[bug-diffutils] [PATCH] doc: document the release procedure

[Jim Meyering]

I've just add README-release, to document the release procedure:

>From 3d041c82e82d0cd9f1c3009d0f53d9eb3da77df2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jim Meyering <address@hidden>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:06:02 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] doc: document the release procedure

* README-release: New file.
---
 README-release |   84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 files changed, 84 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 README-release

diff --git a/README-release b/README-release
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2aff91b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README-release
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+Here are most of the steps we (maintainers) follow when making a release.
+
+* start from a clean, up-to-date git directory.
+
+    git checkout master; git pull
+
+* Run ./configure && make maintainer-clean
+
+* Ensure that the desired versions of autoconf, automake, etc.
+  are in your PATH.  See the buildreq list in bootstrap.conf for
+  the complete list.
+
+* Ensure that you're on "master" with no uncommitted diffs.
+  This should produce no output: git checkout master; git diff
+
+* Run bootstrap one last time.  This downloads any new translations:
+
+    ./bootstrap
+
+* Pre-release testing:
+  Ensure that make check syntax-check succeeds.
+
+* Run "make distcheck"
+
+* Set the date, version number, and release type [stable/alpha/beta] on
+  line 3 of NEWS, commit that, and tag the release by running e.g.,
+
+    build-aux/do-release-commit-and-tag 8.1 beta
+
+* Run the following to create release tarballs.  Your choice selects the
+  corresponding upload-to destination in the emitted gnupload command.
+  The different destinations are specified in cfg.mk.  See the definitions
+  of gnu_ftp_host-{alpha,beta,stable}.
+
+    # "TYPE" must be stable, beta or alpha
+    make TYPE
+
+* Test the tarball.  copy it to a few odd-ball systems and ensure that
+  it builds and passes all tests.
+
+* While that's happening, write the release announcement that you will
+  soon post.
+
+Once all the builds and tests have passed,
+
+* Run the gnupload command that was suggested by your "make stable" run above.
+
+* Wait a few minutes (maybe up to 30?) and then use the release URLs to
+  download all tarball/signature pairs and use gpg --verify to ensure
+  that they're all valid.
+
+* Push the NEWS-updating changes and the new tag:
+
+    v=$(cat .prev-version)
+    git push origin master tag v$v
+
+* Send the gpg-signed announcement mail, e.g.,
+
+    To: address@hidden
+    Cc: address@hidden, address@hidden
+    Subject: diffutils-2.9 released [stable]
+
+* Announce it on Savannah, too:
+  From here:
+    https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/diffutils/
+  click on the "submit news", then write something like the following:
+  (If there is no such button, then enable "News" for the project via
+   the Main -> "Select Features" menu item, or via this link:
+   
https://savannah.gnu.org/project/admin/editgroupfeatures.php?group=diffutils)
+
+    Subject: diffutils-1.3.13 released [stable]
+    The announcement is here:
+      http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gnu.diffutils.bugs/258
+
+  Then go here to approve it:
+    https://savannah.gnu.org/news/approve.php?group=diffutils
+
+* After each non-alpha release, update the on-line manual accessible via
+
+    http://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/
+
+  by running this:
+
+    build-aux/gnu-web-doc-update
--
1.7.0.rc2.170.gbc565