Releasing A Maven Project

What follows is a description of releasing a Maven project to a staging repository, whereupon it is scrutinized by the community, approved, and transferred to a production repository.

Prerequisites

Be sure that:

  • you have all Maven servers defined in your settings.xml. For more information, please refer to Committer settings.
  • you have created your GPG keys. For more information, please refer to Making GPG Keys.

In order to release a project you must also have the following setup in your $HOME/.m2/settings.xml which is a profile that defines the staging repository.

Here's what your release profile might look like in your $HOME/.m2/settings.xml:

<settings>
  ...
  <profiles>
    <profile>
      <id>release</id>
      <properties>
        <gpg.passphrase>secretPhrase</gpg.passphrase>
        <deploy.altRepository>apache.releases::default::scp://people.apache.org/home/YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME/staging-repo/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z</deploy.altRepository>
      </properties>
    </profile>
  </profiles>
  ...
</settings>

Everything that you need to release has been configured in the POM all Maven projects inherit from. The release plugin configuration being used is the following:

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
  <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>2.0-beta-7</version>
  <configuration>
    <!-- This element will be overriden by children -->
    <tagBase>https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/maven/pom/tags</tagBase>
    <useReleaseProfile>false</useReleaseProfile>
    <goals>deploy</goals>
    <arguments>-Prelease</arguments>
  </configuration>
</plugin>

And the profile being used for releases is the following:

<profile>
  <id>release</id>
  <build>
    <plugins>
      <!-- We want to sign the artifact, the POM, and all attached artifacts -->
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <passphrase>${gpg.passphrase}</passphrase>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <goals>
              <goal>sign</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
      <!-- We want to deploy the artifact to a staging location for perusal -->
      <plugin>
        <inherited>true</inherited>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <altDeploymentRepository>${deploy.altRepository}</altDeploymentRepository>
          <updateReleaseInfo>true</updateReleaseInfo>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>attach-sources</id>
            <goals>
              <goal>jar</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <encoding>${project.build.sourceEncoding}</encoding>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>attach-javadocs</id>
            <goals>
              <goal>jar</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
      <!--plugin>
        <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
        <artifactId>clirr-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>clirr-check</id>
            <phase>package</phase>
            <goals>
              <goal>check</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin-->
    </plugins>
  </build>
</profile>

Release Process for Part Of Maven

  1. Prepare your POMs for release:
    1. Make sure there are no snapshots in the POMs to be released.
    2. Check that your POMs will not lose content when they are rewritten during the release process.
      • Verify that all pom.xml files have an SCM definition.
      • mvn release:prepare -DdryRun=true
      • Diff the original file pom.xml with the one called pom.xml.tag to see if the license or any other info has been removed. This has been known to happen if the starting <project> tag is not on a single line. The only things that should be different between these files are the <version> and <scm> elements. Any other changes, you must backport yourself to the original pom.xml file and commit before proceeding with the release.
  2. Publish a snapshot:
    >mvn deploy
    ...
    [INFO] [deploy:deploy]
    [INFO] Retrieving previous build number from apache.snapshots
    ...

    Note: Be sure that the generated artifacts respect the Apache release rules: NOTICE and LICENSE files should be present in the META-INF directory within the jar. For -sources artifacts, be sure that your POM does not use the maven-source-plugin:2.0.3 which is broken. The recommended version at this time is 2.0.4.

    Note: You should verify the deployment under Maven Snapshot repository on Apache.

    http://people.apache.org/repo/m2-snapshot-repository/org/apache/maven/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin/Y.Z-SNAPSHOT/
  3. Run fix-permissions.sh

    Login to people.apache.org, then run:

    /www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-snapshot-repository/fix-permissions.sh

    This will set maven-metadata.xml file permissions back to 664, and set permissions on any directories you created to 775.

  4. Prepare the release
    mvn release:clean
    mvn release:prepare

    Note: Preparing the release will create the new tag in SVN, automatically checking in on your behalf.

  5. Stage the release for a vote
    mvn release:perform
  6. Stage the latest documentation

    The plugin parent POM is configured to stage the documentation in a "versioned" directory such as /plugins/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z.

    1. Stage the documentation for the current release version (not the new snapshot).
      cd target/checkout
      mvn site:stage-deploy -Preporting

      Note: You should verify the deployment of the site on the Maven website (you need to wait the sync).

      http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z/

      Some developers have reported problems with the site:stage-deploy goal. In that case, you can stage the site locally and upload it manually:

      mvn site:stage -Preporting
      scp -r target/staging/people.apache.org/www/maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME@people.apache.org:/www/maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z
    2. Verify/change folder permissions to 0775 and files permissions to 0664 i.e.:
      find . -type d -exec chmod a+rx {} \;
      find . -type d -exec chmod g+w {} \;
      find . -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
  7. Propose a vote on the dev list with the closed issues, the issues left, the staging repository and the staging site. For instance:
    To: "Maven Developers List" <dev@maven.apache.org>
    Subject: [VOTE] Release Maven XXX plugin version Y.Z
    
    Hi,
    
    We solved N issues:
    http://jira.codehaus.org/secure/ReleaseNote.jspa?projectId=XXX&styleName=Html&version=XXX
    
    There are still a couple of issues left in JIRA:
    http://jira.codehaus.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?reset=true&pid=XXX&status=1
    
    Staging repo:
    http://people.apache.org/~YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME/staging-repo/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z
    
    Staging site:
    http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z/
    
    Guide to testing staged releases:
    http://maven.apache.org/guides/development/guide-testing-releases.html
    
    Vote open for 72 hours.
    
    [ ] +1
    [ ] +0
    [ ] -1
    

    To get the JIRA release notes link, browse to the plugin's JIRA page, select the Road Map link, and use the link to Release Notes that is next to the version being released.

    To get the list of issues left in JIRA, browse to the plugin's JIRA page, and from the Project Summary on the right, use the link for Open issues.

  8. Check the vote results

    Copied from Votes on Package Releases.

    Votes on whether a package is ready to be released follow a format similar to majority approval
    -- except that the decision is officially determined solely by whether at least three
    +1 votes were registered. Releases may not be vetoed. Generally the community will table the
    vote to release if anyone identifies serious problems, but in most cases the ultimate decision,
    once three or more positive votes have been garnered, lies with the individual serving as
    release manager. The specifics of the process may vary from project to project, but the
    'minimum of three +1 votes' rule is universal.

    The list of binding voters is available at http://people.apache.org/~jim/projects.html#maven-pmc

    Once a vote is successful, post the result to the dev list and cc the PMC. For instance:

    To: "Maven Developers List" <dev@maven.apache.org>
    CC: "Maven Project Management Committee List" <private@maven.apache.org>
    Subject: [RESULT] [VOTE] Release Maven XXX plugin version Y.Z
    
    Hi,
    The vote has passed with the following result :
    
    +1 (binding): <<list of names>>
    +1 (non binding): <<list of names>>
    
    I will move artifacts to central repo.

    If the vote is unsuccessful, the process will need to be restarted.

  9. Copy from the staging repo to the production repo

    Once the release is deemed fit for public consumption it can be transfered to a production repository where it will be available to all users.

    Here is an example on how to use the stage plugin:

    mvn stage:copy -Dsource="http://people.apache.org/~YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME/staging-repo/maven-XXX-plugin-Y.Z" \
                   -Dtarget="scp://people.apache.org/www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-ibiblio-rsync-repository" \
                   -Dversion=Y.Z \
                   -DtargetRepositoryId=apache.releases

    Note: The version parameter is currently ignored and the entire staging repository is synced, not just the given version or the current project. It still needs to be provided, though.

    Cleanup

    Double check there are no *.rip files left after this process.

    find /www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-ibiblio-rsync-repository/org/apache/maven -name '*.rip' -ls

    And delete any that you own.

    TROUBLE SHOOTING

    If you find that stage:copy is hanging at

       [INFO] Running rename script on the target machine.

    Then this is likely a permission problems. Run

    find /www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-ibiblio-rsync-repository/org/apache/maven -name '*.rip' -ls

    Then email them the matching users and ask them to run fix-permissions.sh.

    (not recommended) Releasing a Project Directly into a Production Repository

    If you want to release directly to a production repository then you simply configure the staging repository to point at the production repository by using the following in your $HOME/.m2/settings.xml:

    <settings>
      ...
      <profiles>
        <profile>
          <id>release</id>
          <properties>
            <gpg.passphrase>secretPhrase</gpg.passphrase>
            <deploy.altRepository>apache.releases::default::scp://people.apache.org/www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-ibiblio-rsync-repository</deploy.altRepository>
          </properties>
        </profile>
      </profiles>
      ...
    </settings>

    This will allow you to bypass the staging phase and push the release directly into a production repository. It is assumed that you have pushed a snapshot somewhere that people have looked at and approved of.

  10. Run fix-permissions.sh again

    Login to people.apache.org, then run:

    /www/people.apache.org/repo/m2-snapshot-repository/fix-permissions.sh

    This will once again set maven-metadata.xml file permissions back to 664, and set permissions on any directories you created to 775. The script lives in the m2-snapshot-repository directory, but it's smart enough to fix permissions in m2-ibiblio-rsync-repository and m2-incubating-repository also.

  11. Deploy the current website

    Note: Be sure to generate and deploy the site using the same version of the release. Typically, you need to check out the tag (or go to target/checkout)

    cd target\checkout
    mvn site-deploy -Preporting
  12. Review the website

    Wait for the files to arrive at

    http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin

    or for a shared component at

    http://maven.apache.org/shared/maven-XXX

    The wait is necessary to allow the site to be rsync'ed into production.

  13. Update the maven site

    Check out the maven site project: https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/maven/site/trunk

    If this is a plugin release, update the version number for the plugin on the src/site/apt/plugins/index.apt page.

    If this is a shared component release, update the version number for the component on the src/site/apt/shared/index.apt page.

  14. Update JIRA

    For a plugin, go to Admin section in JIRA for the maven-XXX-plugin project and mark the Y.Z version as released. Create version Y.Z+1, if that hasn't already been done.

    If this is a shared component, go to Admin section in JIRA for the MSHARED project and mark the maven-XXX-Y.Z version as released. Create version maven-XXX-Y.Z+1, if that hasn't already been done.

  15. Create an announcement. For instance:

    Note: You must send this email from your apache email account, e.g. YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME@apache.org otherwise the email to announce@maven.apache.org will bounce.

    From: YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME@apache.org
    To: announce@maven.apache.org, users@maven.apache.org
    Cc: dev@maven.apache.org
    Subject: [ANN] Maven XXX Plugin Y.Z Released
    
    The Maven team is pleased to announce the release of the Maven XXX Plugin, version Y.Z
    
    This plugin (insert short description of the plugin's purpose).
    
    http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-XXX-plugin/
    
    You should specify the version in your project's plugin configuration:
    
    <plugin>
     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
     <artifactId>maven-XXX-plugin</artifactId>
     <version>Y.Z</version>
    </plugin>
    
    Release Notes - Maven 2.x XXX Plugin - Version Y.Z
    
    (Copy Here Release Notes in Text Format from JIRA)
    
    Enjoy,
    
    -The Maven team
    
  16. Add the release to the next board report, in the private subversion area.

    This is a PMC activity. If you are not a PMC member then email the "Maven Developers List" <dev@maven.apache.org> with a request to update this file for your release.

    From: YOUR_APACHE_USERNAME@apache.org
    To: dev@maven.apache.org
    Subject: [PMC] Maven XXX Plugin Y.Z needs adding to board report
    
    The Maven XXX Plugin has been released.
    Can this get added to the next board report please.
  17. Add the release to the wiki, under the Recent Releases section of the front page and on the Releases page.

    Note: If you don't have access to edit this page email "Jason van Zyl" <jason@maven.org>

  18. Celebrate :o)