[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / binutils / README-how-to-make-a-release

		README for MAKING BINUTILS RELEASES
	
This is a collection of notes on how to perform a binutils release.  A
lot of this information can also be found in the maintain.texi file in
the gnulib project:

  https://www.gnu.org/software/gnulib/

It is useful to have a cloned copy of the sources of this project as
it also contains an upload script used to install tarballs on the GNU
FTP server.

Make sure that you have upload authority on sourceware and fencepost.
Beware - this is an involved process and can take weeks to complete.
See the maintain.texi file for details on how to obtain these
permissions.

-------------------------------------------------
How to perform a release.
-------------------------------------------------

xxx -- fill in stuff here -- xxx

-------------------------------------------------
How to perform a point release.
-------------------------------------------------

A point release is easier than a normal release since a lot of the
work has already been done.  The branch has been created, the
translations updated and the documentation uploaded.  So the procedure
looks like this:

  0. Decide that a point release is necessary.

     Usually this only happens when a sufficient number of serious
     bugs have been found and fixed since the previous release, and a
     new official release is not imminent.

  1. Tell the community that a point release is happening.  Ask
     maintainers to ensure that their ports are up to date on the
     release branch.  Ask the community if there are any bug fixes
     which are missing from the branch.  Allow some time for the
     responses to this step.

  2. Make sure that the branch sources build, test and install
     correctly.

  3. In the branch sources:
  
       a. Update the minor release number in bfd/version.m4.
       b. Edit bfd/development.sh and set "development=false".
       c. Regenerate the configure files.
       d. Commit the updates along with a "this-is-the-2.XX.X-release"
          note in all of the changelogs.
       e. Tag the branch with the new release number:

            git tag -a binutils-2_XX_X
	      [optional: add "-u XXXXX" to sign with a gpg key]
	    git push origin binutils-2_XX_X

       f. Create the release tarballs:
            ./src-release -b -g -l -x binutils
       g. Edit bfd/development.sh and set "development=true".
       h. Commit this change into the git repository.
       i. Clean up the source tree.  (Use "git status" to find new
           files, and remove them).

     FIXME: The tarballs will contain spurious autom4te.cache
     directories which could be removed to reduce their size.

  4. [If paranoid - upload the tarballs to one of the FTP servers and
      ask people to test it before going on to step 5].
      
  5. Upload the tarballs to ftp.gnu.org.

       gnupload --to ftp.gnu.org:binutils binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*

     The gnupload script is in the gnulib/build-aux directory.

  6. Upload the tarballs to sourceware.org:

       sftp sourceware.org
         cd /ftp/pub/binutils/releases
 	 put binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*
 	 chmod 644 binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*
	 quit

    FIXME: Should the signatures (created by the gnupload script in
    step 5) be uploaded as well ?

  7. Update web pages.  For sourceware.org:

      * Log on to sourceware.org
      * Go /www/htdocs/binutils
      * Edit index.html

      For the www.gnu.org site you have to email webmasters@gnu.org
      and ask them to make the change(s).

  8. Send an emails to the binutils list, info-gnu@gnu.org and
     David Edelsohn <dje.gcc@gmail.com> announcing the new release.
     (The email to Davis is so that he can update the GNU Toolchain
     social media).  Something like this:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Everyone,

  We are pleased to announce that version 2.XX.X of the Binutils project
  sources have been released and are now available for download at:
  
    https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/binutils
    https://sourceware.org/pub/binutils/releases/

  This is a point release over the previous 2.XX version, containing bug
  fixes but no new features.

  Our thanks go out to all of the binutils contributors, past and
  present, for helping to make this release possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

\f
Copyright (C) 2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright
notice and this notice are preserved.
Commit	Line	Data
78b2179a NC	1	README for MAKING BINUTILS RELEASES
	2
	3	This is a collection of notes on how to perform a binutils release. A
	4	lot of this information can also be found in the maintain.texi file in
	5	the gnulib project:
	6
	7	https://www.gnu.org/software/gnulib/
	8
	9	It is useful to have a cloned copy of the sources of this project as
	10	it also contains an upload script used to install tarballs on the GNU
	11	FTP server.
	12
	13	Make sure that you have upload authority on sourceware and fencepost.
	14	Beware - this is an involved process and can take weeks to complete.
	15	See the maintain.texi file for details on how to obtain these
	16	permissions.
	17
	18	-------------------------------------------------
	19	How to perform a release.
	20	-------------------------------------------------
	21
	22	xxx -- fill in stuff here -- xxx
	23
	24	-------------------------------------------------
	25	How to perform a point release.
	26	-------------------------------------------------
	27
	28	A point release is easier than a normal release since a lot of the
	29	work has already been done. The branch has been created, the
	30	translations updated and the documentation uploaded. So the procedure
	31	looks like this:
	32
	33	0. Decide that a point release is necessary.
	34
	35	Usually this only happens when a sufficient number of serious
	36	bugs have been found and fixed since the previous release, and a
	37	new official release is not imminent.
	38
	39	1. Tell the community that a point release is happening. Ask
	40	maintainers to ensure that their ports are up to date on the
	41	release branch. Ask the community if there are any bug fixes
	42	which are missing from the branch. Allow some time for the
	43	responses to this step.
	44
	45	2. Make sure that the branch sources build, test and install
	46	correctly.
	47
ef336cb0	48	3. In the branch sources:
78b2179a	49
ef336cb0 NC	50	a. Update the minor release number in bfd/version.m4.
	51	b. Edit bfd/development.sh and set "development=false".
	52	c. Regenerate the configure files.
	53	d. Commit the updates along with a "this-is-the-2.XX.X-release"
	54	note in all of the changelogs.
	55	e. Tag the branch with the new release number:
	56
	57	git tag -a binutils-2_XX_X
	58	[optional: add "-u XXXXX" to sign with a gpg key]
	59	git push origin binutils-2_XX_X
	60
	61	f. Create the release tarballs:
	62	./src-release -b -g -l -x binutils
	63	g. Edit bfd/development.sh and set "development=true".
	64	h. Commit this change into the git repository.
	65	i. Clean up the source tree. (Use "git status" to find new
	66	files, and remove them).
78b2179a NC	67
	68	FIXME: The tarballs will contain spurious autom4te.cache
	69	directories which could be removed to reduce their size.
	70
ef336cb0 NC	71	4. [If paranoid - upload the tarballs to one of the FTP servers and
ef336cb0 NC	72	ask people to test it before going on to step 5].
78b2179a	73
ef336cb0	74	5. Upload the tarballs to ftp.gnu.org.
78b2179a NC	75
	76	gnupload --to ftp.gnu.org:binutils binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*
	77
ef336cb0	78	The gnupload script is in the gnulib/build-aux directory.
78b2179a	79
ef336cb0	80	6. Upload the tarballs to sourceware.org:
78b2179a NC	81
	82	sftp sourceware.org
	83	cd /ftp/pub/binutils/releases
	84	put binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*
	85	chmod 644 binutils-X.XX.X.tar.*
	86	quit
	87
	88	FIXME: Should the signatures (created by the gnupload script in
ef336cb0	89	step 5) be uploaded as well ?
78b2179a	90
ef336cb0	91	7. Update web pages. For sourceware.org:
78b2179a NC	92
	93	* Log on to sourceware.org
	94	* Go /www/htdocs/binutils
	95	* Edit index.html
	96
	97	For the www.gnu.org site you have to email webmasters@gnu.org
	98	and ask them to make the change(s).
	99
ef336cb0 NC	100	8. Send an emails to the binutils list, info-gnu@gnu.org and
	101	David Edelsohn <dje.gcc@gmail.com> announcing the new release.
	102	(The email to Davis is so that he can update the GNU Toolchain
	103	social media). Something like this:
78b2179a NC	104	------------------------------------------------------------------------
	105	Hi Everyone,
	106
	107	We are pleased to announce that version 2.XX.X of the Binutils project
	108	sources have been released and are now available for download at:
	109
	110	https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/binutils
	111	https://sourceware.org/pub/binutils/releases/
	112
	113	This is a point release over the previous 2.XX version, containing bug
	114	fixes but no new features.
	115
	116	Our thanks go out to all of the binutils contributors, past and
	117	present, for helping to make this release possible.
	118	--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	119
	120	\f
	121	Copyright (C) 2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
	122
	123	Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
	124	are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright
	125	notice and this notice are preserved.