diff --git a/release/README.md b/release/README.md
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+Here are some instructions to do a massive Bob release and scripts to help you
+release Bob:
+
+Create a buildout configuration file that checks out all packages from
+`bob.nightlies`. Here is an example:
+
+ [buildout]
+ parts = scripts
+ eggs = bob.extension
+ bob.blitz
+ bob.core
+ ...
+ bob # don't forget bob
+ ...
+ bob.bio.video
+ bob.bio.vein
+ bob.db.voxforge
+ bob.pad.base
+
+
+
+ extensions = bob.buildout
+ mr.developer
+ auto-checkout = *
+ develop = src/bob.extension
+ src/bob.blitz
+ src/bob.core
+ ...
+ src/bob.bio.video
+ src/bob.bio.vein
+ src/bob.db.voxforge
+ src/bob.pad.base
+
+
+ ; options for bob.buildout extension
+ debug = false
+ verbose = true
+ newest = false
+
+ [sources]
+ bob.extension = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.extension
+ bob.blitz = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.blitz
+ bob.core = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.core
+ ...
+ bob.bio.video = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.bio.video
+ bob.bio.vein = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.bio.vein
+ bob.db.voxforge = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.db.voxforge
+ bob.pad.base = git git@gitlab.idiap.ch:bob/bob.pad.base
+
+ [scripts]
+ recipe = bob.buildout:scripts
+
+List and order of packages come from bob.nightlies; in `core.txt` and
+`extra.txt`. Don't forget to add `bob` after `core.txt`.
+
+Create a conda environment with `bob-devel`:
+
+ $ conda create -n bob-devel-27 python=2 bob-devel
+
+You should not install any other package and run:
+
+ $ buildout
+ $ bin/nosetests -sv src/*
+
+Make sure all the tests are passing.
+
+Go through all packages and write down what has changed since their last
+tag and write it down into a file (`changelog.md` for example). Here is an
+example:
+
+ bob.extension (Minor)
+
+ * !37 !38 !39 !41 : Improved documentation for a better development guide
+ * !42 : Improve the new version script in terms of functionality and documentation
+
+ bob.blitz (Patch)
+
+ * Maintenance release.
+
+**This is the most important part!!!!** Do not write this changelog easily.
+You really have to dig through the history of all packages since the last
+release. Write down what has changed by not copying and pasting.
+Changelogs are read by humans and must be generated by humans.
+
+PROPERLY identify if a package needs a patch, minor, or a major release bump.
+See http://semver.org for information. Ask the package's maintainer if you are
+not sure.
+
+Then you can use `release.sh` and modify its release list depending on what you
+have in your `changelog.md`. Some packages need a patch release and some need a
+minor release and some a major release.
+
+ Hold off `bob` for now.
+ Don't release private packages!
+ Read bin/bob_new_version.py --help
+
+Run that script. Release the first package. Wait for its CI to finish. Merge
+its merge request on bob.conda. wait for that to finish in master of bob.conda.
+Press `y` to go to the next package.
+
+Finally read `bob` s readme and release that too.
+
+You are done here no need to read the rest of this file.
+
+You may want to disable the runners for bob.conda so that you can run it once
+everything is merged into master. To merge everything and cancel all pipelines
+in bob.conda. Read here:
+https://python-gitlab.readthedocs.io/en/stable/index.html
+
+Then:
+
+ import gitlab
+ gl = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config()
+ bob_conda = gl.projects.search('bob.conda')[0]
+
+ # get all merge requests and merge them
+ mrs = bob_conda.mergerequests.list(all=True, state='opened')
+ print(mrs)
+ for mr in mrs:
+ try:
+ mr.merge()
+ except Exception:
+ print('failed for ', mr.name)
+ pass
+
+ # get all pipelines and merge them
+ pipelines = bob_conda.pipelines.list(all=True, scope='running')
+ print(len(pipelines))
+ for p in pipelines:
+ try:
+ p.cancel()
+ except Exception:
+ print('failed for ', p)
+ pass
+
+This will merge all merge requests. But sometimes the branch is created but
+there is no merge request for that. Merge those branches manually! and cancel
+the pipelines again.
+
+Run the pipeline for master of bob.conda once and fix till every conda package
+is released.
+
+
+Release `bob`. Here is some code to get the changelog generated automatically
+for bob:
+
+
+ import gitlab
+ import distutils.version
+ import re
+
+ gl = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config()
+
+ # bob's new requirementst.txt file:
+ path = '..../git/bob/requirements.txt'
+
+ bob_group = gl.groups.search('bob')[0]
+
+ def get_max_version(versions):
+
+ try:
+ v = list(reversed(sorted([distutils.version.StrictVersion(k)
+ for k in versions])))
+ final = [k for k in v if not k.prerelease]
+ if final:
+ return final[0]
+ return v[0]
+ except Exception:
+ v = list(reversed(sorted([distutils.version.LooseVersion(k)
+ for k in versions])))
+ final = [k for k in v if not re.search(r'[a-z]', k.vstring)]
+ if final:
+ return final[0]
+ return v[0]
+
+ pkgs = {}
+ for line in open(path):
+ pkg, version = line.split('==')
+ pkgs[pkg.strip()] = version.strip()
+
+ # verify bob is pointing to the latest tags of core packages.
+ for pkg, version in pkgs.items():
+ projects = bob_group.projects.search(pkg)
+ project = [p for p in projects if p.name == pkg][0]
+ tags = project.tags.list(all=True)
+ versions = [tag.name[1:] for tag in tags]
+ max_version = get_max_version(versions)
+ max_version = '{}.{}.{}'.format(*max_version.version)
+ if max_version != version:
+ print(pkg, versions)
+
+Generate the changelog:
+
+ import gitlab
+ import distutils.version
+ import datetime
+ from collections import OrderedDict
+ gl = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config()
+ bob_group = gl.groups.search('bob')[0]
+ path = '.../git/bobs/bob/requirements.txt'
+ pkgs = OrderedDict()
+ for line in open(path):
+ pkg, version = line.split('==')
+ pkgs[pkg.strip()] = version.strip()
+
+ # release date of last Bob release + 1 day
+ last_release = datetime.datetime(2017, 2, 10)
+
+ def get_datetime_from_tag(tag):
+ return datetime.datetime.strptime(tag.commit.committed_date[:-6], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%f')
+
+ def sort_tags(tags):
+ return sorted(tags, key=lambda x: get_datetime_from_tag(x))
+
+ def get_tag_changelog(tag):
+ try:
+ return tag.release.description
+ except Exception:
+ return ''
+
+ for pkg, version in pkgs.items():
+ projects = bob_group.projects.search(pkg)
+ project = [p for p in projects if p.name == pkg][0]
+ tags = project.tags.list(all=True)
+ # sort tags by date
+ tags = filter(lambda x: get_datetime_from_tag(x) >= last_release, tags)
+ tags = sort_tags(tags)
+ print('* ' + pkg)
+ for tag in tags:
+ print(' * ' + tag.name)
+ for line in get_tag_changelog(tag).split('\r\n'):
+ line = line.strip()
+ line = line.replace('!', pkg+'!')
+ line = line.replace('#', pkg+'#')
+ if not line:
+ continue
+ print(' '*5 + '* ' + line)
+
+Put this awesome changelog in https://gitlab.idiap.ch/bob/bob/tags
diff --git a/release/release.sh b/release/release.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..94a93e47e824963a6b729eb6198f53c4bccd5e8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release/release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -ex
+
+for name in \
+'bob.extension --minor' \
+'bob.blitz' \
+'bob.core' \
+'bob.io.base --minor' \
+'bob.math' \
+'bob.measure --minor' \
+'bob.io.image' \
+'bob.db.base --minor' \
+'bob.db.base' \
+'bob.io.video' \
+'bob.io.matlab' \
+'bob.io.audio' \
+'bob.sp' \
+'bob.ap' \
+'bob.ip.base' \
+'bob.ip.color' \
+'bob.ip.draw' \
+'bob.ip.gabor' \
+'bob.learn.activation' \
+'bob.learn.libsvm' \
+'bob.learn.linear' \
+'bob.learn.mlp' \
+'bob.learn.em' \
+'bob.learn.boosting' \
+'bob.db.iris --minor' \
+'bob.db.wine' \
+'bob.db.mnist --minor' \
+'bob.db.atnt' \
+'bob.ip.facedetect' \
+'bob.ip.optflow.hornschunck' \
+'bob.ip.optflow.liu' \
+'bob.ip.flandmark' \
+'gridtk' \
+'bob.ip.skincolorfilter' \
+'bob.ip.facelandmarks' \
+'bob.ip.dlib' \
+'bob.db.arface' \
+'bob.db.asvspoof' \
+'bob.db.asvspoof2017' \
+'bob.db.atvskeystroke' \
+'bob.db.avspoof' \
+'bob.db.banca' \
+'bob.db.biosecure' \
+'bob.db.biosecurid.face' \
+'bob.db.casme2' \
+'bob.db.caspeal' \
+'bob.db.cohface' \
+'bob.db.frgc' \
+'bob.db.gbu' \
+'bob.db.hci_tagging' \
+'bob.db.ijba' \
+'bob.db.kboc16' \
+'bob.db.lfw' \
+'bob.db.livdet2013' \
+'bob.db.mobio' \
+'bob.db.msu_mfsd_mod' \
+'bob.db.multipie' \
+'bob.db.nist_sre12' \
+'bob.db.putvein' \
+'bob.db.replay' \
+'bob.db.replaymobile' \
+'bob.db.scface' \
+'bob.db.utfvp' \
+'bob.db.voicepa' \
+'bob.db.xm2vts' \
+'bob.db.youtube' \
+'bob.db.pericrosseye' \
+'bob.db.cuhk_cufs' \
+'bob.bio.base' \
+'bob.bio.gmm' \
+'bob.bio.face --minor' \
+'bob.bio.spear --minor' \
+'bob.bio.video --minor' \
+'bob.db.voxforge' \
+'bob.pad.base' \
+; do
+ stringarray=(${name})
+ pkg=${stringarray[0]}
+ patch=${stringarray[1]}
+ cd src/${pkg}
+ git co master
+ git pull --rebase origin master
+ ../../bin/bob_new_version.py ${patch}
+ while true; do
+ read -p "Do you wish to continue?" yn
+ case $yn in
+ [Yy]* ) break;;
+ [Nn]* ) exit;;
+ * ) echo "Please answer yes or no.";;
+ esac
+ done
+ cd ../..
+done