3 files changed, 103 insertions, 62 deletions

diff --git a/doc/RELEASING b/doc/RELEASING
deleted file mode 100644
index 1eaec9de..00000000
--- a/doc/RELEASING
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-NOTES ON RELEASING NEW VERSION OF NAGIOSPLUG
-
-*** Pre-release
-git pull
-. tools/devmode, if feeling adventurous
-check compilation, check tinderbox screens
-
-*** Prepare and commit files
-Update BUGS, NEWS file
-Update AUTHORS if new members
-Update configure.in, package.def and NP-VERSION-GEN with version
-Run git2cl (get from http://josefsson.org/git2cl/):
-git2cl >Changelog
-commit BUGS NEWS configure.in package.def ChangeLog
-
-*** Create new annotated tag
-git tag -a release-1.4.14 -m release-1.4.14
-
-*** Push the code and tag to origin
-git push origin master
-git push origin release-1.4.14
-
-*** Checkout new version
-rm -fr /tmp/monitoringlug
-# If you need to checkout the tag, don't forget to "checkout master" later to
-# get back to your development branch:
-git checkout tags/release-1.4.14
-# Beware: the trailing slash of --prefix is REQUIRED
-git checkout-index --prefix=/tmp/monitoringlug/ -a
-
-*** Build the tarball
-cd /tmp/monitoringlug
-tools/setup
-./configure
-make dist
-
-*** Upload generated tarball to sourceforge
-sftp frs.sourceforge.net
-SF username and password
-cd /uploads
-put file
-
-SF -> Submit News about release. Make sure it is called "Monitoring Plugins" (with those caps)
-Link to download at http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=29880
-Include contents of NEWS for this release
-List all people on team involved.
-Add acknowledgement to contributors
-Submit. Get URL to news item
-
-SF -> Admin -> File Releases
-Add a release to nagiosplug and create a file release
-Name: 1.4.14
-Create release
-Step 1: Add release notes pointing to news item
-Step 2: add file
-Step 3: *.tar.gz, Platform Independent, Source .gz
-Step 4: Send notice
-
-*** Announce new release
-Send email to help, announce with the news text
-Add a news item to https://monitoring-plugins.org
diff --git a/doc/RELEASING.md b/doc/RELEASING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcd2c5ac
--- /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 2.2.1, and that we're about to publish version 2.3.
+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 Travis CI status.
+- Update local Git repository to the current `master` tip.  For a
+  maintenance release (e.g., version 2.3.2), 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 v2.3.1..` 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
+    ./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 v2.3.1..v2.4 | wc -l
+
+<!-- vim:set filetype=markdown textwidth=72: -->
diff --git a/doc/developer-guidelines.sgml b/doc/developer-guidelines.sgml
index d9340285..6f31f365 100644
--- a/doc/developer-guidelines.sgml
+++ b/doc/developer-guidelines.sgml
@@ -194,12 +194,13 @@
                                         <row>
                                                 <entry align="center"><para>3</para></entry>
                                                 <entry valign="middle"><para>Unknown</para></entry>
-                                                <entry><para>Invalid command line arguments were supplied to the 
+                                                <entry><para>Invalid command line arguments were supplied to the
                                                 plugin or low-level failures internal to the plugin (such as unable to fork,
                                                 or open a tcp socket) that prevent it from performing the specified
                                                 operation. Higher-level errors (such as name resolution errors,
                                                 socket timeouts, etc) are outside of the control of plugins and should
                                                 generally NOT be reported as UNKNOWN states.
+                                                </para><para>The --help or --version output should also result in Unknown state.
                                                 </para></entry>
                                         </row>
                                 </tbody>
@@ -610,6 +611,9 @@
                 <para>The option -v or --verbose should be present in all plugins.
                 The user should be allowed to specify -v multiple times to increase
                 the verbosity level, as described in <xref linkend="verboselevels">.</para>
+
+                <para>The exit code for version information or help should be UNKNOWN
+                (3).</para>
     </section>
 
     <section>