How to Release Apache Fineract - Cutting a release branch (Draft)

This document describes how to release Fineract. It is a work in progress and should be refined by the Release Manager (RM) as they come across aspects of the release process not yet documented here

Give a heads up

The RM should first create list of issues/features and then setup a timeline for release branch point. The time for the day the issue list is created to the release branch point must be at least two weeks in order to give the community a chance to prioritize and commit any last minute features and issues they would like to see in the upcoming release.

The RM should then send the pointer to the umbrella issue along with the tentative timeline for branch point to the developer lists. Any work identified as release related that needs to be completed should be added as a sub task of the umbrella issue to allow users to see the overall release progress in one place.

The RM should then inform users once branch point is created.

To: dev@fineract.incubator.apache.org
Subject: Work on $release release has started
Created a tracking jira (jira#) for the Fineract $release and plan to branch tentatively on $date. 
What would you like to see included?
Thanks,
$RM

Sanitize JIRA

Before a release is done, make sure that any issues that are fixed have their fix version setup correctly.

project = fineract and resolution = fixed and fixVersion is empty

Move the unresolved jiras to the next release

project = fineract and fixVersion = 0.7.0-incubating and status not in( resolved, done, Accepted, Closed)

project = fineract and fixVersion = '0.7.0-incubating'

Finally, check out the output of the JIRA release note tool to see which JIRAs are included in the release, in order to do a sanity check.

Creating Release Artifacts

Communicate with the community

Send an email to developer mailing list(dev@fineract.incubator.apache.org) to notify that you are about to branch. Ask to hold off any commits until this is finished. Send another email after branching is done.

Create a release branch

Clone fresh repository copy

% git clone https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf/incubator-fineract.git
% cd incubator-fineract

Check that current HEAD points to commit on which you want to base new  release branch. Checkout particular commit if not.

% git log # Check current branch history. HEAD should point to commit that you want to be base for your release branch

% git checkout -b 0.7.0-incubating

Push new branch to Apache Fineract repository

% git push origin 0.7.0-incubating

Add new release notes in Release Folders

(The change list can be swiped from the JIRA release note tool (use the "text" format for the change log). See JIRA Cleanup above to ensure that the release notes generated by this tool are what you are expecting)

Send en email announcing the new release branch

Tag release branch

% git checkout 0.7.0-incubating 
% git tag -a release-0.7.0-incubating -m "Fineract 0.7.0-incubating release"
#Make sure compiles/tests run fine and rat check is fine (% cd fineract-provider, % gradlew clean integrationTest)
% git push origin release-0.7.0-incubating

Rolling out the Release

Close JIRA version

You need to close the release in JIRA so that everyone knows that your version should not be used as "fixVersion" for new bugs. Go to JIRA "Administer project" page and follow "Versions" in left menu. Table with list of all releases should appear, click on additional menu on the right of your release and choose "Release" option. Submit release date and you're done.

Follow the steps defined in Release Sign

Sanity Check

Make sure the tar and the release branch match 

In order to release you have to checkout release repository located on https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/incubator/fineract and add release artifacts there.

svn co https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/incubator/fineract fineract-incubating-release
cd fineract-incubating-release
mkdir 0.7.0-incubating/
cp $source_to_your_artifacts 0.7.0-incubating/ svn add 0.7.0-incubating/

Announce the release

Send an email to announce@apache.org (the from: address must be @apache.org). For example,

To: announce@apache.org,general@incubator.apache.org
CC: dev@fineract.incubator.apache.org,user@fineract.incubator.apache.org
Subject: [ANNOUNCE] Apache Fineract 0.7.0-incubating Release
Hi all,
The Apache Fineract team would like to announce the release of Apache Fineract 0.6.0-incubating with source and binary artifacts.
Apache Fineract is an open source system for core banking as a platform. Fineract provides a reliable, robust, and affordable solution for entrepreneurs, 
financial institutions, and service providers to offer financial services to the world’s 2 billion under banked and unbanked. 
More details regarding Apache Fineract can be found at http://fineract.incubator.apache.org/
The release artifacts can be downloaded here: https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/release/incubator/fineract/0.7.0-incubating/
The release notes can be found here: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/FINERACT/0.7.0-incubating+Release-+Apache+Fineract

Thanks!
The Apache Fineract Team 
--- DISCLAIMER  Apache Fineract is an effort undergoing incubation at The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), sponsored by the Apache Incubator PMC. 
Incubation is required of all newly accepted projects until a further review indicates that the infrastructure, communications, 
and decision making process have stabilized in a manner consistent with other successful ASF projects. While incubation status is not necessarily 
a reflection of the completeness or stability of the code,it does indicate that the project has yet to be fully endorsed by the ASF. 
We would like to thank all contributors who made the release possible.

Finally update the website with latest release details downloads. Code is available at Website Code