GAP release workflow

This page is under development. It should contain a description of GAP release workflow. It's described in GAP.dev manual, but I'd like to make a fresh attempt documenting each step I will be doing during the release.

Alexander

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Evaluating release candidate

Regression tests in Jenkins

Manual tests

Windows checklist

For each of the batch files gap.bat, gapcmd.bat, gaprxvt.bat check:

• copying and pasting
• readline functionality (e.g. multiline commands, Ctrl-_ for undoing);
• scrolling the command line history
• run testinstall.g
• run testall.g
• try that LoadAllPackages() works
• check GAPInfo.UserGapRoot;
• check WriteGapIniFile();
• check user preferences (e.g. UseColorPrompt);
• is ARCH_IS_WINDOWS properly recognized?
• does TmpNameAllArchs() produce a valid tmp file name?
• does `DirectoryTemporary()' create a valid tmp directory? Is it deleted properly when GAP exits?
• Does DirectoryHome()' and DirectoryDesktop()' return the proper folders? (This has languages hard coded)
• Does Exec work? (Uses cmd.exe to run external binaries)?
• test that the help system works '''twice''': with and without Browse package

• with Pager
• with SetHelpViewer("browser");

• check that packages with compiled kernel modules work (Browse, cvec, edim, io, orb)
• check that text files are converted to have appropriate line endings;
• test MathJax support in HTML manuals;

Preparing exe installer for Windows

• https://github.com/gap-system/gap-distribution/tree/master/wininst

Publishing main distribution archives

Recording release in repositories

• https://github.com/gap-system/gap-distribution/tree/master/DistributionUpdate
• tag in https://github.com/gap-system/gap

Maintaining package update system

• https://github.com/gap-system/gap-distribution/tree/master/DistributionUpdate/PackageUpdate

Updating the GAP website

• https://github.com/gap-system/GapWWW

Updating alternative distributions

Announcing the release