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FEniCSx release guide

Prerequisites

Check out all of the FEniCSx components on the release branch.

Check that all CIs on main are running green.

Check that the main documentation looks reasonable at https://docs.fenicsproject.org.

As of 18/07/2025 the Windows CI is broken and consequently only @minrk can test the Windows build via the Condaforge CI.

The release proceeds in a bottom up manner (UFL, Basix, FFCx, DOLFINx). pypa packages cannot be deleted and should be made a number of days after the creation of git tags so that errors can be fixed. GitHub releases can have their version notes updated, and can be deleted and remade on new tags (not recommended).

The release process consists of the following steps:

  1. Update version numbers and dependencies on the release branches.
  2. Run integration tests, ensuring that the release branches work together.
  3. Make git tags on the tip of release.
  4. Organise production of release artifacts.
  5. Update version numbers on main.
  6. Make GitHub releases (not permanent)
  7. pypa releases (permanent!).

Version bumping

At the current phase of development (<1.0) FEniCSx components are typically bumped an entire minor version i.e. 0.+1.0.

UFL still runs on the year-based release scheme.

UFL version bump

  1. Merge origin/main into release resolving all conflicts in favour of main.

    git pull
git checkout release
git merge --no-commit origin/main
git checkout --theirs . # files deleted on `main` must be manually git `rm`ed
git diff origin/main

  2. Update the version number in pyproject.toml, e.g. 2022.2.0.

  3. Commit and push.

  4. Check git diff origin/main for obvious errors.

Basix version bump

  1. Merge origin/main into release resolving all conflicts in favour of main.

    git pull
git checkout release
git merge --no-commit origin/main
git checkout --theirs . # files deleted on `main` must be manually git `rm`ed
git diff origin/main

  2. Update version numbers in pyproject.toml, python/pyproject.toml, CMakeLists.txt and cpp/CMakeLists.txt.

  3. Update the Basix nanobind type stubs following basix/python/README/md.

  4. In pyproject.toml update the fenics-ufl optional dependency version. On main this is often pointing at the git repo, it needs to be changed to a version bound e.g. >=2024.1.0,<2024.2.0.

  5. Commit and push.

  6. Check git diff origin/main for obvious errors.

FFCx version bump

  1. Merge main into release resolving all conflicts in favour of main.

    git pull
git checkout release
git merge --no-commit origin/main
git checkout --theirs . # files deleted on `main` must be manually git `rm`ed
git diff origin/main

  2. Update the version number in pyproject.toml, e.g. 0.5.0.

  3. Update the dependency versions for fenics-basix and fenics-ufl in pyproject.toml.

  4. If necessary, update the version number in cmake/CMakeLists.txt, e.g. 0.5.0.

  5. Update the version number macros in ffcx/codegeneration/ufcx.h. Typically this should match the Python version number. Remember to change the UFCX_VERSION_IS_RELEASE to true.

  6. Commit and push.

  7. Check git diff origin/main for obvious errors.

DOLFINx

  1. Merge main into release resolving all conflicts in favour of main.

    git pull
git checkout release
git merge --no-commit origin/main
git checkout --theirs . # files deleted on `main` must be manually git `rm`ed
git diff origin/main

  2. In cpp/CMakeLists.txt change the version number e.g. 0.5.0.

  3. In cpp/CMakeLists.txt change the version number in the find_package(ufcx), find_package(UFCx) and find_package(Basix) calls.

  4. In python/pyproject.toml update the version to e.g. 0.5.0 and update the dependency versions for fenics-basix, fenics-ffcx and fenics-ufl.

  5. In CITATION.md update the version number version: 0.5.0 and the release date date-released: 2022-03-14.

  6. In .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml add a new option to the version numbers.

  7. Commit and push.

  8. Check git diff origin/main for obvious errors.

Integration testing

Although lengthy, integration testing is highly effective at discovering issues and mistakes before they reach tagged versions.

At each of the following links run the GitHub Action Workflow manually using the release branch in all fields, including the . Only proceed to tagging once all tests pass.

Basix with FFCx: https://github.com/FEniCS/basix/actions/workflows/ffcx-tests.yml

Basix with DOLFINx: https://github.com/FEniCS/basix/actions/workflows/dolfinx-tests.yml

UFL with FEniCSx: https://github.com/FEniCS/ufl/actions/workflows/fenicsx-tests.yml

FFCx with DOLFINx: https://github.com/FEniCS/ffcx/actions/workflows/dolfinx-tests.yml

Full stack: https://github.com/FEniCS/dolfinx/actions/workflows/ccpp.yml

Tagging

Make appropriate version tags in each repository. UFL does not use the v prefix.

git tag v0.5.0
git push --tags origin

Artifacts

Documentation

Documentation should be pushed automatically to FEniCS/docs on the creation of tags. You will need to manually update the README.md.

Docker containers

First create tagged development and test environment images, e.g. v0.5.0:

https://github.com/FEniCS/dolfinx/actions/workflows/docker-dev-test-env.yml

Then create tagged end-user images setting the base image as the tagged development image:

https://github.com/FEniCS/dolfinx/actions/workflows/docker-end-user.yml

The tag prefix should be the same as the DOLFINx tag e.g. v0.5.0. Git refs should be appropriate tags for each component.

Tagged Docker images will be pushed to Dockerhub and GitHub.

docker run -ti dolfinx/dolfinx:v0.5.0

Use the Docker update stable tag workflow to update/link :stable to e.g. v0.5.0.

https://github.com/FEniCS/dolfinx/actions/workflows/docker-update-stable.yml

pypi

Wheels can be made using the following actions:

https://github.com/FEniCS/basix/actions/workflows/build-wheels.yml

https://github.com/FEniCS/ufl/actions/workflows/build-wheels.yml

https://github.com/FEniCS/ffcx/actions/workflows/build-wheels.yml

Both the workflow and the ref should be set to the appropriate tags for each component.

It is recommended to first build without publishing, then to test pypi, then to the real pypi. Publishing to pypa cannot be revoked.

The DOLFINx wheel builder is experimental and is not used in the release process at this time.

Mistakes

If something doesn't work, or other issues/bugs are identified during the release process you can either:

  1. Make changes on main via the usual PR workflow, then git cherry-pick or git merge the commit back onto release.

  2. Manually make commits on the release branch.

If you want the same change to be reflected on main option 1. is preferred.

If a mistake is noticed soon after making a tag then you can delete the tag and recreate it. It is also possible to recreate GitHub releases. However, if the mistake was noticed after pypi packages are pushed you must create *.post0 tags or make a minor version bumps , as pypa is immutable.

GitHub releases

Releases can be made at the following links using the appropriate tag. The automatic release notes should be checked. The release notes can still be edited after the release is finalised.

https://github.com/FEniCS/basix/releases/new

https://github.com/FEniCS/ufl/releases/new

https://github.com/FEniCS/ffcx/releases/new

https://github.com/FEniCS/dolfinx/releases/new

Post-release

Check for any changes on release that should be cherry-picked back onto main via a PR.

 git checkout main
 git diff release
 git log
 git cherry-pick 914ae4

Bump the version numbers on the main branches of UFL, Basix, FFCx, DOLFINx following the instructions above.

Bug fix patches

Bug fix versions e.g. v0.5.1 can be made by cherry picking commits off of main and bumping the minor version number. Remember to run the DOLFINx integration tests on a proposed set of tags as it is easy to make an error.

Debian/Ubuntu

Contact Drew Parsons.

Conda Forge

Conda Forge bots typically pickup new releases automatically. Can also contact @minrk.

Spack

Update the Spack recipe for the FEniCSx components on the fork FEniCS/spack using a branch e.g. updates/dolfinx-<version>. Create a pull request to the Spack mainline repository.