===================== How is Django Formed? ===================== This document explains how to release Django. If you're unlucky enough to be driving a release, you should follow these instructions to get the package out. **Please, keep these instructions up-to-date if you make changes!** The point here is to be descriptive, not proscriptive, so feel free to streamline or otherwise make changes, but **update this document accordingly!** Overview ======== There are three types of releases that you might need to make * Security releases, disclosing and fixing a vulnerability. This'll generally involve two or three simultaneous releases -- e.g. 1.5.X, 1.6.X, and, depending on timing, perhaps a 1.7 alpha/beta/rc. * Regular version releases, either a final release (e.g. 1.5) or a bugfix update (e.g. 1.5.1). * Pre-releases, e.g. 1.6 beta or something. In general the steps are about the same regardless, but there are a few differences noted. The short version is: #. If this is a security release, pre-notify the security distribution list at least one week before the actual release. #. Proofread (and create if needed) the release notes, looking for organization, writing errors, deprecation timelines, etc. Draft a blog post and email announcement. #. Update version numbers and create the release package(s)! #. Upload the package(s) to the the ``djangoproject.com`` server and creating some redirects for download/checksum links. #. Unless this is a pre-release, add the new version(s) to PyPI. #. Update the home page and download page to link to the new version(s). #. Post the blog entry and send out the email announcements. #. Update version numbers post-release. There's a lot of details, so please read on. Prerequisites ============= You'll need a few things hooked up to make this work: * A GPG key. *FIXME: sort out exactly whose keys are acceptable for a release.* * Access to Django's record on PyPI. * Access to the ``djangoproject.com`` server to upload files and trigger a deploy. * Access to the admin on ``djangoproject.com``. * Access to post to ``django-announce``. * If this is a security release, access to the pre-notification distribution list. If this is your first release, you'll need to coordinate with James and Jacob to get all these things ready to go. Pre-release tasks ================= A few items need to be taken care of before even beginning the release process. This stuff starts about a week before the release; most of it can be done any time leading up to the actual release: #. If this is a security release, send out pre-notification **one week** before the release. We maintain a list of who gets these pre-notification emails at *FIXME WHERE?*. This email should be signed by the key you'll use for the release, and should include patches for each issue being fixed. #. As the release approaches, watch Trac to make sure no release blockers are left for the upcoming release. #. Check with the other committers to make sure they don't have any un-committed changes for the release. #. Proofread the release notes, including looking at the online version to catch any broken links or reST errors, and make sure the release notes contain the correct date. #. Double-check that the release notes mention deprecation timelines for any APIs noted as deprecated, and that they mention any changes in Python version support. #. Double-check that the release notes index has a link to the notes for the new release; this will be in ``docs/releases/index.txt``. Preparing for release ===================== Next, everything needs to be made ready for actually rolling the release. The following things should be done a few days to a few hours before release: #. Update the djangoproject home page and download page templates to reflect the new release. There are two templates to change: ``flatpages/download.html`` and ``homepage.html``; here's `one example commit for the 1.4.5 / 1.3.7 releases`__ __ https://github.com/django/djangoproject.com/commit/772edbc6ac5a2b8e718606b3338f2bcc429fb9b6 #. Write the announcement blog post for the release. You can enter it into the admin at any time and mark it as inactive. Here's a few examples: `example security release announcement`__, `example regular release announcement`__, `example pre-release announcement`__. __ https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2013/feb/19/security/ __ https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2012/mar/23/14/ __ https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2012/nov/27/15-beta-1/ #. Create redirects in the admin for the new downloads. For each release, we create two redirects that look like:: /download//tarball/ -> /m/releases//Django-.tar.gz /download//checksum/ -> /m/pgp/Django-.checksum.txt Actually rolling the release ============================ OK, this is the fun part, where we actually push out a release! #. Check Jenkins is green for the version(s) you're putting out. You probably shouldn't issue a release until it's green. #. A release always begins from a release branch, so you should ``git pull`` to make sure you're up-to-date and then ``git checkout stable/`` (e.g. checkout ``stable/1.5.x`` to issue a release in the 1.5 series.) #. If this is a security release, merge the appropriate patches from ``django-private``. *FIXME: actual commands here - make sure to --ff- only right?*. Make sure the commit messages explain that the commit is a security fix and that an announcement will follow (`example security commit`__) __ https://github.com/django/django/commit/3ef4bbf495cc6c061789132e3d50a8231a89406b #. Update version numbers for the release. This has to happen in three places: ``django/__init__.py``, ``docs/conf.py``, and ``setup.py``. Please see `notes on setting the VERSION tuple`_ below for details on ``VERSION``. Here's `an example commit updating version numbers`__ __ https://github.com/django/django/commit/18d920ea4839fb54f9d2a5dcb555b6a5666ee469 Make sure the ``download_url`` in ``setup.py`` is the actual URL you'll use for the new release package, not the redirect URL (some tools can't properly follow redirects). #. If this is a pre-release package, update the "Development Status" trove classifier in ``setup.py`` to reflect this. Otherwise, make sure the classifier is set to ``Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable``. #. Tag the release by running ``git tag`` *FIXME actual commands*. #. ``git push`` your work. #. Make sure you have an absolutely clean tree by running ``git clean -dfx``. #. Run ``python setup.py sdist`` to generate the release package. This will create the release package in a ``dist/`` directory. #. Generate the MD5 and SHA1 hashes of the release package:: $ md5sum dist/Django-.tar.gz $ sha1sum dist/Django-.tar.gz #. Create a "checksums" file containing the hashes and release information. You can start with `a previous checksums file`__ and replace the dates, keys, links, and checksums. *FIXME: make a template file.* __ https://www.djangoproject.com/m/pgp/Django-1.5b1.checksum.txt #. Sign the checksum file using the release key (``gpg --clearsign``), then verify the signature (``gpg --verify``). *FIXME: full, actual commands here*. If you're issuing multiple releases, repeat these steps for each release. Making the release(s) available to the public ============================================= Now you're ready to actually put the release out there. To do this: #. Upload the release package(s) to the djangoproject server; releases go in ``/home/www/djangoproject.com/src/media/releases``, under a directory for the appropriate version number (e.g. ``/home/www/djangoproject.com/src/media/releases/1.5`` for a ``1.5.X`` release.). #. Upload the checksum file(s); these go in ``/home/www/djangoproject.com/src/media/pgp``. #. Test that the release packages install correctly using ``easy_install`` and ``pip``. Here's how I do it (which requires `virtualenvwrapper`__): $ mktmpenv $ easy_install https://www.djangoproject.com/download//tarball/ $ deactivate $ mktmpenv $ pip install https://www.djangoproject.com/download//tarball/ $ deactivate This just tests that the tarballs are available (i.e. redirects are up) and that they install correctly, but it'll catch silly mistakes. *XXX FIXME: buildout too?* __ https://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenvwrapper #. Ask a few people on IRC to verify the checksums by visiting the chucksums file (e.g. https://www.djangoproject.com/m/pgp/Django-1.5b1.checksum.txt) and following the instructions in it. #. If this is a security or regular release, register the new package with PyPI by uploading the ``PGK-INFO`` file generated in the release package. This file's *in* the distribution tarball, so you'll need to pull it out. ``tar xzf dist/Django-.tar.gz Django-/PKG-INFO`` ought to work. #. Deploy the template changes you made a while back by running `fab deploy` from the ``djangoproject.com`` repo. #. Update the ``/download/`` flat page in the djangoproject.com admin. For alpha/beta/RC releases, we add a temporary third section to that page listing the preview package; otherwise, just update the "Get the latest official version" section. #. Make up the blog post announcing the release live. #. Post the release announcement to the django-announce, django-developers and django-users mailing lists. This should include links to both the announcement blog post and the release notes. *FIXME: make some templates with example text*. Post-release ============ You're almost done! All that's left to do now is: #. Update the ``VERSION`` tuple in ``django/__init__.py`` again, incrementing to whatever the next expected release will be. For example, after releasing 1.2.1, update ``VERSION`` to report "1.2.2 pre-alpha". *FIXME: Is this correct? Do we still do this?* Notes on setting the VERSION tuple ================================== Django's version reporting is controlled by the ``VERSION`` tuple in ``django/__init__.py``. This is a five-element tuple, whose elements are: #. Major version. #. Minor version. #. Micro version. #. Status -- can be one of "alpha", "beta", "rc" or "final". #. Series number, for alpha/beta/RC packages which run in sequence (allowing, for example, "beta 1", "beta 2", etc.). For a final release, the status is always "final" and the series number is always 0. A series number of 0 with an "alpha" status will be reported as "pre-alpha". Some examples: * ``(1, 2, 1, 'final', 0)`` --> "1.2.1" * ``(1, 3, 0, 'alpha', 0)`` --> "1.3 pre-alpha" * ``(1, 3, 0, 'beta', 2)`` --> "1.3 beta 2"