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j47996 edited this page Jul 10, 2024 · 62 revisions

Exim Release Process

An aide-memoire etc - currently just trying to ensure we have all of this stuff captured...

We follow EximReleasePolicy for releases.

Except for the Security Release Process.

Each Feature/Bug Fix

  • Ideally work with complete git working directory -- including the src and doc subdirectories -- to ensure a single checkin includes both the code and the documentation changes - even better if test suite changes can also be integrated.
  • Update the main documentation in exim-doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
  • Add regression testcases for bugfixes, feature testcase for features
  • If appropriate update NewStuff (in the exim-doc/doc-txt subdirectory).
  • Always update ChangeLog after each change (also in the exim-doc/doc-txt subdirectory).
  • Put the bugzilla reference into ChangeLog
  • Use the bugzilla reference in the checkin message (updates bugzilla with the checkin details) - see BugZilla for details

Start of Development Cycle

  • Update documentation with version number of next release
  • Remove all changebars from documentation except the sample (around SECID1) - basically strip all .new and .wen tags and remove &new() enclosures
  • If a 4.next branch was running during the RC stages of the just-done release, merge it back to the mainline and drop it from the buildfarm

When starting run-up to a release

  • Reset the 4.next branch to the current master checkin
  • Add 4.next to the buildfarm (exim-build-farm-server git tree; htdocs/branches_of_interest.txt). Check that krot (buildfarm server) is up to date
  • (ongoing) commits you want to record but not have in this release go to 4.next (for example, new features once you've declared feature-freeze for the release)

Release Steps

  • Checkout the "master" git branch
  • Ensure test suite runs
  • For sanity doing RCs, set shell variables eg. "maj=79 rc=4"
    • For full release, "maj=78 oldmaj=79"
    • For a security release "maj=78 min=1"
  • For a full release:
    • Check version number in documentation match new release version (source is handled by the reversion script during build, using info from git)
    • Update the copyyear date (a macro near the top) in doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt and doc/doc-docbook/filter.xfpt
    • Update the version_copyright string in src/src/globals.c if needed.
    • Check for modify dates on all source files, and update copyright year in the file header comment: vi $(git log --name-status exim-4.${oldmaj:?}..master | awk '/^M/{print $2}' | grep -v '^test/' | sort -u)
  • Check that the NewStuff and ChangeLog and doc-txt/OptionLists.txt files are up-to-date
  • Check if test/configure needs commit (run autoreconf in test/)
  • Tag git for new release - tag format is exim hyphen version number with dots - eg exim-4.92. You must also have git sign the tag with your exim PGP id - ie git tag -u [email protected] for the tarball to be built correctly.
    • u/s for me; used git tag -s -m "Exim 4.${maj}" exim-4.${maj}
    • For an RC: git tag -s -m "Exim 4.${maj} RC${rc}" exim-4.${maj}-RC${rc}
  • Build documentation and packages:-
    • ensure exim-website is checked out to a known location, ideally into the same directory where exim is located.
    • cd exim
    • if not first RC for this release, clean the previous website docbook files out: rm -f ../exim-website/docbook/4.${maj}/*
    • Main build (use appropriate version number:
      • For RC release-process/scripts/mk_exim_release 4.${maj:?}-RC${rc:?} /tmp/exim-pkgs
      • For final release-process/scripts/mk_exim_release 4.${maj:?} /tmp/exim-pkgs
      • files produced into /tmp/exim-pkgs directory
      • (should be already done, by mk_exim_release) Sign the tarballs: release-process/scripts/sign_exim_packages /tmp/exim-pkgs (If git configuration user.signingkey does not identify the PGP key to use, then you must specify EXIM_KEY in environ).
      • also writes website documentation sources into exim-website/docbook/4.${maj}/ - for a full release this should be git add/commit: git -C ../exim-website commit -m "Add Exim 4,${maj:?}" docbook/4.${maj}
        • contact HS to get the website published
  • Ideally have limited final test before full distribution
  • put tarballs and signatures up for distribution
    • for RCs in /srv/ftp/pub/exim/exim4/test/
      • for the initial RC, clear that dir first
      • for subsequent ones, clear the '00' files first
    • for full release
      • Move last release files in the old subdirectory
      • new files to /srv/ftp/pub/exim/exim4/
      • Unpack PDF documentation from distro tarball into the website area :- cd /srv/www/vhosts/www.exim.org && tar xvf /srv/ftp/pub/exim/exim4/exim-pdf-4.${maj:?}.tar.gz
      • Don't do the HTML docs and the exim-pdf-current link; done during (auto) update of the website
      • Unpack ChangeLog and NewStuff to /srv/ftp/pub/exim/exim4/ and make .gz versions This needs automating :-
cd; f=/srv/ftp/pub/exim/exim4;
tar -x -f $f/exim-4.${maj:?}.tar.xz exim-4.${maj}/doc/ChangeLog &&
tar -x -f $f/exim-4.${maj:?}.tar.xz exim-4.${maj}/doc/NewStuff &&
mv exim-4.${maj:?}/doc/* $f/ &&
rm -fr exim-4.${maj:?} &&
cd $f &&
gzip -9k ChangeLog &&
gzip -9k NewStuff;
  • Ensure git tree (with tags) is pushed to central repo: git push --follow-tags
  • Push the exim-website git also
  • Write announcement including changes and cryptographic checksums
    • to [email protected] and [email protected]
    • SHA256 checksums only for now; 4.80 was the last to use both SHA1 and SHA256. We'll add SHA-3 if is comes into common use. ./release-process/scripts/stats_for_email /tmp/exim-pkgs
    • mail should be signed by a key with an @exim.org uid, that has been signed by the other Exim Maintainers.
    • note that hummus requires authentication for any mail sent with a sender in the @exim.org domain
  • Pimp the release or RC on social media
    • Especially for Release Candidates: we don't want to spam the announce list with these, but there are many folks who don't follow exim-users because of the volume but who are interested in trying out Release Candidates to help out
    • Tweet it. Try using an #Exim hashtag.
    • Consider other social media; bias towards our audience, which is computer-literate folks who run systems for themselves or employers in a federated communication system. Eg, Mastodon?
      • Bernard is doing this on Mastodon; also #exim
  • Remaining steps only for full releases
    • Update wiki - at least the ObtainingExim page (link others here too)
    • Update Wikipedia version information, because we're nice like that
    • add released version to list of bugzilla versions (Edit:Products/Exim/Edit_Versions/Add)
    • add next expected version to bugzilla milestones (Edit:Products/Exim/Edit_Milestones/Add), and make that default (button on Edit:Products/Exim page)
    • update the Topic on the #exim IRC channel on Libera Chat
    • if a Security release, then update EximSecurity with details.

RC Steps

  • This should be inline above
  • Basically same as for release, except no update of website and ChangeLog/NewStuff distro on ftp site
  • Tag has form exim-4.92-RC3
  • Files should be placed in test subdirectory rather than in main distribution directory

Things to do

  • Clean up the release package scripting and make it generally usable
  • Script the above steps from put tarballs to ChangeLog - the file moving part can all be automated.
  • Can we script the old change bar removal and new change bar generation in the documentation?
    • ./release-process/scripts/docs_strip_changebars (stdin to stdout) is a go at this, currently in 4.next. It handles .new/.wen but not &new() - and it fails to leave the initial one in place.
  • Sort out website to auto-update from git (this is done via nm4's cronjob)
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