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## 21 Releasing gdb

### 21.1 Branch Commit Policy

The branch commit policy is pretty slack. gdb releases 5.0, 5.1 and 5.2 all used the below:

- The `gdb/MAINTAINERS` file still holds.
- Don't fix something on the branch unless/until it is also fixed in the trunk. If this isn't possible, mentioning it in the `gdb/PROBLEMS` file is better than committing a hack.
- When considering a patch for the branch, suggested criteria include: Does it fix a build? Does it fix the sequence `break main; run` when debugging a static binary?
- The further a change is from the core of gdb, the less likely the change will worry anyone (e.g., target specific code).
- Only post a proposal to change the core of gdb after you've sent individual bribes to all the people listed in the `MAINTAINERS` file `;-)`

Pragmatics: Provided updates are restricted to non-core functionality there is little chance that a broken change will be fatal. This means that changes such as adding a new architectures or (within reason) support for a new host are considered acceptable.

### 21.2 Obsoleting code

Before anything else, poke the other developers (and around the source code) to see if there is anything that can be removed from gdb (an old target, an unused file).

Obsolete code is identified by adding an `OBSOLETE` prefix to every line. Doing this means that it is easy to identify something that has been obsoleted when greping through the sources.

The process is done in stages — this is mainly to ensure that the wider gdb community has a reasonable opportunity to respond. Remember, everything on the Internet takes a week.

1. Post the proposal on the GDB mailing list Creating a bug report to track the task's state, is also highly recommended.
2. Wait a week or so.
3. Post the proposal on the GDB Announcement mailing list.
4. Wait a week or so.
5. Go through and edit all relevant files and lines so that they are prefixed with the word `OBSOLETE`.
6. Wait until the next GDB version, containing this obsolete code, has been released.
7. Remove the obsolete code.

Maintainer note: While removing old code is regrettable it is hopefully better for gdb's long term development. Firstly it helps the developers by removing code that is either no longer relevant or simply wrong. Secondly since it removes any history associated with the file (effectively clearing the slate) the developer has a much freer hand when it comes to fixing broken files.

### 21.3 Before the Branch

The most important objective at this stage is to find and fix simple changes that become a pain to track once the branch is created. For instance, configuration problems that stop gdb from even building. If you can't get the problem fixed, document it in the `gdb/PROBLEMS` file.

#### Prompt for `gdb/NEWS`

People always forget. Send a post reminding them but also if you know something interesting happened add it yourself. The `schedule` script will mention this in its e-mail.

#### Review `gdb/README`

Grab one of the nightly snapshots and then walk through the `gdb/README` looking for anything that can be improved. The `schedule` script will mention this in its e-mail.

#### Refresh any imported files.

A number of files are taken from external repositories. They include:

- `texinfo/texinfo.tex`
- `config.guess` et. al. (see the top-level `MAINTAINERS` file)
- `etc/standards.texi`, `etc/make-stds.texi`

#### Check the ARI

A.R.I. is an `awk` script (Awk Regression Index ;-) that checks for a number of errors and coding conventions. The checks include things like using `malloc` instead of `xmalloc` and file naming problems. There shouldn't be any regressions.

#### 21.3.1 Review the bug data base

Close anything obviously fixed.

#### 21.3.2 Check all cross targets build

The targets are listed in `gdb/MAINTAINERS`.

### 21.4 Cut the Branch

#### Create the branch

         $  u=5.1
         $  v=5.2
         $  V=`echo $v | sed 's/\./_/g'`
         $  D=`date -u +%Y-%m-%d`
         $  echo $u $V $D
         5.1 5_2 2002-03-03
         $  echo cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src rtag \
         -D $D-gmt gdb_$V-$D-branchpoint insight
         cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src rtag
         -D 2002-03-03-gmt gdb_5_2-2002-03-03-branchpoint insight
         $  ^echo ^^
         ...
         $  echo cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src rtag \
         -b -r gdb_$V-$D-branchpoint gdb_$V-branch insight
         cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src rtag \
         -b -r gdb_5_2-2002-03-03-branchpoint gdb_5_2-branch insight
         $  ^echo ^^
         ...
         $

- By using `-D YYYY-MM-DD-gmt`, the branch is forced to an exact date/time.
- The trunk is first tagged so that the branch point can easily be found.
- Insight, which includes gdb, is tagged at the same time.
- `version.in` gets bumped to avoid version number conflicts.
- The reading of `.cvsrc` is disabled using `-f`.

#### Update `version.in`

         $  u=5.1
         $  v=5.2
         $  V=`echo $v | sed 's/\./_/g'`
         $  echo $u $v$V
         5.1 5_2
         $  cd /tmp
         $  echo cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src co \
         -r gdb_$V-branch src/gdb/version.in
         cvs -f -d :ext:sourceware.org:/cvs/src co
          -r gdb_5_2-branch src/gdb/version.in
         $  ^echo ^^
         U src/gdb/version.in
         $  cd src/gdb
         $  echo $u.90-0000-00-00-cvs > version.in
         $  cat version.in
         5.1.90-0000-00-00-cvs
         $  cvs -f commit version.in

- `0000-00-00` is used as a date to pump prime the version.in update mechanism.
- `.90` and the previous branch version are used as fairly arbitrary initial branch version number.

#### Update the web and news pages

Something?

#### Tweak cron to track the new branch

The file `gdbadmin/cron/crontab` contains gdbadmin's cron table. This file needs to be updated so that:

- A daily timestamp is added to the file `version.in`.
- The new branch is included in the snapshot process.

See the file `gdbadmin/cron/README` for how to install the updated cron table.

The file `gdbadmin/ss/README` should also be reviewed to reflect any changes. That file is copied to both the branch/ and current/ snapshot directories.

#### Update the NEWS and README files

The `NEWS` file needs to be updated so that on the branch it refers to changes in the current release while on the trunk it also refers to changes since the current release.

The `README` file needs to be updated so that it refers to the current release.

#### Post the branch info

Send an announcement to the mailing lists:

- GDB Announcement mailing list
- GDB Discussion mailing list and GDB Testers mailing list

Pragmatics: The branch creation is sent to the announce list to ensure that people people not subscribed to the higher volume discussion list are alerted.

The announcement should include:

- The branch tag.
- How to check out the branch using CVS.
- The date/number of weeks until the release.
- The branch commit policy still holds.

### 21.5 Stabilize the branch

Something goes here.

### 21.6 Create a Release

The process of creating and then making available a release is broken down into a number of stages. The first part addresses the technical process of creating a releasable tar ball. The later stages address the process of releasing that tar ball.

When making a release candidate just the first section is needed.

#### 21.6.1 Create a release candidate

The objective at this stage is to create a set of tar balls that can be made available as a formal release (or as a less formal release candidate).

##### Freeze the branch

Send out an e-mail notifying everyone that the branch is frozen to gdb-patches@sourceware.org.

##### Establish a few defaults.

         $  b=gdb_5_2-branch
         $  v=5.2
         $  t=/sourceware/snapshot-tmp/gdbadmin-tmp
         $  echo $t/$b/$v
         /sourceware/snapshot-tmp/gdbadmin-tmp/gdb_5_2-branch/5.2
         $  mkdir -p $t/$b/$v
         $  cd $t/$b/$v
         $  pwd
         /sourceware/snapshot-tmp/gdbadmin-tmp/gdb_5_2-branch/5.2
         $  which autoconf
         /home/gdbadmin/bin/autoconf
         $

Notes:

- Check the `autoconf` version carefully. You want to be using the version documented in the toplevel `README-maintainer-mode` file. It is very unlikely that the version of `autoconf` installed in system directories (e.g., `/usr/bin/autoconf`) is correct.

##### Check out the relevant modules:

         $  for m in gdb insight
         do
         ( mkdir -p $m && cd $m && cvs -q -f -d /cvs/src co -P -r $b $m )
         done
         $

Note:

- The reading of `.cvsrc` is disabled (`-f`) so that there isn't any confusion between what is written here and what your local `cvs` really does.

##### Update relevant files.

`gdb/NEWS`
  Major releases get their comments added as part of the mainline. Minor releases should probably mention any significant bugs that were fixed.

  Don't forget to include the `ChangeLog` entry.

                $  emacs gdb/src/gdb/NEWS
                ...
                c-x 4 a
                ...
                c-x c-s c-x c-c
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/NEWS insight/src/gdb/NEWS
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/ChangeLog insight/src/gdb/ChangeLog

`gdb/README`
  You'll need to update:
  - The version.
  - The update date.
  - Who did it.

                $  emacs gdb/src/gdb/README
                ...
                c-x 4 a
                ...
                c-x c-s c-x c-c
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/README insight/src/gdb/README
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/ChangeLog insight/src/gdb/ChangeLog

  Maintainer note: Hopefully the `README` file was reviewed before the initial branch was cut so just a simple substitute is needed to get it updated.

  Maintainer note: Other projects generate `README` and `INSTALL` from the core documentation. This might be worth pursuing.

`gdb/version.in`

                $  echo $v > gdb/src/gdb/version.in
                $  cat gdb/src/gdb/version.in
                5.2
                $  emacs gdb/src/gdb/version.in
                ...
                c-x 4 a
                ... Bump to version ...
                c-x c-s c-x c-c
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/version.in insight/src/gdb/version.in
                $  cp gdb/src/gdb/ChangeLog insight/src/gdb/ChangeLog

##### Do the dirty work

This is identical to the process used to create the daily snapshot.

         $  for m in gdb insight
         do
         ( cd $m/src && gmake -f src-release $m.tar )
         done

If the top level source directory does not have `src-release` (gdb version 5.3.1 or earlier), try these commands instead:

         $  for m in gdb insight
         do
         ( cd $m/src && gmake -f Makefile.in $m.tar )
         done

##### Check the source files

You're looking for files that have mysteriously disappeared. `distclean` has the habit of deleting files it shouldn't. Watch out for the `version.in` update `cronjob`.

         $  ( cd gdb/src && cvs -f -q -n update )
         M djunpack.bat
         ? gdb-5.1.91.tar
         ? proto-toplev
         ... lots of generated files ...
         M gdb/ChangeLog
         M gdb/NEWS
         M gdb/README
         M gdb/version.in
         ... lots of generated files ...
         $

Don't worry about the `gdb.info-??` or `gdb/p-exp.tab.c`. They were generated (and yes `gdb.info-1` was also generated only something strange with CVS means that they didn't get suppressed). Fixing it would be nice though.

##### Create compressed versions of the release

         $  cp */src/*.tar .
         $  cp */src/*.bz2 .
         $  ls -F
         gdb/ gdb-5.2.tar insight/ insight-5.2.tar
         $  for m in gdb insight
         do
         bzip2 -v -9 -c $m-$v.tar > $m-$v.tar.bz2
         gzip -v -9 -c $m-$v.tar > $m-$v.tar.gz
         done
         $

Note:

- A pipe such as `bunzip2 < xxx.bz2 | gzip -9 > xxx.gz` is not since, in that mode, `gzip` does not know the name of the file and, hence, can not include it in the compressed file. This is also why the release process runs `tar` and `bzip2` as separate passes.

#### 21.6.2 Sanity check the tar ball

Pick a popular machine (Solaris/PPC?) and try the build on that.

         $  bunzip2 < gdb-5.2.tar.bz2 | tar xpf -
         $  cd gdb-5.2
         $  ./configure
         $  make
         ...
         $  ./gdb/gdb ./gdb/gdb
         GNU gdb 5.2
         ...
         (gdb)  b main
         Breakpoint 1 at 0x80732bc: file main.c, line 734.
         (gdb)  run
         Starting program: /tmp/gdb-5.2/gdb/gdb

         Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xbffff8b4) at main.c:734
         734       catch_errors (captured_main, &args, "", RETURN_MASK_ALL);
         (gdb)  print args
         $1 = {argc = 136426532, argv = 0x821b7f0}
         (gdb)

#### 21.6.3 Make a release candidate available

If this is a release candidate then the only remaining steps are:

1. Commit `version.in` and `ChangeLog`
2. Tweak `version.in` (and `ChangeLog` to read L.M.N-0000-00-00-cvs so that the version update process can restart.
3. Make the release candidate available in ftp://sourceware.org/pub/gdb/snapshots/branch
4. Notify the relevant mailing lists ( gdb@sourceware.org and gdb-testers@sourceware.org that the candidate is available.

#### 21.6.4 Make a formal release available

(And you thought all that was required was to post an e-mail.)

##### Install on sware

Copy the new files to both the release and the old release directory:

         $  cp *.bz2 *.gz ~ftp/pub/gdb/old-releases/
         $  cp *.bz2 *.gz ~ftp/pub/gdb/releases

Clean up the releases directory so that only the most recent releases are available (e.g. keep 5.2 and 5.2.1 but remove 5.1):

         $  cd ~ftp/pub/gdb/releases
         $  rm ...

Update the file `README` and `.message` in the releases directory:

         $  vi README
         ...
         $  rm -f .message
         $  ln README .message

##### Update the web pages.

`htdocs/download/ANNOUNCEMENT`
  This file, which is posted as the official announcement, includes:
  - General announcement.
  - News. If making an M.N.1 release, retain the news from earlier M.N release.
  - Errata.
`htdocs/index.html`
`htdocs/news/index.html`
`htdocs/download/index.html`
  These files include:
  - Announcement of the most recent release.
  - News entry (remember to update both the top level and the news directory).
  These pages also need to be regenerate using `index.sh`.
`download/onlinedocs/`
  You need to find the magic command that is used to generate the online docs from the `.tar.bz2`. The best way is to look in the output from one of the nightly `cron` jobs and then just edit accordingly. Something like:

                $  ~/ss/update-web-docs \
                 ~ftp/pub/gdb/releases/gdb-5.2.tar.bz2 \
                 $PWD/www \
                 /www/sourceware/htdocs/gdb/download/onlinedocs \
                 gdb

`download/ari/`
  Just like the online documentation. Something like:

                $  /bin/sh ~/ss/update-web-ari \
                 ~ftp/pub/gdb/releases/gdb-5.2.tar.bz2 \
                 $PWD/www \
                 /www/sourceware/htdocs/gdb/download/ari \
                 gdb

##### Shadow the pages onto gnu

Something goes here.

##### Install the gdb tar ball on GNU

At the time of writing, the GNU machine was `gnudist.gnu.org` in `~ftp/gnu/gdb`.

##### Make the `ANNOUNCEMENT`

Post the `ANNOUNCEMENT` file you created above to:

- GDB Announcement mailing list
- General GNU Announcement list (but delay it a day or so to let things get out)
- GDB Bug Report mailing list

#### 21.6.5 Cleanup

The release is out but you're still not finished.

##### Commit outstanding changes

In particular you'll need to commit any changes to:

- `gdb/ChangeLog`
- `gdb/version.in`
- `gdb/NEWS`
- `gdb/README`

##### Tag the release

Something like:

         $  d=`date -u +%Y-%m-%d`
         $  echo $d
         2002-01-24
         $  ( cd insight/src/gdb && cvs -f -q update )
         $  ( cd insight/src && cvs -f -q tag gdb_5_2-$d-release )

Insight is used since that contains more of the release than gdb.

##### Mention the release on the trunk

Just put something in the `ChangeLog` so that the trunk also indicates when the release was made.

##### Restart `gdb/version.in`

If `gdb/version.in` does not contain an ISO date such as `2002-01-24` then the daily `cronjob` won't update it. Having committed all the release changes it can be set to `5.2.0_0000-00-00-cvs` which will restart things (yes the `_` is important - it affects the snapshot process).

Don't forget the `ChangeLog`.

##### Merge into trunk

The files committed to the branch may also need changes merged into the trunk.

##### Revise the release schedule

Post a revised release schedule to GDB Discussion List with an updated announcement. The schedule can be generated by running:

         $  ~/ss/schedule `date +%s` schedule

The first parameter is approximate date/time in seconds (from the epoch) of the most recent release.

Also update the schedule `cronjob`.

### 21.7 Post release

Remove any `OBSOLETE` code.