Simplify development policy (#10921)

2 files changed, 82 insertions, 124 deletions

diff --git a/doc/internals/release-process.rst b/doc/internals/release-process.rst
index 3463fc1eb..50648cd56 100644
--- a/doc/internals/release-process.rst
+++ b/doc/internals/release-process.rst
@@ -2,35 +2,28 @@
 Sphinx's release process
 ========================
 
-Branch Model
-------------
+Versioning
+----------
 
-Sphinx project uses following branches for developing that conforms to Semantic
-Versioning 2.0.0 (refs: https://semver.org/ ).
+Sphinx adheres to :pep:`440` versions, with a ``major.minor.micro`` scheme for
+the *release segment* (e.g. 1.2.3).
+The major, minor, and micro version parts should be altered as follows:
 
-``master``
-    Development for MAJOR version.
-    All changes including incompatible behaviors and public API updates are
-    allowed.
+* The major version part should be incremented for incompatible behavior change and
+  public API updates.
 
-``A.x`` (ex. ``2.x``)
-    Where ``A.x`` is the ``MAJOR.MINOR`` release.  Used to maintain current
-    MINOR release. All changes are allowed if the change preserves
-    backwards-compatibility of API and features.
+* The minor version part should be incremented for most releases of Sphinx, where
+  backwards-compatibility of API and features are preserves.
 
-    Only the most recent ``MAJOR.MINOR`` branch is currently retained. When a
-    new MAJOR version is released, the old ``MAJOR.MINOR`` branch will be
-    deleted and replaced by an equivalent tag.
+* The micro version part should only be incremented for urgent bugfix-only releases.
 
-``A.B.x`` (ex. ``2.4.x``)
-    Where ``A.B.x`` is the ``MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`` release.  Only
-    backwards-compatible bug fixes are allowed. In Sphinx project, PATCH
-    version is used for urgent bug fix.
+When the major version part is incremented, the minor and micro version parts
+must be set to ``0``.
+When the minor version part is incremented, the micro version part must be set
+to ``0``.
 
-    ``MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`` branch will be branched from the ``v`` prefixed
-    release tag (ex. make 2.3.1 that branched from v2.3.0) when a urgent
-    release is needed. When new PATCH version is released, the branch will be
-    deleted and replaced by an equivalent tag (ex. v2.3.1).
+New major versions should come with a beta-testing period before the final
+release.
 
 
 Deprecating a feature
@@ -103,25 +96,28 @@ But you can also explicitly enable the pending ones using e.g.
 Python version support policy
 -----------------------------
 
-The minimum Python version Sphinx supports is the default Python version
-installed in the oldest `Long Term Support version of
-Ubuntu <https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle>`_ that has standard support.
-For example, as of July 2021, Ubuntu 16.04 has just entered extended
-security maintenance (therefore, it doesn't count as standard support) and
-the oldest LTS release to consider is Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, supported until
-April 2023 and shipping Python 3.8.
+Sphinx supports at all minor versions of Python released in the past 42 months
+from the anticipated release date with a minimum of 3 minor versions of Python.
+This policy is derived from `NEP 29`_, a scientific Python domain standard.
+
+.. _NEP 29: https://numpy.org/neps/nep-0029-deprecation_policy.html
+
+For example, a version of Sphinx released in May 2024 would support Python 3.10,
+3.11, and 3.12.
 
 This is a summary table with the current policy:
 
-========== ========= ====== ======
-Date       Ubuntu    Python Sphinx
-========== ========= ====== ======
-April 2021 18.04 LTS 3.6+   4, 5
----------- --------- ------ ------
-April 2023 20.04 LTS 3.8+   6, 7
----------- --------- ------ ------
-April 2025 22.04 LTS 3.10+  8
-========== ========= ====== ======
+=========== ======
+Date        Python
+=========== ======
+26 Dec 2021 3.8+
+----------- ------
+14 Apr 2023 3.9+
+----------- ------
+05 Apr 2024 3.10+
+----------- ------
+04 Apr 2025 3.11+
+=========== ======
 
 Release procedures
 ------------------
diff --git a/utils/release-checklist b/utils/release-checklist
index febbbae56..1d7778274 100644
--- a/utils/release-checklist
+++ b/utils/release-checklist
@@ -1,108 +1,70 @@
 Release checklist
 =================
 
-for stable releases
--------------------
+A stable release is a release where the minor or micro version parts are
+incremented.
+A major release is a release where the major version part is incremented.
+
+Checks
+------
+
+* open "https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/actions?query=branch:master" and all tests has passed
+* Run ``git fetch; git status`` and check that nothing has changed
+
+Bump version
+------------
+
+for stable and major releases
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-* open "https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/actions?query=branch:X.Y.x" and all tests has passed
-* Run ``git fetch; git status`` and check nothing changed
 * ``python utils/bump_version.py X.Y.Z``
 * Check diff by ``git diff``
 * ``git commit -am 'Bump to X.Y.Z final'``
-* ``make clean``
-* ``python -m build .``
-* ``twine upload dist/Sphinx-* --sign --identity [your GPG key]``
-* open https://pypi.org/project/Sphinx/ and check there are no obvious errors
-* ``sh utils/bump_docker.sh X.Y.Z``
 * ``git tag vX.Y.Z -m "Sphinx X.Y.Z"``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.Zb0`` (ex. 1.5.3b0)
-* Check diff by ``git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump version'``
-* ``git push origin X.Y.x --tags``
-* ``git checkout X.x``
-* ``git merge X.Y.x``
-* ``git push origin X.x``
-* Add new version/milestone to tracker categories
-* Write announcement and send to sphinx-dev, sphinx-users and python-announce
-
-for first beta releases
------------------------
-
-* open "https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/actions?query=branch:master" and all tests has passed
-* Run ``git fetch; git status`` and check nothing changed
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py X.Y.0b1``
-* Check diff by ``git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump to X.Y.0 beta1'``
-* ``make clean``
-* ``python -m build .``
-* ``twine upload dist/Sphinx-* --sign --identity [your GPG key]``
-* open https://pypi.org/project/Sphinx/ and check there are no obvious errors
-* ``git tag vX.Y.0b1 -m "Sphinx X.Y.0b1"``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.0b2`` (ex. 1.6.0b2)
-* Check diff by ``git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump version'``
-* ``git checkout -b X.x``
-* ``git push origin X.x --tags``
-* ``git checkout master``
-* ``git merge X.x``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop A.B.0b0`` (ex. 1.7.0b0)
-* Check diff by ``git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump version'``
-* ``git push origin master``
-* open https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/settings/branches and make ``X.Y`` branch protected
-* Add new version/milestone to tracker categories
-* Write announcement and send to sphinx-dev, sphinx-users and python-announce
 
-for other beta releases
------------------------
+for beta releases
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-* open "https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/actions?query=branch:X.x" and all tests has passed
-* Run ``git fetch; git status`` and check nothing changed
 * ``python utils/bump_version.py X.Y.0bN``
 * Check diff by ``git diff``
 * ``git commit -am 'Bump to X.Y.0 betaN'``
-* ``make clean``
-* ``python -m build .``
-* ``twine upload dist/Sphinx-* --sign --identity [your GPG key]``
-* open https://pypi.org/project/Sphinx/ and check there are no obvious errors
-* ``git tag vX.Y.0bN -m "Sphinx X.Y.0bN"``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.0bM`` (ex. 1.6.0b3)
-* Check diff by `git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump version'``
-* ``git push origin X.x --tags``
-* ``git checkout master``
-* ``git merge X.x``
-* ``git push origin master``
-* Add new version/milestone to tracker categories
-* Write announcement and send to sphinx-dev, sphinx-users and python-announce
+* ``git tag vX.Y.0b1 -m "Sphinx X.Y.0bN"``
 
-for major releases
-------------------
+Build Sphinx
+------------
 
-* open "https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/actions?query=branch:X.x" and all tests has passed
-* Run ``git fetch; git status`` and check nothing changed
-* Run ``git add sphinx``
-* Run ``git commit -am 'Update message catalogs'``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py X.Y.0``
-* Check diff by ``git diff``
-* ``git commit -am 'Bump to X.Y.0 final'``
 * ``make clean``
 * ``python -m build .``
 * ``twine upload dist/Sphinx-* --sign --identity [your GPG key]``
-* open https://pypi.org/project/Sphinx/ and check there are no obvious errors
+* open https://pypi.org/project/Sphinx/ and check for any obvious errors
+
+for stable and major releases
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
 * ``sh utils/bump_docker.sh X.Y.Z``
-* ``git tag vX.Y.0 -m "Sphinx X.Y.0"``
-* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.1b0`` (ex. 1.6.1b0)
+
+Bump to next development version
+--------------------------------
+
+for stable and major releases
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.Z+1b0`` (ex. 1.5.3b0)
+
+for beta releases
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* ``python utils/bump_version.py --in-develop X.Y.0bN+1`` (ex. 1.6.0b2)
+
+Commit version bump
+-------------------
+
 * Check diff by ``git diff``
 * ``git commit -am 'Bump version'``
-* ``git push origin X.x --tags``
-* ``git checkout master``
-* ``git merge X.x``
-* ``git push origin master``
-* open https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/settings/branches and make ``A.B`` branch *not* protected
-* ``git checkout A.B`` (checkout old stable)
-* Run ``git tag A.B -m "Sphinx A.B"`` to paste a tag instead branch
-* Run ``git push origin :A.B --tags`` to remove old stable branch
-* open https://readthedocs.org/dashboard/sphinx/versions/ and enable the released version
+* ``git push origin master --tags``
+
+Final steps
+-----------
+
 * Add new version/milestone to tracker categories
 * Write announcement and send to sphinx-dev, sphinx-users and python-announce