Here are most of the steps we (maintainers) follow when making a release. * Start from a clean, up-to-date git directory on "master": make -k maintainer-clean || { ./configure && make maintainer-clean; } git checkout master git pull origin master * Ensure that the latest stable versions of autoconf, automake, etc. are in your PATH. See the buildreq list in bootstrap.conf for the complete list of tools. * Ensure that you have no uncommitted diffs. This should produce no output: git diff * Ensure that you've pushed all changes that belong in the release: git push origin master * Check that the NixOS/Hydra autobuilder is reporting all is well: http://hydra.nixos.org/jobset/gnu/@PACKAGE@-master * Run the following command to download any new translations: ./bootstrap && ./configure * Pre-release testing: ensure that the following command succeeds: make check syntax-check 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 X.Y stable * 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. Start with the template, $HOME/announce-@PACKAGE@-X.Y that was just created by that "make" command. Once all the builds and tests have passed, * Run the gnupload command that was suggested by your "make TYPE" run above. * Wait a few minutes (maybe up to 30?) and then use the release URLs to download all tarball/signature pairs and use gpg --verify to ensure that they're all valid. * Push the NEWS-updating changes and the new tag: v=$(cat .prev-version) git push origin master tag v$v * Announce it on Savannah first, so you can include the savannah.org announcement link in the email message. From here: https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/@PACKAGE@/ click on "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=@PACKAGE@) Subject: @PACKAGE@-X.Y released [stable] +verbatim+ ...paste the announcement here... -verbatim- Then go here to approve it: https://savannah.gnu.org/news/approve.php?group=@PACKAGE@ * Send the announcement email message. * After each non-alpha release, update the on-line manual accessible via http://www.gnu.org/software/@PACKAGE@/manual/ by running this: build-aux/gnu-web-doc-update