Improve the ESMValCore release documentation

[ehogan]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

@chrisbillowsMO and I are currently working on the ESMValCore release, see #2389. There are a few items not detailed in the ESMValCore documentation: Making a release instuctions that might be worth adding:

We recognise that a lot of this information already exists but we did struggle to understand the process in places. The order confused as at times and some of the specific we found out from conversation would have helped us a lot if they were included in the documentation.

We'd have found it easier to follow overall if there were perhaps more short, individual pages each focused on a clearly delineated individual step.

Also, it would've been useful if there was a concise outline very early in the instructions that outlined every time sensitive step.

It would also be good if there was a way to consolidate release documentation for ESMValCore and ESMValTool. Many steps are the same, so it would be good to minimise duplication, where possible.

As specific suggestions, we'd first propose it might be helpful if the ESMValTool documentation: Release strategy and procedure offers the release a brief, high level overview of the entire process, including:

• Introduction/overview of ESMValTool approach to releases (which is currently on the ESMValTool documentation: Release schedule and procedure for ESMValCore and ESMValTool.
• Overview of the release process (e.g. diagram, similar to detailed timeline steps)
• Pre-requisites
• Community Interactions
• Create ESMValCore rc1
• ESMValCore Testing
• Appendix 1: Calendar (previous releases)

When the "feature freeze" date has been determined:

• Add the due date to the milestone for ESMValCore.
• Update the release schedule, see e.g. Update the release schedule for v2.11.0 ESMValTool#3572 / Update the release schedule for v2.11.0 ESMValTool#3573.
• Create and pin an ESMValCore discussion, see e.g. ESMValCore v2.11.0 release #2389.

At least two weeks before the proposed "feature freeze" date:

• Comment on any issues and PRs in the milestone to inform the assignees of the "feature freeze" date.

Would you be able to help out?

Yes 😊

[sloosvel]

Hi @ehogan ,

The code freeze for version 2.12 is scheduled for next week on Feb 11th. Do you think you will have time to finish the PR for this release? If not, let me know and I will move it to the next milestone.

[bouweandela]

@ehogan Any plans to work on this? @sloosvel is running into issues because the release documentation is not up to date.

[jlenh]

Hi @ehogan,
I'm making the rounds for the 2.13 release. Is some of this ready to be integrated already for this release or do we schedule it for 2.14?

[ehogan]

Scheduling it for v2.14.0 would be good, thank you for updating the milestone @jlenh! 🎉