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Posted to dev@commons.apache.org by Gilles Sadowski <gi...@harfang.homelinux.org> on 2012/03/18 20:40:43 UTC
[Math] Release mini-howto
Hi.
In the course of the latest release process, I've taken notes about what to
do to make things work for a release manager newbie.
Thus, there is a small text file with the step-by-step description, and two
minimal maven config files.
I'd like to create new directories in "trunk" to home these files.
Would "committer_docs/release_howto" be OK?
Regards,
Gilles
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Gilles Sadowski <gi...@harfang.homelinux.org>.
Hello.
>
> Le 19/03/2012 01:01, Christian Grobmeier a écrit :
> > On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 12:25 AM, Gilles Sadowski
> > <gi...@harfang.homelinux.org> wrote:
> >>> Not to forget the grandfather of release guides:
> >>> http://commons.apache.org/releases/release.html
> >>
> >> I've just had a brief look at that one; I did not know it existed...
> >
> > not very well linked imho... if it is linked
> >
> >> Is it maintained and up-to-date?
> >
> > Same situation like UsingNexus: the guys who use it, should update it.
Then it is as I said: Useless. The "guys who use it" are the newbies who by
definition do not know what needs to be updated. They will try to follow the
instructions, see that some do not work, post to the ML, wait for answers,
try to figure the cause of the problems, and finally write a new document
that contains things that worked for them.
> > Sometimes it happens. :-)
Yes, but even when it happens it is not always to the benefit of the
newbies. One example: "UsingNexus" contains two ways to create a branch.
Thinking that I should lean on the "modern" side I first tried the "maven
way". It did not work (at least not when literally following the
description). Then, I was told (by Sebb on the ML) to take the "manual
way"...
>
> So perhaps rather than creating a third document, these recent notes
> should replace the existing pages and get linked to everything else.
> Otherwise we would end up with 3 documents and another release manager
> candidate would stumble upon an old one, then create a fourth document,
> then be pointed to this one and say he didn't know it existed, then put
> this fourth document on-line, then ...
This will indeed happen but I think even if new notes are posted to the web
site or the wiki.
Not all "Commons" components have the same configuration and what seems to
work for one does not necessarily work for another. [My notes work for
"Commons Math" (at least, I can ensure that it worked for releasing v3.0).]
I've just uploaded them on the Wiki:
http://wiki.apache.org/commons/GillesSadowski/ReleaseMiniHowto
Please, let me know of any important thing which I might have omitted.
There are some formatting problems as I meant it to be a basic text file,
not a wiki document (and I don't want it to become yet another useless wiki
document).
Also, IMHO it should not include specifics on using subversion or ssh etc.
but only the bare minimum. As such, the old "release.html" on the web site
can be useful if it means to contain the "full story" (such as explaining
how to setup "no login ssh" or how to create GPG keys).
[The probelm is that the longer a document is, the less likely it will be
kept in sync with the changing procedures...]
I don't think that the mini-howto should stay on the Wiki. Rather, it should
be directly accessible in some sub-directory of "trunk" where a release
manager newbie is not likely to miss it, and where it can be updated
efficiently (e.g. at the same time a change to the "pom" file would require
it).
Regards,
Gilles
> [...]
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Luc Maisonobe <Lu...@free.fr>.
Hi Christian,
Le 19/03/2012 01:01, Christian Grobmeier a écrit :
> On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 12:25 AM, Gilles Sadowski
> <gi...@harfang.homelinux.org> wrote:
>>> Not to forget the grandfather of release guides:
>>> http://commons.apache.org/releases/release.html
>>
>> I've just had a brief look at that one; I did not know it existed...
>
> not very well linked imho... if it is linked
>
>> Is it maintained and up-to-date?
>
> Same situation like UsingNexus: the guys who use it, should update it.
> Sometimes it happens. :-)
So perhaps rather than creating a third document, these recent notes
should replace the existing pages and get linked to everything else.
Otherwise we would end up with 3 documents and another release manager
candidate would stumble upon an old one, then create a fourth document,
then be pointed to this one and say he didn't know it existed, then put
this fourth document on-line, then ...
Luc
>
>> What I noticed with "UsingNexus" is that people who know how to release
>> certainly did not follow exactly what was described there; otherwise they
>> would have stumbled on the problems which I faced.
>>
>> That is often the problem with such documents: newbies cannot fill in the
>> blanks and experts do not need to read them. Thus they are useless.
>>
>> My document is a step-by-step recipe; it contains the strict minimum, and
>> what needs to be supplied (login, password, GPG key, ssh key, ...) clearly
>> stands out.
>
> Hard to judge without looking at it. Anyway good documentation is
> always welcome.
> it seems you already made the effort... why don't you put it on the
> wiki? We can then discuss if we should take yours and pimp it (if
> necessary), or improve the other docs with your content.
>
>> [By following it, someone who never prepared a release could do it in a few
>> minutes, not the many hours I spent figuring out why maven did not seem to
>> behave like the "UsingNexus" document assumed it should...]
>
> Sounds good! Lets review your work
>
> Cheers
> Christian
>
>> My document is not a explanation of maven or svn or nexus or ssh or gpg; it
>> just enumerates the release steps in the correct order, with the correct
>> commands and correct config files samples (as of last week).
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Gilles
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@commons.apache.org
>> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-help@commons.apache.org
>>
>
>
>
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Christian Grobmeier <gr...@gmail.com>.
On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 12:25 AM, Gilles Sadowski
<gi...@harfang.homelinux.org> wrote:
>> Not to forget the grandfather of release guides:
>> http://commons.apache.org/releases/release.html
>
> I've just had a brief look at that one; I did not know it existed...
not very well linked imho... if it is linked
> Is it maintained and up-to-date?
Same situation like UsingNexus: the guys who use it, should update it.
Sometimes it happens. :-)
> What I noticed with "UsingNexus" is that people who know how to release
> certainly did not follow exactly what was described there; otherwise they
> would have stumbled on the problems which I faced.
>
> That is often the problem with such documents: newbies cannot fill in the
> blanks and experts do not need to read them. Thus they are useless.
>
> My document is a step-by-step recipe; it contains the strict minimum, and
> what needs to be supplied (login, password, GPG key, ssh key, ...) clearly
> stands out.
Hard to judge without looking at it. Anyway good documentation is
always welcome.
it seems you already made the effort... why don't you put it on the
wiki? We can then discuss if we should take yours and pimp it (if
necessary), or improve the other docs with your content.
> [By following it, someone who never prepared a release could do it in a few
> minutes, not the many hours I spent figuring out why maven did not seem to
> behave like the "UsingNexus" document assumed it should...]
Sounds good! Lets review your work
Cheers
Christian
> My document is not a explanation of maven or svn or nexus or ssh or gpg; it
> just enumerates the release steps in the correct order, with the correct
> commands and correct config files samples (as of last week).
>
>
> Regards,
> Gilles
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@commons.apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-help@commons.apache.org
>
--
http://www.grobmeier.de
https://www.timeandbill.de
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Gilles Sadowski <gi...@harfang.homelinux.org>.
On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 09:36:30PM +0100, Christian Grobmeier wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 8:42 PM, Gary Gregory <ga...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > That's what the wiki is for no?
> >
> > You could make a page for [math] like
> > http://wiki.apache.org/commons/UsingNexus
I've tried to use that one, and if you followed the exchanges on this list
about it, you certainly noticed that it was not fun.
> Not to forget the grandfather of release guides:
> http://commons.apache.org/releases/release.html
I've just had a brief look at that one; I did not know it existed...
Is it maintained and up-to-date?
What I noticed with "UsingNexus" is that people who know how to release
certainly did not follow exactly what was described there; otherwise they
would have stumbled on the problems which I faced.
That is often the problem with such documents: newbies cannot fill in the
blanks and experts do not need to read them. Thus they are useless.
My document is a step-by-step recipe; it contains the strict minimum, and
what needs to be supplied (login, password, GPG key, ssh key, ...) clearly
stands out.
[By following it, someone who never prepared a release could do it in a few
minutes, not the many hours I spent figuring out why maven did not seem to
behave like the "UsingNexus" document assumed it should...]
My document is not a explanation of maven or svn or nexus or ssh or gpg; it
just enumerates the release steps in the correct order, with the correct
commands and correct config files samples (as of last week).
Regards,
Gilles
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Christian Grobmeier <gr...@gmail.com>.
On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 8:42 PM, Gary Gregory <ga...@gmail.com> wrote:
> That's what the wiki is for no?
>
> You could make a page for [math] like
> http://wiki.apache.org/commons/UsingNexus
Not to forget the grandfather of release guides:
http://commons.apache.org/releases/release.html
Cheers
>
> Gary
>
> On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Gilles Sadowski <
> gilles@harfang.homelinux.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi.
>>
>> In the course of the latest release process, I've taken notes about what to
>> do to make things work for a release manager newbie.
>> Thus, there is a small text file with the step-by-step description, and two
>> minimal maven config files.
>>
>> I'd like to create new directories in "trunk" to home these files.
>> Would "committer_docs/release_howto" be OK?
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Gilles
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@commons.apache.org
>> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-help@commons.apache.org
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> E-Mail: garydgregory@gmail.com | ggregory@apache.org
> JUnit in Action, 2nd Ed: <http://goog_1249600977>http://bit.ly/ECvg0
> Spring Batch in Action: <http://s.apache.org/HOq>http://bit.ly/bqpbCK
> Blog: http://garygregory.wordpress.com
> Home: http://garygregory.com/
> Tweet! http://twitter.com/GaryGregory
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Re: [Math] Release mini-howto
Posted by Gary Gregory <ga...@gmail.com>.
That's what the wiki is for no?
You could make a page for [math] like
http://wiki.apache.org/commons/UsingNexus
Gary
On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Gilles Sadowski <
gilles@harfang.homelinux.org> wrote:
> Hi.
>
> In the course of the latest release process, I've taken notes about what to
> do to make things work for a release manager newbie.
> Thus, there is a small text file with the step-by-step description, and two
> minimal maven config files.
>
> I'd like to create new directories in "trunk" to home these files.
> Would "committer_docs/release_howto" be OK?
>
>
> Regards,
> Gilles
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@commons.apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-help@commons.apache.org
>
>
--
E-Mail: garydgregory@gmail.com | ggregory@apache.org
JUnit in Action, 2nd Ed: <http://goog_1249600977>http://bit.ly/ECvg0
Spring Batch in Action: <http://s.apache.org/HOq>http://bit.ly/bqpbCK
Blog: http://garygregory.wordpress.com
Home: http://garygregory.com/
Tweet! http://twitter.com/GaryGregory