Release Guide

This document describes how to create a new release for go-crypto-wallet.

Overview

Releases are automated using GoReleaser and GitHub Actions. When a tag matching v* is pushed, the release workflow automatically:

1. Builds binaries for Linux/macOS (amd64/arm64)
2. Generates changelog from commit messages
3. Creates a GitHub Release with artifacts

Quick Start

# 1. Ensure on main branch with latest changes
git checkout main && git pull origin main

# 2. Check prerequisites
make release-check

# 3. Create and push tag
make release-tag VERSION=v6.1.0

# 4. Monitor workflow
# https://github.com/hiromaily/go-crypto-wallet/actions/workflows/release.yml

Detailed Process

Step 1: Prepare for Release

Ensure all changes are merged to main:

git checkout main
git pull origin main

Verify there are no uncommitted changes:

git status

Step 2: Determine Version

This project follows Semantic Versioning:

Change Type	Version Bump	Example
Breaking changes	MAJOR	v5.0.0 → v6.0.0
New features (backward compatible)	MINOR	v6.0.0 → v6.1.0
Bug fixes	PATCH	v6.1.0 → v6.1.1

Check current version and commits since last release:

make release-check

Step 3: Create Release Tag

Create an annotated tag and push:

# Using Makefile (recommended)
make release-tag VERSION=v6.1.0

# Or manually
git tag -a v6.1.0 -m "Release v6.1.0"
git push origin v6.1.0

Step 4: Monitor Release Workflow

The GitHub Actions workflow will automatically run:

1. Check workflow status:

   gh run list --workflow=release.yml --limit=3

2. Watch live progress:

   gh run watch <run-id>

3. View on GitHub: https://github.com/hiromaily/go-crypto-wallet/actions/workflows/release.yml

Step 5: Verify Release

Once the workflow completes:

1. Check release page: https://github.com/hiromaily/go-crypto-wallet/releases

2. Verify artifacts:

   gh release view v6.1.0

Release Artifacts

Each release includes:

Artifact	Description
go-crypto-wallet_X.Y.Z_linux_amd64.tar.gz	Linux x64
go-crypto-wallet_X.Y.Z_linux_arm64.tar.gz	Linux ARM64
go-crypto-wallet_X.Y.Z_darwin_amd64.tar.gz	macOS x64
go-crypto-wallet_X.Y.Z_darwin_arm64.tar.gz	macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
checksums.txt	SHA256 checksums

Each archive contains:

• watch - Watch wallet binary (online)
• keygen - Keygen wallet binary (offline)
• sign-auth1 - Sign wallet binary for auth1 (offline)
• sign-auth2 - Sign wallet binary for auth2 (offline)
• LICENSE
• README.md
• ARCHITECTURE.md

Changelog Generation

Changelog is automatically generated from commit messages using Conventional Commits:

Commit Type	Changelog Section
feat	🚀 Features
fix	🐛 Bug Fixes
refactor	🔄 Refactoring
deps, build	📦 Dependencies
Other	Others

Excluded from changelog:

• docs: commits
• test: commits
• chore: commits
• ci: commits
• Merge commits

Makefile Targets

Target	Description
make release-check	Check release prerequisites
make release-dry-run	Dry run GoReleaser locally
make release-tag VERSION=vX.Y.Z	Create and push release tag
make release-list	List recent releases
make release-help	Show release documentation

Local Testing

Test GoReleaser locally before pushing a tag:

# Install GoReleaser (if not installed)
go install github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/v2@latest

# Dry run (builds but doesn't publish)
make release-dry-run

# Or directly
goreleaser release --snapshot --clean --skip=publish

Troubleshooting

Workflow Failed

1. Check workflow logs:

   gh run view <run-id> --log-failed

2. Common issues:

   • Build errors: Run make check-build locally
   • CGO issues: Ensure code is CGO-free compatible
   • Tag already exists: Delete and recreate if needed

Delete a Tag

If you need to delete a tag (e.g., wrong version):

# Delete local tag
git tag -d v6.1.0

# Delete remote tag
git push origin --delete v6.1.0

Note: If a release was created, delete it first on GitHub.

Re-run Failed Release

If the workflow failed after tag was pushed:

1. Fix the issue in code
2. Delete the tag (local and remote)
3. Create a new commit with the fix
4. Create and push the tag again

Configuration Files

File	Purpose
.goreleaser.yml	GoReleaser configuration
.github/workflows/release.yml	GitHub Actions workflow
make/release.mk	Makefile release targets

Related Documentation

• Conventional Commits
• Semantic Versioning
• GoReleaser Documentation
• CONTRIBUTING.md - Commit message conventions