MokoCassiopeia/docs/RELEASE_PROCESS.md

Release Process — MokoCassiopeia

This document describes the complete release process for MokoCassiopeia Joomla template, including automated workflows and manual procedures.

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Release Types
3. Automated Release Process
4. Manual Release Process
5. Update Server Configuration
6. Testing Releases
7. Rollback Procedures
8. Troubleshooting

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Overview

MokoCassiopeia uses an automated release system powered by GitHub Actions. The system:

• Builds installation packages automatically
• Generates checksums for security verification
• Creates GitHub Releases with downloadable artifacts
• Updates the Joomla update server (updates.xml) automatically
• Validates package integrity with SHA-256 hashes

Key Components

1. Release Workflow (.github/workflows/release.yml): Builds and publishes releases
2. Auto-Update SHA (.github/workflows/auto-update-sha.yml): Updates updates.xml after release
3. Build Script (scripts/build-release.sh): Local development builds
4. Update Server (updates.xml): Joomla update server manifest

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Release Types

Patch Release (Third Digit)

Format: XX.XX.XX → XX.XX.XX+1 (e.g., 03.08.03 → 03.08.04)

When to use:

• Bug fixes
• Security patches
• Documentation updates
• Minor CSS/styling tweaks
• No breaking changes

Example: 03.08.03 → 03.08.04

Minor Release (Second Digit)

Format: XX.XX.00 → XX.XX+1.00 (e.g., 03.08.03 → 03.09.00)

When to use:

• New features
• New module/component overrides
• Significant styling changes
• Backward-compatible changes

Example: 03.08.03 → 03.09.00

Major Release (First Digit)

Format: XX.00.00 → XX+1.00.00 (e.g., 03.08.03 → 04.00.00)

When to use:

• Breaking changes
• Major architecture changes
• Joomla version upgrades
• Complete redesigns

Example: 03.08.03 → 04.00.00

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Automated Release Process

Recommended for most releases

Prerequisites

• All changes merged to main branch
• Tests passing
• Documentation updated
• CHANGELOG.md updated
• Local testing completed

Step 1: Prepare Release Branch

# Create release branch
git checkout main
git pull
git checkout -b release/03.08.04

# Update version in templateDetails.xml
# Edit: src/templateDetails.xml
# Change: <version>03.08.03</version>
# To:     <version>03.08.04</version>

# Update CHANGELOG.md
# Add new section:
## [03.08.04] - 2026-02-27

### Added
- Feature descriptions

### Fixed
- Bug fix descriptions

### Changed
- Change descriptions

# Commit changes
git add src/templateDetails.xml CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore: Prepare release 03.08.04"
git push origin release/03.08.04

Step 2: Create Pull Request

1. Go to GitHub repository
2. Click "Pull requests" → "New pull request"
3. Base: main, Compare: release/03.08.04
4. Title: Release 03.08.04
5. Description: Copy relevant CHANGELOG entries
6. Create pull request
7. Review and merge

Step 3: Create and Push Tag

# Switch to main and pull changes
git checkout main
git pull

# Create tag
git tag 03.08.04

# Push tag (triggers release workflow)
git push origin 03.08.04

Step 4: Monitor Automated Process

1. Go to GitHub Actions tab

2. Watch "Create Release" workflow:

   • Builds package
   • Generates checksums
   • Creates GitHub Release
   • Uploads artifacts

3. Watch "Auto-Update SHA Hash" workflow:

   • Downloads release package
   • Calculates SHA-256 hash
   • Updates updates.xml
   • Commits to main branch

Step 5: Verify Release

1. Check GitHub Release:

   • Go to Releases tab
   • Verify release 03.08.04 exists
   • Download ZIP package
   • Verify checksums match

2. Check updates.xml:

   git pull
   cat updates.xml
   

   • Verify version is 03.08.04
   • Verify download URL is correct
   • Verify SHA-256 hash is present

3. Test Joomla Update:

   • Install previous version in Joomla
   • Go to Extensions → Update
   • Verify update is detected
   • Perform update
   • Verify template works correctly

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Manual Release Process

Use when automation fails or for local testing

Step 1: Prepare Repository

# Update version numbers
# Edit: src/templateDetails.xml
# Edit: CHANGELOG.md

# Commit changes
git add src/templateDetails.xml CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore: Prepare release 03.08.04"
git push

Step 2: Build Package Locally

# Run build script
./scripts/build-release.sh 03.08.04

# Output will be in build/ directory:
# - mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip
# - mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip.sha256
# - mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip.md5

Step 3: Test Package

# Install in Joomla test environment
# Extensions → Manage → Install → Upload Package File
# Select: build/mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip

# Test all features:
# - Template displays correctly
# - Module overrides work
# - Alternative layouts selectable
# - Dark mode works
# - No JavaScript errors

Step 4: Create GitHub Release

1. Go to GitHub Releases
2. Click "Create a new release"
3. Tag: 03.08.04 (create new tag)
4. Release title: Release 03.08.04
5. Description: Copy from CHANGELOG.md
6. Upload files:
   • mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip
   • mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip.sha256
   • mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip.md5
7. Publish release

Step 5: Update updates.xml Manually

# Extract SHA-256 hash
cat build/mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip.sha256
# Example output: a1b2c3d4e5f6...

# Edit updates.xml
# Update <version>03.08.04</version>
# Update <creationDate>2026-02-27</creationDate>
# Update <downloadurl>https://git.mokoconsulting.tech/MokoConsulting/MokoCassiopeia/releases/download/03.08.04/mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip</downloadurl>
# Update <sha256>sha256:a1b2c3d4e5f6...</sha256>

# Commit and push
git add updates.xml
git commit -m "chore: Update updates.xml for release 03.08.04"
git push

---

Update Server Configuration

updates.xml Structure

<updates>
  <update>
    <name>MokoCassiopeia</name>
    <description>Moko Consulting's site template based on Cassiopeia.</description>
    <element>mokocassiopeia</element>
    <type>template</type>
    <client>site</client>

    <version>03.08.04</version>
    <creationDate>2026-02-27</creationDate>
    <author>Jonathan Miller || Moko Consulting</author>
    <authorEmail>hello@mokoconsulting.tech</authorEmail>
    <copyright>(C)GNU General Public License Version 3 - 2026 Moko Consulting</copyright>

    <infourl title='MokoCassiopeia'>https://git.mokoconsulting.tech/MokoConsulting/MokoCassiopeia</infourl>

    <downloads>
      <downloadurl type='full' format='zip'>https://git.mokoconsulting.tech/MokoConsulting/MokoCassiopeia/releases/download/03.08.04/mokocassiopeia-src-03.08.04.zip</downloadurl>
      <sha256>sha256:a1b2c3d4e5f6...</sha256>
    </downloads>

    <tags>
      <tag>stable</tag>
    </tags>

    <maintainer>Moko Consulting</maintainer>
    <maintainerurl>https://www.mokoconsulting.tech</maintainerurl>

    <targetplatform name='joomla' version='5.*'/>
  </update>
</updates>

Hosting Update Server

The updates.xml file is hosted directly on GitHub:

URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoCassiopeia/main/updates.xml

This URL is configured in src/templateDetails.xml:

<updateservers>
  <server type="extension" name="MokoCassiopeia Updates" priority="1">
    https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoCassiopeia/main/updates.xml
  </server>
</updateservers>

---

Testing Releases

Pre-Release Testing

# 1. Build package locally
./scripts/build-release.sh

# 2. Set up Joomla test environment
# - Clean Joomla 5.x installation
# - Previous MokoCassiopeia version installed

# 3. Test current version features
# - All module overrides
# - Alternative layouts
# - Dark mode toggle
# - Responsive behavior

# 4. Install new package
# Extensions → Manage → Install → Upload Package

# 5. Verify upgrade process
# - No errors during installation
# - Settings preserved
# - Custom modifications retained

# 6. Test new features
# - New functionality works
# - Bug fixes applied
# - No regressions

Update Server Testing

# 1. Install previous version in Joomla
# 2. Go to: Extensions → Update
# 3. Click "Find Updates"
# 4. Verify update shows: "MokoCassiopeia 03.08.04"
# 5. Click "Update"
# 6. Verify successful update
# 7. Test template functionality

Checklist

• Package installs without errors
• Template activates correctly
• All module overrides work
• Alternative layouts selectable
• Dark mode functions
• Responsive on mobile/tablet/desktop
• No JavaScript console errors
• No PHP errors in Joomla logs
• Update server detects new version
• Update process completes successfully

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Rollback Procedures

Rollback Release

If a release has critical issues:

1. Delete GitHub Release:

   • Go to Releases
   • Click release to delete
   • Click "Delete"
   • Confirm deletion

2. Delete Git Tag:

   # Delete local tag
   git tag -d 03.08.04
   
   # Delete remote tag
   git push --delete origin 03.08.04
   

3. Revert updates.xml:

   # Revert to previous version
   git revert <commit-hash-of-auto-update>
   git push
   

4. Notify Users:

   • Create GitHub issue explaining the problem
   • Pin the issue
   • Provide rollback instructions for users

User Rollback Instructions

For users who installed the problematic version:

1. Download previous version from GitHub Releases
2. Uninstall current version:
   • Extensions → Manage → Manage
   • Find MokoCassiopeia
   • Click "Uninstall"
3. Install previous version:
   • Extensions → Manage → Install
   • Upload previous version ZIP
4. Verify functionality

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Troubleshooting

Release Workflow Fails

Problem: Build fails with "rsync: command not found"

Solution: The GitHub Actions runner always has rsync installed. If this occurs, check the workflow file syntax.

Problem: ZIP creation fails

Solution: Check that src/ and src/media/ directories exist and contain files.

Problem: Version update fails

Solution: Verify sed commands in workflow match actual XML structure.

Auto-Update SHA Fails

Problem: Cannot download release package

Solution:

• Verify release was published (not draft)
• Check package naming: mokocassiopeia-src-{version}.zip
• Verify release tag format

Problem: SHA-256 hash mismatch

Solution:

• Package may have been modified after calculation
• Re-run the workflow manually
• Verify package integrity

Problem: Commit fails

Solution:

• Check workflow has write permissions
• Verify no branch protection rules blocking bot commits

Manual Build Issues

Problem: ./scripts/build-release.sh: Permission denied

Solution:

chmod +x scripts/build-release.sh
./scripts/build-release.sh

Problem: Build directory exists

Solution:

rm -rf build/
./scripts/build-release.sh

Update Server Issues

Problem: Joomla doesn't detect update

Solution:

1. Check updates.xml is accessible:

   curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mokoconsulting-tech/MokoCassiopeia/main/updates.xml
   

2. Verify version number is higher than installed version
3. Clear Joomla cache: System → Clear Cache
4. Check update URL in templateDetails.xml

Problem: Update fails with "Invalid package"

Solution:

• Verify SHA-256 hash matches
• Re-download package and check integrity
• Verify package structure is correct

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Best Practices

Version Numbering

• Always increment version numbers sequentially
• Never reuse version numbers
• Use consistent format: XX.XX.XX

Changelog

• Update before release
• Include all changes since last version
• Categorize changes: Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed
• Write clear descriptions for users

Testing

• Test locally before pushing tag
• Test update process from previous version
• Test on clean Joomla installation
• Test different configurations

Communication

• Announce releases on GitHub Discussions
• Document breaking changes clearly
• Provide migration guides for major changes
• Respond promptly to issue reports

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Quick Reference

Automated Release Commands

# 1. Create release branch
git checkout -b release/03.08.04

# 2. Update version and CHANGELOG
# (edit files)

# 3. Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "chore: Prepare release 03.08.04"
git push origin release/03.08.04

# 4. Create and merge PR (via GitHub UI)

# 5. Create and push tag
git checkout main
git pull
git tag 03.08.04
git push origin 03.08.04

# 6. Wait for automation to complete

Manual Release Commands

# Build locally
./scripts/build-release.sh 03.08.04

# Test installation
# (manual Joomla testing)

# Create release on GitHub
# (via GitHub UI)

# Update updates.xml
# (edit file with SHA-256)
git add updates.xml
git commit -m "chore: Update updates.xml for 03.08.04"
git push

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Related Documentation

• Build Scripts: scripts/README.md
• Workflow Guide: WORKFLOW_GUIDE.md
• Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
• Changelog: CHANGELOG.md

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Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Email: hello@mokoconsulting.tech

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License

Copyright (C) 2026 Moko Consulting

This documentation is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later.