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The following things need to be done for a release:

Tagging RC Bugs

[ ] At some point, we will have to tag the remaining RC bugs to filter what should be removed/deferred/fixed. It's possible to define our own sorting criteria by sending the following request to request@bugs.debian.org:

user release.debian.org@packages.debian.org
usercategory trixie-sort
  * trixie [tag=]
    + Blockers for trixie [trixie-is-blocker]
    + Planned for removal [trixie-will-remove]
    + Ignored for trixie [trixie-can-defer]

Then, usertagged bugs will be listed on:

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?users=release.debian.org@packages.debian.org;tag=trixie-can-defer;tag=trixie-will-remove;tag=trixie-is-blocker;ordering=trixie-sort

Useful references about this feature are:

• #424427: [bts] should support usercategory

• Devscripts/bugs

Another very useful view on the RC bugs is via this udd view.

Before freeze

• Decide on a code name for trixie+2: duke

  • [ ] Get that included in BTS tags:
    • [ ] @gTags in /srv/bugs.debian.org/etc/config on bugs-master.debian.org [mail sent to owner@]

    • [ ] bts_release_tags and bts_release_ignore_tags in webwml

  • Edit wiki pages to add duke: DebianReleases DebianDuke DebianForky Glossary

  • Add deb.li pages for trixie+2: duke getduke

• Edit/create wiki pages for trixie: ReleaseParty ReleasePartyTrixie DebianTrixie NewInTrixie

• Update deb.li pages to use trixie: relparty

• Theme (artwork) design should be finalized and decided

• [ ] Prepare the website changes

  • Ensure that the following pages exist on https://debian.org/releases/trixie

    • index

    • credits

    • errata

    • installmanual (requires installmanual is being built for trixie as well)

    • releasenotes (requires releasenotes is being built for trixie as well)

    • [ ] reportingbugs

  • There should also be a page for https://debian.org/releases/forky as there are some links to it.

  • [ ] The pages should say they are beta versions/not released etc. at this point

  • [ ] Assert the architecture list is up to date (release.data), new ports should be available on https://debian.org/ports (ports/index.wml)

• Ensure that updates to the installation-guide appear on the website (d-i) [To avoid a repeat of <20170605233204.GB24136@mraw.org>]

• [ ] Ensure that updates to the release-notes appear on the website

• Decide on Release Architectures

• [ ] Ensure image builds work for all release architectures

• [ ] Generate and add release keys to debian-archive-keyring (see 860830 + 860831)

  • SRMs generate one (technically, RMs can generate it too, but SRMs will need it post release)

    • "reportbug ftp.debian.org" to get it added to https://ftp-master.debian.org/keys.html (1107348 )

  • FTP-masters generate several (see <878tlll6zo.fsf@deep-thought.43-1.org>)

• Have FTP masters create security + backports archive for upcoming release

  • [ ] Re Announcements: Remember to clarify that -backports is read-only for the sake of assisting with upgrades.
  • [ ] Remember to add the ACL to the trixie-backports and bookworm-backports-sloppy suites

• Coordinate with security team to do a test upload to -security to check if it builds correctly everywhere <fc3bce91-2cbe-44fc-a170-006812a27ef4@debian.org>

  • [ ] also do an upload of a package that needs signing
• [ ] Coordinate with backports team to do a test upload to -backports to check if it builds correctly everywhere
  • [ ] also do an upload of a package that needs signing
  • [ ] this will probably need NEW processing by backports admins

• Have DSA upgrade a non-critical machine <8d3458e6-9821-40d7-852c-9477ae357ffa@debian.org>

  • [ ] Suggestions include:
• [ ] Have DSA upgrade a buildd for each architecture
  • [ ] Do a checklist for each architecture/buildd machine

• [ ] Have DSA contact debian-services-admin to ask service maintainers to prepare their services for the trixie release (example mail)

  • [ ] and include how-can-i-help output for the package list from each debian.org machine

• [ ] Coordinate plan for English review + translators of the release-notes, so everyone has time to do their work.
  • [ ] Some chapters can freeze before others (Notably, the "Issues" will want to stay open as long as possible)
  • [ ] Mail: debian-l10n-english@, debian-i18n@, debian-doc@. debian-release@
• [ ] Ensure that www/testing/freeze-and-release-dates.yaml is up-to-date
• [ ] For trixie only: check that all packages have been rebuilt for the time_t transition on arm{el,hf}

Before a Release

• [ ] binNMU everything that has a Built-Using header and is using old versions to remove old source packages from the release.

• d-i should have (beta or even better rc) releases

• [ ] Do at least one DVD making dry run with the right installer, to ensure that everything fits properly.
• [ ] Install Guide should be up-to-date

• [ ] Make sure that reportbug contains the right stable to suite name tables. See: https://salsa.debian.org/reportbug-team/reportbug/-/commit/0bf36604535e0c4bf8c39a27d0d3901095ea57ae for details. 1106102

• [ ] ReleaseNotes need to be updated:

  • [ ] Check with Linux kernel team for specials with the Kernel

  • [ ] Check with d-i team for specials with this update (check esp. if old versions of d-i should be purged if new versions enter trixie's d-i area)

  • [ ] Check with Security Team for lower supported packages

• [ ] Install & upgrade tests should reveal no undocumented (release notes, install guide) surprises

• [ ] Coordinate a release date at least 3 weeks before - involved teams/roles:
  • [ ] Required
    • [ ] FTP-masters
    • [ ] SRMs (need to sign the Release file for "stable" that becomes "oldstable")
    • [ ] Image team / Install media team
    • [ ] Press (media coverage + sending the press announcement)
  • [ ] Optional or/and Vetoers:
    • [ ] d-i (optional for the day itself, but can veto the day - if d-i doesn't work, we cannot release)
    • [ ] DSA (optional, but good to have in case of issues)
• [ ] Announce the release date on d-d-a, preferably coordinated with press@ / #d-publicity so they can do micronews
  • [ ] Ensure that the planned release date is added to debian.org/releases
  • [ ] Ensure that release.debian.org mentions the release date under "Key release dates"
  • [ ] Add release dates and relevant deadlines to the release calendar.
  • [ ] Ensure that www/freeze-and-release-dates.yaml is up-to-date
• [ ] Website:
  • [ ] Have a patch ready for template/debian/release_info.wml to update

• [ ] Notify the Security Team of an upcoming Release

• [ ] Notify the Debian CD team of an upcoming Release

• [ ] Notify the DebianLive Team of an upcoming Release

• [ ] Notify the Mirror team of an upcoming Release

• [ ] Notify the publicity team of an upcoming Release

• [ ] Decron trille for the week before the release to avoid daily emails with the same stale contents

• [ ] Prepare press release

  • [ ] coordinate with d-i team for text for d-i changes
• [ ] Prepare the wiki changes

While Releasing

• [ ] Mention things that are happening on IRC so the publicity team can relay to social media

• [ ] Check with the FTP-Masters
  • [ ] d-i needs to be copied to forky
  • [ ] new win32-loader?
  • [ ] cleanup of trixie-proposed-updates and trixie-security
  • [ ] oldstable-updates needs its suite_name updated to oldoldstable-updates in dak (legacy)
  • [ ] debtags need to be copied from unstable
• [ ] Check /srv/ftp-master.debian.org/ftp/dists/trixie/ChangeLog
• [ ] Check if /srv/ftp.debian.org/ftp/README was updated.
• [ ] Sign the release file
• [ ] Check that everything that should be released really was released

• [ ] Notify debian-security as people tend to cry occasionally

• [ ] Notify the Publicity Team, that Release is done (tell them when the Release will be pushed out)

• [ ] Notify the Debian CD Team that the Release is done

• [ ] Notify the DebianLive Team that the Release is done

• [ ] Update the website

  • [ ] Publish the ReleaseNotes

• [ ] Notify the Debian WWW team that the Release is done and is time to update the website

  • [ ] Ask www team to update english/releases/
  • [ ] Ask service owner to update packages.debian.org search interface (default to trixie)
  • [ ] Ask publicity team to publish Release Announcement in website news area
  • [ ] Ask www team to force website update

  • [ ] Check after the website update to make sure that it refers to trixie in release pages

• [ ] Update Wiki:

  • [ ] Update these wiki pages (coordinated with ReleaseNotes's editor): FrontPage DebianReleases ReleaseRecertification StableUpdates StableProposedUpdates Backports Welcome/Users Glossary DebianTrixie DebianBookworm DebianForky ReleaseParty ReleasePartyTrixie DebianArt/Themes DebianDesktop/Artwork ?DebianDesktop/Artwork/Forky Teams/DebianCD/ReleaseTesting Teams/Dpkg/FAQ SourcesList

  • [ ] Ping the wiki team to run /srv/wiki.debian.org/bin/get-debian-suite-info early (cron runs @daily)
• [ ] Watch mailing-lists for abnormalities
• [ ] Backup/flush hint files.
• [ ] Update release.debian.org/{oldoldstable,oldstable,stable,testing} symlinks; create forky for testing as a copy of trixie and edit

  • [ ] Update these wiki pages that link to release.d.o codenames: ReleaseRecertification

After the release

• [ ] Notify Distrowatch; send a mail to distro@distrowatch.com

• [ ] Notify LWN, slashdot, Hacker News, Reddit, fresh(code)

• [ ] Propose a micronews item on the #debian-publicity IRC channel

• [ ] Blog about release team experiences
• [ ] Bits from the release team mail

  • [ ] Update the Debian timeline

• [ ] Update the Project History document and upload to stable-p-u

• [ ] Notify derivatives about the release

• [ ] Notify owner@bugs.debian.org that the codename to suite mapping needs to be updated on the RC bugs pages: https://bugs.debian.org/release-critical/debian/

• [ ] Notify the web team that they should ping Debian users after a few months to check if they are still using Debian and to update their testimonials

• [ ] Add a tag for forky to all bugs tagged 'sid'
• [ ] Remove -ignore tags from bugs in trixie that are candidates for fixing in point releases

• [ ] Check with udd maintainers that the hardcoded values are updated (see SuitesAndReposExtension#udd)

• [ ] Check with buildd team that buildds know about forky. (see SuitesAndReposExtension#wanna-build)

• [ ] Check with other service/package maintainers that all the other hardcoded suite names or codenames are updated

Before enabling Britney and removing freeze hints

• [ ] Ensure that the BTS knows that testing has changed (to stop RC bugs regressions from migrating to testing)
• [ ] Ensure other data sources give information about forky
• [ ] Ensure dinstall run smoothly
• [ ] Ensure trille is cronned if it was disabled for the week before the release
• [ ] Fix symlinks in respighi:/srv/release.debian.org/www/britney
• [ ] ...