1698862 - [devtools-rfc] DevTools Release process to help us perform recurring tasks

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(DevTools :: General, task, P3)

Description

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

As discussed in the last DevTools Tools checkin meeting, we need some framework to remind us to run the recurring tasks from https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/devtools/release.html

Let's agree on a simple process to share this responsibility amongst the team.

The current list of tasks can be simplified to:

• Remove backwards compatibility code (early in the release)
• Remove expired or renew telemetry probes (early in the release)
• Update MDN data for the Compatibility panel (whenever)
• Generate webidl-pure-allowlist.js and webidl-deprecated-list.js (whenever)
• Check if third-party library should be updated (whenever)
• Smoke test remote debugging (late in the release ~ 10 days before the end of the release to have some time to address issues)

(tried to add some pointers about when each task should/can be performed)

A proposal to handle this:

• file a unique Meta Bug DevTools Release Tasks
• file one Bug per release DevTools Release Tasks - Release 89
• Bug is created & assigned at the beginning of the release
• patches for telemetry probes, backward compat updates, etc. should be landed with separate bugs (tracking, backouts etc.), blocking the release bug
• make it a recurring item in the tools check or devtools central meeting to keep ourselves accountable

We could use a rotation to assign the bugs, but it shouldn't be too strict. It requires some available during the release so if someone is too busy/needs to take time off/etc... we should be flexible.

Comment 1

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

Feedback from the DevTools central meeting:

• have a template with the list of tasks to do, and use the template as summary for each new bug
• most tasks can be done at any point during the release, the timeframe for each task should be clear to reduce pressure/stress
• some of the recurring tasks are less pressing/important and might only be done once every few releases

Comment 2

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

From the current list of recurring tasks, I propose to keep the following ones as mandatory:

• Remove backwards compatibility code (early in the release)
• Remove expired or renew telemetry probes (early in the release)
• Smoke test remote debugging (late in the release ~ 10 days before the end of the release to have some time to address issues)

Meaning I excluded:

• Update MDN data for the Compatibility panel (whenever)
• Generate webidl-pure-allowlist.js and webidl-deprecated-list.js (whenever)
• Check if third-party library should be updated (whenever)

I think 3rd party library updates is an obvious one to make optional. For the other two, I feel like they are nice to have (and therefore we might mention them in our template) but it's less critical than performing the regular cleanup and avoiding technical debt / regressions.

If we agree on this list, then we could go for the following bug template:

DevTools Release Tasks - Release 89

Soft Freeze / Merge Date: 2021-04-15 / 2021-04-19 (from the Release Management Calendar)
More details about any of those tasks can be found at: https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/devtools/release.html

Anytime during the release:

• [ ] outdated backward compatibility code removed (doc, searchfox)
• [ ] outdated telemetry probes removed (bz query)

(note: the searchfox query for backward compat code is for the N-2 release, here FF87)

Close to the end of the release

• [ ] smoke test for remote debugging against release channel (doc)
• [ ] smoke test for remote debugging against the same version (same doc)

Nice to have:

• [ ] Update MDN data for the Compatibility panel
• [ ] Generate webidl-pure-allowlist.js and webidl-deprecated-list.js

Comment 3

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

Moving forward with this and creating bugs. One meta to track all release bugs and one specifically for release 90.

Comment 4

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

Closing as fixed. Nobody seemed to object when this was mentioned in our meetings. Filed the meta bug: [devtools-release-tasks](Bug 1704796) as well as a first bug for release 90