Release Process for v20.0.0

[PastaPastaPasta]

v20.0.0 Release Process

• Update translations, see translation_process.md. (@UdjinM6)
• Update manpages, see gen-manpages.sh. done: docs: update man pages #5672

Before every minor and major release:

• Update bips.md to account for changes since the last release (@thephez).
• Update version in configure.ac (don't forget to set CLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE to true) (@PastaPastaPasta) chore: set release version to true; set rc to 0 #5695
• Write Release Notes (@PastaPastaPasta @UdjinM6) docs: add v20.0.0 release notes, archive v19.3.0 and drop partial ones #5674
• Update src/chainparams.cpp nMinimumChainWork with information from the getblockchaininfo rpc. chore: update mainnet chainparams and seeds #5692
• Update src/chainparams.cpp defaultAssumeValid with information from the getblockhash rpc. chore: update mainnet chainparams and seeds #5692
• Update main net activation timing chore: update mainnet chainparams and seeds #5692.
• This update should be reviewed with a reindex-chainstate with assumevalid=0 to catch any defect that causes rejection of blocks in the past history. (@ogabrielides) (Checked on both Testnet/Mainnet)
• Ensure that governance is functional after sentinel changes are done
• Ensure all TODOs are evaluated and resolved if needed (@PastaPastaPasta to create google sheet of all) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pG_3Rggg8e9YPxZneVrb7c7F-x3y6sU4pZNwPRy6hoM/edit#gid=0 (dcg only)
• Verify insight works (@strophy)
• Verify p2pool works (unmaintained; no responsible party)

Tag the Release

• Tag v20.0.0 and push (@PastaPastaPasta)

Check CI

• Validate that CI passes

Do Guix Build (for unsigned binaries) and create PRs

• Pasta Guix Build
• Udjin Guix Build
• Thephez Guix Build
• Kittywhiskers Guix Build
• Knst Guix Build

Create Windows/OS X detached signatures (note: it might be decided skip signed binaries for RCs)
Only once the Windows/OS X builds each have 3 matching signatures may they be signed with their respective release keys.

• Pasta creates windows detached signature and commits
• pasta creates OS X detached signature

Update Gitian Builds with signed binaries (note: it might be decided skip signed binaries for RCs)

• Pasta Guix Build
• Udjin Guix Build
• Thephez Guix Build
• Kittywhiskers Guix Build
• Knst Guix Build

After 3 or more people have gitian-built and their results match:

• Create SHA256SUMS.asc for the builds
• GPG sign each download / binary
• Upload zips and installers, as well as SHA256SUMS.asc from last step, to github as github draft release.
• Validate SHA256SUMS.asc and all binaries attached to github draft release are correct
• Notarize OS X binaries (we can't do this) (talk to @tikhop (pavel) about this
• Release on github
• Update website
• Ensure that docker hub images are up to date

Announce the release:

• Release on Dash forum: https://www.dash.org/forum/topic/official-announcements.54/ (Patrick)
• Optionally Discord, twitter, reddit /r/Dashpay, post in slack... but this will usually sort out itself
• Celebrate

After the release

• Submit patches to BTCPay to ensure they use latest / compatible version see Release Schedule for v18.0.0 #4211 (comment) (@strophy ?)

Additional Items

• Prepare release blog post (necessary so we have a permalink to use on twitter, reddit, etc.)
• Prepare product brief (major versions only?) (@thephez; need to talk with marina and publish this asap)
• Prepare a release announcement tweet (tell Marina)
• Follow-up tweets with any important block heights for consensus changes (Marina again)
• Post on reddit
• Update docs (readme and RTD) (@thephez)
• Test Docker build runs without errors in Dashmate (@shumkov)
• Add new Release Process items to in repo release process document (@knst)

[thephez]

@PastaPastaPasta The product brief was published last week on the Dash blog

[ogabrielides]

Reindexed both Mainnet and Tesnet successfully with -assumevalid=0

[thephez]

Updated user docs
Updated core docs

[strophy]

BTCPayServer:

• chore: update Dash to 20.0.2 btcpayserver/dockerfile-deps#74
• chore: update Dash to 20.0.2 btcpayserver/btcpayserver-docker#855

Thanks @ktechmidas