Document the current steps for releasing CDT

[jonahgraham]

This document is to capture all the steps that I do as part of the releasing/maintenance/processing of CDT releng. As I have prepared the CDT 12.1 release I have written down every step I have taken. Once I have completed CDT 12.1 release I will merge this into the repo so this knowledge is properly captured.

[jonahgraham]

Main things left to do:

• N&N handling
• GitHub Milestones
• PMI
• Check an old endgame to make sure everything is captured properly.
• Day of release work (e.g. publishing to final URLs, updating composites)
• Coordination of CDT + CDT LSP releases

[jonahgraham]

Another new item for this document:

• If core native parts change, we need to release before Eclipse Platform because Eclipse Platform depends on us. See Add CDT core native API bundle for compilation eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.releng.aggregator#3046 (comment)

[ruspl-afed]

What do you think about switching p2 update site creation to JustJ technology (used by EMF, Mylyn and many others)? In my experience, this could greatly simplify the p2 delivery process.

However, I don't know how good it is for

1. service releases from branches
2. products in executable form

May be @merks can advice regarding these two use cases

[merks]

If one plans to produces service releases and non-service releases at the same time then this would be a problem:

A bunch of builds maintain both an update site for a product and an update site for just the tools that can be installed into any product, e.g.,

• https://ci.eclipse.org/cbi/view/p2RepoRelated/job/p2repo-sbom/

One can also produce downloads, including downloads of products:

https://download.eclipse.org/birt/updates/release/4.20.0/index.html

I think dealing with service releases at the same time as regular release would be the worst hurdle. Normally one just increases versions, not matter which segment and that produces a new set of milestones one of which is eventually promoted as the release...

[github-actions]

Test Results

   636 files     636 suites   35m 26s ⏱️
11 440 tests 11 295 ✅ 144 💤 1 ❌
11 462 runs  11 317 ✅ 144 💤 1 ❌

For more details on these failures, see this check.

Results for commit 403d8e2.

[jonahgraham]

Add these items missing from the steps

• Prepare repo for CDT 12.3.0 development #1297 (comment)
• Prepare repo for CDT 12.3.0 development #1297 (comment)

[jld01]

To perform various version updates, I used the following at a bash prompt:

find $CDT_ROOT -type f -name pom.xml -exec sed -i s/12.2.0-SNAPSHOT/12.3.0-SNAPSHOT/g {} \;
find $CDT_ROOT -type f -name feature.xml -exec sed -i s/12.2.0.qualifier/12.3.0.qualifier/g {} \;
find $CDT_ROOT -type f -name MANIFEST.MF -exec sed -i s/12.2.0.qualifier/12.3.0.qualifier/g {} \;

[jonahgraham]

What do you think about switching p2 update site creation to JustJ technology (used by EMF, Mylyn and many others)? In my experience, this could greatly simplify the p2 delivery process.

We discussed this at the latest CDT call. There were no objections to doing this as long as releasing service releases stays possible.

[jonahgraham]

I have now integrated all the feedback received, especially from @jld01's run through preparing the repo for 12.3.

I recommend any further updates are handled via new PRs and I plan to merge this soon if there are no objections.