Release checklist
This page tracks what steps are needed to release new versions of MediaWiki for third-party use.
Steps for branching MW vX
edit| Timing | Type | Step | Example | Status for 1.43.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparatory steps | ||||
| A few weeks before branching | Communications | Send a pre-branch reminder e-mail for MW vX | REL1_43 pre-branch announcement |  Done
|
| Before branching | Task management | Populate the MW vX release blocker's tag with release task tree | 1.43.0 release tree | Done [1]
|
| Before branching | Task management | Create a release blocker tag for MW vX+1 | MW-1.44-release project | Done
|
| Before branching | Configuration | Configure CI to understand what to do with the new MW vX branches before they exist | Configuration of CI REL1_43 pipelines | Done [2]
|
| Before branching | Preparation | Update CREDITS in MW master using maintenance/updateCredits.php. In order to have a more accurate credits file, any .mailmap changes should land before running this.
|
Update credits ahead of the 1.43 release | Done
|
| ~ | Git | Cut the MW vX (REL…) branch via the MediaWiki release tools branch.py script
|
REL1_43 branching task | Done
|
| Just after branching | Git | Prepare the master branch as MW vX+1 alpha, including the new RELEASE-NOTES file | REL1_43 preparation commit | Done [3]
|
| Just after branching | Documentation | Edit Module:Version to set isthereabeta to true.
|
REL1_43 branch on-wiki doc. config | Done
|
| Just after branching | Documentation | Edit Release notes to add the new vX+1 branch as master, and the branch date of MW vX | REL1_43 branch point on-wiki doc | Done
|
| A few minutes after branching | Communications | Send an announcement e-mail | REL1_43 branch announcement | Done
|
| After branching | Configuration | Configure ExtensionDistributor that there's a new candidate snapshot branch | REL1_43 addition as a beta | Done
|
| After branching | Configuration | Configure LibraryUpgrader that there's a new branch to scan and update | branches: Add REL1_43 | Done
|
| After branching | Configuration | Configure TranslateWiki.net that there's a new branch to update | REL1_43 addition as a branch |  In progress
|
| Backport review | ||||
| Every week or so | Git | Check for proposed, unmerged patches documented for the release branch; consider if they're appropriate for merging and backporting, e.g. search for RELEASE-NOTES-1.42 | N/A | |
| Every week or so | Git | Check for proposed, unmerged patches to the release branch; consider merging, e.g. search for REL1_42 | N/A | |
| Every week or so | Git | Check for drift in MW core's documented for the release branch, via:
|
N/A | |
| Release candidate steps (repeat until satisfied) | ||||
| ~Two weeks after the branch/last RC | Task management | Agree there are no obvious major issues. | N/A | |
| Just before RC releasing | Git | Prepare the release branch as MW vX rc.Z | Prep. 1.36.0-rc.0 commit | |
| Just before RC releasing | Release | Build & sign the artefacts using the MediaWiki release tools make-branch script
|
N/A | |
| - | Release | Upload the built artefacts to releases.wikimedia.org | 1.36 release directory | |
| A few minutes after RC releasing | Communications | Send an announcement e-mail | 1.36.0-rc.0 availability announcement | |
| Release steps | ||||
| A week or so after the last RC | Task management | Agree there are no blockers left, and feedback on the release candidate is adequate. | N/A | |
| Just before releasing | Documentation | Fill in the RELEASE-NOTES file with all changes landed since the release candidate. | 1.36.0 notes fix-up | |
| Just before releasing | Git | Prepare the release branch as MW vX | Prep 1.36.0 commit | |
| Just before releasing | Release | Build & sign the artefacts using the MediaWiki release tools make-branch script
|
N/A | |
| - | Release | Upload the built artefacts to releases.wikimedia.org | 1.36 release directory | |
| Just after releasing | Communications | Send an announcement e-mail | 1.36.0 release announcement | |
| A few minutes after release | Documentation | Edit Module:Version to add the branch point and set isthereabeta to false.
|
1.36.0 release on-wiki doc. config | |
| A few minutes after release | Documentation | Edit Template:MediaWiki News to add the release announcement | 1.36.0 release on-wiki advert | |
| A few minutes after release | Documentation | Add a section for the first security release to the RELEASE-NOTES file | 1.36.1 documentation start commit | |
| A few minutes after release | Documentation | Archive the old RELEASE-NOTES file in the master branch | 1.36.0 release notes archival | |
| A few minutes or maybe two years after release | Documentation | Archive the Phabricator project tag of the previous, now unsupported release | 1.38.x archival | |
| After releasing | Configuration | Configure ExtensionDistributor that MW vX is a full release, not a candidate snapshot | REL1_36 promotion to stable | |