| /here Welcome to the WordPress X.Y-Z
I will be your host for this event, with @corecommitter and @mcpilot acting as behind-the-scenes drivers. (Be sure to adapt this message to the actual participants, taking into account any contributor filling multiple roles).
For those who haven’t attended a release party before, welcome! Here’s the step-by-step guide from the handbook that details the release process: https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/about/release-cycle/releasing-beta-versions/
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| Step 1: Ensure the announcement post for the blog (versus network, site) is ready | Let’s start by ensuring the release post is ready to be published. @marketingteammember, what’s the status of the post?
A public preview should be made available so anyone wanting to help proofread the post can do so. Just double-check the @props to credit them. | Marketing Leads |
| Step 2: Announce in Core to pause commits and don’t share links to the package until tested | @committers. Please refrain from committing until X.Y-Z has been released. :thank-you:
:siren: Please remember not to share links to the package publicly until the “all clear” is given after testing and the announcement post is published on WordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/. :siren: | All attendees |
| Step 3: Run all unit tests locally | Time to run all unit tests. @corecommitter, please confirm. | Core Committer |
| Step 4: Verify that the latest GitHub Action checks are passing. | @corecommitter, can you also confirm that GitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ Action checks are passing? | Core Committer |
| Step 5: Ask a Security team member to verify the private security unit tests are passing for the most recent commit to ensure no regressions are introduced. | @securityteammember, please verify the private security unit tests pass for the latest commit. Thanks! | Security Team Member |
| Step 6: Bump version | @corecommitter, will you please commit the first version bump?
[Wait for the commit to appear] | Core Committer |
| Step 7: Build the packages. | @mcpilot please proceed to package the release and post the link to the package here. | Core Committer |
| Step 8: Package Reminder | [While the package is being built, once again, remind attendees not to publicly share the link to the package until it’s been tested and the release post has been published. Sometimes, errors can happen during packaging, and the package needs to be rebuilt.]
:siren: Please remember not to share links to the package publicly until the “all clear” is given after testing and the announcement post is published on WordPress.org. :siren:
[Wait until the link to the *.zip file is posted] | Emcee |
| Step 8: Testing | It’s testing time!
There are several ways to test, so pick whatever feels most comfortable and report back as you go:
1. Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. Select the Bleeding edge The latest revision of the software, generally in development and often unstable. Also known as trunk. channel and then Beta/RC One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). Only stream.
2. Use WP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/ to test: wp core update –version=X.Y-Z
3. Directly download the Beta/RC version from https://wordpress.org/wordpress-X.Y-Z.zip
Here are a few scenarios to test:
– Test from latest in 4.0.* release series (e.g., 4.0.35 > X.Y-Z)
– Test from latest in 4.9.* release series (e.g., 4.9.21 > X.Y-Z)
– Test from the latest version in the current major release A release, identified by the first two numbers (3.6), which is the focus of a full release cycle and feature development. WordPress uses decimaling count for major release versions, so 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1 are sequential and comparable in scope. series (e.g., 6.1.1 > X.Y-Z)
– Test from the most recent Beta/RC release (e.g., Beta 4 > X.Y-Z)
– Test fresh installation
– Remove wp-config.php file and test a fresh installation
– Test single site and multisite Used to describe a WordPress installation with a network of multiple blogs, grouped by sites. This installation type has shared users tables, and creates separate database tables for each blog (wp_posts becomes wp_0_posts). See also network, blog, site/network (versus site, blog) (both subdirectory and subdomain) installations
You can report back by sharing how you tested and what the result was with an emoji. For example:
– 6.2-beta1 > X.Y-Z via beta tester
If it works, add :white_check_mark:
If any issues happen, add :red_circle: so we can investigate.
Please note that language packs are built in a later step of the process, so it is normal for there to be notices such as Warning: Checksums not available for WordPress 6.3.2/fr_FR. Please cleanup files manually.
After thorough testing, ask the @mcpilot if they are satisfies with the level of testing and comfortable with proceeding with the release. | Everyone |
| Optional: Summarize any issues found | [If any issues are found during testing, rely on this section.]
Thanks, everyone, for testing! For now, we’re tracking the following issues: | Emcee |
| Step 9: Second version bump | Please, @corecommitter, proceed with the second version bump.
[Wait for the commit to appear] | Core Committer |
| Step 10: Rebuild the Nightly Package in Mission Control | @mcpilot, can you please refresh the nightly build?
[Wait for confirmation] | Mission Control |
| Step 11: Publish the announcement post | The release post can now be published! @marketingteammember, please proceed. | Marketing Team Member |
| Step 12: Announce in #core that the release is available | /here WordPress X.Y-Z is now available: insert link from the announcement post
Please help test and give feedback! | Emcee |
| Step 13: Announce that committers is open again | @committers, you can now resume committing.
If this is a Release Candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). release, also remind committers that the dev-feedback and dev-reviewed workflow is required for all commits to the X.X branch A directory in Subversion. WordPress uses branches to store the latest development code for each major release (3.9, 4.0, etc.). Branches are then updated with code for any minor releases of that branch. Sometimes, a major version of WordPress and its minor versions are collectively referred to as a "branch", such as "the 4.0 branch".. | Emcee |
| Step 14: Outro | The party is over! Props to @corecommitter, @securityteammember, @mcpilot for helping with the various release tasks.
Thanks, everyone, for joining in and helping make WordPress! Hope to see you at future release parties.
</x.x-release-party> | Emcee |
| Step 15: Props | Write a message in the #props channel thanking and giving props to everyone who tested or helped with the release process. | Emcee |