HowToRelease

Preparation

1. Check todo lists and bug trackers.
2. Prepare ChangeLog/git, let everyone check it.

To release RC1

1. Update version number in include/version.h and configure.ac, make a new branch 1.6.2 from 1.6.x, commit with message ZNC 1.6.2-rc1. (probably version.h should mention -rc1 in VERSION_STR?)

diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2c25258..53a4527 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_CC], [m4_errprint(__file__:__line__[: Something is trying to u
 dnl Needed for AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK which was added in 2.62
 AC_PREREQ([2.62])
 dnl Keep the version number in sync with version.h!
-AC_INIT([znc], [1.6.x])
+AC_INIT([znc], [1.6.2-rc1])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/znc.cpp])
 AC_LANG([C++])
diff --git a/include/znc/version.h b/include/znc/version.h
index 14d7bf1..d2c4b0b 100644
--- a/include/znc/version.h
+++ b/include/znc/version.h
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 // The following defines are for #if comparison (preprocessor only likes ints)
 #define VERSION_MAJOR  1
 #define VERSION_MINOR  6
-#define VERSION_PATCH  -1
+#define VERSION_PATCH  2
 // This one is for display purpose
-#define VERSION_STR    "1.6.x"
+#define VERSION_STR    "1.6.2"
 // This one is for ZNCModInfo
 #define VERSION        (VERSION_MAJOR + VERSION_MINOR / 10.0)

1. Modify make-tarball.sh to have DESC="-rc1" (TODO: figure it out automatically), run ./make-tarball.sh 1.6.2-rc1 without commiting that change.
2. Test the tarball, publish it.
3. Tag the last commit with znc-1.6.2-rc1 (but without annotated tag), push commit and tag to github.
4. Set Template:ZNC-Version-Alpha to 1.6.2-rc1

Release, release, release

1. Revert changes to make-tarball.sh from above
2. git pull!!!!
3. Update version number in configure.ac

diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 53a4527..dae417f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_CC], [m4_errprint(__file__:__line__[: Something is trying to u
 dnl Needed for AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK which was added in 2.62
 AC_PREREQ([2.62])
 dnl Keep the version number in sync with version.h!
-AC_INIT([znc], [1.6.2-rc1])
+AC_INIT([znc], [1.6.2])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/znc.cpp])
 AC_LANG([C++])

1. Update ChangeLog.md based on ChangeLog/git
2. Commit ("Increase the version number to 1.6.2")
3. Create tarball (make-tarball.sh 1.6.2)
4. Tag the new version in git (Use the changelog as msg, first line is "ZNC 1.6.2")
   1. git tag -s znc-1.6.2 HEAD
   2. git push --tags
5. Merge 1.6.2 to 1.6.x, delete branch 1.6.2
6. (If minor release?) Revert changes to version.h and configure.ac
7. (If major release?) Bump version number to foo+1. (Commit msg: "Increase the version number to foo+1")
8. Update the wiki
   1. Update Template:ZNC-Versions.
   2. Move ChangeLog/git and create that page again, remove released=no from version header.
   3. Update Template:ZNC-Version.
   4. Clear Template:ZNC-Version-Alpha.
9. Upload the release files to znc.in/.
   • Accessible as /srv/znc.in/www/htdocs/ on harpy.
   • The files have to be chgrp's to user group znc!!!
   • The files themselves go directly into archive/
   • The main dir only gets symlinks
10. Write znc-1.6.2-changelog.txt
11. Update version number on Wikipedia.
12. Update topic on freenode channel
13. Update cygwin package using https://github.com/znc/znc-cygwin
14. Update docker image using https://github.com/znc/znc-docker and https://github.com/docker-library/official-images