https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/INCUBATOR/Incubator+Release+Checklist

Introduction

Using the validation script

Manual validation

Validation Template

See also the Incubator Release Checklist (which is not official policy, but may help)

Here is a template that can help you valiating a release:

•  Download all staged artifacts under the url specified in the release vote email
•  Verify the signature is correct
•  Check if the check is successful.
•  Check if the signature references an Apache email address.
•  Verify the SHA512 hashes.
•  Unzip the archive.
•  Verify the existence of LICENSE, NOTICE, README, RELEASE_NOTES files in the extracted source bundle.
•  Verify the content of LICENSE, NOTICE, README, RELEASE_NOTES files in the extracted source bundle.
•  Run RAT
•  Search for SNAPSHOT
•  Build the project according to the information in the README.md file.