Backdrop 1.20.0 Release checklist

[quicksketch]

Scheduled for September 15, 2021 1pm - 3pm PT

Pre-release tasks

• Merge minor release commits (@quicksketch)
• Move all unfinished issues to the next bug-fix release milestone (@quicksketch)
• Review all closed issues in milestone: (@jenlampton)
  • Issue titles should include a complete, but very brief summary of the problem.
  • Issue titles sould be in complete sentences, ending with a period.
  • Bug issue titles should start with Fix or Fixed,
  • New fearure issue titles should start with Add or Added.
  • Each issue should have accurate labels, especially the "type - " labels.
• Close the milestone (@jenlampton)
• Draft Release notes (@jenlampton)
  • Copy Preview release release notes, update as follows
    • Include a short, descriptive summary of the release, for example:
      • The Backdrop community is proud to release version 1.xx of Backdrop CMS, following our 4-month release cycle.
    • Include a section containing Notes for updating
      • Note if any changes were made to files outside the core directory, for example:
        • No changes have been made to the .htaccess, robots.txt or default settings.php files in this release. Updating customized versions of those files is not necessary.
      • Note if updates (update.php) needs to be run, for example:
        • Use the text "The database update script does not need to be run."
        • or "It will be necessary to run the update script (located at /update.php) for this release."
    • Include changelog since last version:
      • Navigate to Actions
      • Select the most recent time "Release Notes Generator" has been run.
      • Download the release-notes artifact attached to the generator.
      • Unzip the file, and copy/pate contents into release notes draft.
      • Re-word issue titles to indicate that the problems have been fixed.
      • Note: This list can also be copied from the list on the preview release, but review closed issuses in the milestone
    • Verify the list above matches all changes since the most recent bug-fix release

Release tasks

• Update bootstrap.inc with version number (@quicksketch)
• Tag for release, and push tag to GitHub (@quicksketch)
• Branch for new minor number (e.g. 1.10.x) and push to GitHub (@quicksketch)
• Revert version number back on 1.x branch with minor number increased (e.g. 1.11.x-dev) (@quicksketch)
• Revert version number back on new minor number branch (e.g. 1.10.x-dev) (@quicksketch)
• Create release notes on GitHub, and publish release (@quicksketch)
• Unpublish preview release on backdropcms.org @jenlampton
• Update the front page download link on b.org @jenlampton
• Update the roadmap page on b.org @jenlampton
• Create a new language template file for the translation server (@olafgrabienski)

Immediate Post-release tasks

Code tasks

• Update Tugboat @bwpanda
• Update Platform.sh (assign to serundeputy / jenlampton)
• Update Composer (assign to quicksketch / serundeputy / herbdool)
• Update Docker (assign to ??? -- volunteer needed)
• update docs.backdropcms.org to latest version @jenlampton

Publicity tasks

• Tweet that a new release is out (@stpaultim)
  • Use text like "We're thrilled to announce Backdrop version 1.18.0. This is the 19th new feature release of #BackdropCMS. https://backdropcms.org"
• Publish blog post (@stpaultim)
• email [email protected] for a note in the PHP Weekly Newsletter (assign to stpaultim / tomgrandy / klonos / jenlampton)
• Update the Wikipedia articles (assign to stpaultim / klonos / jenlampton)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdrop_CMS
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems

Backdrop Website updates

• docs.backdropcms.org @jenlampton
• events.backdropcms.org @jenlampton
• forum.backdropcms.org @jenlampton

2-week Post-release tasks

These should be done after the first bug-fix release or 14 days -- whichever
comes sooner.

Code tasks

• Update Pantheon (@herbdool)

Publicity tasks

• Send a newsletter to subscribers (assign to @bwpanda / stpaultim / jenlampton)

Backdrop Website updates

• backdropcms.org (assign to @jenlampton / @bwpanda / ??)

See Also

• Backdrop 1.19.4 Release checklist #5228

[quicksketch]

The tag is cut and ready for release notes: https://github.com/backdrop/backdrop/releases/tag/1.20.0

[jenlampton]

ok, all change records are added, issues are closed and I'm closing the milestone now!

[jenlampton]

Release notes draft

The Backdrop community is proud to release version 1.20.0 of Backdrop CMS, following our 4-month release cycle.

This release contains several new features, user experience improvements, and a few bug fixes for these recent improvements.

Notes for updating

• No changes have been made to the .htaccess, robots.txt or default settings.php files in this release. Updating customized versions of those files is not necessary.
• The database update script (/core/update.php) does need to be run.

Changes since 1.19.4

New features

• Add Better Taxonomy permissions #382
• Add the HTML details element to core form API #324
• Add a Telemetry module to (anonymously) collect useful data #285
• Add the ability to make messages dismissible #4571

User Experience Improvements

• Add a new icon for "Structure" in the admin bar #4427
• Add a summary text next to the CKEditor formatting options link, showing the active format #3595
• Add an exposed filename filter for the media library #3293
• Standardize Label and machine name usage in admin listings #3402

Bug fixes

• Fixed: Missing update description for system_update_1076() #5203
• Fixed: Shorthand [] for array() breaking PHP 5.3 tests #5200
• Fixed: Insufficient access to Taxonomy Block on Dashboard #5198
• Fixed: Module config is not automatically synced on install #3224
• Remove the option for configuring the admin theme to always be the same as the default theme. #4461

Miscellaneous changes

• Added: GitHub Actions for automated tests #4753
• Fixed: Node preview layout code should live in node module via hook_layout_layouts_alter() #5067

[klonos]

Noting that I've updated the version template in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:BackdropCMS_version but the changes have not propagated immediately to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdrop_CMS and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems as they used to in the past. I'll check again tomorrow.

[olafgrabienski]

Created a new language template file for the translation server. (And deleted template files for really old Backdrop versions.)

[ghost]

I'm assuming this can be closed now. Feel free to re-open if not.