# API compatibility version: bzrlib is currently API compatible with 1.7.
299
Note that the NEWS file formatting has evolved, this example needs to
302
#. Tag the new release::
306
#. Push those changes to a bzr repository that is public and accessible on
307
the Internet. PQM will pull from this repository when it attempts to merge
308
your changes. Then submit those changes to PQM for merge into the
309
appropriate release branch::
312
bzr pqm-submit -m "(mbp) prepare 1.14"
316
bzr lp-propose -m "Release 1.14" --approve lp:bzr/1.14
319
#. When PQM succeeds, pull down the master release branch.
322
Making the source tarball
323
-------------------------
325
#. Change into the source directory and run ::
329
#. Now we'll try expanding this tarball and running the test suite
330
to check for packaging problems::
332
make check-dist-tarball
334
You may encounter failures while running the test suite caused
335
by your locally installed plugins. Use your own judgment to
336
decide if you can release with these failures. When in doubt,
337
disable the faulty plugins one by one until you get no more
340
Remember that PQM has just tested everything too, this step is
341
particularly testing that the pyrex extensions, which are updated
342
by your local pyrex version when you run make dist, are in good
346
Publishing the source tarball
347
-----------------------------
349
#. Go to the relevant milestone page in Launchpad.
351
#. Create a release of the milestone, and upload the source tarball and
352
the GPG signature. Or, if you prefer, use the
353
``tools/packaging/lp-upload-release`` script to do this. Note that
354
this changes what the download widget on the Launchpad bzr home
355
page shows, so don't stop the release process yet, or platform binary
356
installers won't be made and the download list will stay very small!
357
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/launchpad/+bug/586445>
360
Announcing the source freeze
361
----------------------------
363
#. Post to the ``bazaar`` list, saying that the source has been frozen
364
(gone gold). Be extra clear that this is only a *source* release
365
targeted at packagers and installer builders (see
366
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/launchpad/+bug/645084>). This is the cue
367
for platform maintainers and plugin authors to update their code. This
368
is done before the general public announcement of the release.
371
Kick off the next cycle
372
-----------------------
374
#. To let developers work on the next release, do
375
`At the start of a release cycle` now.
377
#. Pause for a few days.
380
Publishing the release
381
----------------------
383
There is normally a delay of a few days after the source freeze to allow
384
for binaries to be built on various platforms. Once they have been built,
385
we have a releasable product. The next step is to make it generally
386
available to the world.
388
#. Go to the release web page at <https://launchpad.net/bzr/x.y/x.y.z>
390
#. Announce on the `Bazaar website <http://bazaar.canonical.com/>`_.
391
This page is edited via the lp:bzr-website branch. (Changes
392
pushed to this branch are refreshed by a cron job on escudero.)
394
#. Check that the documentation for this release is available in
395
<http://doc.bazaar.canonical.com>. It should be automatically build when the
396
branch is created, by a cron script ``update-bzr-docs`` on
397
``escudero``. As of today (2009-08-27) ``igc`` manually updates the
398
pretty version of it.
401
Announcing the release
402
----------------------
404
Now that the release is publicly available, tell people about it.
406
#. Make an announcement mail.
408
For release candidates or beta releases, this is sent to the ``bazaar``
409
list only to inform plugin authors and package or installer managers.
411
Once the installers are available, the mail can be sent to the
412
``bazaar-announce`` list too.
414
For final releases, it should also be cc'd to ``info-gnu@gnu.org``,
415
``python-announce-list@python.org``, ``bug-directory@gnu.org``.
417
In all cases, it is good to set ``Reply-To: bazaar@lists.canonical.com``,
418
so that people who reply to the announcement don't spam other lists.
420
The announce mail will look something like this::
422
Subject: bzr x.y.z released!
424
The Bazaar team is happy to announce availability of a new
425
release of the bzr adaptive version control system.
426
Bazaar is part of the GNU system <http://gnu.org/>.
428
<<Summary paragraph from news>>
430
Thanks to everyone who contributed patches, suggestions, and
433
Bazaar is now available for download from
434
https://launchpad.net/bzr/2.x/2.x/ as a source tarball; packages
435
for various systems will be available soon.
437
<<NEWS section from this release back to the last major release>>
439
Feel free to tweak this to your taste.
441
#. Make an announcement through <https://launchpad.net/bzr/+announce>
443
#. Update the IRC channel topic. Use the ``/topic`` command to do this,
444
ensuring the new topic text keeps the project name, web site link, etc.
446
#. Announce on http://freshmeat.net/projects/bzr/
448
This should be done for beta releases, release candidates and final
449
releases. If you do not have a Freshmeat account yet, ask one of the
452
#. Update `<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazaar_(software)>`_ -- this should
453
be done for final releases but not for beta releases or Release Candidates.
455
#. Update the python package index: <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/bzr> - best
458
python setup.py register
460
Remember to check the results afterwards.
462
To be able to register the release you must create an account on
463
<http://pypi.python.org/pypi> and have one of the existing owners of
464
the project add you to the group.
467
Merging the released code back to trunk
468
---------------------------------------
470
The rule is to keep ``NEWS`` sections sorted by date. You'll need to
471
review the merge and make sure that that is respected.
473
Merge the release branch back into the trunk. Check that changes in NEWS
474
were merged into the right sections. If it's not already done, advance
475
the version number in ``bzr`` and ``bzrlib/__init__.py``. Submit this
476
back into pqm for bzr.dev.
478
As soon as you change the version number in trunk, make sure you have
479
created the corresponding milestone to ensure the continuity in bug
480
targeting or nominating. Depending on the change, you may even have to
481
create a new series (if your change the major or minor release number), in
482
that case go to `At the start of a release cycle` and follow the instructions from there.
484
You should also merge (not pull) the release branch into
485
``lp:~bzr/bzr/current``, so that branch contains the current released code
488
Releases until the final one
489
----------------------------
491
Congratulations - you have made your first release. Have a beer
492
or fruit juice - it's on the house! If it was a beta, or
493
candidate, you're not finished yet. Another beta or candidate or
494
hopefully a final release is still to come.
496
The process is the same as for the first release. Goto `Doing a
497
particular release`_ and follow the instructions again. Some details change
498
between beta, candidate and final releases, but they should be
499
documented. If the instructions aren't clear enough, please fix them.
502
Getting the release into Ubuntu
503
-------------------------------
505
(Feel free to propose or add new sections here about what we should do to
506
get bzr into other places.)
508
For the currently-under-development release of Ubuntu, no special action
509
is needed: the release should be picked by Debian and synced from there into
512
Releases off stable bzr branches should go in to the ``-updates`` of the
513
Ubuntu release that originally contained that branch. (Ubuntu Lucid had
514
bzr 2.2.0, so should get every 2.2.x update.) This means going through
515
the `SRU (Stable Release Updates)
516
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates>`__ process.
518
As of September 2010, bzr has applied to the technical board to be added
519
to the `MicroReleaseExceptions
520
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates/MicroReleaseExceptions>`__
521
category so that whole bugfix releases can more easily be approved.
523
**After making a bzr stable-release release, nominate the most serious bug
524
for the appropriate Ubuntu release and subscribe the `ubuntu-sru` team.**
526
This requires a couple of tricks (please reconsider and tweak as things
527
evolves from one release to the other):
529
* create a distro task with the ``Also affects distribution`` button and
530
select ``bzr (Ubuntu)``.
532
* change the *URL* to point to ``ubuntu/+source/bzr`` instead of ``bzr``
533
(this is needed if you create the distro task but not if it exists
534
already). You should now be able to click the ``Nominate for release``
535
button and select the right Ubuntu release. As of September 2010, this
538
* ``maverick`` for the 2.2 series,
539
* ``lucid`` for the 2.1 series,
540
* ``karmic`` for the 2.0 series.
542
* Subscribe the ``~ubuntu-sru`` team to the bug.
544
* Add a comment targeted to ``~ubuntu-sru`` explaining the expectations
545
(we are targeting running the test suite during the build which, as of
546
September 2010, fails for known reasons that are currently addressed).
547
Search for bugs tagged with ``sru`` for examples and don't forget to tag
548
the bug you selected.
554
* `Packaging into the bzr PPA <ppa.html>`_ to make and publish Ubuntu
556
* `Bazaar Developer Document Catalog <index.html>`_
557
* `Development cycles <cycle.html>`_: things that happen during the cycle
558
before the actual release.
561
vim: filetype=rst textwidth=74 ai shiftwidth=4
added
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doc/developers/releasing.txt
