Prepare Release 3.8.1

[ann0see]

Target timeline
Scheduled feature freeze / Start of translation process: 2021-09-15
Targeted translation completion date: 2021-09-30
Approximate release date: 2021-10-22 (actual 2021-10-23)
Current state: Released

Checklist

• Assign this issue to the release shepherd who is in charge of managing this checklist (I won’t since I‘ll focus on the website)
• Pin this issue
• Create a milestone and add all relevant issues
• Ensure that all issues/PR targeted for this release are done by checking the Project board with an appropriate filter (e.g. milestone:"Release 3.8.0"). Reminder main developers to review entries in Waiting on team state. De-tag unfinished Issues/PRs.
• Declare a freeze for code website by updating this Issue and adding a comment. PRs can still be worked on and may get reviewed, but must not be merged unless agreed explicitly.
• Check ./Jamulus -h output against the en-Command-Line-Options.md wiki page and update if necessary.
• Write the Changelog based on the list of PRs in "done" state (example for 3.8.1)
• Start Website translations
  • Check for broken links with a link checker on the next-release branch and fix them
  • Check again if all issues tagged to this release are merged to next-release
  • Check if all merged Pull Requests on the jamulussoftware/jamulus repository which needed documentation have been documented and everything is in sync
  • Check for conflicts between the release and next-release branch (e.g. by opening a Pull Request from release to next-release)
  • Open a Pull Request from next-release to release, set it as "Draft" and briefly scan the changes for typos or errors in the English version
  • Declare a full freeze of the next-release and release branch. No changes should be made from now on to ensure translators don't have to work twice.
  • Check if the list of translators in tools/create-translation-issues.sh and issue texts are up-to-date
  • Create a translation issue for each language with tools/create-translation-issues.sh using web argument (see notes in script).
  • If anyone finds critical issues now, all translators must be made aware of them and all languages should be updated.
• Start App translations
  • Generate .ts files in master via lupdate
  • Check if the list of translators in tools/create-translation-issues.sh is up-to-date
  • Create a translation issue for each language with tools/create-translation-issues.sh using app argument.
• Tag a beta release (inform emlynmac for signing on macOS)
• Announce the beta release on Github Discussions. Pin the thread.
• Get feedback on the stability and resource usage (memleaks?, crashes?, installation issues?) of the beta release
• Finish Website translations
  • Wait for all PRs to be merged (missing translations will revert to English automatically)
  • Check for broken links with a link checker locally (run _po4a-tools/po4a-create-all-targets.sh locally first)
• Finish App translations
  • Review PRs
    Checklist for the PRs

    - [ ] Translator listed in the `src/util.cpp` **optionally add link to PR or code**
    - [ ] Punctuation and spacing consistent
    - [ ] Signal words consistent ("ASIO", "Buffer")
    - [ ] App translations: No untranslated strings (`grep unfinished -5 src/res/translation/translation_$TRANSLATION*.ts`)
    - [ ] App translations: Only a single `.ts` file checked in (`.qm` in addition is also OK)
    - [ ] Installer translations: Passes `tools/check-wininstaller-translations.sh`
    

  • Wait for all PRs to be merged (missing translations will revert to English automatically).
  • Check for conflicting accelerator keys (see tools/checkkeys.pl)
  • Generate .qm files via lrelease Jamulus.pro
• Tag a release candidate (inform emlynmac for signing on macOS)
• Announce the release candidate on Github Discussions. Pin the thread. Unpin and lock the beta thread.
• Draft an announcement, include all contributors via tools/get_release_contributors.py
• Update the version number in Jamulus.pro and add the release date to the Changelog header and commit
• Tag this commit as r3_y_z
• Wait for the build to complete
• Contact emlynmac for signing on macOS
• Do a smoke test for Windows/Mac/Linux -- Do the binaries start/connect properly? Can earlier Jamulus versions properly connect to a server based on the new release?
• Force tag that tag as latest and push.
• Upload the artifacts to SourceForge and link latest (see Document SourceForge release process #1814 for docs)
• Prepare Jamulus.pro (dev suffix) and ChangeLog (add a header) for the next release
• Update download links on the website by editing config.yml
• Publish Website release by merging next-release into release
• Announce the new release with a summary of changes (+ link to the changelog for details) and a link to the download page
  • On Github Discussions in the Announcements section. Lock the announcement thread. Pin the thread. Unpin and lock release candidate thread.
  • On Facebook in the group "Jamulus (official group)". Turn off replies.
• Trigger the update notification by updating both Update Check Servers with the new version (@pljones for update02, email corrados for update01)
• Delete the next-release branch from the Website repo
• Check that all Issues and PRs tagged for this release are in Done/Closed state.
• Close the release milestone in both jamulus and jamuluswebsite repos
• Create a milestone for the next minor release in jamulus and jamuluswebsite repos
• Update the release checklist with any improvements which were found
• Create a release retrospective Discussion
• Unpin and close this issue
• Update this template in https://jamulus.io/contribute/Release-Process if needed.

[ann0see]

Opened as per chat.

In order to move this forward:
Declare how 3.8.1 should look like. Which are the features still missing?
--> Open relevant issues and tag them. Note: this process will only last for a limited time (<1week)

[ann0see]

Ok. I think I'm ok with the things tagged now.

[JaminShanti]

Update: My Build environment isn't working yet. Can someone try to add self.view.resizeColumnToContents(0) to connectdgbase.ui ? Thanks!
What features are you considering? I would like to review. One I would really like is if the "Connect" Form would auto maximize width on windows.

instead of :

[pljones]

@JaminShanti if the issue has already been raised and a pull request is being considered, then it's possible it could be in the release.

Otherwise, it's missed 3.8.1. See "De-tag unfinished Issues/PRs." This means the work must be completed already.

So if it's not there yet, hurry and make it happen.

[ann0see]

Agree. I think we should stop tagging new PRs soon (actually a week is almost over) and then work on the remaining tagged ones. I will not be available from the end of September due to personal reasons, so at least the we should start freezing as soon as possible.

[ann0see]

I've moved https://github.com/jamulussoftware/jamulus/blob/master/RELEASE-PROCESS.md into jamulussoftware/jamuluswebsite#592
I think it makes sense to put all the release related stuff on the website and make it "copy and pastable".

[gilgongo]

I think we need to finish - or de-tag - any PRs that are not yet finished for this release:

#1794
#1829
#1889
#1954
#1927
#1741

BTW just looking at the release milestone in GH is not helpful in the run-up to a release becuase it doesn't show what the actual status of something is. Anything can be tagged for a release - it doesn't mean it's going in :-)

[ann0see]

@JaminShanti you can have a look at @gilgongo ‘s list from above and help out by testing the beta releases.

[JaminShanti]

I'll try out the beta today. I don't code in C. Sry. I do code in python , bash , and powershell if you need any help there. Where is the beta release kept at? I don't see a release branch or a 3.8.1 tag.

[ann0see]

It’s not yet out; however I can tag a nightly which would then appear here: https://github.com/jamulussoftware/jamulus/releases

for PowerShell, the Windows build scripts might be a good read. You might want to have a look at JACK Support for Windows: #1829 and review it.
Python is probably in the /autobuild/ folder and bash too. Actually, the PowerShell scripts might be a bit complicated. Maybe this bigger proposal of changing e.g. the build process: #1936 might be interesting?

OFC, you can also look into other PRs/issues ;-)

[ann0see]

Pushed a nightly: https://github.com/jamulussoftware/jamulus/releases/tag/r3.8.0devNightly2

People who want to try it need to know that it's still an early pre-release without translation etc. Please test it for bugs, regressions...

[JaminShanti]

I took a look at the windows build. I don't know much about QT. Seems like a big download. For now, I'll just test out the devNightly2.