Joomla! Documentation™

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This is a general checklist for managing releases of Joomla! and the Joomla! Framework. This list is best suited for a Minor Release or Maintenance Release, however the steps will generally apply to a Major Release as well but will require some judgement calls from the release manager and/or leadership team.

This document is a work in progress. The information on this page is currently undergoing a major revision, the previous version of this document is available below as a point of reference for these revisions.

CMS Release Cycle

Issue Triage, Patch Review, Merging Patches

The release cycle for a new software version begins immediately after the previous one is completed. In the immediate hours and days after a release, the issue tracker and support forums should be monitored for reports of potential regressions or critical bugs that would warrant a quick follow-on release to address the issue. It is generally suggested to wait 48-72 hours before resuming merging of reviewed and ready for commit pull requests to keep the release branch "clean" and ready for a release (note this is only a suggestion, if need be a release manager could create a branch from the release tag however this involves a bit more effort therefore this suggestion is for simplicity's sake).

Throughout the release cycle, the release manager should be involved with reviewing patches and merging reviewed patches to the appropriate release branch. As of this writing (where 3.9.1 is the present release), the following branches are generally active:

• `staging`: This is the main release branch and is where most activity occurs, generally only bug fixes and "general" maintenance work should merge to this branch although minor features may be merged at the discretion of the release manager and/or leadership team
• `3.10-dev`: This is the release branch for the next minor release (the branch's name will always be the version it represents), new features should be merged to this branch
• `4.0-dev`: This is the release branch for the next major release (the branch's name will always be the version it represents)

Branch Merging

All branches should remain in-sync and all work should be regularly merged forward. Given the above example, the following is the recommended merging workflow (in general, the suggested workflow is that staging is merged to the next minor branch and the next minor branch is merged to the next major branch):

• `staging` should be merged into `3.10-dev`
• `3.10-dev` should be merged to `4.0-dev`

It is suggested that at least once per week branch merging occurs.

Preparing To Release

When scheduling and preparing a release, the timeline should be communicated with the Production and Marketing & Communication Department leadership so that all teams are prepared to support the release. Note that when scheduling releases, consideration should be given to holidays around the world and the impact of issuing a release near those periods considered.

Release Schedule

Minor Release

Given the nature of a minor release, the following is the suggested release timeline:

• Six weeks prior to planned stable release: Tag the first Beta release
  • At this point the release should be considered feature complete and new features should be deferred to the next minor release
• Weekly Beta releases should follow this until the Release Candidate
• Two weeks prior to planned stable release: Tag the Release Candidate
  • At this point the release branch (generally `staging`) should remain closed for committing except for high priority bug fixes and language updates
  • With the Release Candidate, language freeze is also in effect and no language changes are permitted unless there is an urgent need (which should be communicated with the translations coordinator); note that if necessary the language freeze may be declared earlier but the Release Candidate should be considered the "no later than" time
• One week prior to planned stable release: If necessary, create a second Release Candidate
• Planned release date: Tag the stable release

Maintenance Release

Maintenance releases operate on a 4-6 week cycle and the following is the suggested release timeline:

• 4-5 days before planned release date: Tag a Release Candidate
  • With the Release Candidate, language freeze is also in effect and no language changes are permitted unless there is an urgent need (which should be communicated with the translations coordinator); note that if necessary the language freeze may be declared earlier but the Release Candidate should be considered the "no later than" time
• Planned release date: Tag the stable release

Old Version

This is a general checklist when a version of Joomla! is released. Keep in mind that a major release differs a lot from a Minor Release or even a Maintenance Release. The checklist here describes the steps that need to be done for (at least) Maintenance Release and Minor Release.

Release checklist

It depends on the Development Cycle when the checklist is triggered. A release can be done during every stage of the Development Cycle, it does not matter if you release a beta or a stable version, this is a general checklist that can be used when releasing a new version of Joomla! The checklist starts when it's decided to release a version:

Preparation phase

1. Communication pre-release: check with PLT on timing
2. Communication pre-release: inform Bug Squad and LT's about timing
3. Decision: when the above has positive result, set a date and time for release
4. [Communication pre-release: inform Global Forum Moderators about upcoming release]
5. Communication pre-release: check availability and assign release tasks to JBS and PLT members
6. Minimum 14 days prior to a minor release: freeze trunk for language changes
7. Minimum 7 days prior to a patch release: freeze trunk for language changes
8. Minimum 3 days prior to release: freeze trunk for all changes, draft release notes to translation teams, package release candidate for testing
9. Day of release: add the new release on Joomlacode and upload the files, update web pages
10. Announce on forum, announce to LT's
11. Update specific web pages with current version data
12. Contact caped crusader for updating Joomla related sites
13. Update the sites

Pre-release phase

1. Apply latest installation translations (need to be delivered by translation work group Thomas Hunziker).
2. Create pre-release package for testing.
3. Offer pre-package to testers: Bug Squad members, Development Team members, translation members, and JTesters
4. If problems are found during this stage, go back to fix the problem. Use the Joomla! Maintenance Procedures and repeat until tests are performed successfully.
5. Draft the release notes on Joomla.org and post draft to the private translation forum.
6. Obtain any CVE numbers needed.
7. Draft security notices as needed and leave unpublished on Joomla! Developer Network.

Release phase

1. Check with JSST for security fixes. *
2. Create release notes document on joomla.org.
3. Run the bump.php script
4. Check language/en-GB/en-GB.files_joomla.sys.ini file for version number (not needed for minor update).
5. Commit and tag release locally
6. Package build by running build/build.php
7. Packages are now in the build/tmp folder
8. Push to GitHub
9. If problems are found during this stage, go back to fix the problem. Use the Joomla! Maintenance Procedures and repeat until tests are performed successfully.
10. Add package to GitHub
    1. This must be done after the version has been tagged and the tag pushed to GitHub due to how the Releases system works
    2. After pushing the tag, edit the release and attach all of the release packages to the release.
    3. Copy the description from a previous release and update for the new release.
11. Update XML file on update.joomla.org site for the new version number information.
    1. FTP connect to update1.joomla.org and Navigate to www/core
    2. All releases
       1. Change version attribute in list.xml (don't add new line except when incrementing major/minor version numbers)
    3. LTS Release
       1. Change the update elements for the series with the new version number and new downloadurl and link to new archive file to extension.xml
    4. STS Release
       1. Navigate to www/core/sts
       2. Change version attribute in list_sts.xml (don't add new line except when incrementing major/minor version numbers)
       3. Change the update elements for the series with the new version number, new downloadurl and link to new archive file to extension_sts.xml, and the infourl linking to the release announcement
    5. Test auto update from prior version(s) (make sure XML files have been copied to the CDN on update.joomla.org first)
       1. All releases
          1. Navigate to www/core/test
          2. Change version attribute in list_test.xml (don't add new line except when incrementing major/minor version numbers)
       2. LTS
          1. Upload patch package to this folder
       3. Change the update elements for the series with the new version number, new downloadurl and link to new archive file to extension_sts.xml, and the infourl linking to the release announcement
       4. STS
          1. Navigate to www/core/teststs
          2. Upload patch package to this folder
       5. Change the update elements for the series with the new version number, new downloadurl and link to new archive file to extension_sts.xml, and the infourl linking to the release announcement
12. Update Joomla Download Portal with new release data *
13. Publish security articles on developer site. *
14. Publish release announcement on Joomla.org
15. Publish announcement on the forum [Peter Martin]
16. Update Wiki: FAQ, Version history [Mat]
17. Post to leadership in Glip
18. Create the Web Platform Installer packs and submit them *
19. Add package to joomlacode.org
    1. Before the release is public, set the JoomlaCode package flags as follows: Visible=No, Public=No, Require Login=Yes.
    2. Set the Release flags as follows: Visible=Yes, Released=Yes.
    3. Once package is released, change the Package flags to Visible=Yes, Public=Yes, Require Login=No.
    4. Change the prior version package to Visible=No but leave the prior version release flags as they are.

Note: Items with an asterisk can be skipped for non-stable releases

Post-release & Finalization phase

1. Update GitHub repo for new version development
   1. Run build/bump.php with next version
2. Delete old release branch after confirming all commits are merged to series development head and there are no open pull requests
3. Close security issues in security tracker

Pages to update

1. Global:
   • Development Status
   • Downloads Portal

Sites to update

1. PLT Owned sites
   • Developer Site
   • Downloads Portal
   • API Site
     • Regenerate API docs for the new release via Jenkins

Calculating Release Statistics

Using JoomlaCode and CHANGELOG

1. Extract *all* issues from Tracker into spreadsheet. Make note of the date of the last release and the number of active issues at the time of the last release.
2. Set a filter on the "Closed Date" column to be "after" "the day of the last release".
   • Calculate "Closed" count by aggregating status values for Closed, Duplicate Report, Known Issue, Not a bug, Not Joomla! Core, Unable to Confirm.
   • Calculate "Fixed in SVN" count by aggregating status values for Open and Information Required. (Note: this value is presented two times in the report.)
3. Set a filter on the "Closed Date" column to be blanks:
   • Calculate "Open" count by aggregating status values for "Open" and "Information Required."
   • Calculate "Confirmed" count by aggregating status values for "Confirmed" and "In Progress."
   • Calculate "Pending" count by aggregating status values for "Pending" and "Ready to Commit."
4. Calculate the "New Active Issues" by aggregating the "Open", "Confirmed" and "Pending" counts.
5. Calculate the "net increase/decrease" by subtracting the "Last Release Active Issues" from the "New Active Issues."
6. Count the "number of commits" by reviewing the CHANGELOG.php file and counting the documented commits.

Using GitHub

1. Go to https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/compare/<version>...master where <version> is the previous release, this is GitHub's comparison view and will give stats from the previous release tag to the currently published master
2. From this page, you can compile the number of commits, contributors, and files changed during the release period

Download Statistics

1. Go to http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/?action=FrsReport
2. In the filter bar, set the start date to the date of the previous release and the end date to the day before the new release
3. The "Downloads By Package" chart is the total number of downloads for each release (i.e. 2.5.16 and 3.2.0) and includes an "Other" piece for all older version downloads
4. The "Downloads By Release" chart separates the packages by new install and updates

Alternative Method for Stats

• Fixed in SVN: Create query with close date > date of prior release and status = Fixed in SVN.
• Commits: Count from CHANGELOG.php as indicated above.
• New Reports: Run query with all status codes and open date > date of prior release.
• Increase / decrease in active issues: See note below
• Closed: Run query with closed date > date of prior release and status code one of Closed, Duplicate Report, Known Issue, Not a bug, Not Joomla! Core, Unable to Confirm.
• Open at time of release: query of all issues with status = Open or Information Required
• Confirmed at time of release: query of all issues with status = Confirmed or In Progress
• Pending at time of release: query of all issues with status = Pending or Ready to Commit

Increase/Decrease in Active Issues

• Total active issues now = Open at time of release + Confirmed at time of release + Pending at time of release
• This number minus the total active as of prior release is the net increase or decrease

As a check, make sure the following formula works:

• Prior release total active issues + New Reports - (Closed + Fixed in SVN) should equal the Total Active Issues now.