Release checklist

These are instructions for preparing a release branch for Android Components and starting the next Nightly development cycle.

Creating a new Beta release branch

Create a branch name with the format releases/[beta_version].0 off of the main branch (for example, releases/98.0) through the GitHub UI. [beta_version] should follow the Firefox Beta release number. See Firefox Release Calendar.

In Gecko.kt:

Set the version to the first build of GeckoView [beta_version] that is available in maven/geckoview-beta.
Set the channel to val channel = GeckoChannel.BETA.

 diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 index 991dd702bb5..3b110e803c7 100644
 --- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 +++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 @@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ object Gecko {
   /**
    * GeckoView Version.
    */
 -    const val version = "98.0.20220207065816"
 +    const val version = "98.0.20220207151916"

    /**
     * GeckoView channel
     */
 -    val channel = GeckoChannel.NIGHTLY
 +    val channel = GeckoChannel.BETA
     }

Create a commit and pull request named Update to first GeckoView [beta_version] Beta for this change. The pull request should be committed into the releases/[beta_version].0 branch.
After this pull request has landed, Draft a new release:
- Release title: Android-Components [beta_version].0.0
- Create a new tag and select it in “Choose a tag”: v[beta_version].0.0
- Target: releases/[beta_version].0
- Description: Follow this template and bump the release note URL, specify the correct commit range and milestone.
```
 * [Release notes](https://mozac.org/changelog/#9800)
 * [Commits](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/compare/v97.0.0...v98.0.0)
 * [Milestone](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/milestone/145?closed=1)
```
- Push the “Publish release.
After 30-60 minutes, follow up to see if a [beta_version].0.0 build is available in one of the AC components on maven/components.

See https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/pull/11520 for an example.

Starting the next Nightly development cycle

Create a local development branch off of the main branch.

Create a commit named Start [nightly_version].0.0 development cycle In .buildconfig.yml and version.txt, bump the current componentsVersion up by 1 and ensure this change is also synced with version.txt. [nightly_version] should follow the Firefox Nightly release number. See Firefox Release Calendar.

 diff --git a/.buildconfig.yml b/.buildconfig.yml
 index 62e0d8729b9..4f3f9cb5f94 100644
 --- a/.buildconfig.yml
 +++ b/.buildconfig.yml
 @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Please keep this version in sync with version.txt
 # version.txt should be the new source of truth for version numbers
 -componentsVersion: 98.0.0
 +componentsVersion: 99.0.0
 # Please add a treeherder group in taskcluster/ci/config.yml if you add a new project here.
 projects:
   compose-awesomebar:
 diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
 index be9ad8dac55..511c658edc3 100644
 --- a/version.txt
 +++ b/version.txt
 @@ -1 +1 @@
 -98.0.0
 +99.0.0

Create a new Milestone with the following format [nightly_version].0.0 <insert an emoji> (for example, 99.0.0 🛎). Close the existing milestone and bump all the remaining opened issues to the next milestone or simply remove the tagged milestone depending on what is appropriate.

Create a commit named Update changelog for [nightly_version].0.0 release that will update the following in changelog.md:

Add a new [nightly_version].0.0 (In Development) section for the next Nightly version of AC with the next commit and milestone numbers.
Update the [beta_version].0.0 section, change blob in the links to v[beta_version].0.0 and specifying the correct commit ranges.

 diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
 index 895fa9d69f0..f62d9ea6efe 100644
 --- a/docs/changelog.md
 +++ b/docs/changelog.md
 @@ -4,20 +4,26 @@ title: Changelog
 permalink: /changelog/
 ---

 -# 98.0.0 (In Development)
 -* [Commits](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/compare/v97.0.0...main)
 -* [Milestone](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/milestone/145?closed=1)
 +# 99.0.0 (In Development)
 +* [Commits](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/compare/v98.0.0...main)
 +* [Milestone](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/milestone/146?closed=1)
 * [Dependencies](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/blob/main/buildSrc/src/main/java/Dependencies.kt)
 * [Gecko](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/blob/main/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt)
 * [Configuration](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/blob/main/.config.yml)

 +# 98.0.0
 +* [Commits](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/compare/v97.0.0...v98.0.0)
 +* [Milestone](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/milestone/145?closed=1)
 +* [Dependencies](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/v98.0.0/main/buildSrc/src/main/java/Dependencies.kt)
 +* [Gecko](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/v98.0.0/main/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt)
 +* [Configuration](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/v98.0.0/main/.config.yml)
 +

Create a commit named Update to GeckoView [nightly_version].0 that bumps the GeckoView version in Gecko.kt to the latest [nightly_version] build when available in maven/geckoview-nightly.

 diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 index 991dd702bb5..6f6c4471a26 100644
 --- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 +++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/Gecko.kt
 @@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ object Gecko {
     /**
       * GeckoView Version.
       */
 -    const val version = "98.0.20220207065816"
 +    const val version = "99.0.20220208070047"

     /**
       * GeckoView channel

Create a pull request with these 3 commits and land.
- If this is landed after the scheduled cron task that will build and bump AC automatically, trigger a manual AC build through the hook. At time of writing, the morning cron task is schedule to run at 14:30 UTC (9:30AM EST).
- When the manual AC build is complete, trigger the hook to bump AC in Fenix.
After an hour, follow up by checking if a new [nightly_version] AC build is available in nightly.maven/components. Fenix will automatically receive the Nightlly AC bump.

See https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/pull/11519 for an example.

After the release

Verify that the links in the changelog.md and new release are working.
Verify that Fenix is receiving the latest [nightly_version] AC version in main.

Send release message to the Matrix channel:

**Android Components 0.17 Release (:ocean:)**
Release notes: https://mozilla-mobile.github.io/android-components/changelog/
Milestone: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/milestone/15?closed=1