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Prepare stable release 12.0.2

Explanation of variables
  • $(BUILD_SERVER) : the server the main builder is using to build a tor-browser release
  • $(STAGING_SERVER) : the server the signer is using to to run the signing process
  • $(ESR_VERSION) : the Mozilla defined ESR version, used in various places for building tor-browser tags, labels, etc
    • example : 91.6.0
  • $(RR_VERSION) : the Mozilla defined Rapid-Release version; Tor Browser for Android is based off of the $(ESR_VERSION), but Mozilla's Firefox for Android is based off of the $(RR_VERSION) so we need to keep track of security vulnerabilities to backport from the monthly Rapid-Release train and our frozen ESR train.
    • example: 103
  • $(ESR_TAG) : the Mozilla defined hg (Mercurial) tag associated with $(ESR_VERSION)
    • exmaple : FIREFOX_91_7_0esr_BUILD2
  • $(ESR_TAG_PREV) : the Mozilla defined hg (Mercurial) tag associated with the previous ESR version when rebasing (ie, the ESR version we are rebasing from)
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR) : the Tor Browser major version
    • example : 11
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR) : the Tor Browser minor version
    • example : either 0 or 5; Alpha's is always (Stable + 5) % 10
  • $(BUILD_N) : a project's build revision within a its branch; this is separate from the $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N) value; many of the Firefox-related projects have a $(BUILD_N) suffix and may differ between projects even when they contribute to the same build.
    • example : build1
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N) : the tor-browser build revision for a given Tor Browser release; used in tagging git commits
    • example : build2
    • NOTE : A project's $(BUILD_N) and $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N) may be the same, but it is possible for them to diverge. For example :
      • if we have multiple Tor Browser releases on a given ESR branch the two will become out of sync as the $(BUILD_N) value will increase, while the $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N) value may stay at build1 (but the $(TOR_BROWSER_VERSION) will increase)
      • if we have build failures unrelated to tor-browser, the $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N) value will increase while the $(BUILD_N) will stay the same.
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_VERSION) : the published Tor Browser version
    • example : 11.5a6, 11.0.7
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH) : the full name of tor-browser branch
    • typically of the form: tor-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)esr-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR-BROWSER_MINOR)-1
  • $(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH_PREV) : the full name of the previous tor-browser branch (when rebasing)
Android

Security Vulnerabilities Backport : https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/

  • Create tor-browser issue Backport Android-specific Firefox $(RR_VERSION) to ESR $(ESR_VERSION)-based Tor Browser
    • Link new backport issue to this release prep issue
  • Go through any Security Vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox $(RR_VERSION) (or similar) and create list of CVEs which affect Android that need to be a backported
    • Potentially Affected Components:
      • firefox/geckoview
      • application-services
      • android-components
      • fenix

application-services (Optional) : TODO: we need to setup a gitlab copy of this repo that we can apply security backports to

  • Backport any Android-specific security fixes from Firefox rapid-release
  • Sign/Tag commit:
    • Tag : application-services-$(ESR_VERSION)-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR)-1-$(BUILD_N)
    • Message: Tagging $(BUILD_N) for $(ESR_VERSION)-based stable
  • Push tag to origin

android-components (Optional) : https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/android-components.git

  • Backport any Android-specific security fixes from Firefox rapid-release
  • Sign/Tag commit:
    • Tag : android-components-$(ESR_VERSION)-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR)-1-$(BUILD_N)
    • Message: Tagging $(BUILD_N) for $(ESR_VERSION)-based stable)
  • Push tag to origin

fenix (Optional) : https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/fenix.git

  • Backport any Android-specific security fixes from Firefox rapid-release
  • Sign/Tag commit:
    • Tag : tor-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR)-1-$(BUILD_N)
    • Message: Tagging $(BUILD_N) for $(ESR_VERSION)-based stable)
  • Push tag to origin
Shared

tor-browser: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser.git

  • (Optional) Backport any Android-specific security fixes from Firefox rapid-release
  • (Optional, Chemspill) Backport security-fixes to both tor-browser and base-browser branches
  • (Optional) Rebase to $(ESR_VERSION)
    • Find the Firefox hg tag here : https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-esr102/tags
      • $(ESR_TAG) : FIREFOX_102_7_0esr_BUILD1
    • Identify the hg patch associated with above hg tag, and find the equivalent gecko-dev git commit (search by commit message)
      • gecko-dev commit : tor-browser@3020951f
      • Sign/Tag commit :
        • Tag : $(ESR_TAG)
        • Message : Hg tag $(ESR_TAG)
    • Create new branches with the discovered gecko-dev commit as HEAD named:
      • base-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)esr-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR-BROWSER_MINOR)-1
      • tor-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)esr-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR-BROWSER_MINOR)-1
    • Push new branches and esr tag to origin
    • Rebase previous base-browser patches onto the gecko-dev commit
    • Rebase previous tor-browser patches onto the new base-browser branch
    • Compare patch-sets (ensure nothing weird happened during rebase):
      • rangediff: git range-diff $(ESR_TAG_PREV)..$(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH_PREV) $(ESR_TAG)..$(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH)
      • diff of diffs:
        • Do the diff between current_patchset.diff and rebased_patchset.diff with your preferred $(DIFF_TOOL) and look at differences on lines that starts with + or -
        • git diff $(ESR_TAG_PREV)..$(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH_PREV) > current_patchset.diff
        • git diff $(ESR_TAG)..$(TOR_BROWSER_BRANCH) > rebased_patchset.diff
        • $(DIFF_TOOL) current_patchset.diff rebased_patchset.diff
    • Open MR for the rebase
  • Sign/Tag base-browser commit:
    • NOTE : Currently we are using the Bug 40926: Implemented the New Identity feature commit as the final commit of base-browser before tor-browser
    • Tag : base-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)esr-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR)-1-build1
    • Message: Tagging build1 for $(ESR_VERSION)esr-based stable
  • Sign/Tag tor-browser commit :
    • Tag : tor-browser-$(ESR_VERSION)esr-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR)-1-$(FIREFOX_BUILD_N)
    • Message : Tagging $(FIREFOX_BUILD_N) for $(ESR_VERSION)esr-based stable
  • Push rebased branches and tags to origin
Build

tor-browser-build: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/applications/tor-browser-build.git

Tor Browser Alpha (and Nightly) are on the main branch, while Stable lives in the various maint-$(TOR_BROWSER_MAJOR).$(TOR_BROWSER_MINOR) (and possibly more specific) branches

  • Update rbm.conf
    • var/torbrowser_version : update to next version
    • var/torbrowser_build : update to $(TOR_BROWSER_BUILD_N)
    • (Optional, Desktop) var/torbrowser_incremental_from : update to previous Desktop version
      • IMPORTANT: Really actually make sure this is the previous Desktop version or else the make incrementals-* step will fail
  • (Optional) Update Desktop-specific build configs
    • Update projects/firefox/config
      • git_hash : update the $(BUILD_N) section to match tor-browser tag
      • (Optional) var/firefox_platform_version : update to latest $(ESR_VERSION) if rebased
    • Update projects/translation-base-browser/config
      • git_hash : update with HEAD commit of project's base-browser branch
    • Update projects/translation-base-browser-fluent/config
      • git_hash : update with HEAD commit of project's basebrowser-newidentityftl branch
  • (Optional) Update Android-specific build configs
    • (Optional) Update projects/geckoview/config
      • git_hash : update the $(BUILD_N) section to match tor-browser tag
      • (Optional) var/geckoview_version : update to latest $(ESR_VERSION) if rebased
    • Update projects/tba-translations/config:
      • git_hash : update with HEAD commit of project's fenix-torbrowserstringsxml branch
    • (Optional) Update projects/tor-android-service/config
      • git_hash : update with HEAD commit of project's main branch
    • (Optional) Update projects/application-services/config: NOTE we don't currently have any of our own patches for this project
      • git_hash : update to appropriate git commit associated with $(ESR_VERSION)
    • (Optional) Update projects/android-components/config:
      • git_hash : update the $(BUILD_N) section to match android-components tag
    • (Optional) Update projects/fenix/config
      • git_hash : update the $(BUILD_N) section to match fenix tag
      • (Optional) var/fenix_version : update to latest $(ESR_VERSION) if rebased
    • Update allowed_addons.json by running (from tor-browser-build root):
      • ./tools/fetch_allowed_addons.py > projects/browser/allowed_addons.json
  • Update common build configs
    • Check for NoScript updates here : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript
      • (Optional) If new version available, update noscript section of input_files in projects/browser/config
        • URL
        • sha256sum
    • Check for OpenSSL updates here : https://www.openssl.org/source/
      • (Optional) If new 1.X.Y version available, update projects/openssl/config
        • version : update to next 1.X.Y version
        • input_files/sha256sum : update to sha256 sum of source tarball
    • Check for zlib updates here: https://github.com/madler/zlib/releases
      • (Optional) If new tag available, update projects/zlib/config
        • version : update to next release tag
    • Check for tor updates here : https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/tor/-/tags
      • (Optional) Update projects/tor/config
        • version : update to latest non -alpha tag (ping @dgoulet or @ahf if unsure)
    • Check for go updates here : https://golang.org/dl
      • NOTE : Tor Browser Stable uses the latest of the previous Stable major series go version (apart from the transition phase from Tor Browser Alpha to Stable, in which case Tor Browser Stable may use the latest major series go version)
      • (Optional) Update projects/go/config
        • version : update go version
        • input_files/sha256sum for go : update sha256sum of archive (sha256 sums are displayed on the go download page)
    • (Optional) Update the manual
      • Go to https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/web/manual/-/jobs/
      • Open the latest build stage
      • Download the artifacts (they come in a .zip file).
      • Rename it to manual_$PIPELINEID.zip
      • Upload it to people.tpo
      • Update projects/manual/config
        • Change the version to $PIPELINEID
        • Update the hash in the input_files section
        • Update the URL if you have uploaded to a different people.tpo home
  • Update ChangeLog.txt
    • Ensure ChangeLog.txt is sync'd between alpha and stable branches
  • Open MR with above changes
  • Begin build on $(BUILD_SERVER) (and fix any issues which come up and update MR)
  • Sign/Tag commit: make signtag-release
  • Push tag to origin
Communications

notify stakeholders

  • Email tor-qa mailing list: tor-qa@lists.torproject.org
    • Provide links to unsigned builds on $(BUILD_SERVER)
    • Note any new functionality which needs testing
    • Link to any known issues
  • Email downstream consumers:
  • Email upstream stakeholders:
    • (Optional, after ESR migration) Cloudflare: ask-research@cloudflare.com
      • NOTE : We need to provide them with updated user agent string so they can update their internal machinery to prevent Tor Browser users from getting so many CAPTCHAs
Signing/Publishing

signing + publishing

  • Ensure builders have matching builds
  • On $(STAGING_SERVER), ensure updated:
    • tor-browser-build/tools/signing/set-config
      • NSS_DB_DIR : location of the nssdb7 directory
    • tor-browser-build/tools/signing/set-config.hosts
      • ssh_host_builder : ssh hostname of machine with unsigned builds
        • NOTE : tor-browser-build is expected to be in the $HOME directory)
      • ssh_host_linux_signer : ssh hostname of linux signing machine
      • ssh_host_macos_signer : ssh hostname of macOS signing machine
    • tor-browser-build/tools/signing/set-config.macos-notarization
      • macos_notarization_user : the email login for a tor notariser Apple Developer account
    • tor-browser-build/tools/signing/set-config.tbb-version
      • tbb_version : tor browser version string, same as var/torbrowser_version in rbm.conf (examples: 11.5a12, 11.0.13)
      • tbb_version_build : the tor-browser-build build number (if var/torbrowser_build in rbm.conf is buildN then this value is N)
      • tbb_version_type : either alpha for alpha releases or release for stable releases
  • On $(STAGING_SERVER) in a separate screen session, run the macOS proxy script:
    • cd tor-browser-build/tools/signing/
    • ./macos-signer-proxy
  • On $(STAGING_SERVER) in a separate screen session, ensure tor daemon is running with SOCKS5 proxy on the default port 9050
  • apk signing : copy signed *multi.apk files to the unsigned build outputs directory
  • run do-all-signing script:
    • cd tor-browser-build/tools/signing/
    • ./do-all-signing.sh
  • NOTE: at this point the signed binaries should have been copied to staticiforme
  • Update staticiforme.torproject.org:
    • From screen session on staticiforme.torproject.org:
    • Remove old release data from following places:
      • NOTE : Skip this step if the current release is Android or Desktop only
      • /srv/cdn-master.torproject.org/htdocs/aus1/torbrowser
      • /srv/dist-master.torproject.org/htdocs/torbrowser
    • Static update components : static-update-component cdn.torproject.org && static-update-component dist.torproject.org
    • Enable update responses : ./deploy_update_responses-alpha.sh
  • Publish APKs to Google Play:
    • Log into https://play.google.com/apps/publish
    • Select Tor Browser app
    • Navigate to Release > Production and click Create new release button
    • Upload the *.multi.apk APKs
    • Update Release Name to Tor Browser version number
    • Update Release Notes
      • Next to 'Release notes', click Copy from a previous release
      • Edit blog post url to point to most recent blog post
    • Save, review, and configure rollout percentage
      • 25% rollout when publishing a scheduled update
      • 100% rollout when publishing a security-driven release
    • Update rollout percentage to 100% after confirmed no major issues

website: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/web/tpo.git

  • databags/versions.ini : Update the downloads versions
    • torbrowser-stable/version : sort of a catch-all for latest stable version
    • torbrowser-alpha/version : sort of a catch-all for latest stable version
    • torbrowser-*-stable/version : platform-specific stable versions
    • torbrowser-*-alpha/version : platform-specific alpha versions
    • tor-stable,tor-alpha : set by tor devs, do not touch
  • Push to origin as new branch, open 'Draft :' MR
  • Remove Draft: from MR once signed-packages are uploaded
  • Merge
  • Publish after CI passes and builds are published

blog: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/web/blog.git

  • Duplicate previous Stable or Alpha release blog post as appropriate to new directory under content/blog/new-release-tor-browser-$(TOR_BROWSER_VERSION) and update with info on release :
    • Update Tor Browser version numbers
    • Note any ESR rebase
    • Link to any Firefox security updates from ESR upgrade
    • Link to any Android-specific security backports
    • Note any updates to :
      • tor
      • OpenSSL
      • NoScript
    • Convert ChangeLog.txt to markdown format used here by :
      • tor-browser-build/tools/changelog-format-blog-post
  • Push to origin as new branch, open Draft: MR
  • Remove Draft: from MR once signed-packages are uploaded
  • Merge
  • Publish after CI passes and website has been updated

tor-announce mailing list

Edited by morgan
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