tsc/process/release-checklist.md

Checklist for a Release

Comprehensive checklist for a release, from scoping, preparation, coding, day-of-release, and promotion.

Pre-Release Planning Phase

Release Scope & Timing

• Define release version number and target date
• Identify features, bug fixes, and security updates included
• Document breaking changes and deprecations
• Assess regulatory compliance requirements (CRA, export controls, etc.)

Technical Preparation

• Code freeze date established
• All planned features merged and tested
• Dependency updates reviewed and tested
• Security vulnerability scan completed
• License compliance verified

Development & Testing Phase

Code Quality

• All tests passing (unit, integration, end-to-end)
• Code review completed for all changes
• Static analysis and linting passed
• Performance benchmarks met

Security & Compliance

• SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) generated
• Vulnerability scanning completed (dependencies and code)
• Security assessment conducted for new features
• Export control classification reviewed if applicable

Release Artifact Preparation

Build & Package

• Release builds created for all target platforms
• Checksums/signatures generated for artifacts
• Artifacts uploaded to distribution channels
• Container images built and tagged (if applicable)

Documentation

• Release notes drafted and reviewed
• Changelog updated with all changes
• Upgrade/migration guide created (if needed)
• API documentation updated
• Security advisories prepared (if applicable)

Pre-Release Verification

Testing & Validation

• Release candidate deployed to staging environment
• Smoke tests passed
• Upgrade path tested from previous versions
• Rollback procedure verified

Communications Preparation

• Blog post/announcement drafted
• Social media posts prepared
• Email notifications to users/stakeholders drafted
• Community communications planned

Release Execution

Distribution

• Artifacts published to all distribution channels
• Version tags created in repository
• Release branch created/updated
• Documentation site updated

Announcements

• GitHub release published with notes
• Blog post published
• Social media announcements posted
• Email notifications sent
• Community forums/channels notified

Post-Release

Monitoring

• Monitor for issues in first 24-48 hours
• Track adoption metrics
• Review feedback channels
• Emergency rollback plan ready

Follow-up

• Retrospective meeting scheduled
• Update release checklist based on learnings
• Archive release documentation
• Plan next release cycle