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The '''release plan''' is the process by which a new version of [[FlightGear]] is released. The release plan is actually a continual work-in-progress, and is refined with every new release and how much available resource and interest there is.


This page contains details about how to release a new version of [[FlightGear]] into the wild. It is a continous work in progress to be improved with every new release.  
[[File:ReleasePlan.jpg|thumb|250px|The original release plan.]]
FlightGear has had multiple release plans over [[FlightGear History|history]].
* Originally, releases were sporadic, irregular and took many months of manual preparation.
* Subsequently a release plan was developed by Mathias Fröhlich, Martin Spott, Thorsten Brehm and Torsten Dreyer during [[LinuxTag]] 2011.
* A more regular plan was proposed by Torsten Dreyer after the 3.6 release was [[FlightGear Newsletter November 2015#FlightGear v3.6 canceled|cancelled]].
* Currently "Long Term Support" (LTS) releases are generated every ~24 months, with intermittent "preview" releases between them which receive less testing and support.


[[File:ReleasePlan.jpg|thumb|250px|The original plan]]
To suggest improvements and/or changes to the release plan, it is recommended to get in touch via the [[mailing list]]. Improvements can be based on the [[Release plan/Lessons learned|lessons learned]] from previous releases. However, do not underestimate the amount of effort go create a new release!  Most of the burden falls on a few people.
This '''release plan''' was originally developed by Mathias Fröhlich, Martin Spott, Thorsten Brehm and Torsten Dreyer during LinuxTag 2011.
 
If you think you have something to contribute to the release process, feel free to <span class=plainlinks>[{{SERVER}}{{localurl:{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|action=edit}} edit this page]</span>. In particular, improvements should be based on [[Release plan/Lessons learned]] from past releases. Please discuss this concept at the mailing-list.


== General release concept ==
== General release concept ==
New FlightGear releases are scheduled twice a year. The magic number to remember is 17 (we tried 42, but that didn't turn out so well. 17 is perfect: 1 is not a prime, 7 is a prime and so is 17). On the 17th of January (1) and July (7) a new release branch is created for [[SimGear]], FlightGear and FGDATA.  
At any given time there are two release "stream":
* A Long Term Support (LTS) release stream. This is a stable release to which bug fixes are applied, and will be active for up to two years. Most users and aircraft developers use this release.  Currently 2020.3.
* A "preview" release, based on the development branch "next".  This is for those interested in the latest developments.  There is not currently a preview release.


{{cquote|As a clarification: We do not enter a code freeze but a feature freeze. Code changes are welcome after December 17th as long as it is guaranteed (not just "unlikely") that they do not introduce any side effects and become a release blocker. It is the sole responsibility of the commiter to decide if that is the case or not. Every new feature that didn't make it into the respository by the deadline may probably easily wait for another four weeks to get commited. Remember: most aircraft are not affected by the feature freeze and aircraft developers quickly adopt and use new features as they become available<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg38749.html|title=<nowiki>[Flightgear-devel] Next FlightGear release (Feb. 17 2013)</nowiki>|author=Torsten Dreyer|date=16 November 2012}}</ref>|Torsten Dreyer}}
== Version numbers ==
 
FlightGear version numbers consist of three digits, separated by dots:
After branching, there is one month for bug fixing in the release branch, so building and packing of the binaries and FGDATA takes place around February, 18th and August, 18th. Allowing a few days for distribution of the files, new versions should be publically available around the 20th of February and August.


The development stream of SimGear, FlightGear and FGDATA is set into a frozen state one month before the branch-day (17th), to let the dust of development settle and to allow fixing the most annoying bugs in the code. During this period, developers should not add any new features, subsystems, and the like. Immediately after the stream has branched for the release, development in the main stream (next/master) is open for major changes until one month before the next branch-day. This results in a duty cycle of 5 month developing and 1 month thinking.
* '''Year''' (<u>2020</u>.1.0): The year the version was released.
* '''Number''' (2020.<u>1</u>.0): Which release of the year the version is.
* '''Revision''' (2020.1.<u>0</u>): The patch revision on that release.


== Version numbers ==
{{note|In general, release are referred to by their first two digits (e.g., 2020.3). However, when filing a bug report or debugging problems, it is a good idea to give the full release number.}}
FlightGear version numbers consist of three digits, seperated by dots:
* '''Major''' (<u>2</u>.4.1): is only increased after significant changes to the functionality of the software, i.e. 1.X.X => 2.0.0 (due to switch to OSG).
* '''Minor''' (2.<u>4</u>.1): has two applications:
** '''Stable releases''' always have ''even numbers'', i.e. 2.6.0, 2.8.0, 3.0.0.
** The '''development stream''' (''latest Git version'') uses an ''odd number'', increasing the minor number of the latest stable release's version by one. I.e., when the latest release was 2.8.0, the current development stream is 2.9.0.
* '''Revision''' (2.4.<u>1</u>): is increased by bugfix releases, i.e. 2.8.1, 2.8.2, 2.8.3.
 
When referring to a major release in general, only the first two digits should be used, i.e. 2.6 refers to 2.6.0, 2.6.1 etc.


== Detailed time schedule and checklist ==
== Detailed time schedule and checklist ==
# '''Dec/Jun 17th:''' Development stream is declared "frozen" or "yellow"
# Just after an LTS is generated, the next default airport is decided on by a poll on the forum. The next LTS release will be named after it.
##Send a mail to the flightgear-devel mailing-list to announce the state, add a call for screenshots
# A series of "preview" releases generated for cutting edge users. For each release:
##Create a "release preperations" topic at the forum and make it a "Global Announcement", add a call for screenshots
## A release branch is cut from "next". E.g. release/2021.1
##Change the content of wiki template at [[Template:GitStatus]] to <code><nowiki>{{GitStatus:frozen}}</nowiki></code>
## The version files are incremented. 
##Bump up the version-number of simgear/next, flightgear/next and fgdata/master to an even number (2.9.0 -> 3.0.0)
## Builds are generated.
##Compile and test drive FlightGear with the new version-number
# When a new LTS preview is declared (after ~12 months):
##Commit the new version number to next (flightgear+simgear) and master(fgdata)
## A release branch is cut from "next". E.g. release/2022.1
##Tag (annotated) flightgear, simgear and fgdata with <tt>version/3.0.0</tt>
## The version files are incremented.
##:<code>git tag -a version/3.0.0</code> (Enter a wise comment)
## Builds are generated for the preview LTS. Testing of aircraft against these releases is strongly encouraged.
##Push the branches next/master '''and''' the tags upstream
## Additional branches are created for subsequent releases from the original release branch (e.g. release/2022.1 -> release/2022.2)
##:for flightgear and simgear: <code>git push origin next</code>
## Fixes are merged into the release branch as well as "next"
##:for fgdata: <code>git push origin master<code>
## Further builds and release are generated until an LTS is declared (e.g release/2022.3).
##:for the tags (all repos): <code>git push origin version/3.0.0</code>
## fgaddon is branched and a new catalog generated.
# '''Jan/Jul 17th:''' Create new release branch, assign new version number to dev-stream, re-open streams
<!-- We don't really need this step...
##Declare the streams "closed" or "red"
##:Send a mail to the flightgear-devel mail-list, asking not to commit/push anything
##:Post an update to the forum topic
##:Change the content of wiki template at [[Template:GitStatus]] to <code><nowiki>{{GitStatus:closed}}</nowiki></code>
-->
##Pull current Git, create the release branches (for sg/fg/fgdata):
##:<code>git pull</code>
##:<code>git branch release/3.0.0</code>
##On the next/master branches, bump up the version-number of simgear, flightgear and fgdata to an odd number (3.0.0 -> 3.1.0)
##Compile and test drive FlightGear with the new development version number
##Commit the changes of version-number to next/master
##Tag (annotated) flightgear, simgear and fgdata with "version/2.9.0"
##:<code>git tag -a version/2.9.0</code> (Enter a wise comment)
##Push the branches next/master '''and''' release/3.0.0 '''and''' the tags upstream
##:for flightgear, simgear and fgdata: <code>git push origin release/3.0.0</code>
##:for flightgear and simgear: <code>git push origin next</code>
##:for fgdata: <code>git push origin master</code>
##:for the tags (all repos): <code>git push origin version/3.1.0</code>
##Declare dev-streams "open" or "green"
##: Ask a [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Special:ListUsers&group=sysop wiki admin] to change the content of wiki template at [[Template:GitStatus]] to <code><nowiki>{{GitStatus:open}}</nowiki></code>
##:Send a mail to the flightgear-devel mailing-list to announce the state.
## Trigger James for the Jenkins-builds and Curt for a snapshot release and ThorstenB for the OpenSuse build
# '''Feb/Aug 1st:''' Start preparing the release notes and a press announcement
# '''Feb/Aug 17th:''' Create binaries/installers, pack fgdata, publish files, announce new version, close the release-branch.
## Generate latest '''getstart.pdf''', push the PDF to fgdata/master - and cherry-pick to the '''release branch'''. Generate latest '''getstart''' HTML, push PDF and HTML to the MapServer site.
##Tag the release/3.00 branches of simgear, flightgear and fgdata and push the tags.
##:for flighgear, simgear and fgdata: <code>git tag version/3.0.0-final</code>
##:for flighgear, simgear and fgdata: <code>git push origin version/3.0.0-final</code>
##Merge the branch release/3.0.0 into '''master''' (<u>'''NOT'''</u> next) for flightgear and simgear and push the branch
##:We don't have a next branch for fgdata, no merging of the release branch here.
##:for flighgear and simgear:
##:<code>git checkout -b master origin/master</code> or <code>git checkout master</code> if you already have the local branch
##:<code>git merge version/3.0.0-final</code>
##:<code>git push origin master</code>
##[[:Category:FlightGear Core developers|Core developers]] and other contributors should be invited to add their release related experiences (i.e. suggestions for improvements) to the wiki to help update and improve the release plan (i.e. this page) accordingly.
 
== To bump up the version number ==
* fgdata
** edit the ''version'' file
* SimGear
** edit the ''version'' file
* FlightGear
** edit the ''version'' file
 
== Definition of repository states ==
{| class="wikitable"
!
! State
! Description
|-
! [[File:Traffic light green.png|20px]]
! Open/Green
| Normal development of the code base and fgdata. Unrestricted (well, sort of) access to the streams. This state lasts for five month after the release branches were created.
|-
! [[File:Traffic light yellow.png|20px]]
! Frozen/Yellow
| No new features or major changes shall be pushed onto the development streams (neither source nor data). This period is for preparing the code for the release and make sure there are no major issues. It lasts for four weeks until creation of the release branches.


It's a good idea for aircraft developers to adhere to this rule. However, aircraft in fgdata may be handled as an exception from the frozen state. Any change to aircraft may be pushed to the repository if it is guaranteed that this change does not affect any other aircraft or system and if no file outside the root directory of that specific aircraft is changed. Also, aircraft defined as part of the base package (e.g. the c172p) enter the frozen state and shall not undergo major changes in that period.
|-
! [[File:Traffic light red.png|20px]]
! Closed/Red
| Nothing shall be pushed to the development streams (simgear, flightgear and fgdata). This state is for creating the release branches. It lasts for just a few hours on Jan 17th and Jul 17th around 12:00 UTC.
|}


== Version files ==
; FGData: {{fgdata file|version}}
; SimGear: {{simgear file|simgear-version}}
; FlightGear: {{flightgear file|flightgear-version}}
<!--
== Bug fix committing policy ==
== Bug fix committing policy ==
Fixes for bugs during the shakedown test of the release branch may be applied to the branches next or release/2.8.0.
Fixes for bugs during the preview release are applied to both "next" and the release branch (e.g. release/2022.2)
A fix goes into release/2.8.0 if the development of next has moved forward and this fix does not apply there. It also goes into the release branch if there will be a better fix for next.  
A fix goes into next if it is also solves an issue for the next version. Cherry-pick this commit into the release/2.8.0 branch.


'''DO NOT''' merge next into release/2.8.0 or vice versa. Most likely, there will be commits that are not welcome in or even break the other branch.
'''DO NOT''' merge next into release/2.8.0 or vice versa. Most likely, there will be commits that are not welcome in or even break the other branch.
-->


== Bug tracking ==
== Bug tracking ==
The [http://flightgear-bugs.googlecode.com bugtracker] will be our primary source for the bug fixing period. Bugs reported on the mailing list or forum will not be tracked! Reporters shall be requested to file a bug report at the bugtracker. Bugs shall be assigned a priority and a keyword to make the assignment to a developer easier. Bug reports that can't be confirmed or need more input from the reporter to get fixed will be assigned a new state "stalled" and only processed after more information has been provided. Bugs assigned a high priority will be downgraded, if no progress has been made over a certain amount of time. This is to prevent the release from being blocked by a bug that no developer is able (or willing) to fix. The only exception is "does not compile for one of the major platforms", which certainly is a release-blocker.
The [http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/codetickets/ bugtracker] is the primary source of bug reports. Unlike the forum or mailing list, bugs reported there will be tracked, making it easier for developers to keep up with them. When reporting bugs, it is best to provide as much information as possible to more easily find the bug. If you can provide a backtrace, please do so and attach it to the bug report. When creating backtraces, please use "thread apply all bt full" at the gdb command prompt.
 
Bugs that were present in the latest stable release, and now considered "fixed", should be assigned a milestone label, corresponding with the upcoming stable release number. By doing so, they'll end up in [http://code.google.com/p/flightgear-bugs/issues/list?can=1&q=label%3AMilestone-2.12.0 the list of fixed bugs].


<!--
=== Tasks and owners ===
=== Tasks and owners ===


The following table should be updated and augmented after each release, according to the [[Release plan#Lessons learned|Lessons learned]] section below.
The following table should be updated and augmented after each release, according to the [[Release plan#Lessons learned|Lessons learned]] section below.


{|class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!
! Stage
! width="500px" | Task
! width="500px" | Task
! Owner(s)
! Owner(s)
! Status for [[Changelog 2.12|2.12]]
|-
|-
! rowspan="7" |  
! rowspan="7" | Preparation
| Announce the state-change of the dev-streams
| Announce the state-change of the dev-streams, '''cross-post to JSBSim list''' (see lessons learned!)
| TorstenD
| TorstenD
|
|-
|-
| Create/maintain the git branches
| Create/maintain the git branches
| TorstenD
| TorstenD
|
|-
|-
| Track the bugs on the tracker, trigger developers, adjust bug-priorities
| Track the bugs on the tracker, trigger developers, adjust bug-priorities
Line 144: Line 81:
| Sync the language files so they can be translated
| Sync the language files so they can be translated
| ThorstenB, James
| ThorstenB, James
|
|-
|-
| Beta testing  
| Beta testing  
Line 151: Line 87:
| Update documentation: [[FAQ]], [https://www.gitorious.org/fg/getstart/ The Manual], wiki
| Update documentation: [[FAQ]], [https://www.gitorious.org/fg/getstart/ The Manual], wiki
| Stuart, Gijs and anyone else
| Stuart, Gijs and anyone else
|
|-
|-
| Pack RC and final version of FGDATA
| Pack RC and final version of fgdata
|
|
|-
|-
Line 165: Line 100:
| Windows
| Windows
| Curt
| Curt
|
|-
|-
| MacOS
| MacOS
| Tat/James
| Tat/James
|
|-
|-
| Distribute files to download servers
| Distribute files to download servers
| Curt
| Curt
|
|-
|-
! rowspan="3" | Make adjustments on the web-site
! rowspan="3" | Make adjustments on the web-site
Line 181: Line 113:
| Generate aircraft page
| Generate aircraft page
| Curt, Gijs
| Curt, Gijs
|-
|-
|-
| Tag the [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Talk:Next_newsletter&action=edit&section=45 newsletter template] according to the released version
| Tag the [http://wiki.flightgear.org/index.php?title=Talk:Next_newsletter&action=edit&section=45 newsletter template] according to the released version
Line 188: Line 119:
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" | Announce the new version to the public
! rowspan="2" | Announce the new version to the public
| Write a changelog: [[Next Changelog]]
| Write a changelog: [[Next changelog]]
| All developers/contributors
| All developers/contributors
|-
|-
| Contact flightsim websites and send them/link them to the "press announcement". See [[release promotion]] for a list of already-contacted and yet-to-contact websites/magazins.
| Contact flightsim websites and send them/link them to the "press announcement". See [[release promotion]] for a list of already-contacted and yet-to-contact websites/magazines.
| '''EVERYBODY'''
| '''EVERYBODY'''
|}
|}
Line 197: Line 128:
== Open items, questions ==
== Open items, questions ==
* Automate and/or document the creation of RC's: "We need to get this automated some day. Or at least documented...(another one from "famous last words": if you have to do it more than once, automate it. If you can't automate it, document it."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg39205.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Release candidates</nowiki> |author=Torsten Dreyer |date=29 January 2013}}</ref>
* Automate and/or document the creation of RC's: "We need to get this automated some day. Or at least documented...(another one from "famous last words": if you have to do it more than once, automate it. If you can't automate it, document it."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg39205.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] Release candidates</nowiki> |author=Torsten Dreyer |date=29 January 2013}}</ref>
* Automate the creation of Windows and Mac installers
* Automate the creation of fgdata distribution
* Automate the creation of FGDATA distribution
* Possibly try to find a way to automate testing of updated jsbsim code, so that the chance for breakage is reduced by running scripted tests <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg39109.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] [Jsbsim-devel] JSBSim Synch with FlightGear</nowiki> |author=Torsten Dreyer |date=13 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg40201.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] JSBSim Synch with FlightGear</nowiki> |author=Anders Gidenstam |date=11 June 2013}}</ref><ref>
* Possibly try to find a way to automate testing of updated jsbsim code, so that the chance for breakage is reduced by running scripted tests <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg39109.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] [Jsbsim-devel] JSBSim Synch with FlightGear</nowiki> |author=Torsten Dreyer |date=13 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net/msg40201.html |title=<nowiki>Re: [Flightgear-devel] JSBSim Synch with FlightGear</nowiki> |author=Anders Gidenstam |date=11 June 2013}}</ref>
{{Cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/31762085/
|title=<nowiki>Release preparations - feature freeze starts today</nowiki> |author=Anders Gidenstam |date=2013-12-17 19:46:48}}
</ref>
 
-->


== Lessons learned ==
== Lessons learned ==
See [[Release plan/Lessons learned]] for a list of things that turned out well and should be kept for the next release as well as thing that didn't turn out so well and should be changed for future releases. Ideally, the release plan should be updated and augmented so that the lessons learned are incorporated accordingly.  
See [[Release plan/Lessons learned]] for a list of things that turned out well and should be kept for the next release as well as thing that didn't turn out so well and should be changed for future releases. Ideally, the release plan should be updated and augmented so that the lessons learned are incorporated accordingly.
<!-- {{Appendix}} -->
 
== Wiki articles that should be updated ==
 
See [[:Category:Articles to be updated for each release]]


{{Appendix}}
== Related content ==
=== Mailing lists ===
* {{cite web
|url = http://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/message/34701971/
|title = <nowiki>[Flightgear-devel] Release 3.8</nowiki>
|author = Torsten Dreyer
|date = Dec 17th, 2015
}}


[[Category:Core developer documentation]]
[[Category:Core developer documentation]]
[[Category:FlightGear]]
[[Category:FlightGear]]
[[Category:Release plans]]

Latest revision as of 18:29, 8 December 2022

Current release: 2020.3.19 (18 Oct 2023)
Next release: 2020.3.20
See release plan for details.
This article or section contains out-of-date information

Please help improve this article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page.

The release plan is the process by which a new version of FlightGear is released. The release plan is actually a continual work-in-progress, and is refined with every new release and how much available resource and interest there is.

The original release plan.

FlightGear has had multiple release plans over history.

  • Originally, releases were sporadic, irregular and took many months of manual preparation.
  • Subsequently a release plan was developed by Mathias Fröhlich, Martin Spott, Thorsten Brehm and Torsten Dreyer during LinuxTag 2011.
  • A more regular plan was proposed by Torsten Dreyer after the 3.6 release was cancelled.
  • Currently "Long Term Support" (LTS) releases are generated every ~24 months, with intermittent "preview" releases between them which receive less testing and support.

To suggest improvements and/or changes to the release plan, it is recommended to get in touch via the mailing list. Improvements can be based on the lessons learned from previous releases. However, do not underestimate the amount of effort go create a new release! Most of the burden falls on a few people.

General release concept

At any given time there are two release "stream":

  • A Long Term Support (LTS) release stream. This is a stable release to which bug fixes are applied, and will be active for up to two years. Most users and aircraft developers use this release. Currently 2020.3.
  • A "preview" release, based on the development branch "next". This is for those interested in the latest developments. There is not currently a preview release.

Version numbers

FlightGear version numbers consist of three digits, separated by dots:

  • Year (2020.1.0): The year the version was released.
  • Number (2020.1.0): Which release of the year the version is.
  • Revision (2020.1.0): The patch revision on that release.
Note  In general, release are referred to by their first two digits (e.g., 2020.3). However, when filing a bug report or debugging problems, it is a good idea to give the full release number.

Detailed time schedule and checklist

  1. Just after an LTS is generated, the next default airport is decided on by a poll on the forum. The next LTS release will be named after it.
  2. A series of "preview" releases generated for cutting edge users. For each release:
    1. A release branch is cut from "next". E.g. release/2021.1
    2. The version files are incremented.
    3. Builds are generated.
  3. When a new LTS preview is declared (after ~12 months):
    1. A release branch is cut from "next". E.g. release/2022.1
    2. The version files are incremented.
    3. Builds are generated for the preview LTS. Testing of aircraft against these releases is strongly encouraged.
    4. Additional branches are created for subsequent releases from the original release branch (e.g. release/2022.1 -> release/2022.2)
    5. Fixes are merged into the release branch as well as "next"
    6. Further builds and release are generated until an LTS is declared (e.g release/2022.3).
    7. fgaddon is branched and a new catalog generated.


Version files

FGData
fgdata/version
SimGear
simgear/simgear-version
FlightGear
flightgear/flightgear-version

Bug tracking

The bugtracker is the primary source of bug reports. Unlike the forum or mailing list, bugs reported there will be tracked, making it easier for developers to keep up with them. When reporting bugs, it is best to provide as much information as possible to more easily find the bug. If you can provide a backtrace, please do so and attach it to the bug report. When creating backtraces, please use "thread apply all bt full" at the gdb command prompt.


Lessons learned

See Release plan/Lessons learned for a list of things that turned out well and should be kept for the next release as well as thing that didn't turn out so well and should be changed for future releases. Ideally, the release plan should be updated and augmented so that the lessons learned are incorporated accordingly.

Wiki articles that should be updated

See Category:Articles to be updated for each release

Related content

Mailing lists

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