---
name: 'Release Checklist Template'
about: 'Checklist to create and publish a Zebra release'
title: 'Release Zebra (version)'
labels: 'A-release, C-trivial, P-Critical :ambulance:'
assignees: ''

---

# Prepare for the Release

- [ ] Make sure there has been [at least one successful full sync test](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/continous-integration-docker.yml?query=event%3Aschedule) since the last state change, or start a manual full sync.
- [ ] Make sure the PRs with the new checkpoint hashes and missed dependencies are already merged.
      (See the release ticket checklist for details)


# Summarise Release Changes

These steps can be done a few days before the release, in the same PR:

## Change Log

**Important**: Any merge into `main` deletes any edits to the draft changelog.
Once you are ready to tag a release, copy the draft changelog into `CHANGELOG.md`.

We use [the Release Drafter workflow](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/release-drafter) to automatically create a [draft changelog](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/releases). We follow the [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/) format.

To create the final change log:
- [ ] Copy the **latest** draft changelog into `CHANGELOG.md` (there can be multiple draft releases)
- [ ] Delete any trivial changes
    - [ ] Put the list of deleted changelog entries in a PR comment to make reviewing easier
- [ ] Combine duplicate changes
- [ ] Edit change descriptions so they will make sense to Zebra users
- [ ] Check the category for each change
  - Prefer the "Fix" category if you're not sure

## README

README updates can be skipped for urgent releases.

Update the README to:
- [ ] Remove any "Known Issues" that have been fixed since the last release.
- [ ] Update the "Build and Run Instructions" with any new dependencies.
      Check for changes in the `Dockerfile` since the last tag: `git diff <previous-release-tag> docker/Dockerfile`.
- [ ] If Zebra has started using newer Rust language features or standard library APIs, update the known working Rust version in the README, book, and `Cargo.toml`s

You can use a command like:
```sh
fastmod --fixed-strings '1.58' '1.65'
```

## Create the Release PR

- [ ] Push the updated changelog and README into a new branch
      for example: `bump-v1.0.0` - this needs to be different to the tag name
- [ ] Create a release PR by adding `&template=release-checklist.md` to the comparing url ([Example](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/compare/bump-v1.0.0?expand=1&template=release-checklist.md)).
- [ ] Freeze the [`batched` queue](https://dashboard.mergify.com/github/ZcashFoundation/repo/zebra/queues) using Mergify.
- [ ] Mark all the release PRs as `Critical` priority, so they go in the `urgent` Mergify queue.
- [ ] Mark all non-release PRs with `do-not-merge`, because Mergify checks approved PRs against every commit, even when a queue is frozen.


# Update Versions and End of Support

## Update Zebra Version

### Choose a Release Level

Zebra follows [semantic versioning](https://semver.org). Semantic versions look like: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH[-TAG.PRE-RELEASE]

Choose a release level for `zebrad`. Release levels are based on user-visible changes from the changelog:
- Mainnet Network Upgrades are `major` releases
- significant new features or behaviour changes; changes to RPCs, command-line, or configs; and deprecations or removals are `minor` releases
- otherwise, it is a `patch` release

Zebra's Rust API doesn't have any support or stability guarantees, so we keep all the `zebra-*` and `tower-*` crates on a beta `pre-release` version.

### Update Crate Versions

If you're publishing crates for the first time, [log in to crates.io](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/doc-crate-own/book/src/dev/crate-owners.md#logging-in-to-cratesio),
and make sure you're a member of owners group.

Check that the release will work:
- [ ] Update crate versions, commit the changes to the release branch, and do a release dry-run:

```sh
cargo release version --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*' --workspace --exclude zebrad --exclude zebra-scan beta
# Due to a bug in cargo-release, we need to pass an exact version here
cargo release version --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*' --package zebra-scan 0.1.0-alpha.1
cargo release version --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*' --package zebrad patch # [ major | minor | patch ]
cargo release replace --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*' --package zebrad
cargo release commit --verbose --execute --allow-branch '*'
```

Crate publishing is [automatically checked in CI](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/release-crates-io.yml) using "dry run" mode.

## Update End of Support

The end of support height is calculated from the current blockchain height:
- [ ] Find where the Zcash blockchain tip is now by using a [Zcash explorer](https://zcashblockexplorer.com/blocks) or other tool.
- [ ] Replace `ESTIMATED_RELEASE_HEIGHT` in [`end_of_support.rs`](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/main/zebrad/src/components/sync/end_of_support.rs) with the height you estimate the release will be tagged.

<details>

<summary>Optional: calculate the release tagging height</summary>

- Add `1152` blocks for each day until the release
- For example, if the release is in 3 days, add `1152 * 3` to the current Mainnet block height

</details>

## Update the Release PR

- [ ] Push the version increments and the release constants to the release branch.


# Publish the Zebra Release

## Create the GitHub Pre-Release

- [ ] Wait for all the release PRs to be merged
- [ ] Create a new release using the draft release as a base, by clicking the Edit icon in the [draft release](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/releases)
- [ ] Set the tag name to the version tag,
      for example: `v1.0.0`
- [ ] Set the release to target the `main` branch
- [ ] Set the release title to `Zebra ` followed by the version tag,
      for example: `Zebra 1.0.0`
- [ ] Replace the prepopulated draft changelog in the release description with the final changelog you created;
      starting just _after_ the title `## [Zebra ...` of the current version being released,
      and ending just _before_ the title of the previous release.
- [ ] Mark the release as 'pre-release', until it has been built and tested
- [ ] Publish the pre-release to GitHub using "Publish Release"
- [ ] Delete all the [draft releases from the list of releases](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/releases)

## Test the Pre-Release

- [ ] Wait until the Docker binaries have been built on `main`, and the quick tests have passed:
    - [ ] [ci-unit-tests-docker.yml](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/ci-unit-tests-docker.yml?query=branch%3Amain)
    - [ ] [ci-integration-tests-gcp.yml](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/ci-integration-tests-gcp.yml?query=branch%3Amain)
- [ ] Wait until the [pre-release deployment machines have successfully launched](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/cd-deploy-nodes-gcp.yml?query=event%3Arelease)

## Publish Release

- [ ] [Publish the release to GitHub](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/releases) by disabling 'pre-release', then clicking "Set as the latest release"

## Publish Crates

- [ ] [Run `cargo login`](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/doc-crate-own/book/src/dev/crate-owners.md#logging-in-to-cratesio)
- [ ] Run `cargo clean` in the zebra repo (optional)
- [ ] Publish the crates to crates.io: `cargo release publish --verbose --workspace --execute`
- [ ] Check that Zebra can be installed from `crates.io`:
      `cargo install --locked --force --version 1.minor.patch zebrad && ~/.cargo/bin/zebrad`
      and put the output in a comment on the PR.

## Publish Docker Images
- [ ] Wait for the [the Docker images to be published successfully](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/actions/workflows/release-binaries.yml?query=event%3Arelease).
- [ ] Un-freeze the [`batched` queue](https://dashboard.mergify.com/github/ZcashFoundation/repo/zebra/queues) using Mergify.
- [ ] Remove `do-not-merge` from the PRs you added it to

## Release Failures

If building or running fails after tagging:

<details>

<summary>Tag a new release, following these instructions...</summary>

1. Fix the bug that caused the failure
2. Start a new `patch` release
3. Skip the **Release Preparation**, and start at the **Release Changes** step
4. Update `CHANGELOG.md` with details about the fix
5. Follow the release checklist for the new Zebra version

</details>