Preparation work for 4.38 (2025-12) and open master for development

[HannesWell]

This preparation work involves the following tasks. For previous bug please refer to #3070.

• Splash Screen for 4.38 (2025-12) #3267
• Run Prepare Next Development Cycle job.
  Review and submit the created changes:
  • Prepare 4.38 development #3271 and linked preparation PRs in submodules.
• Clean forceQualifierUpdate files for doc bundles
• Update build calendar for platform 4.38 release
• Update R4_36 maintenance branch with release version for 4.36+ changes (moved to release issue)

[HannesWell]

@MohananRahul, @subyssurendran666 I created this for the release preparation as it was not created yet? If that was intentionally, sorry for disturbing your plans, but I wanted to discuss a few points (and didn't want to use the release issue).

Looking at the ToDo-List from past releases in

eclipse.platform.releng.aggregator/scripts/newReleasePrep.sh

Lines 27 to 43 in 8dd9e20

	- [ ] Update JenkinsJobs for ${NEXT_STREAM}:
	- - [ ] Add ${NEXT_STREAM} to JobDSL.json to create new jobs
	- - [ ] Update "Brances" in JobDSL.json to move ${PREV_MAJOR}.${PREV_MINOR}-I builds to R${PREV_MAJOR}_${PREV_MINOR}_maintenance branch
	- - [ ] Update I-build triggers with dates for ${NEXT_STREAM} milestone
	- [ ] Splash Screen for ${NEXT_STREAM} (${NEXT_TRAIN})
	- [ ] Create ${NEXT_STREAM}-I-builds repo
	- [ ] Run [`Prepare Next Development Cycle`](https://ci.eclipse.org/releng/job/Releng/job/prepareNextDevCycle/) job and submit the created changes
	- [ ] Update version number in Mac's Eclipse.app for ${NEXT_STREAM}
	- [ ] Clean forceQualifierUpdate files for doc bundles
	- [ ] Update builds and repo cleanup scripts for ${NEXT_STREAM}
	- [ ] Update check composites script to verify ${NEXT_STREAM} repositories
	- [ ] Update Comparator repo and eclipse run repo to ${NEXT_STREAM}-I-builds repo
	- [ ] Version bumps for ${NEXT_STREAM} stream
	- [ ] Update previous release version to ${PREV_MAJOR}.${PREV_MINOR} GA across build scripts
	- [ ] Update build calendar for platform ${NEXT_STREAM} release
	- [ ] Deploy ecj compiler from ${PREV_MAJOR}.${PREV_MINOR} GA and use it for ${NEXT_STREAM} M1 build
	- [ ] Update generic repos I-builds, Y-builds, P-builds to point to ${NEXT_STREAM} repos

most items are now automated in the Prepare Next Development Cycle job. I have considered that and removed those items when creating this issue. I'll also update that script later.

The only missing tasks are are the ones in the list plus the update of the JenkinsJobs. But that should be handled by #3255, which I intend to complete tomorrow.

Cleaning the forceQualifierUpdate files is something I plan to automate too, but later. So this time it has to be done manually (hopefully the last time) and updating the Splash Screen and build calendar for platform are tasks that probably have to continue to be done manually.

Since there have been many enhancements in the release preparation pipeline in this cycle I would like to run the Prepare Next Development Cycle pipeline by myself this Friday afternoon (your today) or Saturday morning in order to have more time over the weekend to fix problems in case they arise (I tested it a lot, but one can never be sure).

@MohananRahul is that fine for you or do you think something is missing for that?
Cleaning the forceQualifierUpdate files and updating the Splash Screen can be done afterwards everything else was prepared.

For the milestone/RC/GA dates I have looked at the SimRel 2025-12 schedule and derived the following dates from it:

• M1: 2025-10-03
• M2: 2025-10-24
• M3: 2025-11-14
• RC1: 2025-11-21
• RC2: 2025-11-28
• GA: 2025-12-10

@MohananRahul is that all correct?

Last but not least, I have disabled the I-build-4.37 build as there are no more builds planned, but the cron-schedule was not properly updated. I suggest to now create a PR for that but change it manually once we have the maintenance branch (and also move it to the maintenance branch until the job can be deleted).
I'll also think about how this could be automated as well (but not for this time, we should do it manually).

[MohananRahul]

@MohananRahul, @subyssurendran666 I created this for the release preparation as it was not created yet? If that was intentionally, sorry for disturbing your plans, but I wanted to discuss a few points (and didn't want to use the release issue).

Thanks @HannesWell

@MohananRahul is that fine for you or do you think something is missing for that? Cleaning the forceQualifierUpdate files and updating the Splash Screen can be done afterwards everything else was prepared.

Looks fine to me, but we’ll also need to update the maintenance branch once it’s created.

• Move 4.37-I builds to R4_37_maintenance branch
• Update R4_37 maintenance branch with release version for 4.37+ changes

For the milestone/RC/GA dates I have looked at the SimRel 2025-12 schedule and derived the following dates from it:

• M1: 2025-10-03
• M2: 2025-10-24
• M3: 2025-11-14
• RC1: 2025-11-21
• RC2: 2025-11-28
• GA: 2025-12-05

@MohananRahul is that all correct?

All good

Last but not least, I have disabled the I-build-4.37 build as there are no more builds planned, but the cron-schedule was not properly updated. I suggest to now create a PR for that but change it manually once we have the maintenance branch (and also move it to the maintenance branch until the job can be deleted). I'll also think about how this could be automated as well (but not for this time, we should do it manually).

Yes, I have updated now.

[MohananRahul]

Since there have been many enhancements in the release preparation pipeline in this cycle I would like to run the Prepare Next Development Cycle pipeline by myself this Friday afternoon (your today) or Saturday morning in order to have more time over the weekend to fix problems in case they arise (I tested it a lot, but one can never be sure).

Sure @HannesWell , please let me know once it’s done so we also can check. In the meantime, I’ll draft the PR for the splash screen/ update calendar.

[HannesWell]

Looks fine to me, but we’ll also need to update the maintenance branch once it’s created.

* Move 4.37-I builds to R4_37_maintenance branch

This was also automated with

• [RelEng] Create and update maintenance branches in release preparation #3261

* Update R4_37 maintenance branch with release version for 4.37+ changes

This is not yet automated, but I plan to do it next and integrate it into the promotion pipeline if a release is promoted. I intend to do it in time for the release/GA promotion of the 4.37 in about a week.

Since there have been many enhancements in the release preparation pipeline in this cycle I would like to run the Prepare Next Development Cycle pipeline by myself this Friday afternoon (your today) or Saturday morning in order to have more time over the weekend to fix problems in case they arise (I tested it a lot, but one can never be sure).

Sure @HannesWell , please let me know once it’s done so we also can check. In the meantime, I’ll draft the PR for the splash screen/ update calendar.

Thanks.
I just ran the release preparation and it seems like it has worked well and we should be able to re-open the master soon.

[HannesWell]

• Clean forceQualifierUpdate files for doc bundles

For PDE this was done as part of

• Prepare 4.38 development eclipse-pde/eclipse.pde#1948

@MohananRahul which exactly are the other doc bundles that should be cleaned? Only those in
https://github.com/eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.releng.aggregator/tree/68caadb60a8e9e8bad331153cac1ee1ac7950d5c/eclipse.platform.common/bundles?
In the recent past the forceQualifierUpdate.txt was not touched at all, but may this only be because no forced updated was added in that time?

[MohananRahul]

@MohananRahul which exactly are the other doc bundles that should be cleaned? Only those in https://github.com/eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform.releng.aggregator/tree/68caadb60a8e9e8bad331153cac1ee1ac7950d5c/eclipse.platform.common/bundles? In the recent past the forceQualifierUpdate.txt was not touched at all, but may this only be because no forced updated was added in that time?

Yes, it hasn’t been touched.

[HannesWell]

The preparations of all repositories are submitted and the first I-build was successful:

• https://ci.eclipse.org/releng/job/Builds/job/I-build-4.38/1/

Except for the splash-screen I think we can consider this completed, can't we?

[iloveeclipse]

Except for the splash-screen I think we can consider this completed, can't we?

@HannesWell : many thanks for all the work.
What I miss is official mail about master being opened for 4.38 development.

[MohananRahul]

Except for the splash-screen I think we can consider this completed, can't we?

The splash screen has been updated, and the latest 4.38 I-build is now available at: https://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops4/I20250901-0300/

[MohananRahul]

@HannesWell , Everything looks good. Big thanks for all your contributions 🙏 .

• Update the R4_36 maintenance branch with the release version for 4.36+ changes. This can be done once the release (R) build is available.

[HannesWell]

Thank you both for the nice words. I'm glad that everything went so well and the work payed off.

And thanks to Suby for sending the mails.

• Update the R4_36 maintenance branch with the release version for 4.36+ changes. This can be done once the release (R) build is available.

I suggest to move that tasks to the ToDo list for the release itself. Then we have the potential to have the preparation list fully automated and with a relatively short scope.
That being said, I plan to automate that task too until Friday.

[HannesWell]

• Update the R4_36 maintenance branch with the release version for 4.36+ changes. This can be done once the release (R) build is available.

The creation of the two update PRs (one for master and one for the maintenance branch) is now automated when you promote the RC to final GA release, since

• [RelEng] Update build configurations with release in release promotion #3284

It will create the corresponding PRs that can be merged after the GA release was finally published.

@MohananRahul IIRC you'll run the promotion (without publication) of RC2 to GA release on Friday (for you probably already today)? I wanted to make you aware that I made many changes also to that pipeline in the recent past and at least the GA promotion specific parts have not yet run in production. I tested these changes extensively and don't expect problems, but one can never know.
In case there are problems I can fix them on my Friday (European) evening. In that (hopefully unlikely) case, I would make sure the promotion is then completed ASAP.