Release Checklist

Please use

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to mark items as done.

Kickoff

Update gnulib to latest version

Completion Date:

Must occur first as it could resolve existing, or create new, bug reports. You should run ./bootstrap in the source tree after updating to the new gnulib version.

Call for bug reports

Completion Date:

• Put out a general call for reports on maintainers@octave.org and help@octave.org mailing-list for all outstanding unreported known bugs.

Review submitted patches on Savannah

Completion Date:

• Submitted patches from bug tracker included.
• Submitted patches from patch tracker included.

Review open bugs on Savannah

Completion Date:

• Review bugs and update to correct category, such as "Patch submitted", correct title if necessary.
• Add "must-fix" items to 6.1 Release Bug Fix List.

One time tasks

GPL License activities

Completion Date:

• Update copyright statements for all source controlled files.
• Update dates in any other locations (launch message, citation, MXE files, etc.).
• Add any new contributors to contributors.in who wish to be mentioned (don't add them without permission).

Style-check code base

Completion Date:

This will produce lots of whitespace changes, but no behavior changes. Must occur after patches have been added, since whitespace changes can prevent patches from applying

• m-file style check
• C++ style check

Review documentation

Completion Date:

• Grammar check documentation.
• Spell check documentation.
• Verify no functions missing from manual.
• Verify deprecated functions removed from "see also" links.
• Verify all formats (Info, HTML, PDF) build correctly.
• Review NEWS for any features which should be announced.
• Update major version number in "@subtitle Edition XXX" in octave.texi.

Localization and Internationalization

Completion Date:

• Update language translation files (*.ts).
• Create issue report on Savannah as a centralized location for uploading files.
• Call for translations for GUI strings on maintainers@octave.org.

Repeat until all bugs are resolved

Completion Date first iteration:

Merge submitted patches

• Push translations provided by translators.
• Merge reviewed patches from Savannah.

make check

• Verify make check is passing on all buildbot combinations of OS and compilers.
• Start discussion on maintainers@octave.org about which failing tests that must be fixed.
• Identify and fix any tests determined critical in step above.
• Compiling with -fsanitize=undefined, --enable-address-sanitizer-flags to check for memory leaks. Use other tools cppcheck, etc.
  • Update PVS static analyzer results PVS static analyzer - 5.0 Release.

Create new release candidate

• Update configure.ac:
  • AC_INIT
  • OCTAVE_API_VERSION
  • OCTAVE_MAJOR/MINOR/PATCH_VERSION
  • OCTAVE_RELEASE_DATE
• Verify make distcheck passes.
• Verify make dist works.
• hg tag repository with release candidate ID
• Create Windows Installer.
• Upload release candidates.
• Add release candidate version to Savannah bug tracker.
• Announce release candidate to Octave-Maintainers, Octave-Help, on web page.

Final Release

Update version information

Completion Date:

• Update configure.ac:
  • AC_INIT
  • OCTAVE_API_VERSION
  • OCTAVE_MAJOR/MINOR/PATCH_VERSION
  • OCTAVE_RELEASE_DATE
• Update NEWS (final release date).
• Update CITATION (version, year, URL).
• Update org.octave.Octave.appdata.xml (version number and release date).
• Create hg tag in repository with release version number.
• Merge default onto stable to become the current stable release.

• Update Savannah bug tracker version info.
• Remove release candidate versions from Savannah.

Announce final release

Completion Date:

• Octave mailing-lists
• Octave web site
• This wiki

Post-Release

Completion Date:

• Update configure.ac (AC_INIT, OCTAVE_MAJOR_VERSION, OCTAVE_MINOR_VERSION, OCTAVE_PATCH_VERSION) to next release cycle.
• Update oct file API version number (configure.ac OCTAVE_API_VERSION).
• Remove all deprecated functions (either OCTAVE_DEPRECATED in C++ or scripts/deprecated for m-files) scheduled for deletion in "default" branch.
• Move NEWS file to backup in etc/NEWS.X.
• Create new NEWS file.