[docs] Update release-process.md

- Create a release notes draft wiki for collaborative editing at https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-devwiki/wiki as seen for releases 0.17.0 and 0.18.0.

- As per http://www.erisian.com.au/bitcoin-core-dev/log-2019-03-28.html#l-342, for the period during which the notes are being edited on the wiki, the version on the branch should be wiped and replaced with a link to the wiki which should be used for all announcements until final.

- Before final, remove the "Needs release note" label from relevant PRs/issues and merge the release notes from the wiki into the branch.

- Create a pinned meta-issue dedicated to testing the release candidate and communicate it in release announcements where useful. The former is done in practice (e.g. #15555, #14902) and the latter addresses the discussion here: https://x0f.org/web/statuses/101753569204220416.

- Adapt and merge the updates in https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/15692.

- Update the version numbers in all the examples.

- Reorganise the headers in the Branch Updates section.

1 files changed, 42 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/doc/release-process.md b/doc/release-process.md
index 1496a48a63..9b796fa816 100644
--- a/doc/release-process.md
+++ b/doc/release-process.md
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 Release Process
 ====================
 
-Before every release candidate:
+## Branch updates
+
+### Before every release candidate
 
 * Update translations (ping wumpus on IRC) see [translation_process.md](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/translation_process.md#synchronising-translations).
 * Update manpages, see [gen-manpages.sh](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/contrib/devtools/README.md#gen-manpagessh).
 * Update release candidate version in `configure.ac` (`CLIENT_VERSION_RC`).
 
-Before every minor and major release:
+### Before every major and minor release
 
 * Update [bips.md](bips.md) to account for changes since the last release.
 * Update version in `configure.ac` (don't forget to set `CLIENT_VERSION_RC` to `0`).
-* Write release notes (see below).
+* Write release notes (see "Write the release notes" below).
 * Update `src/chainparams.cpp` nMinimumChainWork with information from the getblockchaininfo rpc.
 * Update `src/chainparams.cpp` defaultAssumeValid with information from the getblockhash rpc.
   - The selected value must not be orphaned so it may be useful to set the value two blocks back from the tip.
@@ -19,13 +21,12 @@ Before every minor and major release:
   - This update should be reviewed with a reindex-chainstate with assumevalid=0 to catch any defect
      that causes rejection of blocks in the past history.
 
-Before every major release:
+### Before every major release
 
 * Update hardcoded [seeds](/contrib/seeds/README.md), see [this pull request](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/7415) for an example.
 * Update [`src/chainparams.cpp`](/src/chainparams.cpp) m_assumed_blockchain_size and m_assumed_chain_state_size with the current size plus some overhead.
 * Update `src/chainparams.cpp` chainTxData with statistics about the transaction count and rate. Use the output of the RPC `getchaintxstats`, see
   [this pull request](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/12270) for an example. Reviewers can verify the results by running `getchaintxstats <window_block_count> <window_last_block_hash>` with the `window_block_count` and `window_last_block_hash` from your output.
-* Update version of `contrib/gitian-descriptors/*.yml`: usually one'd want to do this on master after branching off the release - but be sure to at least do it before a new major release.
 * In `configure.ac` and `build_msvc/bitcoin_config.h` on _the master branch_:
   - update `CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR` version
 * In `configure.ac` and `build_msvc/bitcoin_config.h` on _a new release branch_ (see [this commit](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/commit/742f7dd972fca3dd4a33cfff90bf901b71a687e7)):
@@ -33,6 +34,26 @@ Before every major release:
   - set `CLIENT_VERSION_REVISION` to `0`
   - set `CLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE` to `true`
 
+#### Before branch-off
+
+- Clear the release notes and move them to the wiki (see "Write the release notes" below).
+
+#### After branch-off (on master)
+
+- Update the version of `contrib/gitian-descriptors/*.yml`.
+
+#### After branch-off (on the major release branch)
+
+- Update the versions and the link to the release notes draft in `doc/release-notes.md`.
+
+#### Before final release
+
+- Merge the release notes from the wiki into the branch.
+- Ensure the "Needs release note" label is removed from all relevant pull requests and issues.
+
+
+## Building
+
 ### First time / New builders
 
 If you're using the automated script (found in [contrib/gitian-build.py](/contrib/gitian-build.py)), then at this point you should run it with the "--setup" command. Otherwise ignore this.
@@ -45,22 +66,26 @@ Check out the source code in the following directory hierarchy.
     git clone https://github.com/devrandom/gitian-builder.git
     git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
 
-### Bitcoin maintainers/release engineers, suggestion for writing release notes
+### Write the release notes
 
-Write release notes. git shortlog helps a lot, for example:
+Open a draft of the release notes for collaborative editing at https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-devwiki/wiki.
 
-    git shortlog --no-merges v(current version, e.g. 0.7.2)..v(new version, e.g. 0.8.0)
+For the period during which the notes are being edited on the wiki, the version on the branch should be wiped and replaced with a link to the wiki which should be used for all announcements until `-final`.
+
+Write the release notes. `git shortlog` helps a lot, for example:
+
+    git shortlog --no-merges v(current version, e.g. 0.19.2)..v(new version, e.g. 0.20.0)
 
 (or ping @wumpus on IRC, he has specific tooling to generate the list of merged pulls
-and sort them into categories based on labels)
+and sort them into categories based on labels).
 
 Generate list of authors:
 
-    git log --format='- %aN' v(current version, e.g. 0.16.0)..v(new version, e.g. 0.16.1) | sort -fiu
+    git log --format='- %aN' v(current version, e.g. 0.20.0)..v(new version, e.g. 0.20.1) | sort -fiu
 
-Tag version (or release candidate) in git
+Tag the version (or release candidate) in git:
 
-    git tag -s v(new version, e.g. 0.8.0)
+    git tag -s v(new version, e.g. 0.20.0)
 
 ### Setup and perform Gitian builds
 
@@ -70,7 +95,7 @@ Setup Gitian descriptors:
 
     pushd ./bitcoin
     export SIGNER="(your Gitian key, ie bluematt, sipa, etc)"
-    export VERSION=(new version, e.g. 0.8.0)
+    export VERSION=(new version, e.g. 0.20.0)
     git fetch
     git checkout v${VERSION}
     popd
@@ -323,9 +348,11 @@ bitcoin.org (see below for bitcoin.org update instructions).
 
   - This repo
 
-      - Archive release notes for the new version to `doc/release-notes/` (branch `master` and branch of the release)
+      - Archive the release notes for the new version to `doc/release-notes/` (branch `master` and branch of the release)
+
+      - Create a [new GitHub release](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/releases/new) with a link to the archived release notes
 
-      - Create a [new GitHub release](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/releases/new) with a link to the archived release notes.
+      - Create a pinned meta-issue for testing the release candidate (see [this issue](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/15555) for an example) and provide a link to it in the release announcements where useful
 
 - Announce the release: