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PATCH-RELEASES.md

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Docker patch (bugfix) release process

Patch releases (the 'Z' in vX.Y.Z) are intended to fix major issues in a release. Docker open source projects follow these procedures when creating a patch release;

After each release (both "major" (vX.Y.0) and "patch" releases (vX.Y.Z)), a patch release milestone (vX.Y.Z + 1) is created.

The creation of a patch release milestone is no obligation to actually create a patch release. The purpose of these milestones is to collect issues and pull requests that can justify a patch release;

  • Any maintainer is allowed to add issues and PR's to the milestone, when doing so, preferably leave a comment on the issue or PR explaining why you think it should be considered for inclusion in a patch release.
  • Issues introduced in version vX.Y.0 get added to milestone X.Y.Z+1
  • Only regressions should be added. Issues discovered in version vX.Y.0, but already present in version vX.Y-1.Z should not be added, unless critical.
  • Patch releases can only contain bug-fixes. New features should never be added to a patch release.

The release captain of the "major" (X.Y.0) release, is also responsible for patch releases. The release captain, together with another maintainer, will review issues and PRs on the milestone, and assigns priority/labels. These review sessions take place on a weekly basis, more frequent if needed:

  • A P0 priority is assigned to critical issues. A maintainer must be assigned to these issues. Maintainers should strive to fix a P0 within a week.
  • A P1 priority is assigned to major issues, but not critical. A maintainer must be assigned to these issues.
  • P2 and P3 priorities are assigned to other issues. A maintainer can be assigned.
  • Non-critical issues and PR's can be removed from the milestone. Minor changes, such as typo-fixes or omissions in the documentation can be considered for inclusion in a patch release.

Deciding if a patch release should be done

  • Only a P0 can justify to proceed with the patch release.
  • P1, P2, and P3 issues/PR's should not influence the decision, and should be moved to the X.Y.Z+1 milestone, or removed from the milestone.

Note: If the next "major" release is imminent, the release captain can decide to cancel a patch release, and include the patches in the upcoming major release.

Note: Security releases are also "patch releases", but follow a different procedure. Security releases are developed in a private repository, released and tested under embargo before they become publicly available.

Deciding on the content of a patch release

When the criteria for moving forward with a patch release are met, the release manager will decide on the exact content of the release.

  • Fixes to all P0 issues must be included in the release.
  • Fixes to some P1, P2, and P3 issues may be included as part of the patch release depending on the severity of the issue and the risk associated with the patch.

Any code delivered as part of a patch release should make life easier for a significant amount of users with zero chance of degrading anybody's experience. A good rule of thumb for that is to limit cherry-picking to small patches, which fix well-understood issues, and which come with verifiable tests.