# ✅ Release Checklist (vX.Y.Z[-rcN])
## Labels
If an item should be executed only for a specific release type, it is labeled with:
-  execute **ONLY** when releasing a Release Candidate
-  execute **ONLY** when releasing a Final Release
-  do **NOT** execute when releasing a Patch Release
Otherwise, it means a step should be executed for **ALL** release types.
## Before the release
This section covers tasks to be done ahead of the release.
- [ ] Verify you have access to all the services and tools required for the release
- [ ] [GPG signature](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/managing-commit-signature-verification) configured in local git and in GitHub
- [ ] [docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) installed on your system
- [ ] [npm](https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-node-js-and-npm) installed on your system
- [ ] [kubo](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo) checked out under `$(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/ipfs/kubo`
- you can also symlink your clone to the expected location by running `mkdir -p $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/ipfs && ln -s $(pwd) $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/ipfs/kubo`
-  Upgrade Go used in CI to the latest patch release available at
## The release
This section covers tasks to be done during each release.
### 1. Prepare release branch
- [ ] Prepare the release branch and update version numbers accordingly
- [ ] create a new branch `release-vX.Y.Z`
- use `master` as base if `Z == 0`
- use `release` as base if `Z > 0`
- [ ]  update the `CurrentVersionNumber` in [version.go](version.go) in the `master` branch to `vX.Y+1.0-dev` ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/pull/9305))
- [ ] update the `CurrentVersionNumber` in [version.go](version.go) in the `release-vX.Y.Z` branch to `vX.Y.Z(-rcN)` ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/pull/9394))
- [ ] create a draft PR from `release-vX.Y.Z` to `release` ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/pull/9306))
- [ ] Cherry-pick commits from `master` to the `release-vX.Y.Z` using `git cherry-pick -x ` ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/pull/10636/commits/033de22e3bc6191dbb024ad6472f5b96b34e3ccf))
- **NOTE:** cherry-picking with `-x` is important
- [ ]  Replace the `Changelog` and `Contributors` sections of the [changelog](docs/changelogs/vX.Y.md) with the stdout (do **NOT** copy the stderr) of `./bin/mkreleaselog`.
- **NOTE:** `mkreleaselog` expects your `$GOPATH/src/github.com/ipfs/kubo` to include latest commits from `release-vX.Y.Z`
- [ ] verify all CI checks on the PR from `release-vX.Y.Z` to `release` are passing
- [ ]  Merge the PR from `release-vX.Y.Z` to `release` using the `Create a merge commit`
- do **NOT** use `Squash and merge` nor `Rebase and merge` because we need to be able to sign the merge commit
- do **NOT** delete the `release-vX.Y.Z` branch
### 2. Tag release
- [ ] Create the release tag
- ⚠️ **NOTE:** This is a dangerous operation! Go and Docker publishing are difficult to reverse! Have the release reviewer verify all the commands marked with !
- [ ]  tag the HEAD commit using `git tag -s vX.Y.Z(-rcN) -m 'Prerelease X.Y.Z(-rcN)'`
- [ ]  tag the HEAD commit of the `release` branch using `git tag -s vX.Y.Z -m 'Release X.Y.Z'`
- [ ] ⚠️ verify the tag is signed and tied to the correct commit using `git show vX.Y.Z(-rcN)`
- [ ] push the tag to GitHub using `git push origin vX.Y.Z(-rcN)`
- ⚠️ do **NOT** use `git push --tags` because it pushes all your local tags
### 3. Publish
- [ ] Publish Docker image to [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/r/ipfs/kubo/tags)
- [ ] Wait for [Publish docker image](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/actions/workflows/docker-image.yml) workflow run initiated by the tag push to finish
- [ ] verify the image is available on [Docker Hub → tags](https://hub.docker.com/r/ipfs/kubo/tags)
- [ ] Publish the release to [dist.ipfs.tech](https://dist.ipfs.tech)
- [ ] check out [ipfs/distributions](https://github.com/ipfs/distributions)
- [ ] create new branch: run `git checkout -b release-kubo-X.Y.Z(-rcN)`
- [ ] run `./dist.sh add-version kubo vX.Y.Z(-rcN)` to add the new version to the `versions` file ([usage](https://github.com/ipfs/distributions#usage))
- [ ] Verify [ipfs/distributions](https://github.com/ipfs/distributions)'s `.tool-versions`'s `golang` entry is set to the [latest go release](https://go.dev/doc/devel/release) on the major go branch [Kubo is being tested on](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/.github/workflows/gotest.yml) (see `go-version:`). If not, update `.tool-versions` to match the latest golang.
- [ ] create and merge the PR which updates `dists/kubo/versions` and `dists/go-ipfs/versions` (**NOTE:**  will also have `dists/kubo/current` and `dists/go-ipfs/current` – [example](https://github.com/ipfs/distributions/pull/1125))
- [ ] wait for the [CI](https://github.com/ipfs/distributions/actions/workflows/main.yml) workflow run initiated by the merge to master to finish
- [ ] verify the release is available on [dist.ipfs.tech](https://dist.ipfs.tech/#kubo)
- [ ] Publish the release to [NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/kubo?activeTab=versions)
- [ ] manually dispatch the [Release to npm](https://github.com/ipfs/npm-go-ipfs/actions/workflows/main.yml) workflow
- [ ] check [Release to npm](https://github.com/ipfs/npm-go-ipfs/actions/workflows/main.yml) workflow run logs to verify it discovered the new release
- [ ] verify the release is available on [NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/kubo?activeTab=versions)
- [ ] Publish the release to [GitHub kubo/releases](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases)
- [ ] create a new release on [github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/releasing-projects-on-github/managing-releases-in-a-repository#creating-a-release)
- [RC example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/v0.17.0-rc1)
- [FINAL example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/v0.17.0)
- [ ] use the `vX.Y.Z(-rcN)` tag
- [ ] link to the release issue
- [ ]  link to the changelog in the description
- [ ]  check the `This is a pre-release` checkbox
- [ ]  copy the changelog (without the header) in the description
- [ ]  do **NOT** check the `This is a pre-release` checkbox
- [ ] run the [sync-release-assets](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/actions/workflows/sync-release-assets.yml) workflow
- [ ] wait for the [sync-release-assets](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/actions/workflows/sync-release-assets.yml) workflow run to finish
- [ ] verify the release assets are present in the [GitHub release](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/vX.Y.Z(-rcN))
### 4. After Publishing
- [ ]  Merge the [release](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/tree/release) branch back into [master](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/tree/master)
- [ ] Create a new branch `merge-release-vX.Y.Z` from `release`
- [ ] Create the next [`./docs/changelogs/vA.B.md`](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/docs/changelogs/) and link to the new changelog from the [`./CHANGELOG.md`](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md) file
- [ ] Create and merge a PR from `merge-release-vX.Y.Z` to `master`
- ⚠️ do **NOT** use `Squash and merge` nor `Rebase and merge` because we need to be able to sign the merge commit
- ⚠️ **NOTE:** make sure to ignore the changes to [version.go](version.go) (keep the `-dev` in `master`)
- [ ] Update Kubo staging environment, see the [Running Kubo tests on staging](https://www.notion.so/Running-Kubo-tests-on-staging-488578bb46154f9bad982e4205621af8) for details.
- [ ]  Test last release against the current RC
- [ ]  Test last release against the current one
- [ ] Promote the release
- [ ] create an [IPFS Discourse](https://discuss.ipfs.tech) topic ([prerelease example](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/kubo-v0-16-0-rc1-release-candidate-is-out/15248), [release example](https://discuss.ipfs.tech/t/kubo-v0-16-0-release-is-out/15249))
- [ ] use `Kubo vX.Y.Z(-rcN) is out!` as the title and `kubo` and `go-ipfs` as tags
- [ ] repeat the title as a heading (`##`) in the description
- [ ] link to the GitHub Release, binaries on IPNS, docker pull command and release notes in the description
- [ ] pin the [IPFS Discourse](https://discuss.ipfs.tech) topic globally, you can make the topic a banner if there is no banner already
- [ ] verify the [IPFS Discourse](https://discuss.ipfs.tech) topic was copied to:
- [ ] [#ipfs-chatter](https://discord.com/channels/669268347736686612/669268347736686615) in IPFS Discord
- [ ] [#ipfs-chatter](https://filecoinproject.slack.com/archives/C018EJ8LWH1) in FIL Slack
- [ ] [#ipfs-chatter:ipfs.io](https://matrix.to/#/#ipfs-chatter:ipfs.io) in Matrix
- [ ]  Add the link to the [IPFS Discourse](https://discuss.ipfs.tech) topic to the [GitHub Release](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/vX.Y.Z(-rcN)) description ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/v0.17.0))
- [ ]  create an issue comment mentioning early testers on the release issue ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/issues/9319#issuecomment-1311002478))
- [ ]  create an issue comment linking to the release on the release issue ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/issues/9417#issuecomment-1400740975))
- [ ]   promote on bsky.app ([example](https://bsky.app/profile/ipshipyard.com/post/3lh2brzrwbs2c))
- [ ]   promote on x.com ([example](https://x.com/ipshipyard/status/1885346348808929609))
- [ ]   post the link to the [GitHub Release](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo/releases/tag/vX.Y.Z(-rcN)) to [Reddit](https://reddit.com/r/ipfs) ([example](https://www.reddit.com/r/ipfs/comments/9x0q0k/kubo_v0160_release_is_out/))
- [ ] Manually smoke-test the new version with [IPFS Companion Browser Extension](https://docs.ipfs.tech/install/ipfs-companion/)
- [ ]  Update Kubo in [ipfs-desktop](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs-desktop)
- [ ] check out [ipfs/ipfs-desktop](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs-desktop)
- [ ] run `npm install `
- [ ] create a PR which updates `package.json` and `package-lock.json`
- [ ]  Update Kubo docs at docs.ipfs.tech:
- [ ]  run the [update-on-new-ipfs-tag.yml](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs-docs/actions/workflows/update-on-new-ipfs-tag.yml) workflow
- [ ]  merge the PR created by the [update-on-new-ipfs-tag.yml](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs-docs/actions/workflows/update-on-new-ipfs-tag.yml) workflow run
- [ ]  Create a blog entry on [blog.ipfs.tech](https://blog.ipfs.tech)
- [ ]  create a PR which adds a release note for the new Kubo version ([example](https://github.com/ipfs/ipfs-blog/pull/529))
- [ ]  merge the PR
- [ ]  verify the blog entry was published
- [ ]   Create a dependency update PR
- [ ]   check out [ipfs/kubo](https://github.com/ipfs/kubo)
- [ ]   go over direct dependencies from `go.mod` in the root directory (NOTE: do not run `go get -u` as it will upgrade indirect dependencies which may cause problems)
- [ ]   run `make mod_tidy`
- [ ]   create a PR which updates `go.mod` and `go.sum`
- [ ]   add the PR to the next release milestone
- [ ]   Create the next release issue
- [ ]  Close the release issue