Pre Release

1. Commit any pending translation updates
2. Check there are no Blocker or Critical bugs targeted for this release
3. Make sure the date and version number are correct in ChangeLog, ChangeLog.win32, ChangeLog.API and po/ChangeLog
4. Update NEWS
5. Change version number at the top of configure.ac, set version_suffix to [betaN] for betas and [] for a full release
6. Check pidgin.spec.in, make sure that "%define beta 7" is commented/uncommented appropriately
7. 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/pidgin.spec
      

10. Wait a few hours and let people test.
11. Update the Pidgin website
    1. Change inc/version.inc.php (only for full releases, not for betas)
    2. Add a news posting to htdocs/news.txt
12. Announce via sourceforge

Post Release

1. Increment version number in configure.ac & set version_suffix to [dev]
2. Update freshmeat.net
3. Update #pidgin topic and on-join message