github.com/Finschia/finschia-sdk@v0.48.1/RELEASE_PROCESS.md (about)

     1  # Release Process
     2  
     3  This document outlines the process for releasing a new version of Cosmos SDK, which involves major release and patch releases as well as maintenance for the major release.
     4  
     5  ## Major Release Procedure
     6  
     7  A _major release_ is an increment of the first number (eg: `v1.2` → `v2.0.0`) or the _point number_ (eg: `v1.1 → v1.2.0`, also called _point release_). Each major release opens a _stable release series_ and receives updates outlined in the [Major Release Maintenance](#major-release-maintenance)_section.
     8  
     9  Before making a new _major_ release we do beta and release candidate releases. For example, for release 1.0.0:
    10  
    11  ```
    12  v1.0.0-beta1 → v1.0.0-beta2 → ... → v1.0.0-rc1 → v1.0.0-rc2 → ... → v1.0.0
    13  ```
    14  
    15  - Release a first beta version on the `master` branch and freeze `master` from receiving any new features. After beta is released, we focus on releasing the release candidate:
    16      - finish audits and reviews
    17      - kick off a large round of simulation testing (e.g. 400 seeds for 2k blocks)
    18      - perform functional tests
    19      - add more tests
    20      - release new beta version as the bugs are discovered and fixed.
    21  - After the team feels that the `master` works fine we create a `release/vY` branch (going forward known a release branch), where `Y` is the version number, with the patch part substituted to `x` (eg: 0.42.x, 1.0.x). Ensure the release branch is protected so that pushes against the release branch are permitted only by the release manager or release coordinator.
    22      - **PRs targeting this branch can be merged _only_ when exceptional circumstances arise**
    23      - update the GitHub mergify integration by adding instructions for automatically backporting commits from `master` to the `release/vY` using the `backport/Y` label.
    24  - In the release branch, prepare a new version section in the `CHANGELOG.md`
    25      - All links must be link-ified: `$ python ./scripts/linkify_changelog.py CHANGELOG.md`
    26      - Copy the entries into a `RELEASE_CHANGELOG.md`, this is needed so the bot knows which entries to add to the release page on GitHub.
    27  - Create a new annotated git tag for a release candidate  (eg: `git tag -a v1.1.0-rc1`) in the release branch.
    28      - from this point we unfreeze master.
    29      - the SDK teams collaborate and do their best to run testnets in order to validate the release.
    30      - when bugs are found, create a PR for `master`, and backport fixes to the release branch.
    31      - create new release candidate tags after bugs are fixed.
    32  - After the team feels the release branch is stable and everything works, create a full release:
    33      - update `CHANGELOG.md`.
    34      - create a new annotated git tag (eg `git -a v1.1.0`) in the release branch.
    35      - Create a GitHub release.
    36  
    37  Following _semver_ philosophy, point releases after `v1.0`:
    38  
    39  - must not break API
    40  - can break consensus
    41  
    42  Before `v1.0`, point release can break both point API and consensus.
    43  
    44  ## Patch Release Procedure
    45  
    46  A _patch release_ is an increment of the patch number (eg: `v1.2.0` → `v1.2.1`).
    47  
    48  **Patch release must not break API nor consensus.**
    49  
    50  Updates to the release branch should come from `master` by backporting PRs (usually done by automatic cherry pick followed by a PRs to the release branch). The backports must be marked using `backport/Y` label in PR for master.
    51  It is the PR author's responsibility to fix merge conflicts, update changelog entries, and
    52  ensure CI passes. If a PR originates from an external contributor, a core team member assumes
    53  responsibility to perform this process instead of the original author.
    54  Lastly, it is core team's responsibility to ensure that the PR meets all the SRU criteria.
    55  
    56  Point Release must follow the [Stable Release Policy](#stable-release-policy).
    57  
    58  After the release branch has all commits required for the next patch release:
    59  
    60  - update `CHANGELOG.md`.
    61  - create a new annotated git tag (eg `git -a v1.1.0`) in the release branch.
    62  - Create a GitHub release.
    63  
    64  ## Major Release Maintenance
    65  
    66  Major Release series continue to receive bug fixes (released as a Patch Release) until they reach **End Of Life**.
    67  Major Release series is maintained in compliance with the **Stable Release Policy** as described in this document.
    68  Note: not every Major Release is denoted as stable releases.
    69  
    70  Only the following major release series have a stable release status:
    71  
    72  * **0.42 «Stargate»** is supported until 2022-02-09. A fairly strict **bugfix-only** rule applies to pull requests that are requested to be included into a stable point-release.
    73  * **0.44** is supported until 2022-07-17. A fairly strict **bugfix-only** rule applies to pull requests that are requested to be included into a stable point-release.
    74  * **0.45** is the latest major release and will be supported until 6 months after **0.46.0** release.
    75  
    76  ## Stable Release Policy
    77  
    78  ### Patch Releases
    79  
    80  Once a Cosmos-SDK release has been completed and published, updates for it are released under certain circumstances
    81  and must follow the [Patch Release Procedure](CONTRIBUTING.md#patch-release-procedure)[Point Release Procedure].
    82  
    83  ### Rationale
    84  
    85  Unlike in-development `master` branch snapshots, **Cosmos-SDK** releases are subject to much wider adoption,
    86  and by a significantly different demographic of users. During development, changes in the `master` branch
    87  affect SDK users, application developers, early adopters, and other advanced users that elect to use
    88  unstable experimental software at their own risk.
    89  
    90  Conversely, users of a stable release expect a high degree of stability. They build their applications on it, and the
    91  problems they experience with it could be potentially highly disruptive to their projects.
    92  
    93  Stable release updates are recommended to the vast majority of developers, and so it is crucial to treat them
    94  with great caution. Hence, when updates are proposed, they must be accompanied by a strong rationale and present
    95  a low risk of regressions, i.e. even one-line changes could cause unexpected regressions due to side effects or
    96  poorly tested code. We never assume that any change, no matter how little or non-intrusive, is completely exempt
    97  of regression risks.
    98  
    99  Therefore, the requirements for stable changes are different than those that are candidates to be merged in
   100  the `master` branch. When preparing future major releases, our aim is to design the most elegant, user-friendly and
   101  maintainable SDK possible which often entails fundamental changes to the SDK's architecture design, rearranging and/or
   102  renaming packages as well as reducing code duplication so that we maintain common functions and data structures in one
   103  place rather than leaving them scattered all over the code base. However, once a release is published, the
   104  priority is to minimise the risk caused by changes that are not strictly required to fix qualifying bugs; this tends to
   105  be correlated with minimising the size of such changes. As such, the same bug may need to be fixed in different
   106  ways in stable releases and `master` branch.
   107  
   108  ### Migrations
   109  
   110  To smoothen the update to the latest stable release, the SDK includes a set of CLI commands for managing migrations between SDK versions, under the `migrate` subcommand. Only migration scripts between stable releases are included. For the current major release, and later, migrations are supported.
   111  
   112  ### What qualifies as a Stable Release Update (SRU)?
   113  
   114  * **High-impact bugs**
   115      * Bugs that may directly cause a security vulnerability.
   116      * *Severe regressions* from a Cosmos-SDK's previous release. This includes all sort of issues
   117      that may cause the core packages or the `x/` modules unusable.
   118      * Bugs that may cause **loss of user's data**.
   119  * Other safe cases:
   120      * Bugs which don't fit in the aforementioned categories for which an obvious safe patch is known.
   121      * Relatively small yet strictly non-breaking features with strong support from the community.
   122      * Relatively small yet strictly non-breaking changes that introduce forward-compatible client
   123      features to smoothen the migration to successive releases.
   124      * Relatively small yet strictly non-breaking CLI improvements.
   125  
   126  ### What does not qualify as SRU?
   127  
   128  * State machine changes.
   129  * Breaking changes in Protobuf definitions, as specified in [ADR-044](./docs/architecture/adr-044-protobuf-updates-guidelines.md).
   130  * Changes that introduces API breakages (e.g. public functions and interfaces removal/renaming).
   131  * Client-breaking changes in gRPC and HTTP request and response types.
   132  * CLI-breaking changes.
   133  * Cosmetic fixes, such as formatting or linter warning fixes.
   134  
   135  ### What pull requests will be included in stable point-releases?
   136  
   137  Pull requests that fix bugs and add features that fall in the following categories do not require a **Stable Release Exception** to be granted to be included in a stable point-release:
   138  
   139  * **Severe regressions**.
   140  * Bugs that may cause **client applications** to be **largely unusable**.
   141  * Bugs that may cause **state corruption or data loss**.
   142  * Bugs that may directly or indirectly cause a **security vulnerability**.
   143  * Non-breaking features that are strongly requested by the community.
   144  * Non-breaking CLI improvements that are strongly requested by the community.
   145  
   146  ### What pull requests will NOT be automatically included in stable point-releases?
   147  
   148  As rule of thumb, the following changes will **NOT** be automatically accepted into stable point-releases:
   149  
   150  * **State machine changes**.
   151  * **Protobug-breaking changes**, as specified in [ADR-044](./docs/architecture/adr-044-protobuf-updates-       guidelines.md).
   152  * **Client-breaking changes**, i.e. changes that prevent gRPC, HTTP and RPC clients to continue interacting with the node without any change.
   153  * **API-breaking changes**, i.e. changes that prevent client applications to *build without modifications* to the client application's source code.
   154  * **CLI-breaking changes**, i.e. changes that require usage changes for CLI users.
   155  
   156   In some circumstances, PRs that don't meet the aforementioned criteria might be raised and asked to be granted a *Stable Release Exception*.
   157  
   158  ### Stable Release Exception - Procedure
   159  
   160  1. Check that the bug is either fixed or not reproducible in `master`. It is, in general, not appropriate to release bug fixes for stable releases without first testing them in `master`. Please apply the label [v0.43](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/milestone/26) to the issue.
   161  2. Add a comment to the issue and ensure it contains the following information (see the bug template below):
   162  
   163  * **[Impact]** An explanation of the bug on users and justification for backporting the fix to the stable release.
   164  * A **[Test Case]** section containing detailed instructions on how to reproduce the bug.
   165  * A **[Regression Potential]** section with a clear assessment on how regressions are most likely to manifest as a result of the pull request that aims to fix the bug in the target stable release.
   166  
   167  3. **Stable Release Managers** will review and discuss the PR. Once *consensus* surrounding the rationale has been reached and the technical review has successfully concluded, the pull request will be merged in the respective point-release target branch (e.g. `release/v0.43.x`) and the PR included in the point-release's respective milestone (e.g. `v0.43.5`).
   168  
   169  #### Stable Release Exception - Bug template
   170  
   171  ```
   172  #### Impact
   173  
   174  Brief xplanation of the effects of the bug on users and a justification for backporting the fix to the stable release.
   175  
   176  #### Test Case
   177  
   178  Detailed instructions on how to reproduce the bug on Stargate's most recently published point-release.
   179  
   180  #### Regression Potential
   181  
   182  Explanation on how regressions might manifest - even if it's unlikely.
   183  It is assumed that stable release fixes are well-tested and they come with a low risk of regressions.
   184  It's crucial to make the effort of thinking about what could happen in case a regression emerges.
   185  ```
   186  
   187  ### Stable Release Managers
   188  
   189  The **Stable Release Managers** evaluate and approve or reject updates and backports to Cosmos-SDK Stable Release series,
   190  according to the [stable release policy](#stable-release-policy) and [release procedure](#stable-release-exception-procedure).
   191  Decisions are made by consensus.
   192  
   193  Their responsibilites include:
   194  
   195  * Driving the Stable Release Exception process.
   196  * Approving/rejecting proposed changes to a stable release series.
   197  * Executing the release process of stable point-releases in compliance with the [Point Release Procedure](CONTRIBUTING.md).
   198  
   199  The Stable Release Managers are appointed by the Interchain Foundation. Currently residing Stable Release Managers:
   200  
   201  * @clevinson - Cory Levinson
   202  * @amaurym - Amaury Martiny
   203  * @robert-zaremba - Robert Zaremba