How to release Tera Term installation package

1. Start release operation
2. Create RC, and after that
3. Release
4. About code freeze

To release Tera Term installation package is shown in the following step:

Start release operation

1. Confirm ticket and branches.
   • Confirm in project team.
     • Organize / decide whether to include bug fix / feature in this release or defer.
   • Merge branches
     • working branches, cherry-pick to stable branch
   • Close issues.
     • Close fixed or responded issues.
     • Change the milestone for issues which is planned respond in the next release.
   • Decide respond or postpone about new issue.
2. Confirm tools, libraries, import sources.
   • Visual Studio (https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/)
   • Inno Setup (https://jrsoftware.org/isdl.php)
   • Oniguruma (https://github.com/kkos/oniguruma/)
   • SFMT (http://www.math.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~m-mat/MT/SFMT/index-jp.html)
   • LibreSSL (https://www.libressl.org/)
   • zlib (http://www.zlib.net/)
   • The reference C implementation of Argon2 (https://github.com/P-H-C/phc-winner-argon2/)
   • cJSON (https://github.com/DaveGamble/cJSON/)
   • Unicode (https://www.unicode.org/versions/latest/)

   Library versions are mostly determined at this timing.

   We use CI tool for release build. For this reason, the detailed version of Visual Studio is uncontrollable. The detailed version will depend on what version is adopted by the CI tool.

3. What change is included in this release of not included is mostly determined.

Create RC, and aftet that

1. Create a working branch. (from main or or stable branch)

   git switch main
   git checkout -b release/5_4_0-RC
   

2. Confirm documents.
   • Check for missing parts of documents. Configuration item on dialog, special options without UI, command line parameters, new macro command and so on.
   • Check for changelog. Add it if found missing.
   • Change order of changelog. Important changes will be located at upper position. Order is terminal emulation, application and macro.
   • Check for translations of changed documents. Translate them if they are not translated.
3. Increment the version while RC release process.
   • teraterm\common\tt-version.h
     set TT_VERSION_SUBSTR to "RC".

       #define TT_VERSION_MAJOR             5
       #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             4
       #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             0
     - #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "dev"
     + #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "RC"
     

     TT_VERSION_MINOR or TT_VERSION_PATCH is already incremented yet. It is incremented immediately after previous release.
   • ttssh2\ttxssh\ttxssh-version.h
     TTSSH_VERSION_MINOR or TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH is already incremented yet. It is incremented immediately after previous release.
   • ttpmenu\ttpmenu.rc // only modifying
   • TTProxy\TTProxy.rc // only modifying
   • TTXKanjiMenu\ttxkanjimenu.rc // only modifying
4. Increment the year of last publication of copyright notice if it is first release in this year.
   • teraterm\keycode\keycode-version.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • teraterm\teraterm\tt-version.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • teraterm\ttpcmn\ttpcmn-version.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • teraterm\ttpdlg\ttpdlg.rc // dialog
   • teraterm\ttpmacro\ttm-version.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • ttssh2\ttxssh\ttxssh.rc // dialog
   • ttssh2\ttxssh\ttxssh-version.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • ttpmenu\ttpmenu.rc // dialog, VERSIONINFO
   • TTProxy\TTProxy.rc // dialog, VERSIONINFO(en), VERSIONINFO(ja)
   • TTXKanjiMenu\ttxkanjimenu.rc // VERSIONINFO
   • installer\teraterm.iss
   • installer\release\license.txt // Tera Term, TTSSH, Cygterm+, TTProxy, TeraTerm Menu, TTX KanjiMenu
   • doc\en\html\index.html
   • doc\en\html\about\copyright.html // Tera Term, TTSSH, Cygterm+, TTProxy, TeraTerm Menu, TTX KanjiMenu
   • doc\en\html\macro\index.html
   • doc\ja\html\index.html
   • doc\ja\html\about\copyright.html // Tera Term, TTSSH, Cygterm+, TTProxy, TeraTerm Menu, TTX KanjiMenu
   • doc\ja\html\macro\index.html
5. Create installer. (for check)
6. Test run installer, run and connect in all supported OS.
7. Commit and push.
8. Create Pull Request to merge working branch.
9. Merge the Pull Request. (to main or or stable branch)
10. A Build workflow of GitHub Actions is run.
    Three builds are triggered on: push to the working branch, Pull Request creation, and merge commit to the main or stable branch.
    The merge commit is considered the release candidate.
11. Announce RC release.
    • X (https://x.com/Tera_Term)
    • Direct users to report problems via GitHub Issues, as described here.
    • Mention that users must be logged in to GitHub to download GitHub Actions artifacts.
12. Delete a working branch.
13. Get feedbacks.
    If changed source code, redo "Confirm documents" and "Test run and connect in all supported OS."
14. If you are going to release RC2, repeat the steps in this section starting from creating a working branch.

Release

1. Create a working branch. (from main or or stable branch)

   git switch main
   git checkout -b release/5_4_0
   

2. Confirm documents. (same as above)
3. Remove "RC" string.
   • teraterm\common\tt-version.h

       #define TT_VERSION_MAJOR             5
       #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             4
       #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             0
     - #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "RC"
     + #undef TT_VERSION_SUBSTR
     

4. Modify release date.
   • html/about/history.html
5. Create installer. (for check)

   Check that build and installer generation without error.

6. Commit and push.
7. Create Pull Request to merge working branch.
8. Merge the Pull Request. (to main or or stable branch)
9. Create a tag and push.

   Use annotated tags. The naming rule is `v(version)' (e.g. v5.4.0).

   git switch main
   git pull --rebase
   git tag -a v5.4.0 -m "Release 5.4.0"
   git push origin v5.4.0
   

10. The build workflow of GitHub Actions is run.
    Four builds are triggered on: push to the working branch, Pull Request creation, merge commit to the main or stable branch, and tag creation.
    The tag creation is considered the release.
    On release, the build workflow waits for approval in SignPath. Login to SignPath.io and Approve signing requests.
11. Add to GitHub "Releases."
    • select a new tag.
    • put installer and portable zip file and hash file.
    • write summary of release note (in Japanese and English) from changelog of document.
12. Check anti-virus software
    • download by Chrome
    • download by Edge
      Edge has "Defender SmartScreen", it notices "Uncommonly downloaded." Report it as incorrectly detected.
13. Update project web page (https://teratermproject.github.io).

    How to update project home page (in Japanese).

14. Announce release.
    • X (https://x.com/Tera_Term)
15. When periodic release, create stable branch.

    git checkout -b stable_5_4
    

16. Increment the version for text release

    When periodic release,

    • At main branch.
      • teraterm/common/tt-version.h
        Increment TT_VERSION_MINOR and set SUBSTR to "dev."

          #define TT_VERSION_MAJOR             5
        - #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             4
        + #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             5
          #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             0
        - #undef TT_VERSION_SUBSTR
        + #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "dev"
        

      • ttssh2/ttssh/ttxssh-version.h
        Increment TT_VERSION_MINOR.

          #define TTSSH_VERSION_MAJOR             3
        - #define TTSSH_VERSION_MINOR             4
        + #define TTSSH_VERSION_MINOR             5
          #define TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH             0
        

      • doc\en/ja\html\about\history.html
        Add template of changelog for next release.

        <h3 id="teraterm_5.5.0">YYYY.MM.DD (Ver 5.5.0 not released yet)</h3>
        

      • Commit and push.
    • At stable branch.
      • teraterm/common/tt-version.h
        Increment TT_VERSION_PATCH and set SUBSTR to "dev."

          #define TT_VERSION_MAJOR             5
          #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             4
        - #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             0
        - #undef TT_VERSION_SUBSTR
        + #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             1
        + #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "dev"
        

      • ttssh2/ttssh/ttxssh-version.h
        Increment TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH.

          #define TTSSH_VERSION_MAJOR             3
          #define TTSSH_VERSION_MINOR             4
        - #define TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH             0
        + #define TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH             1
        

      • doc\en/ja\html\about\history.html
        Add template of changelog for next release.

        <h3 id="teraterm_5.4.1">YYYY.MM.DD (Ver 5.4.1 not released yet)</h3>
        

      • Commit and push.

    When stable release,

    • At stable branch.
      • teraterm/common/tt-version.h
        Increment TT_VERSION_PATCH and set SUBSTR to "dev" in stable branch.

          #define TT_VERSION_MAJOR             5
          #define TT_VERSION_MINOR             4
        - #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             1
        - #undef TT_VERSION_SUBSTR
        + #define TT_VERSION_PATCH             2
        + #define TT_VERSION_SUBSTR            "dev"
        

      • ttssh2/ttssh/ttxssh-version.h
        Increment TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH in stable branch.

          #define TTSSH_VERSION_MAJOR             3
          #define TTSSH_VERSION_MINOR             4
        - #define TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH             1
        + #define TTSSH_VERSION_PATCH             2
        

      • doc\en/ja\html\about\history.html
        Add template of changelog for next release on stable branch.

        <h3 id="teraterm_5.4.2">YYYY.MM.DD (Ver 5.4.2 not released yet)</h3>
        

      • Commit and push.
17. Check for download a installer binary.

    When execute a download binary, SmartScreen alerts "Windows protected your PC."

    When download a binary with Microsoft Edge, Smart screen warns "File is not commonly downloaded."

    Anti-Virus Software reports false positive.

18. Update Chocolatey.
19. Delete a working branch.

About code freeze.

After code freeze, only critical bug fix is able to committed.
Code freeze start with RC commit, and end with version increment commit..