Add release notes for each package release

[markembling]

Why

I run Terminus in Podman using the container image published here on GitHub. However rather than using latest, I always pin to a version so that I can control the update process. However, other than reading through the latest version of the readme or seeing discussion in the Discord, there is no easy way to get an overview of the changes between one version and the next.

Also, there is no easy way for me to figure out any changes I need to make to my setup, or any steps which might be needed between versions to keep everything working correctly (for example, a new env var or changes to the docker compose stack which I then would translate into my podman quadlets).

How

I'm not sure the best way of achieving this but release notes alongside the corresponding image would be a perfect place to find this kind of thing. For example, 0.45.0 shows 'no description'.

Notes

I admit this may not necessarily be easy to automate (especially the part about any manual changes between versions) but if possible, it'd definitely reduce the amount of time I spend upgrading (and the trial-and-error which can sometimes ensue).

[bkuhlmann]

Yep, I want this too!

The good news is partial support is available and documented in the README Versions section. This is all fully automated with nicely generated and detailed notes. This is done by using Milestoner which is a gem I've been maintaining for over a decade and use for all of my projects.

The part that is missing is pushing up these changes so Milestoner can be used to generate the syndicated feed (atom) which would allow you to subscribe -- via your feed reader -- and be updated with each new release. 🚀

[aserraric]

I second this. I was pulling my hair out this morning about why the web interface was no longer working after updating the docker image to 0.45.0. I had to dig into the commit history to figure out that there is now a new env variable APP_SETUP=true required. This is the kind of stuff that should be surfaced in a changelog.

[bkuhlmann]

🎗️ All version release details is available locally complete with full version history, detailed notes, examples (in some cases), links to further documentation, etc. when using Milestoner. Granted, I know this isn't the ideal state but is a stop gap until this can be published and federated as a syndicated feed for your feed reader (what is planned for the future).

[markembling]

... why the web interface was no longer working after updating the docker image to 0.45.0 ... there is now a new env variable APP_SETUP=true required.

Yup, this exact thing had me caught out for a little while and was one of the motivators behind this issue.

My current process - if we can call it that - is to look up the compose.yaml file and hope I copy/translate over all the changes to my Podman quadlet files. In this case though, clearly that process didn't go so well and I broke my Terminus instance for a bit.

🎗️ All version release details is available locally complete with full version history, detailed notes, examples (in some cases), links to further documentation, etc. when using Milestoner...

Yup, it's definitely appreciated that you've put the work in here. I guess the issue is about surfacing it. Speaking for myself, I don't ever pull down the actual source and use just the container. So unless I'm missing something, for me and others with a similar use-case/setup, there's not really any way of accessing this yet.

But appreciate you already have this planned - it sounds like nothing I've said here is likely to be a surprise. Just wanted to explain myself nonetheless 🙂

Definitely what I'd find really super valuable would be for the release's notes to be published on the corresponding container image release. You've talked about availability through RSS so just mentioning again as I'm not 100% sure if we're talking about the same solution or two different solutions.

[bkuhlmann]

💡 You can also use bin/upgrade which will help you diff changes around environment variables, Docker Compose, etc. It's not super sophisticated but helps some. Generally, this doesn't change much but can happen.

My current process...is to look up the compose.yaml file and hope I copy/translate over all the changes

Yeah, definitely understand, that is why I want to get this information syndicated so you can tune in via your favorite feed reeder. Then the updates come to you. This would include release notes per container but I'd rather have one source of truth. What we could do is simply link to them via the container image when this feature is rolled out.

💡 If it helps, here's what I mean by syndication.