How to commit fixes to release branches (backport process) ========================================================== This guide explains when and how to commit fixes to release branches. After a release branch is created and before a release tag is finalized, maintainers may need to apply fixes to that release branch. To keep ``main`` as the source of truth, each fix starts as a PR against ``main``, then automation opens an equivalent *backport* PR against the relevant release branch. Backport Criteria ----------------- Before starting a backport, use the questions below to decide if a change is worth backporting: - Does this fix a correctness bug (wrong result, UB, memory safety, data race, deadlock)? - Does this fix a crash? - Does this fix a regression? - Are users actively asking for this fix to be backported? - How likely are users to be affected by this? How many? - Is there a reasonable workaround? - How risky is this change? Examples *not* worth backporting: - Fixes to tests that do not impact the functionality of the library. - Fixes to infrastructure that does not impact the functionality of the library. Steps ----- #. Create a PR with the fix against ``main`` via a PR following our :doc:`contributing guidelines `. #. Add the label ``backport branch/X.Y.x`` to the PR. - If the PR is already merged, you can still trigger a backport by commenting ``/backport branch/X.Y.x`` on the merged PR. #. After merge to ``main``, confirm automation opens a backport PR targeting ``branch/X.Y.x``. #. Review the generated backport PR for correctness and resolve any conflicts. #. Ensure all CI checks have passed and merge the backport PR into the target release branch. - Only members of the GitHub team `cccl-release-owners ` can merge PRs to release branches.