Merge pull request #8130 from NlightNFotis/release_process_doc

Add a document outlining the current release process

Author: NlightNFotis

RELEASE_PROCESS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# CBMC release process
+
+This document outlines the current release process in a summary form.
+
+## Part I
+
+1. PR with version label change to `src/config.inc` and `src/libcprover-rust/Cargo.toml`.
+   To be merged after CI has run.
+   * We update both with the same version after a decision had been made to keep both
+     projects to the same version number. For more info on versioning, please take a look at
+     `doc/ADR/release_process.md`
+
+2. After the PR has been merged, pull develop locally and spin off a tag with
+   `git tag -a cbmc-<version>`. After some wait, this is going to trigger building
+   Linux && Windows jobs and submit PR to [`homebrew`](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cbmc)
+   and image to [`docker`](https://hub.docker.com/r/diffblue/cbmc/tags).
+   * The release creation is being driven by the `.github/workflows/regular-release.yaml` file,
+     which creates a new release with some template text filled in.
+   * After the release has been created, another github action starts building the
+     binaries, driven by the `.github/workflows/release-packages.yaml`.
+
+## Part II
+
+1. Tap release performed next day depending on when homebrew formula has been updated.
+   Process outlined at `doc/ADR/homebrew_tap.md`.
+   * The process usually goes as follows: we give homebrew about a day after the release
+     has been created to merge the PR updating the formula on their end, and for the
+     bottles (binaries) to be built.
+   * We update the `brew` database locally, and then extract the formula as outlined
+     above (should be a command like `brew extract cbmc@version`).
+   * After the formula has been extracted, we need to fetch the binaries they have built
+     and edit the formula to contain the binaries and their hashes. We usually use
+     the script [`transform_binary.sh`](https://github.com/diffblue/homebrew-cbmc/blob/main/transform_binary.sh)
+     which downloads the bottles on the local folder and then gives us their hashes
+     to edit the formula with. The end result looks like this: [Example formula](https://github.com/diffblue/homebrew-cbmc/commit/97e539b25465077304c6e8c01400b708511ed5ee)
+   * Last bit is to commit the formula and push it to the tap, and edit the release to
+     add the downloaded binaries as release artefacts. This last bit is just an edit
+     of the `bag-of-goodies` release from the Github UI, and then a drag-and-drop of
+     the binaries into the upload form.
+
+2. Crates.io release which is really just a cargo publish with the environment
+   variables the Rust build requires. Process outlined at https://docs.rs/crate/libcprover_rust/latest.
+   * Usually this is just a `cargo publish --dry-run` first, waiting to see that
+     the build is successful and that the command is aborting right before the
+     build is uploaded, and then just performing a `cargo publish` which pushes
+     the crate.