Pre Release

1. Commit any pending translation updates
2. Make sure the date and version number are correct in ChangeLog, ChangeLog.win32, ChangeLog.API and po/ChangeLog
3. Update NEWS
4. Change version number at the top of configure.ac
5. Check pidgin.spec.in, make sure that "%define beta 7" is commented/uncommented appropriately
6. Make a test tarball and RPM and test to make sure everything works

Release

1. Tag the repository

   mtn tag $REVISION $TAG
   

2. Check out the tagged code

   mtn -d $DATABASE co im.pidgin.pidgin -r $TAG pidgin-$VERSION
   

3. Run ./autogen.sh
4. Run make dist
5. Run gzip -d -c pidgin-$VERSION.tar.gz | bzip2 > pidgin-$VERSION.tar.bz2
6. Sign the two tarballs

   gpg -ab pidgin-$VERSION.tar.gz
   gpg -ab pidgin-$VERSION.tar.bz2
   gpg --verify pidgin-$VERSION.tar.gz.asc pidgin-$VERSION.tar.gz
   gpg --verify pidgin-$VERSION.tar.bz2.asc pidgin-$VERSION.tar.bz2
   

7. Build the SRPM

   rpmbuild -ta --sign --with avahi --with dbus --with meanwhile \
       --with sasl --with silc --with tcl pidgin-$VERSION.tar.bz2
   

8. Upload the two tarballs, the two signatures, and the src.rpm
9. Make RPMs for lots of distributions and upload them
   1. Install the src.rpm

      rpm -Uvh pidgin-$VERSION-0.src.rpm
      

   2. Edit $rpmbuild/SPECS/pidgin.spec and append the distro name to the end of the Release line. For example, ".fc5"
   3. Build

      rpmbuild -ba --sign --with avahi --with dbus --with meanwhile \
          --with sasl --with silc --with tcl $rpmbuild/SPECS/gaim.spec
      

10. Wait a few hours and let people test.
11. Update the Pidgin website
    1. Change inc/version.inc.php
    2. Add a news posting to htdocs/news.txt
12. Announce via sourceforge

Post Release

1. Increment version number in libpurple/version.h
2. Update freshmeat.net
3. Update #pidgin topic and on-join message