Memory Pool System Release Build Procedure

1. Introduction

This is the procedure for building a generic release of the Memory Pool System (an “MPS Kit”) from the version sources.

The intended readership of this document is Ravenbrook development staff. (If you are a user of the MPS, and want to build object code from an MPS Kit, please see the readme.txt file in the kit.)

This document is not confidential.

All relative paths are relative to //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/.

2. Procedure

2.1. Setting up for release

  1. Choose a RELEASE name of the form VERSION.N (for example, 0.3.0), where VERSION is the number of the version you’re releasing, and N is the first unused release number (starting at zero). Look in the index of releases (release/index.html) for existing release numbers for your version.

    VERSION=VERSION
    RELEASE=$VERSION.N

  2. Ensure that the HTML version of the manual is up to date on the version branch:

    pushd version/$VERSION/manual
    make checkin
    popd

    If this fails with the error make: sphinx-build: No such file or directory then you need to install the Sphinx documentation system [2] and its dependencies (version 1.1.3 or later). On OS X with MacPorts you can install it like this:

    sudo port install py27-sphinx
    sudo port select --set sphinx py27-sphinx

  3. Ensure that version/$VERSION/readme.txt contains an up-to-date description of the release you intend to build and the correct release name.

  4. In version/$VERSION/code/version.c, set MPS_RELEASE to the correct value (see the rules in the comments), and check strings that contain copyright dates, etc.

  5. In configure.ac edit the second argument of AC_INIT to be "release $RELEASE", then open configure for edit and run autoreconf -vif to bring the configure script up to date.

  6. Submit readme.txt, version.c, configure.ac, and other changed files to Perforce before you continue.

  7. Determine the CHANGELEVEL at which you’re going to make the release. This will usually be the latest submitted changelevel on the version branch; to get it, use p4 changes with a max of 1 (one):

    CHANGELEVEL=$(p4 changes -m 1 version/$VERSION/... | cut -d' ' -f2)

2.2. Pre-release testing

  1. Sync the version sources to precisely the CHANGELEVEL you determined in step 2.1.1, with no extraneous files, by using the following procedure:

    # (you may wish to check for opened files first)
    p4 revert version/$VERSION/...
    rm -rf version/$VERSION
    p4 sync -f version/$VERSION/...@$CHANGELEVEL

    Note: revert and sync -f are required, otherwise p4-opened or forced-writeable files may remain or be omitted; see [1].

  2. Run the test suite:

    (cd version/$VERSION && ./configure && make test)

    Check that the test suite passes.

2.3. MPS Kit Tarball and Zip file

Note: If you are creating a custom variant then vary the release name according to the variant, e.g. mps-cet-1.110.0.zip

On a Unix box:

  1. Create a Perforce client workspace that maps:

    • version/VERSION/... to mps-kit-RELEASE/...
    • release/RELEASE/... to release/RELEASE/...

  2. Ensure the Perforce client workspace is set for Unix (LF) line endings.

  3. Sync the version sources to CHANGELEVEL by repeating the procedure from step 2.2.1:

    rm -rf mps-kit-RELEASE
    p4 sync -f @CHANGELEVEL
  4. //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/custom/cet/version/1.110/procedure/release-build/index.html#4

    Create a tarball containing the MPS sources, and open it for add:

    mkdir -p release/RELEASE
    tar czf release/RELEASE/mps-kit-RELEASE.tar.gz mps-kit-RELEASE
    p4 add release/RELEASE/mps-kit-RELEASE.tar.gz

  5. Ensure the Perforce client workspace is set for Windows (CRLF) line endings.

  6. Sync the version sources again as in step (2) above.

  7. Create a zip file containing the MPS sources, and open it for add:

    mkdir -p release/RELEASE
    zip -r release/RELEASE/mps-kit-RELEASE.zip mps-cet-kit-RELEASE
    p4 add release/RELEASE/mps-kit-RELEASE.zip

  8. Revert any changes to your Perforce client line endings. (You probably want them set to local.)

  9. Submit the release files to Perforce with the comment "MPS: adding the MPS Kit tarball and zip file for release RELEASE."

2.4. Registering the release

  1. Edit the index of releases (release/index.html) and add the release to the table, in a manner consistent with previous releases.

  2. Edit the index of versions (version/index.html) and add the release to the list of releases for VERSION, in a manner consistent with previous releases.

  3. Submit these changes with the comment “MPS: registered release RELEASE.”

  4. Edit the main MPS Project index page (index.html), to refer to the new release:

    • update links to “the latest release” or “download” (important);
    • consider updating the “project status” section.

  5. Visit the project updater, select “mps” from the dropdown, and hit “Find releases”.

  6. Inform the project manager and staff by e-mail to mps-staff@ravenbrook.com. Consider announcing the new release by e-mail to mps-discussion@ravenbrook.com.

A. References

[1] “revert ; rm ; sync -f”; RHSK; <http://info.ravenbrook.com/mail/2008/10/16/13-08-20/0.txt>; 2008-10-16.
[2] "Sphinx: Python document generator"; <http://sphinx-doc.org/>.

B. Document History

2002-06-17 RB Created based on P4DTI procedure.
2002-06-19 NB Fixed up based on experience of release 1.100.0.
2004-03-03 RB Fixed the way we determine the release changelevel to avoid possible pending changelists.
2005-10-06 RHSK Clarify this procedure is for general MPS Kit releases; correct cp -r to -R. Add: check version.c.
2006-01-19 RHSK Correct readership statement, and direct MPS users to the mps-kit readme.
2006-02-16 RHSK Use Info-ZIP (free) for Windows archives, not WinZip.
2007-07-05 RHSK Releasename now also in w3build.bat.
2008-01-07 RHSK Release changelevel was in issue.cgi, now in data.py.
2010‑10‑06 GDR Use the project updater to register new releases.
2012‑09‑13 RB Don’t copy the readme.txt to the release directory, since it no longer has that dual role; make the zip file on a Unix box with the zip utility, since compatibility has improved.
2013-03-08 GDR Add testing step (§2.2).
2012‑09‑24 RB
  • Make sure zip files contain files with Windows line endings.
  • Use a fresh Perforce client to avoid any possibility of a clash with working files.
  • Different archive name for custom variants.
2013-03-20 GDR Ensure that manual HTML is up to date before making a release.