Release checklist

This page tracks what steps are needed to release new versions of MediaWiki for third-party use.

Steps for branching MW vX

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	Done
After branching	Git	Prune /vendor. Process is described in phab:T372319	Prune /vendor for REL1_43d	Done
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-1.43	N/A	Done
Every week or so	Git	Check for proposed, unmerged patches to the release branch; consider merging, e.g. search for REL1_43	N/A	Done
Every week or so	Git	Check for drift in MW core's documented for the release branch, via: git diff origin/REL1_43..origin/master RELEASE-NOTES-1.43	N/A	Done
Release candidate steps (repeat until satisfied)
~Two weeks after the branch/last RC	Task management	Agree there are no obvious major issues.	N/A	Done
Just before RC releasing	Git	Prepare the release branch as MW vX rc.Z	Prep. 1.43.0-rc.0 commit	Done
Just before RC releasing	Release	Build & sign the artefacts using the MediaWiki release tools make-branch script	N/A	Done
-	Release	Upload the built artefacts to releases.wikimedia.org and push new tag to gerrit	1.43 release directory	Done
A few minutes after RC releasing	Communications	Send an announcement e-mail	1.43.0-rc.0 availability announcement	Done
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	Done
Just before releasing	Documentation	Fill in the RELEASE-NOTES file with all changes landed since the release candidate.	1.43.0 notes fix-up	Done
Just before releasing	Git	Prepare the release branch as MW vX	Prep 1.43.0 commit	Done
Just before releasing	Release	Build & sign the artefacts using the MediaWiki release tools make-branch script	N/A	Done
-	Release	Upload the built artefacts to releases.wikimedia.org	1.43 release directory	Done
Just after releasing	Communications	Send an announcement e-mail	1.36.0 release announcement	Done
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	In progress
A few minutes after release	Documentation	Edit Template:MediaWiki News to add the release announcement	1.36.0 release on-wiki advert	In progress
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	In progress
A few minutes after release	Documentation	Archive the old RELEASE-NOTES file in the master branch	1.36.0 release notes archival	In progress
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	In progress
After releasing	Configuration	Configure ExtensionDistributor that MW vX is a full release, not a candidate snapshot	REL1_36 promotion to stable

See Also

• Continuous integration/Tutorials/Adding a new release pipeline for MediaWiki