Release tasks

author:pankso, linea, erjo, mojo

Things to do before publishing a new version.

Note

20140502 <pankso> 5.0 is out RC. The current things to do are:

  • Write the 5.0 SliTaz Release Notes (draft) in English here on the Wiki, then static xHTML for translation on the list and commits in slitaz-doc
  • Update docs in this wiki. The Handbook must be hugely improved or removed since people use the guides section (ex liveUSB has 2 pages…)

Cooking & RC

  1. Make sure all repos are tagged to include latest changes and are updated into the wok. Release source tarballs and push them to mirror with tazdev

    # hg tag 4.4 && hg push
# tazdev relpkg slitaz-tools 4.4

  2. Make sure all packages are built on Tank, generate a new package list with cook.

    # cooker
# cook pkgdb --flavors

  3. Sync the mirror with newly built packages.

    # tazdev -p username

  4. Use a chroot and tazdev (or conspy -f 4 on Tank) to build ISOs

  5. IMPORTANT: Use the packages on mirror.slitaz.org to build the ISOs:

    # rm -rf /home/slitaz/packages && tazpkg -cc

  6. If the flavors repo has been modified don’t forget to update it in the chroot

  7. Build a core with Tazlito:

    # tazlito pack-flavor core
# tazlito get-flavor core
# tazlito gen-distro

  8. Boot this ISO with Qemu, burn it to a CD and boot, make a live USB and boot to make sure everything works.

  9. When on the desktop, try ALL desktop entries and a few commands or latest code.

  10. Connect to the web and install a few packages to test them

  11. IMPORTANT: Install to HD and reboot, users should got an X environment without any other modifications. Installation and upgrade is really important for 4.0 since we have a new installer.

  12. Prepare website and Distrowatch announcement and send it on the list.

  13. Build all flavor ISOs and upload them to the mirror

  14. Commit website news and update website — Post on SCN and Twitter

  15. Open a new thread on the forum for feedback and share the URL

Stable

  1. After some Cooking and a few RCs
  2. Release version is specified by /etc/slitaz-release, this file is controlled by slitaz-base-files. Base files are tagged just before a stable release to change the version string and let Tazpkg use the new packages.
  3. Check that the SliTaz version specified in /etc/issue message is the same as displayed in isolinux.cfg for Vesa menu, here the syslinux package must be modified.
  4. When all other repos are tagged like for a cooking, update all packages, we can tag the main wok.
  5. Remove the current stable wok and copy the cooking wok in place.
  6. Sync Tank with mirror
  7. Go on mirror and copy all cooking packages to the stable string.
  8. Remove stable string in cooking wok and slitaz-base-file repo (update it again) so it goes back to a normal state and devs can start commiting. Toolchain updates may be discussed at this moment.
  9. Build ISOs from a stable chroot or running system and use packages on the main mirror as usual.
  10. Test, test, and test again…
  11. Prepare the website announcement and RSS feeds. The Mailing list is used for translation and any text should be submitted 1 or 2 days before release.
  12. Upload ISOs to mirror, commits news and update the website
  13. Spread the word and go to sleep…

Stable documentation

SliTaz stable release provides the release notes on the LiveCD through the package slitaz-doc, the repos are tagged just before release and are archived on the mirror. After the wok has been copied to wok-stable, the docs are back to a cooking cycle and just provide an index with basic information. On the system, docs are located in /usr/share/doc/slitaz, a desktop file and icon are provided in the sources package and can be used to have quick access to the documentation.