Being new to Github I decided to write a few post on how to create a new 'release' in Github. I'll start with a 100% manual approach(this post) and will continue with other posts showing a more and more automated process.
But today we'll start simple and focus on creating a release by hand. This allows me to introduce the different elements that we can configure when using releases inside Github, knowledge that will be useful later when we go the automated route.
Let’s dive in…
Creating a new release (manually)
- Before you can create a release, make sure you are signed in to your GitHub account. Navigate to the repository where you want to create the release. Once you’re in the repository, click on Releases on the right of the list of files.
- On the Releases page, you’ll see a button labeled “Draft a new release.” Click on it to start creating your new release.
- The first thing you need to do is to assign a tag to your release. A tag is usually a version number, like
v1.0.0. If the tag doesn’t already exist, GitHub will create it. You can choose to create a new tag from a branch or a specific commit. - Tip: Consider using semantic versioning for your release tags. This makes it easier to track the progress and backward compatibility of your software.
- Next, you’ll need to give your release a title. I usually just repeat the version number here, but it can be something more descriptive, like “Initial Release” or “Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements.”
- Below the title, there’s a text area where you can describe the changes or new features in this release. It’s a good idea to list key changes, new features, bug fixes, or improvements. You can use Markdown to format this section.
- Tip: You can click on Generate release notes to automatically generate a change log
- GitHub gives you the option to mark your release as either a “Pre-release” or a “Latest Release.”
- Pre-release: If the release is still in development or testing and not ready for production, mark it as a pre-release.
- Latest Release: If this is the most recent stable version, you can mark it as the latest release. This will indicate to users that this is the recommended version to use.
- You also have the option to create a new discussion for your release.
- As a last step, you can attach extra files to the release. This is especially useful for users who want to download the release in a ready-to-use format.
- Drop the files over the “Attach binaries by dropping them here or selecting them” area to upload them.
- Once everything looks good, click the “Publish release” button at the bottom of the page.
- Your release is now live! It will be listed under the Releases section, and GitHub will generate a
.zipand.tar.gzarchive of your source code at that particular tag.
That’s it! Let’s continue tomorrow by looking at a more automated alternative using Github actions.