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Releases are managed by two GitHub Actions workflows under .github/workflows/:
  1. prepare-release.yml — Run first. Validates the version, checks that CI passed, updates .version, and pushes everything to the dispatching branch in a single commit. CI then runs automatically on the resulting commit (for release/** branches). The CI check can be skipped with skip-ci-check.
  2. release.yml — Run after CI passes on the prepared commit. Builds installers and wheels for all platforms (Linux x86/ARM, macOS Intel/ARM, Windows), and can optionally sign macOS/Windows artifacts, create a draft GitHub release, publish wheels to TestPyPI, and publish wheels to PyPI.
Both workflows are workflow_dispatch and share a release concurrency group so they cannot run simultaneously.

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Version format

Versions follow calendar versioning with PEP 440: YY.MM for stable releases (e.g. 26.04), with optional .patch (e.g. 26.04.1) and pre-release suffixes (b1, rc1, a1). Months must be zero-padded. Examples: 26.05b1 (beta), 26.05rc1 (release candidate), 26.05 (stable), 26.05.1 (patch).

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Release branch workflow

All releases are cut from a release/YY.MM branch. The branch name uses only the major version (YY.MM), not the full pre-release suffix — betas, release candidates, and the stable release all come from the same branch.

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Standard release

  1. Create a release branch from main: 
    git checkout -b release/26.05 main
git push origin release/26.05
  2. CI runs automatically on push to release/** branches.
  3. Prepare the release (updates .version on the branch): 
    just release::prepare --version 26.05b1 --ref release/26.05
  4. Pull the version bump commit: 
    git pull origin release/26.05
  5. Verify on TestPyPI: 
    just release::testpypi --ref release/26.05
  6. Publish the full release: 
    just release::public --ref release/26.05
  7. For subsequent pre-releases or the stable release from the same cycle, repeat steps 3-6 with the new version (e.g. 26.05b2, 26.05rc1, 26.05).
  8. After the stable release, merge the release branch back to main to pick up the .version bump and any cherry-picked fixes: 
    git checkout main
git merge release/26.05
git push origin main
  9. Delete the release branch after the stable release is published.

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Security and hotfix releases

For security fixes, an admin should first create a security advisory with a temporary private fork. Work on the fix in the private fork via the normal PR workflow. Do not open a public PR or publish the advisory until the fix is ready for release. Once the fix is ready:
  1. Create a release branch from the latest release tag: 
    git checkout -b release/26.05 26.05
  2. Cherry-pick the fix onto the release branch.
  3. Push the branch and wait for CI: 
    git push origin release/26.05
  4. Prepare and publish: 
    just release::prepare --version 26.05.1 --ref release/26.05
just release::public --ref release/26.05
  5. Merge the release branch back to main.
  6. For security patches, publish the advisory and credit the reporter if applicable.

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Release process overview

flowchart LR
    A["<b>prepare-release.yml</b><br/>validate version<br/>check CI<br/>check duplicate tag<br/>update .version<br/>push to branch"] --> B["<b>CI (ci.yml)</b><br/>runs automatically<br/>on release/** branches"]
    B --> C["<b>release.yml</b><br/>build all platforms<br/>optionally sign macOS/Windows<br/>optionally create draft GitHub release<br/>optionally publish to TestPyPI/PyPI"]

    style A fill:#2d333b,stroke:#539bf5,color:#adbac7
    style B fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style C fill:#2d333b,stroke:#7ee787,color:#adbac7

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Release workflow jobs

flowchart TD
    prepare[prepare<br/><i>validate version,<br/>check CI, check duplicates</i>]

    prepare --> mac["build-and-sign-mac<br/>ARM"]
    prepare --> macint["build-and-sign-mac-intel<br/>Intel"]
    prepare --> win["build-and-sign-windows"]
    prepare --> lin[build-linux-x86<br/><i>installer + wheels</i>]
    prepare --> linarmw[build-linux-arm-wheels]
    prepare --> linarmi[build-linux-arm-installer]

    mac --> release
    macint --> release
    win --> release
    lin --> release
    linarmw --> release
    linarmi --> release

    release["release<br/>draft GitHub release<br/><i>if draft-release</i>"]

    mac --> testpypi
    macint --> testpypi
    win --> testpypi
    lin --> testpypi
    linarmw --> testpypi
    linarmi --> testpypi

    testpypi["publish-testpypi<br/>TestPyPI<br/><i>if publish-testpypi or publish-pypi</i>"]

    release --> pypi
    testpypi --> pypi

    pypi["publish-pypi<br/>PyPI<br/><i>if publish-pypi</i>"]

    style prepare fill:#2d333b,stroke:#539bf5,color:#adbac7
    style mac fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style macint fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style win fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style lin fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style linarmw fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style linarmi fill:#2d333b,stroke:#e5c07b,color:#adbac7
    style release fill:#2d333b,stroke:#7ee787,color:#adbac7
    style testpypi fill:#2d333b,stroke:#7ee787,color:#adbac7
    style pypi fill:#2d333b,stroke:#7ee787,color:#adbac7

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Workflow inputs

prepare-release: takes a version string and an optional skip-ci-check boolean (default false). release: takes a version (must match .version for public release operations) and five boolean inputs:
  • sign signs macOS and Windows artifacts.
  • draft-release creates the draft GitHub release.
  • publish-testpypi publishes wheels to TestPyPI.
  • publish-pypi publishes wheels to PyPI.
  • skip-ci-check skips the CI status check.
All booleans default to false. Non-release runs use the .version already in the repo, so builds work without a prepare step. For a normal public release, enable the first four booleans: sign=true, draft-release=true, publish-testpypi=true, and publish-pypi=true.

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Environment gates

The release workflow uses GitHub environments as manual approval gates. Jobs that access signing credentials or publish artifacts require a reviewer to approve the deployment before they run:
  • release — Required when sign, draft-release, publish-testpypi, or publish-pypi is enabled. Protects code-signing secrets, the release token, and PyPI/TestPyPI trusted publishing/OIDC.
When sign is disabled, the macOS and Windows build jobs run without the release environment so they do not require approval and cannot access signing secrets.

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Workflow input behavior

The release.yml workflow uses independent boolean inputs to control what gets signed and published:
InputEffect
signSigns macOS and Windows artifacts. Requires the release environment. When false, those jobs upload unsigned artifacts and do not access signing secrets.
draft-releaseCreates a draft GitHub release with generated release notes and installer artifacts. Requires sign=true, the release environment, passing CI (unless skipped), no duplicate tag/release, and version matching .version.
publish-testpypiPublishes wheels to TestPyPI. Requires the release environment.
publish-pypiPublishes wheels to PyPI. Requires the release environment, passing CI (unless skipped), and version matching .version. It also runs and waits for the TestPyPI publish job first. It does not require signing unless draft-release=true.
skip-ci-checkSkips the CI status check. Useful for hotfix releases.
versionFor draft-release or publish-pypi: must match .version. For build-only, signed-only, or TestPyPI-only runs: ignored (.version from the branch is used automatically).

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Dispatching with just

Release workflows can be dispatched via just using the release module defined in release.just. All recipes require an explicit --ref argument pointing to the release branch. Run just --list --list-submodules to see all available recipes and their arguments.

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Testing the release workflow from a feature branch

release.yml can be dispatched from any branch for testing. The release guards only apply when draft-release or publish-pypi is enabled. To run a test build:
  1. Dispatch release.yml from your branch with all boolean inputs left false: 
    just release::build --ref <your-branch>
  2. The workflow reads .version from the branch as-is (the version input is ignored for non-release runs), so no prepare step is needed.
  3. All release guards (CI check, duplicate tag check) are skipped.
  4. Artifacts are uploaded to the workflow run but nothing is published or tagged.

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Testing with code signing

To test the signing flow from a feature branch:
  1. In the repo’s Settings → Environments → release, temporarily add your branch to the allowed deployment branches.
  2. Dispatch the workflow: 
    just release::sign --ref <your-branch>
  3. Approve the environment deployment when prompted.
  4. After testing, remove your branch from the environment’s allowed branches.
Note: workflow_dispatch workflows only appear in the GitHub Actions UI if the workflow file exists on the default branch. If release.yml is new or modified on your branch, use gh workflow run to trigger it — the UI dropdown won’t show it until it’s merged to main.

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Important notes

  • The release workflow builds the exact commit at github.sha. It does not write .version — that is done by the prepare workflow. If you dispatch release before prepare’s commit has propagated, the build will use whatever .version was HEAD at dispatch time.
  • draft-release=true with sign=false is rejected — draft releases must use signed installer artifacts.
  • When publish-pypi=true, wheels are published to TestPyPI first, then to PyPI after the TestPyPI job succeeds. If draft-release=true is also set, PyPI publishing waits for the draft GitHub release to succeed too.
  • Pre-release versions (e.g. 26.05b1) are automatically marked as pre-releases on the GitHub draft release.

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Announcements

  • Once a GitHub release draft is created, modify the generated changelog if necessary then click Publish release.
  • Create a forum topic on the Beta Testing category. For stable releases, lock the topic and ask users to report issues on a new topic.
  • For stable releases, update the version in ankitects/anki-landing-page (See example).