# Making a Gerrit Release

version v2.8.4-16-g36a649d

Note | This document is meant primarily for Gerrit maintainers who have been given approval and submit status to the Gerrit projects. Additionally, maintainers should be given owner status to the Gerrit web site.

To make a Gerrit release involves a great deal of complex tasks and it is easy to miss a step so this document should hopefully serve as both a how to for those new to the process and as a checklist for those already familiar with these tasks.

## Gerrit Release Type

Here are some guidelines on release approaches depending on the type of release you want to make (`stable-fix`, `stable`, `RC0`, `RC1`…).

### Stable

A `stable` release is generally built from the `master` branch and may need to undergo some stabilization before releasing the final release.

- Propose the release with any plans/objectives to the mailing list

- Create a Gerrit `RC0`

- If needed create a Gerrit `RC1`

Note | You may let in a few features to this release

- If needed create a Gerrit `RC2`

Note | There should be no new features in this release, only bug fixes

- Finally create the `stable` release (no `RC`)

### Stable-Fix

`stable-fix` releases should likely only contain bug fixes and doc updates.

- Propose the release with any plans/objectives to the mailing list

- This type of release does not need any RCs, release when the objectives are met

### Security-Fix

`security-fix` releases should only contain bug fixes for security issues.

For security issues it is important that they are only announced after fixed versions for all relevant releases have been published. Because of this, `security-fix` releases can’t be prepared in the public `gerrit` project.

`security-fix` releases are prepared in the `gerrit-security-fixes` project which is only readable by the Gerrit Maintainers. Only after a `security-fix` release has been published will the commits/tags made in the `gerrit-security-fixes` project be taken over into the public `gerrit` project.

## Create the Actual Release

To create a Gerrit release the following steps have to be done:

1. Release Subprojects

2. Prepare the Gerrit Release

   1. Prepare the Gerrit WAR and the Plugin API Jar

   2. Prepare the Core Plugins

   3. Prepare Gerrit WAR with Core Plugins

3. Publish the Gerrit Release

   1. Publish the Extension and Plugin API Jars

   2. Publish the Core Plugins

   3. Publish the Gerrit WAR (with Core Plugins)

   4. Push the Stable Branch

   5. Push the Release Tag

   6. Upload the Documentation

   7. Update the Issues

   8. Announce on Mailing List

4. Increase Gerrit Version for Current Development

5. Merge `stable` into `master`

### Release Subprojects

The subprojects to be released are:

- `gwtjsonrpc`

- `gwtorm`

- `prolog-cafe`

For each subproject do:

- Check the dependency to the Subproject in the Gerrit parent `pom.xml`:

  If a `SNAPSHOT` version of the subproject is referenced the subproject needs to be released so that Gerrit can reference a released version of the subproject.

- Make a snapshot and test it

- Prepare the Release

- Publish the Release

- Update the version of the Subproject in the Gerrit parent `pom.xml` to the released version

### Build Gerrit

- Build the Gerrit WAR

      ./tools/release.sh

- Sanity check WAR

- Test the new Gerrit version

### Publish the Gerrit Release

#### Publish the Extension and Plugin API Jars

- Make sure you have done the configuration needed for deployment

- Push the Jars to `storage.googleapis.com`:

        ./tools/deploy_api.sh

#### Publish the Core Plugins

- Publish the Release

#### Publish the Gerrit WAR (with Core Plugins)

- The WAR file to upload is `gerrit-package-plugins\target\gerrit-full-v2.5.war`

- Upload WAR to `code.google.com/p/gerrit` (manual via web browser)

  - Go to http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/downloads/list

  - Use the `New Download` button

- Update labels:

  - new war: [`release-candidate`], `featured`…

  - old war: `deprecated`

#### Push the Stable Branch

- create the stable branch `stable-2.5` in the `gerrit` project

  Via the Gerrit WebUI or by push.

- Push the commits done on `stable-2.5` to `refs/for/stable-2.5` and get them merged

#### Push the Release Tag

- Push the new Release Tag

  For an `RC`:

      git push gerrit-review refs/tags/v2.5-rc0:refs/tags/v2.5-rc0

  For a final `stable` release:

      git push gerrit-review refs/tags/v2.5:refs/tags/v2.5

#### Upload the Documentation

    make -C Documentation PRIOR=2.4 update
    make -C ReleaseNotes update

(no `PRIOR=`… if updating the same release again during RCs)

- Update Google Code project links

  - Go to http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/admin

  - Point the main page to the new docs. The link to the documentation has to be updated at two places: in the project description and also in the `Links` section.

  - Point the main page to the new release notes

Note

The docs makefile does an `svn cp` of the prior revision of the docs to branch the docs so you have less to upload on the new docs.

User and password from here:

    https://code.google.com/hosting/settings

If subversion assumes a different username than your google one and asks for a password right away simply hit enter. Subversion will fail and then ask for another username and password. This time enter the username and password from the page linked above. After that subversion should save the username/password somewhere under `~/.subversion/auth` folder.

#### Update the Issues

    How do the issues get updated?  Do you run a script to do
    this?  When do you do it, after the final 2.5 is released?

By hand.

Our current process is an issue should be updated to say `Status = Submitted, FixedIn-2.5` once the change is submitted, but before the release.

After the release is actually made, you can search in Google Code for “Status=Submitted FixedIn=2.5” and then batch update these changes to say `Status=Released`. Make sure the pulldown says “All Issues” because `Status=Submitted` is considered a closed issue.

#### Announce on Mailing List

- Send an email to the mailing list to announce the release, consider including some or all of the following in the email:

  - A link to the release and the release notes (if a final release)

  - A link to the docs

  - Describe the type of release (stable, bug fix, RC)

    To: Repo and Gerrit Discussion <repo-discuss@googlegroups.com>
    Subject: Announce: Gerrit 2.2.2.1  (Stable bug fix update)

    I am pleased to announce Gerrit Code Review 2.2.2.1.

    Download:

      http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/downloads/list

    This release is a stable bug fix release with some
    documentation updates including a new "Contributing to
    Gerrit" doc:

      http://gerrit-documentation.googlecode.com/svn/Documentation/2.2.2/dev-contributing.html

    To read more about the bug fixes:

      http://gerrit-documentation.googlecode.com/svn/ReleaseNotes/ReleaseNotes-2.2.2.1.html

    -Martin

- Add an entry to the `NEWS` section of the main Gerrit project web page

  - Go to: http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/admin

  - Add entry like:

     * Jun 14, 2012 - Gerrit 2.4.1 [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/repo-discuss/jHg43gixqzs/discussion Released]

- Update the new discussion group announcement to be sticky

  - Go to: http://groups.google.com/group/repo-discuss/topics

  - Click on the announcement thread

  - Near the top right, click on options

  - Under options, click the "Display this top first" checkbox

  - and Save

- Update the previous discussion group announcement to no longer be sticky

  - See above (unclick checkbox)

### Increase Gerrit Version for Current Development

All new development that is done in the `master` branch will be included in the next Gerrit release. Update the Gerrit version in each `pom.xml` file to the next `SNAPSHOT`version. Push the change for review and get it merged.

    tools/version.sh --snapshot=2.6

### Merge `stable` into `master`

After every release, stable should be merged to master to ensure that none of the changes/fixes ever get lost.

    git config merge.summary true
    git checkout master
    git reset --hard origin/master
    git branch -f stable origin/stable
    git merge stable

Part of Gerrit Code Review