6. Releasing a New Version

When we release versions of Privoxy, our work leaves our cozy secret lab and has to work in the cold RealWorld[tm]. Once it is released, there is no way to call it back, so it is very important that great care is taken to ensure that everything runs fine, and not to introduce problems in the very last minute.

So when releasing a new version, please adhere exactly to the procedure outlined in this chapter.

The following programs are required to follow this process: ssh, gmake (GNU's version of make), autoconf, git, a web browser.

6.1. Version numbers

First you need to determine which version number the release will have. Privoxy version numbers consist of three numbers, separated by dots, like in X.Y.Z (e.g. 3.0.0), where:

In summary, the main Git trunk is the development branch where new features are being worked on for the next stable series. This should almost always be where the most activity takes place. There is always at least one stable branch from the trunk, e.g now it is 3.0, which is only used to release stable versions. Once the initial *.0 release of the stable branch has been done, then as a rule, only bugfixes that have had prior testing should be committed to the stable branch. Once there are enough bugfixes to justify a new release, the version of this branch is again incremented Example: 3.0.0 -> 3.0.1 -> 3.0.2, etc are all stable releases from within the stable branch. 3.1.x is currently the main trunk, and where work on 3.2.x is taking place. If any questions, please post to the devel list before committing to a stable branch!

Developers should remember too that if they commit a bugfix to the stable branch, this will more than likely require a separate submission to the main trunk, since these are separate development trees within Git. If you are working on both, then this would require at least two separate check outs (i.e main trunk, and the stable release branch, which is v_3_0_branch at the moment).

6.2. Before the Release

The following must be done by one of the developers prior to each new release.

6.3. Building and Releasing the Packages

Now the individual packages can be built and released. Note that for GPL reasons the first package to be released is always the source tarball.

For all types of packages, including the source tarball, you must make sure that you build from clean sources by exporting the right version from Git into an empty directory (just press return when asked for a password):

  mkdir dist # delete or choose different name if it already exists
  cd dist
  git clone https://www.privoxy.org/git/privoxy.git
  cd privoxy
  git checkout v_X_Y_Z

Do NOT change a single bit, including, but not limited to version information after export from Git. This is to make sure that all release packages, and with them, all future bug reports, are based on exactly the same code.

Warning

Every significant release of Privoxy has included at least one package that either had incorrect versions of files, missing files, or incidental leftovers from a previous build process that gave unknown numbers of users headaches to try to figure out what was wrong. PLEASE, make sure you are using pristene sources, and are following the prescribed process!

Please find additional instructions for the source tarball and the individual platform dependent binary packages below. And details on the Sourceforge release process below that.

6.3.1. Note on Privoxy Packaging

Please keep these general guidelines in mind when putting together your package. These apply to all platforms!

  • Privoxy requires write access to: all *.action files, all logfiles, and the trust file. You will need to determine the best way to do this for your platform.

  • Please include up to date documentation. At a bare minimum:

    LICENSE (top-level directory)
    README (top-level directory)
    AUTHORS (top-level directory)
    man page (top-level directory, Unix-like platforms only)
    The User Manual (doc/webserver/user-manual/)
    FAQ (doc/webserver/faq/)

    Also suggested: Developer Manual (doc/webserver/developer-manual) and ChangeLog (top-level directory). FAQ and the manuals are HTML docs.

    The documentation has been designed such that the manuals are linked to each other from parallel directories, and should be packaged that way. privoxy-index.html can also be included and can serve as a focal point for docs and other links of interest (and possibly renamed to index.html). This should be one level up from the manuals. There is a link also on this page to an HTMLized version of the man page. To avoid 404 for this, it is in Git as doc/webserver/man-page/privoxy-man-page.html, and should be included along with the manuals. There is also a css stylesheets that can be included for better presentation: p_doc.css. This should be in the same directory with privoxy-index.html, (i.e. one level up from the manual directories).

  • user.action and user.filter are designed for local preferences. Make sure these do not get overwritten! config should not be overwritten either. This has especially important configuration data in it. trust should be left in tact as well.

  • Other configuration files (default.action, regression-tests.action and default.filter) should be installed as the new defaults, but all previously installed configuration files should be preserved as backups. This is just good manners :-) These files are likely to change between releases and contain important new features and bug fixes.

  • Please check platform specific notes in this doc, if you haven't done "Privoxy" packaging before for other platform specific issues. Conversely, please add any notes that you know are important for your platform (or contact one of the doc maintainers to do this if you can't).

  • Packagers should do a "clean" install of their package after building it. So any previous installs should be removed first to ensure the integrity of the newly built package. Then run the package for a while to make sure there are no obvious problems, before uploading.

6.3.2. Source Tarball

First, make sure that you have freshly exported the right version into an empty directory. (See "Building and releasing packages" above). Then run from that directory:

  autoheader && autoconf && ./configure

Then do:

  make tarball-dist

6.3.3. Windows

Note that the docbook generated files might need some hand editing, so the Windows build makefile does not rebuild the docs.

First, make sure that you have freshly exported the right version into an empty directory. (See "Building and releasing packages" above).

Check that you have the current versions of the NSIS installer, PCRE library, MBED TLS library, Brotli library, and that the MAKENSIS evar in windows/GNUMakefile points to the NSIS installer program. (See the Building from Source / Windows section of the User Manual for details.)

Then you can build the package. This is fully automated, and is controlled by windows/GNUmakefile. All you need to do is:

  cd windows
  make

Now you can manually rename privoxy_setup.exe to privoxy_setup_X.Y.Z.exe, and the build directory to privoxy_X.Y.Z. Create a .zip file of the newly renamed privoxy_X.Y.Z directory, GPG sign the installer and zip file,

  gpg --armor --detach --sign privoxy_setup_X.Y.Z.exe
  gpg --armor --detach --sign privoxy_X.Y.Z.zip

and upload the files to SourceForge.

When releasing the package on SourceForge, use the release notes and Change Log from the source tarball package.

6.3.4. Debian

Using git-buildpackage we start with a clone of the last Debian version:

  gbp clone https://salsa.debian.org/debian/privoxy.git
  cd privoxy

or if the repository is already there

  cd privoxy
  gbp pull

Now import the newly released upstream tarball via debian/watch file:

  gbp import-orig --uscan

Next update all Debian quilt patches to the new version:

  while quilt push; do quilt refresh; done

If some patch is no longer required (because it is already merged upstream), it can be removed using

  quilt delete XX_patchname.patch
  git rm debian/patches/XX_patchname.patch

If the patch needs modification, you can apply, edit and update it with

  quilt push -f
  quilt edit some_file
  quilt refresh

until

  while quilt push; do quilt refresh; done

succeeds. Then you can

  quilt pop -a

Now add a new entry to the debian/changelog representing the new version:

  dch -v 3.0.34-1

and describe what you did before and don't forget to git commit all changes.

Now you can build the package on the local machine using

  gbp buildpackage -us -uc

You should check for warnings using

  lintian -iI ../build-area/privoxy_3.0.34-1_amd64.changes

Maybe rebuild the package in different defined cowbuilder environments like

  sudo cowbuilder --build --basepath /var/cache/pbuilder/base.cow ../build-area/privoxy_3.0.34-1.dsc

And try to run autopackage testing suite on the result:

  autopkgtest /var/cache/pbuilder/result/privoxy_3.0.34-1_amd64.changes -s -- schroot sid

Or just push the changes to salsa.debian.org, where a CI pipeline is defined for the package, that builds and tests it.

If everything is okay, run cowbuilder with i386 and amd64 environments for current Debian stable release and build privoxy_3.0.34-1_i386.deb and privoxy_3.0.34-1_amd64.deb. Then sign both files:

  gpg --detach-sign --armor privoxy_3.0.34-1_i386.deb
  gpg --detach-sign --armor privoxy_3.0.34-1_amd64.deb

Create a README file containing the recent block from debian/changelog and upload the two packages, the two signatures and the README to a freshly created folder below https://sourceforge.net/projects/ijbswa/files/Debian/

6.3.4.1. Debian GIT Snapshot

For building just a git snapshot build the following workflow may be useful. First create a build environment, for this you may have to run the following commands:

  sudo apt install build-essential devscripts
  sudo apt-get build-dep privoxy

After this enter the checked out privoxy git tree and check that all (new) build dependencies are met:

  dpkg-checkbuilddeps

If something is missing, just add it using

  sudo apt install foobar

Now you may update debian/changelog, especially the version number using

  dch

and finally build the package:

  debuild -us -uc -b

If everything went okay, you may find the resulting Debian package in the parent directory.

You may want to clean up the build tree using

  debian/rules clean

And maybe repair some artefacts using one or both of the following commands:

  git reset --hard
  git clean -fd

6.3.5. macOS / OS X

First, make sure that you have freshly exported the right version into an empty directory. (See "Building and releasing packages" above).

The OSXPackageBuilder module can generate OS X installer packages supporting all Macs running OS X 10.4 and above. Obtain it from Git as follows into a folder parallel to the exported privoxy source:

  git clone ssh://git@git.privoxy.org:23/git/OSXPackageBuilder.git

The module contains complete instructions on its usage in the file OS X Package Builder HOWTO.txt.

Once the package(s) have been generated, you can then upload them directly to the Files section of the Sourceforge project in the Macintosh (OS X) folder. Each new version release of Privoxy should have a new subfolder created in which to store its files. Please ensure that the folder contains a readme file that makes it clear which package is for which version of OS X.

6.3.6. FreeBSD

Update the www/privoxy port and submit a diff upstream. For details see the FreeBSD Porter's Handbook.

6.4. Uploading and Releasing Your Package

After the package is ready, it is time to upload it and go through the release steps. The upload is done at SourceForge after logging in.

Now just follow the prompts. Be sure to add any appropriate Release notes. You should see your freshly uploaded packages in "Step 2. Add Files To This Release". Check the appropriate box(es). Remember at each step to hit the "Refresh/Submit" buttons! You should now see your file(s) listed in Step 3. Fill out the forms with the appropriate information for your platform, being sure to hit "Update" for each file. If anyone is monitoring your platform, check the "email" box at the very bottom to notify them of the new package. This should do it!

If you have made errors, or need to make changes, you can go through essentially the same steps, but select Edit Release, instead of Add Release.

6.5. Updating the RSS feed

Once the packages are uploaded to SourceForge they should be mirrored on the Privoxy websites (https://www.privoxy.org/ and http://l3tczdiiwoo63iwxty4lhs6p7eaxop5micbn7vbliydgv63x5zrrrfyd.onion/). This is usually done by Fabian who uses a couple of shell functions for this that aren't documented or published yet.

Once the packages are uploaded to the mirror the RSS feed has to be regenerated with a command like:

       fk@t520 ~/git/privoxy $utils/create-package-feed.pl /tank/backups/sourceforge/frs/project/ijbswa/ doc/webserver/feeds/privoxy-releases.xm
      

The updated RSS feed then has to be uploaded to the SourceForge webserver and mirrored on the Privoxy websites again. This, too, is usually done by Fabian with undocumented and unpublished shell functions.

6.6. After the Release

When all (or: most of the) packages have been uploaded and made available, send an email to the announce mailing list, Subject: "Announcing Privoxy X.Y.Z $CODE_STATUS". Be sure to include the download location, the release notes and the Changelog. Also, post an updated News item on the project page Sourceforge, and update the Home page and docs linked from the Home page (see below). Other news sites and release oriented sites, such as Freshmeat, should also be notified.

Then update the source code for the next version to be released: