guide: define release branch and servicing policy

[Ben Hillis (benhillis)]

Summary

• establish monthly release/YYMM repository branches
• document how OpenVMM and OpenHCL product versions relate to repository releases
• define short-term monthly servicing and extended OpenHCL servicing
• support the current and two preceding OpenHCL product releases
• define OpenVMM feature and servicing version-selection rules
• limit backports to security and critical bug fixes
• document release-branch setup requirements

This policy applies prospectively to releases created under the new model. Existing release branches retain their currently documented lifecycle states.

Validation

• cargo xtask fmt --fix

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation changes are straightforward, with only a non-blocking nit noted.

Pull request overview

This pull request documents the monthly YYMM release-branch model, product-release alignment, OpenHCL servicing window, and branch-label setup.

Changes:

• Defines repository and product release relationships.
• Documents OpenHCL’s three-release servicing window.
• Adds release-label and labeler configuration guidance.

File summaries

File	Description
Guide/src/dev_guide/contrib/release.md	Updates release-branch, servicing, and label configuration documentation.

Review details

Suppressed comments (1)

Guide/src/dev_guide/contrib/release.md:69

• This checklist omits the repository's release-branch tracking configuration. The logview README says new releases must be added to petri/logview/src/branch_quick_filters.tsx; otherwise the branch is missing from the Runs, Tests, and TestDetails quick filters. Please add a step covering both filter arrays.

2. Add the `release_<RELEASE>` base-branch rule to `.github/labeler.yml` so pull
   requests targeting the branch are labeled consistently.

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 0
• Review effort level: Lite

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[github-actions]

1 Petri tests failed (0 unstable)

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

The release guide needs both documented corrections before approval.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Review details

Suppressed comments (1)

Previously missed (1) — in code that hasn't changed since the last review.

Guide/src/dev_guide/contrib/release.md:80

• This checklist omits the other required release-branch setup: petri/logview/src/branch_quick_filters.tsx controls the fixed branch filters for Runs, Tests, and TestDetails (see petri/logview/README.md:124-131). Without adding the new release/<YYMM> branch to both filter lists, it will not be available in those views. Please document this step as well.

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 1
• Review effort level: Lite

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The release-version guidance and logview quick-filter checklist need correction before approval.

Review details

Suppressed comments (2)

Previously missed (1) — in code that hasn't changed since the last review.

Guide/src/dev_guide/contrib/release.md:87

• The branch-creation checklist omits the required UI update in petri/logview/src/branch_quick_filters.tsx. That file hard-codes each release branch in both run_filters and test_filters, so a newly created monthly branch will not appear in the Runs, Tests, or TestDetails quick filters unless this step is documented.

Guide/src/dev_guide/contrib/release.md:20

• openvmm_source_release.md explicitly allows selecting an already committed, unreleased workspace version without changing Cargo.toml (lines 36–39). Requiring a new globally unique SemVer here would make maintainers bump versions unnecessarily and conflicts with that documented process; describe selecting the intended unpublished version instead.

Before publishing an OpenVMM source release from `main` or a release branch,
set the workspace version to a new, globally unique SemVer in a normal pull
request. A new feature release from `main` typically increments the minor

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 0 new
• Review effort level: Lite

[Ben Hillis (benhillis)]

Addressed the latest review feedback in eb789be: corrected the unpublished-version selection wording and added the petri/logview/src/branch_quick_filters.tsx update to the release-branch checklist.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation is consistent with the repository’s release, labeling, filtering, and source-versioning processes.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 0 new
• Review effort level: Lite

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation changes are internally consistent and match the repository’s release, labeling, and logview conventions.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 0 new
• Review effort level: Lite

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation changes are complete, internally consistent, and align with the referenced release tooling and source-release process.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 0 new
• Review effort level: Lite