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Add release guide to developer documentation#529

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add-release-guide
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Add release guide to developer documentation#529
John15321 wants to merge 27 commits intomainfrom
add-release-guide

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[Title: describe the change in one sentence]

[ describe the change in 1 - 3 paragraphs ]

How to use

[ describe what reviewers need to do in order to validate this PR ]

Testing done

[Describe the testing you have done before submitting this PR. Please include both the commands you issued as well as the output you got.]

  • Changelog entries added in the respective changelog/ directory (user-facing change, bug fix, security fix, update)
  • Inspected CI output for image differences: /boot and /usr size, packages, list files for any missing binaries, kernel modules, config files, kernel modules, etc.

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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github-actions bot commented Feb 9, 2026

Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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github-actions bot commented Feb 9, 2026

Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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github-actions bot commented Feb 9, 2026

Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Thanks for doing this, it's something we want to do since a while! I did a first round of review, it's good to see that some stuffs can be dropped. Let's wait for @sayanchowdhury and @dongsupark round of reviews as well to be sure we don't miss anything.
Thanks for this @John15321 !

Comment on lines +551 to +558
After completing all previous steps, update the `current` symlink:

```bash
ssh core@origin.release.flatcar-linux.net
set-symlink.sh alpha:1786.0.0 beta:1781.2.0
```

**Additional step during infrastructure migration:**
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This is not accurate anymore.

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There is a button to apply a suggestion using AI if you have the GitHub plugin installed in VSCode, I just tried using that:
image

lmao I cant

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Addressed in af76516

Comment on lines +631 to +637
#### Security Notes Distribution

Post security notes (detailed CVE list) to:

* **Closed Kinvolk customers security announce group:** <https://groups.google.com/a/kinvolk.io/g/security-announce>

**Important:** Select the mailing list as sender.
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This can be dropped.

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Addressed in af76516

John15321 and others added 8 commits February 10, 2026 10:37
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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**The `flatcar-MAJOR` branch:**

* Introduces new features to the channels
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I don't undestand this line. Maybe this sentence would need a rephrase. This is a long running branch so text feels a bit confusing to me.

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Deleted the line 15f2a7f

#### Version Numbering

* **New major version on Alpha:** Starts with `MAJOR.0.0`
* **Point releases:** Increment the patch version (same channel) or minor version (channel promotion)
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Our version does not really reflect of the semver and creates confusion to someone new.

I've started to use the naming for our versions as EPOCH.STREAM.REVISION or MAJOR.CHANNEL.REVISION

What do you think? @tormath1

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Correct. MAJOR.CHANNEL.REVISION sounds better (STREAM is used by FCOS and we document "channel" in the whole documentation)

Comment on lines +244 to +262
**Pin specific commits:**

To adjust to specific commits or recreate tags with pinned commits:

```bash
# Pin specific commits (useful for cherry-picking fixes)
OVERLAY_REF=<COMMIT_SHA> PORTAGE_REF=<COMMIT_SHA> \
VERSION=<VERSION> SDK_VERSION=<SDK_VERSION> CHANNEL=<CHANNEL> ./tag-release

# Example pinning overlay commit:
OVERLAY_REF=c1b0fd2e3dcf17c463672643fee10deac152fe5f \
VERSION=4564.3.0 SDK_VERSION=4564.0.0 CHANNEL=stable ./tag-release

# Example pinning all three repositories:
SCRIPTS_REF=abc123def456 \
OVERLAY_REF=def456ghi789 \
PORTAGE_REF=ghi789jkl012 \
VERSION=4564.3.0 SDK_VERSION=4564.0.0 CHANNEL=stable ./tag-release
```
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I agree this is no longer required.


**Requirements:**

* Same value for `SDK_VERSION` and `VERSION` used with `create-manifest`
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This should be removed correct?

@tormath1 @dongsupark

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Correct, this can be dropped.

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@John15321 ⏫ - we can drop this. :)

Co-authored-by: Sayan Chowdhury <schowdhury@microsoft.com>
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Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

Signed-off-by: Jan Bronicki <janbronicki@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

#### Version Numbering

* **New major version on Alpha:** Starts with `MAJOR.0.0`
* **Point releases:** Increment the patch version (same channel) or minor version (channel promotion)
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Correct. MAJOR.CHANNEL.REVISION sounds better (STREAM is used by FCOS and we document "channel" in the whole documentation)


**Requirements:**

* Same value for `SDK_VERSION` and `VERSION` used with `create-manifest`
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Correct, this can be dropped.

Co-authored-by: Mathieu Tortuyaux <mtortuyaux@microsoft.com>
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

dongsupark
dongsupark previously approved these changes Feb 17, 2026
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Looks good. Minor comments below:

John15321 and others added 2 commits February 17, 2026 17:41
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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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Some last minute comments, but it looks good to me for a first iteration. The documentation reads on the preview, thanks! For next release, one can try to follow this one to see if anything is missing or unclear.

Comment on lines +25 to +26
B --> C[Testing]
C --> D[Release Job]
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Let's add the go/no-go meeting here between those two items.

Comment on lines +27 to +28
D --> E[Artifact Distribution]
E --> F[Update Payloads]
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Can we have those two in parallels?

C --> D[Release Job]
D --> E[Artifact Distribution]
E --> F[Update Payloads]
F --> G[Publication]
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Let' s mention 1. Payload promotion on Nebraska 2. Public announcements (social accounts, mailing list)


1. Configure WireGuard for `hub.pub.kinvolk.io`
2. Access the dashboard at: <http://jenkins.infra.kinvolk.io:8080>
3. Find the admin password in [flatcar/flatcar-linux-build-secrets](https://github.com/flatcar/flatcar-linux-build-secrets)
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What admin password? One needs to ask a Jenkins admin first to create an account in Jenkins.


**Requirements:**

* Same value for `SDK_VERSION` and `VERSION` used with `create-manifest`
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@John15321 ⏫ - we can drop this. :)

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Azure Static Web Apps: Your stage site is ready! Visit it here: https://lemon-wave-085522403-529.westeurope.1.azurestaticapps.net

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4 participants