View source for Loop/Loop-client Release Process

= Background =

Loop-client is the "standalone" part of Firefox Hello. It consists of hosted pages that can be accessed from any browser.

The definitive source files are in [http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/browser/components/loop/ mozilla-central], mainly under the [http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/browser/components/loop/standalone/ standalone directory], however some of the files are shared with desktop.

The source files for the standalone are automatically extracted into the [https://github.com/mozilla/loop-client loop-client] repository every hour.

= Release Cycle =
loop-client typically has an approximately four-week release cycle (two weeks dev, two weeks for L10n and release). Current release schedules are tracked on the [[Loop#Cross-Team_Project_Calendar cross-team|calendar]].

Cycle (days are approximate, depending on required timings and other activities:

* Day 1
** Development of loop-client continues in mozilla-central
* Day 14
** A new branch is created for the next release
** Strings are passed to L10n for translation
* Day 28
** L10n strings are imported
** The branch is tagged
* Then (these may happen on different days, depending on availability of QA.
** The branch is released to ops to push to staging
** QA tests staging
** Once verified, ops deploy to production
** QA verifies production

= Creating a loop-client branch for release to L10n =

A new branch is required if there are string changes since the previous release. If there are no string changes, then a branch may be skipped, unless string changes occur during the cycle. If so, a branch should be cut from before any string changes occurs.

To create a branch:

  git clone git@github.com:mozilla/loop-client.git
  cd loop-client
  
  # Checkout master, or appropriate revision to branch from
  git checkout master
  
  # Create a new branch (replace 0.14 with the main version of the branch)
  git checkout -b 0.14.x
  
  # Push the new branch to the remote
  git push origin 0.14.x

To update L10n 

* First talk to mathjazz in #l10n; confirm that verbatim has all the strings checked in for Hello.
* Then copy the en-US files to the verbatim directory.

  # Clone or update as needed
  git clone git@github.com:mozilla/loop-client-l10n.git
  
  # Copy the en-US file (note the change from - to _)
  cp loop-client/content/l10n/en-US/loop.properties loop-client-l10n/l10n/en_US/loop.properties
  
  # Verbatim also needs it in the templates directory
  cp loop-client/content/l10n/en-US/loop.properties loop-client-l10n/l10n/templates/loop.properties
  
  # Now commit and push
  cd loop-client-l10n
  git commit -m "Merge latest en-US strings from loop-client commit <revision>" -a
  git push origin master

* Tell mathjazz the push is complete
* mathjazz will then ensure verbatim gets updated.

=Releasing loop-client=

The [https://github.com/mozilla/loop-client loop-client] repository is a mirror of the necessary parts from mozilla-central. It is automatically updated via a script in the repository, every hour (if necessary).

Release process:

* Check [https://github.com/mozilla/loop-client loop-client] has all the required changes
* Update the CHANGELOG file
** Note any configuration option changes/additions
* Checkout a fresh loop-client repo, make sure the directory name is `loop-client`, then

 cd loop-client

 # Replace '0.4.0 with the correct version
 ./create_release.sh 0.4.0

* The new release tag will be automatically pushed
* File bugs for pushes to (use these templates):
** [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?assigned_to=nobody%40mozilla.org&bug_file_loc=http%3A%2F%2F&bug_ignored=0&bug_severity=normal&bug_status=NEW&cc=alexis%2Bbugs%40mozilla.com&cc=bwong%40mozilla.com&cc=dmose%40mozilla.org&cc=jbonacci%40mozilla.com&cc=mreavy%40mozilla.com&cc=rhubscher%40mozilla.com&cc=standard8%40mozilla.com&cc=tarek%40mozilla.com&cc=dwilson@mozilla.com&cf_blocking_b2g=---&cf_blocking_fennec=---&cf_fx_iteration=---&cf_fx_points=---&cf_status_b2g18=---&cf_status_b2g_1_1_hd=---&cf_status_b2g_1_2=---&cf_status_b2g_1_3=---&cf_status_b2g_1_3t=---&cf_status_b2g_1_4=---&cf_status_b2g_2_0=---&cf_status_b2g_2_1=---&cf_status_firefox31=---&cf_status_firefox32=---&cf_status_firefox33=---&cf_status_firefox34=---&cf_status_firefox_esr24=---&cf_status_firefox_esr31=---&cf_tracking_b2g18=---&cf_tracking_b2g_v1_2=---&cf_tracking_b2g_v1_3=---&cf_tracking_e10s=---&cf_tracking_firefox31=---&cf_tracking_firefox32=---&cf_tracking_firefox33=---&cf_tracking_firefox34=---&cf_tracking_firefox_esr24=---&cf_tracking_firefox_esr31=---&cf_tracking_firefox_relnote=---&cf_tracking_relnote_b2g=---&comment=We%27d%20like%20to%20deploy%20the%20loop-client%20%3Cversion%3E%20release%20to%20stage.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Clink%20to%20release%2C%20e.g.%20https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmozilla%2Floop-client%2Freleases%2Ftag%2F0.4.0%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cpossibly%20include%20info%20about%20timescales%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cinclude%20any%20info%20about%20required%20configuration%20changes%3E&component=Operations%3A%20Deployment%20Requests&contenttypemethod=autodetect&contenttypeselection=text%2Fplain&defined_groups=1&flag_type-37=X&flag_type-4=X&flag_type-5=X&flag_type-607=X&flag_type-708=X&flag_type-720=X&flag_type-721=X&flag_type-737=X&flag_type-781=X&flag_type-787=X&flag_type-791=X&flag_type-800=X&flag_type-803=X&flag_type-809=X&flag_type-825=X&flag_type-836=X&flag_type-842=X&flag_type-846=X&flag_type-853=X&flag_type-856=X&flag_type-857=X&flag_type-864=X&form_name=enter_bug&maketemplate=Remember%20values%20as%20bookmarkable%20template&op_sys=All&priority=--&product=Mozilla%20Services&rep_platform=All&short_desc=Please%20deploy%20Loop-Client%20%3Cversion%3E%20code%20to%20stage&target_milestone=---&version=unspecified staging]
** [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?assigned_to=nobody%40mozilla.org&bug_file_loc=http%3A%2F%2F&bug_ignored=0&bug_severity=normal&bug_status=NEW&cc=alexis%2Bbugs%40mozilla.com&cc=anthony.s.hughes%40gmail.com&cc=bwong%40mozilla.com&cc=dmose%40mozilla.org&cc=jbonacci%40mozilla.com&cc=mreavy%40mozilla.com&cc=rhubscher%40mozilla.com&cc=standard8%40mozilla.com&cc=tarek%40mozilla.com&cc=dwilson@mozilla.com&cf_blocking_b2g=---&cf_blocking_fennec=---&cf_fx_iteration=---&cf_fx_points=---&cf_status_b2g18=---&cf_status_b2g_1_1_hd=---&cf_status_b2g_1_2=---&cf_status_b2g_1_3=---&cf_status_b2g_1_3t=---&cf_status_b2g_1_4=---&cf_status_b2g_2_0=---&cf_status_b2g_2_1=---&cf_status_firefox31=---&cf_status_firefox32=---&cf_status_firefox33=---&cf_status_firefox34=---&cf_status_firefox_esr24=---&cf_status_firefox_esr31=---&cf_tracking_b2g18=---&cf_tracking_b2g_v1_2=---&cf_tracking_b2g_v1_3=---&cf_tracking_e10s=---&cf_tracking_firefox31=---&cf_tracking_firefox32=---&cf_tracking_firefox33=---&cf_tracking_firefox34=---&cf_tracking_firefox_esr24=---&cf_tracking_firefox_esr31=---&cf_tracking_firefox_relnote=---&cf_tracking_relnote_b2g=---&comment=We%27d%20like%20to%20deploy%20the%20loop-client%20%3Cversion%3E%20release%20to%20production.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Clink%20to%20release%2C%20e.g.%20https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmozilla%2Floop-client%2Freleases%2Ftag%2F0.4.0%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cpossibly%20include%20info%20about%20timescales%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cinclude%20any%20info%20about%20required%20configuration%20changes%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cadd%20stage%20bug%20in%20deps%3E&component=Operations%3A%20Deployment%20Requests&contenttypemethod=autodetect&contenttypeselection=text%2Fplain&defined_groups=1&dependson=%3Cadd%20stage%20bug%3E&flag_type-37=X&flag_type-4=X&flag_type-5=X&flag_type-607=X&flag_type-708=X&flag_type-720=X&flag_type-721=X&flag_type-737=X&flag_type-781=X&flag_type-787=X&flag_type-791=X&flag_type-800=X&flag_type-803=X&flag_type-809=X&flag_type-825=X&flag_type-836=X&flag_type-842=X&flag_type-846=X&flag_type-853=X&flag_type-856=X&flag_type-857=X&flag_type-864=X&form_name=enter_bug&maketemplate=Remember%20values%20as%20bookmarkable%20template&op_sys=All&priority=--&product=Mozilla%20Services&rep_platform=All&short_desc=Please%20deploy%20Loop-Client%20%3Cversion%3E%20code%20to%20production&target_milestone=---&version=unspecified production].

Further info: https://etherpad.mozilla.org/loop-client-release