1 files changed, 98 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/doc/RELEASING.md b/doc/RELEASING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..432b1da1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/RELEASING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+Releasing a New Monitoring Plugins Version
+==========================================
+
+Throughout this document, it is assumed that the current Monitoring
+Plugins version is 2.3.3, and that we're about to publish version 2.4.
+It is also assumed that the official repository on GitHub is tracked
+using the remote name `monitoring-plugins` (rather than `origin`).
+
+Before you start
+----------------
+
+- Check Github Actions status.
+- Update local Git repository to the current `master` tip.  For a
+  maintenance release (e.g., version 2.3.4), update to the current
+  `maint-2.3` tip, instead.
+
+Prepare and commit files
+------------------------
+
+- Update `configure.ac` and `NP-VERSION-GEN` with new version.
+- Update `NEWS` from `git log --reverse v2.3.3..` output, and specify
+  the release version/date.
+- Update `AUTHORS` if there are new team members.
+- Update `THANKS.in` using `tools/update-thanks`.
+- Commit the results:
+
+        git commit configure.ac NP-VERSION-GEN NEWS AUTHORS THANKS.in
+
+Create annotated tag
+--------------------
+
+    git tag -a -m 'Monitoring Plugins 2.4' v2.4
+
+Push the code and tag to GitHub
+-------------------------------
+
+    git push monitoring-plugins master
+    git push monitoring-plugins v2.4
+
+Create new maintenance branch
+-----------------------------
+
+_Only necessary when creating a feature release._
+
+    git checkout -b maint-2.4 v2.4
+    git push -u monitoring-plugins maint-2.4
+
+Checkout new version
+--------------------
+
+    rm -rf /tmp/plugins
+    git archive --prefix=tmp/plugins/ v2.4 | (cd /; tar -xf -)
+
+Build the tarball
+-----------------
+
+    cd /tmp/plugins
+    tools/setup     # requires docbook to be installed
+    ./configure
+    make dist
+
+Upload tarball to web site
+--------------------------
+
+    scp monitoring-plugins-2.4.tar.gz \
+        plugins@orwell.monitoring-plugins.org:web/download/
+
+Generate SHA1 checksum file on web site
+---------------------------------------
+
+    ssh plugins@orwell.monitoring-plugins.org \
+        '(cd web/download; $HOME/bin/create-checksum monitoring-plugins-2.4.tar.gz)'
+
+Announce new release
+--------------------
+
+- In the site.git repository:
+
+    - Create `web/input/news/release-2-4.md`.
+    - Update the `plugins_release` version in `web/macros.py`.
+    - Commit and push the result:
+
+            git add web/input/news/release-2-4.md
+            git commit web/input/news/release-2-4.md web/macros.py
+            git push origin master
+
+- Post an announcement on (at least) the following mailing lists:
+
+    - <announce@monitoring-plugins.org>
+    - <help@monitoring-plugins.org> (set `Reply-To:` to this one)
+
+- Ask the social media department to announce the release on Twitter :-)
+
+If you want to mention the number of contributors in the announcement:
+
+    git shortlog -s v2.3.3..v2.4 | wc -l
+
+<!-- vim:set filetype=markdown textwidth=72: -->