> Release Issue Template

# go-ipfs X.Y.Z Release

We're happy to announce go-ipfs X.Y.Z, bla bla...

## 🗺 What's left for release

<List of items with PRs and/or Issues to be considered for this release>

## 🔦 Highlights

< top highlights for this release notes >

## Changelog

< changelog generated by bin/mkreleaselog >

## ✅ Release Checklist

For each RC published in each stage:

- version string in `version.go` has been updated
- tag commit with vX.Y.Z-rcN
- upload to dist.ipfs.io
  1. Build: https://github.com/ipfs/distributions#usage.
  2. Pin the resulting release.
  3. Make a PR against ipfs/distributions with the updated versions, including the new hash in the PR comment.
  4. Ask the infra team to update the DNSLink record for dist.ipfs.io to point to the new distribution.
- cut a pre-release on [github](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/releases) and upload the result of the ipfs/distributions build in the previous step.

Checklist:

- [ ] **Stage 0 - Automated Testing**
  - [ ] Feature freeze. If any "non-trivial" changes (see the footnotes of [docs/releases.md](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/docs/releases.md) for a definition) get added to the release, uncheck all the checkboxes and return to this stage.
  - [ ] Automated Testing (already tested in CI) - Ensure that all tests are passing, this includes:
    - [ ] unit, sharness, cross-build, etc (`make test`)
    - [ ] lint (`make test_go_lint`)
    - [ ] [interop](https://github.com/ipfs/interop#test-with-a-non-yet-released-version-of-go-ipfs)
    - [ ] [go-ipfs-api](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-api)
    - [ ] [go-ipfs-http-client](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-http-client)
- [ ] **Stage 1 - Internal Testing**
  - [ ] CHANGELOG.md has been updated
    - use [`./bin/mkreleaselog`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/bin/mkreleaselog) to generate a nice starter list
  - [ ] Network Testing:
    - [ ] test lab things - TBD
  - [ ] Infrastructure Testing:
    - [ ] Deploy new version to a subset of Bootstrappers
    - [ ] Deploy new version to a subset of Gateways
    - [ ] Deploy new version to a subset of Preload nodes
    - [ ] Collect metrics every day. Work with the Infrastructure team to learn of any hiccup
  - [ ] IPFS Application Testing -  Run the tests of the following applications:
    - [ ] [WebUI](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-webui) - @olizilla
    - [ ] [IPFS Desktop](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-desktop) - @hacdias
    - [ ] [IPFS Companion](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-companion) - @lidel
    - [ ] [NPM on IPFS](https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/npm-on-ipfs) - @achingbrain
- [ ] **Stage 2 - Community Dev Testing**
  - [ ] Reach out to the IPFS _early testers_ listed in [docs/EARLY_TESTERS.md](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/docs/EARLY_TESTERS.md) for testing this release (check when no more problems have been reported). If you'd like to be added to this list, please file a PR.
  - [ ] Reach out to on IRC for beta testers.
  - [ ] Run tests available in the following repos with the latest beta (check when all tests pass):
    - [ ] [orbit-db](https://github.com/orbitdb/orbit-db)
- [ ] **Stage 3 - Community Prod Testing**
  - [ ] Documentation
    - [ ] Ensure that [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/CHANGELOG.md) is up to date
    - [ ] Ensure that [README.md](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/README.md)  is up to date
    - [ ] Ensure that all the examples we have produced for go-ipfs run without problems
    - [ ] Update HTTP-API Documentation on the Website using https://github.com/ipfs/http-api-docs
  - [ ] Invite the IPFS [_early testers_](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/docs/EARLY_TESTERS.md) to deploy the release to part of their production infrastructure.
  - [ ] Invite the wider community through (link to the release issue):
    - [ ] [discuss.ipfs.io](https://discuss.ipfs.io/c/announcements)
    - [ ] Twitter
    - [ ] IRC
- [ ] **Stage 4 - Release**
  - [ ] Final preparation
    - [ ] Verify that version string in [`repo/version.go`](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/tree/master/repo/version.go) has been updated
    - [ ] tag commit with vX.Y.Z
    - [ ] update release branch to point to release commit (`git merge vX.Y.Z`).
    - [ ] Release published
      - [ ] to [dist.ipfs.io](https://dist.ipfs.io)
      - [ ] to [npm-go-ipfs](https://github.com/ipfs/npm-go-ipfs)
      - [ ] to [chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/packages/ipfs)
      - [ ] to [github](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/releases)
  - [ ] Publish a Release Blog post (at minimum, a c&p of this release issue with all the highlights, API changes, link to changelog and thank yous)
  - [ ] Broadcasting (link to blog post)
    - [ ] Twitter
    - [ ] IRC
    - [ ] [Reddit](https://reddit.com/r/ipfs)
    - [ ] [discuss.ipfs.io](https://discuss.ipfs.io/c/announcements)
    - [ ] Announce it on the [IPFS Users Mailing List](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ipfs-users)

## ❤️ Contributors

< list generated by bin/mkreleaselog >

Would you like to contribute to the IPFS project and don't know how? Well, there are a few places you can get started:

- Check the issues with the `help wanted` label in the [go-ipfs repo](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22help+wanted%22)
- Join an IPFS All Hands, introduce yourself and let us know where you would like to contribute - https://github.com/ipfs/team-mgmt/#weekly-ipfs-all-hands
- Hack with IPFS and show us what you made! The All Hands call is also the perfect venue for demos, join in and show us what you built
- Join the discussion at [discuss.ipfs.io](https://discuss.ipfs.io/) and help users finding their answers.
- Join the [Go Core Dev Team Weekly Sync](https://github.com/ipfs/team-mgmt/issues/650) and be part of the Sprint action!

## ⁉️ Do you have questions?

The best place to ask your questions about IPFS, how it works and what you can do with it is at [discuss.ipfs.io](http://discuss.ipfs.io). We are also available at the `#ipfs` channel on Freenode, which is also [accessible through our Matrix bridge](https://riot.im/app/#/room/#freenode_#ipfs:matrix.org).