README-maint: updated documentation of the release procedure

1 files changed, 28 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/README-maint b/README-maint
index 1844040..109af71 100644
--- a/README-maint
+++ b/README-maint
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
   Ensure that the following packages are installed in your system:
 
-  - Autoconf, Automake, and GNU Make.
+  - Autoconf, Automake, Gnulib, and GNU Make.
 
   - Git (1.6.x.x or later)
 
@@ -24,13 +24,33 @@
   : ./bootstrap.sh
   : ./configure
 
-* How to build the web site.
+* How to update the web site.
 
-  Run "make website".
+  Run "make generate". The process will typically re-generate a whole bunch of
+  files in the html/ directory (which is a separate CVS repository). Check the
+  diffs, and if you things look good, commit the changes.
 
-* How to build release tarballs.
+  Unfortunately, the new HTML generator doesn't yet recognize cross-links or
+  any other sort of URI (see TODO file). Until those features are implemented,
+  the website probably shouldn't be regenerated, because the old pages do
+  contain links and an update would overwrite them.
 
-  Run "make </dev/null alpha". Other possible release types are "beta" and
-  "major". Unfortunately, one of the tests performed during that procedure
-  doesn't terminate until it receives an EOF on standard input. I have no idea
-  why, but redirecting from /dev/null remedies the problem.
+* How to make a release.
+
+  1. Determine the appropriate version number, i.e. today's date in ISO
+     formatting.
+
+  2. Update the NEWS file. The script that generates release tarballs checks
+     that the current version number in mentioned in that file. If NEWS isn't
+     up-to-date, the script will fail.
+
+  3. Ensure that there are no uncommitted changes in 'maint' or 'master'. Then
+     create a signed tag using the naming scheme 'v<yyyy>.<mm>.<dd>'. For
+     example:
+
+     : git tag v2009.07.31 -s -m 'Autoconf Archive Version 2009.07.31'
+
+  4. Run "make </dev/null alpha". Other possible release types are "beta" and
+     "major". Unfortunately, one of the tests performed during that procedure
+     doesn't terminate until it receives an EOF on standard input. I have no
+     idea why, but redirecting from /dev/null remedies the problem.