The following is a step-by-step procedure for releasing a new version of Google-Gson.
1. Go through all open bugs and identify which will be fixed in this release. Mark all others with an appropriate release tag. Identify duplicates, and close the bugs that will never be fixed. Fix all bugs for the release, and mark them fixed.
2. Edit pom.xml and update the versions listed for Export-Package to the target version. Also add any new Java packages that have been introduced in Gson.
3. Ensure all changelists are code-reviewed and have +1
4. Ensure that your ~/.m2/settings.xml is configured properly (see steps below)
5. cd gson. Ensure there are no open files and all changes are committed.
6. Run `mvn release:clean`
7. Do a dry run: `mvn release:prepare -DdryRun=true`
8. Start the release: `mvn release:prepare`
* Answer questions: usually the defaults are fine.
* This will do a full build, change version from -SNAPSHOT to the released version, commit and create the tags. It will then change the version to -SNAPSHOT for the next release.
9. Ensure you have defined `sonatype-nexus-staging` in your maven `settings.xml` and run `mvn -s /home/<username>/.m2/settings.xml release:perform`
10. [Log in to Nexus repository manager](https://oss.sonatype.org/index.html#welcome) at Sonatype and close the staging repository for Gson. If you run into an error regarding missing signatures, you need to manually upload the artifacts using `mvn gpg:sign-and-deploy-file` for Gson binary, source and javadoc jars.
*`cp -r ~/.m2/repository/com/google/code/gson/gson/1.7.2 /tmp; cd /tmp/1.7.2`
11. Close the Gson repository. Download and sanity check all downloads. Do not skip this step! Once you release the staging repository, there is no going back. It will get synced with maven central and you will not be able to update or delete anything. Your only recourse will be to release a new version of Gson and hope that no one uses the old one.
12. Release the staging repository for Gson. Gson will now get synced to Maven central with-in the next hour. For issues consult [Sonatype Guide](https://docs.sonatype.org/display/Repository/Sonatype+OSS+Maven+Repository+Usage+Guide#SonatypeOSSMavenRepositoryUsageGuide-8.ReleaseIt).
13. Copy generated JavaDocs from `target/apidocs` to `trunk/gson/docs/javadocs`
*`cp -r target/apidocs/* docs/javadocs`
* Commit the JavaDoc changes into the repository
14. Update the version in the [Using Gson with Maven2 page](https://sites.google.com/site/gson/gson-user-guide/using-gson-with-maven2)
15. Update [Gson Roadmap](https://sites.google.com/site/gson/gson-roadmap) to move the release down under the "Released section". Also, look at all bugs that were fixed and add a few lines describing what changed in the release.
16. Create a post on the [Gson Discussion Forum](http://groups.google.com/group/google-gson)
17. Update the release version in [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSON) and update the current "stable" release.
## Configuring a machine for deployment to Sonatype Repository
(Borrowed heavily from [Doclava release process](http://code.google.com/p/doclava/wiki/ProcessRelease))
1. Install/Configure GPG following this [guide](http://www.sonatype.com/people/2010/01/how-to-generate-pgp-signatures-with-maven/)
3. Create ~/.m2/settings.xml similar to as described in [Doclava release process](https://code.google.com/p/doclava/wiki/ProcessRelease)
4. Now for deploying a snapshot repository, use mvn deploy
## Getting Maven Publishing Privileges
Based on Gson group thread: https://groups.google.com/d/topic/google-gson/DHWJHVFpIBg/discussion
1. Signup for a Sonatype account following instructions under 2) at https://docs.sonatype.org/display/Repository/Sonatype+OSS+Maven+Repository+Usage+Guide
2. Ask one of the existing members of the repository to create a JIRA ticket (Step 3 of above document) to add you to the publisher list.
