GitLab 9.4 release post

Review Apps link: https://release-9-4.about.gitlab.com/2017/07/22/gitlab-9-4-released/

Items link: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/blob/release-9-4/data/release_posts/2017_07_22_gitlab_9_4_released.yml
Intro link: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/blob/release-9-4/source/posts/2017-07-22-gitlab-9-4-released.html.md

Release Post

• Blog handbook: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/
• Release post handbook: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/

General Contributions

General contributions from the team.

Due date: 07/16 (6th working day before the 22nd)

• Label MR: blog post release
• Add milestone
• Intro
• MVP
• Add cover image image_title (compressed)
• Upgrade barometer
• Top feature
• Performance improvements
• Omnibus improvements
• Deprecations
• Documentation links
• Add features to data/features.yml
• Authorship (author's data)

Features

PMs: please check your box only when all your features and deprecations were added with completion (documentation links, images, etc). Pls don't check your item if there are still things missing.

• Fabio - CI/CD
• Victor - Discussion
• Mark - I2P
• Mike - Platform
• Joshua- Monitoring
• Stan - Geo
• Job - Edge

Tip: make your own checklist:

• Primary features
• Improvements (secondary features)
• Deprecations
• Documentation links
• Illustrations
• Update features.yml

Review

Content review (PMs)

Due date: 07/20 (2nd working day before the 22nd)

• Label MR: blog post release review-in-progress
• General review (PM)
  • Check Features' names
  • Check Features' availability (CE, EES, EEP)
  • Check Documentation links
  • Update data/promo.yml
  • Check all images' size - compress whenever > 300KB
  • Meaningful links (SEO)
  • Check links to product/feature webpages
• Copyedit (tech writers, content marketing)
  • Title
  • Description
  • Grammar, spelling, clearness (body)
• Marketing review (Amara)
• Final review (Job)

Structural Check

Due date: 07/20 (2nd working day before the 22nd)

• Label MR: blog post release review-structure
• Check frontmatter (entries, syntax)
• Check image_title and twitter_image
• Check image shadow {:.shadow}
• Check images' ALT text
• Videos/iframes wrapped in <figure> tags (responsiveness)
• Add/check <!-- more --> separator
• Add/check cover img reference (at the end of the post)
• Columns (content balance between the columns)
• Badges consistency (applied to all headings)
• Remove any remaining instructions
• Remove HTML comments
• Run deadlink checker
• Update release template with any changes (if necessary)

added 1 commit

• 9bced923 - 2017_07_22_gitlab_9_4_released.yml

Compare with previous version

changed the description

added blog post release labels

changed the description

changed milestone to %9.4

added 270 commits

• 9bced923...f30b8730 - 266 commits from branch master
• 733b6e08 - remove file (fixes "file mode changed")
• 37dfdf3f - Merge branch 'master' of gitlab.com:gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com into release-9-4
• 1500868f - adds 9.4 release post from templates
• 92c6f288 - add cover and social sharing images

Compare with previous version

marked the checklist item Add cover image image_title (compressed) as completed

changed the description

marked the checklist item Label MR: blog post release as completed

changed the description

marked the checklist item Add milestone as completed

added 1 commit

• ef941e5d - Discussion features

Compare with previous version

added 1 commit

• 2fe16e19 - Prometheus and Build updates

Compare with previous version

added 2 commits

• 984d3e4f - added i18n and commented out some placeholder texts
• 26437344 - Merge branch 'release-9-4' of gitlab.com:gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com into release-9-4

Compare with previous version

added 2 commits

• d91a5c4e - Minor updates
• 62ccd6e3 - Merge branch 'release-9-4' of gitlab.com:gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com into release-9-4

Compare with previous version

added 1 commit

• c3daa91f - Update 2017_07_22_gitlab_9_4_released.yml

Compare with previous version

added 1 commit

• 852286c0 - Add LDAPS certificate verification to release post

Compare with previous version

assigned to @marcia

added 825 commits

• 52445455...591a9c11 - 821 commits from branch master
• 51e20e77 - Merge branch 'master' of gitlab.com:gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com into release-9-4
• 038d12fa - add authorship
• 0f3a5c6f - updates from 9.3
• e5af3005 - add "extras"

Compare with previous version

marked the checklist item Authorship (author's data) as completed

changed the description

marked the checklist item Check image_title and twitter_image as completed

changed the description

marked the checklist item Mark - I2P as completed

@marcia Proposed blog post section for Mattermost 4.0:

GitLab Mattermost 4.0

GitLab 9.4 includes Mattermost 4.0, an open source Slack-alternative, with a new look, new mobile apps, new API and Italian language support.

This version includes security updates and upgrade is recommended.

## GitLab Mattermost 4.0

GitLab 9.4 includes [Mattermost 4.0](https://about.mattermost.com/mattermost-4-0), [an open source Slack-alternative](https://about.mattermost.com/), with a new look, new mobile apps, new API and Italian language support.

This version includes [security updates](http://about.mattermost.com/security-updates/) and upgrade is recommended.

@bikebilly @victorwu @mydigitalself @joshlambert @stanhu @JobV

When you finish all your contributions to the post, please check your item in the MR description, so we know when your stuff is ready for review (which starts this Monday):

Thank you :)

@bikebilly

Runner's changes for 9.4

- name: GitLab Runner 9.3
  available_in: [ce, ees, eep]
  documentation_link: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/runner'
  documentation_text: "Read through the documentation on GitLab Runner."
  image_url:
  description: |
    We're also releasing GitLab Runner 9.3 today!

    ##### Most interesting changes:

    * Improvements in Kubernetes volumes support ([merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/606) and [merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/625))
    * Support for cache policies in `.gitlab-ci.yml` file ([merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/621))
    * `--all` option added to `unregister` command ([merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/622))
    * Switch to Go 1.8 ([merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/620))

    List of all changes can be found in GitLab Runner's [CHANGELOG](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/blob/v9.4.0/CHANGELOG.md).

There is also:

* Extended Docker configuration in `.gitlab-ci.yml` file ([merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/596), requires [merge request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/8578))

that was a change long awaited by users but it's merged partially: GitLab's MR was merged in while Runner's MR waits for a final review and merge - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner/merge_requests/596. If it will be not merged this week we should skip this point and introduce the change in next month. If it will be merged then I think it's worth also a separated section like you've added for the cache policy :)

There is also a deprecation information that we should post in this month:

- feature_name: Dropping support for old GitLab API v3, GitLab CI API v1 and GitLab Runner 1.11.x
  due: September 22nd, 2017
  description:
    In 9.0 we've released the new API v4 and marked old API as deprecated. Using this change we've
    also switched from old GitLab CI API v1 to new GitLab API v4 for GitLab Runner <-> GitLab CE/EE
    communication.                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    We've left temporary the old version of APIa in GitLab to allow users to still use their tools                                                                                                                
    and version 1.11.x of the Runner which is still maintained.                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    As it was noticed in 9.0 release post all of the above will be supported until August 2017                                                                                                                    
    and in September's release we will remove the old APIs from GitLab. Following this we will                                                                                                                    
    drop support for GitLab Runner in version 1.11.x.                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    If you are using old GitLab Runner (<9.0) or any tools that are using GitLab API v3 or                                                                                                                        
    GitLab CI API v1 an upgrade will be required. As for GitLab Runner, GitLab CE/EE since version                                                                                                             
    9.0 requires GitLab Runner at least in version 9.0. Since 9.0 versions of both products are
    synchronized and it's recommended to update both to the same version.

added review-in-progress label

marked the checklist item Top feature as completed

marked the checklist item Omnibus improvements as completed

marked the checklist item Deprecations as completed

marked the checklist item Intro as completed

@bikebilly I addressed https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/merge_requests/6239#note_35114058 except Extended Docker configuration in `.gitlab-ci.yml` file

marked the checklist item Label MR: blog post release review-in-progress as completed

marked the checklist item Check Features' names as completed

marked the checklist item Check Documentation links as completed

marked the checklist item Check all images' size - compress whenever > 300KB as completed

marked the checklist item Meaningful links (SEO) as completed

marked the checklist item Check links to product/feature webpages as completed

marked the checklist item Grammar, spelling, clearness (body) as completed

marked the checklist item Title as completed

marked the checklist item Description as completed

marked the checklist item Check image shadow {:.shadow} as completed

marked the checklist item Check images' ALT text as completed

marked the checklist item Add/check <!-- more --> separator as completed

marked the checklist item Add/check cover img reference (at the end of the post) as completed

marked the checklist item Badges consistency (applied to all headings) as completed

Thanks @jasonblais! Added by https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/commit/dc3e2b9922b2d673244fbcbff0746d7c179b5379

Thanks @tmaczukin! I added the 2 blocks except for the part you mention Extended Docker configuration in `.gitlab-ci.yml` file, which I left for @bikebilly to decide the best place to accommodate it :)

marked the checklist item Check Features' availability (CE, EES, EEP) as completed

marked the checklist item Update data/promo.yml as completed

@dzaporozhets @DouweM @smcgivern @jschatz1 @marin @rymai @pcarranza @stanhu @sarrahvesselov friendly reminder - release post 9.4 is here! Pls feel free to add/change/suggest anything necessary til tomorrow, when we'll handle over to marketing for the last review :)

Contributions to "Upgrade barometer" and "performance improvements" are very welcome! (@joshlambert and @bikebilly are helping me with these sections, but pls let us know if you have anything specific to add :)

marked the checklist item MVP as completed