This document describes the steps to create a new release of grpc-dotnet. The release process is based on the release process used by the grpc/grpc repository.
Releases follow the gRPC-wide release schedule. There might be a slight delay if there are release blockers to resolve and/or we need to wait for the Grpc.Core.Api release that the new release depends on.
-
Before cutting the release branch
-
If needed, on the master branch update the
Grpc.Tools
andGrpc.Core
dependency versions in Directory.Packages.props to the latest pre-release ofGrpc.Tools
orGrpc.Core
(that was released as part of the grpc/grpc release process) -
Make sure that any patches/bugfixes from the last released branch have been applied to the master branch as well.
-
-
Cut the release branch from master branch (the branch format is
v2.25.x
,v2.26.x
, ...). This release branch will be used for all subsequent pre-releases and patch releases within the same release cycle. -
On the release branch, replace the
-dev
suffix by-pre1
under<GrpcDotnetVersion>
version release number in version.props to prepare for building the pre-release nugets.- You'll also need to update
CurrentVersion
field inGrpc.Core.Api
's VersionInfo.cs to match the version number (otherwise tests will fail). - Also check that the minor version number matches the branch name.
- You'll also need to update
-
Build the signed nuget packages and push them to nuget.org (internal process). These are the pre-release packages.
-
Create a new release and tag in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-dotnet/releases (by creating the tag from the current release branch). Mark the release as "pre-release" in the github UI. Fill in the release notes.
-
Wait for the stable release of
Grpc.Tools
from thegrpc/grpc
repository (as scheduled by the release schedule), keep checking the issue tracker for problems with the new grpc-dotnet pre-release packages. If problems are discovered and they need to be fixed, the release manager might choose to release more pre-releases (-pre2
,-pre3
, ...) before deciding to release as stable. -
Make sure at least 7 days have elapsed since the last pre-release before proceeding with the stable release, to give users enough time to test the prerelease nugets and discover potential issues. This is to decrease the likelyhood of pushing a bad stable release.
-
Once stable version of
Grpc.Tools
is pushed, remove-pre1
suffix of the<GrpcDotnetVersion>
version release number in version.props to prepare for the stable release.- Update
CurrentVersion
field inGrpc.Core.Api
's VersionInfo.cs to match the version number (otherwise tests will fail).
- Update
-
Build the signed nuget packages and push them to nuget.org (internal process). These are the stable grpc-dotnet packages.
-
Create a new release and tag in https://github.com/grpc/grpc-dotnet/releases (by creating the tag from the current release branch). This is the stable release. Fill in the release notes and list changes since the previous stable version.
On the master branch, increase the version number to indicate start of a new release cycle (v2.25.0-dev become v2.26.0-dev)
- Patch releases are created from an existing release branch by bumping the patch component of the version number
- When bugfixes are merged to a release branch, make sure they are synced into the master branch as well (otherwise the fixes might be missing in the next release cycle)