Release CmdStan 2.33

[WardBrian]

Feature freeze (August 21, 2023):

• Ensure all expiring language deprecations have been removed or given new removal dates.
• Create and merge version updating pull requests in Math/Stan/Cmdstan. These should be the last PRs accepted before the freeze.
• Create Math/Stan RC releases.
• Create Stanc3 RC binary.
• Create a release candidate tarball for x86. Make sure RC tarballs include stanc3 binaries.
• Check external links in docs (i.e. TBB docs link) - use https://github.com/tcort/markdown-link-check
• Create a release candidate feature/bugfix list (major features/bugfixes that need testing, link to new docs in Github)
• Run CmdStanR tests with the RC tarball.
• Run CmdStanPy tests with the RC tarball.
• Make a Discourse RC post.
• Post a tweet with a link to the Discourse RC post.

Release (planned for September 5, 2023):

• Create the Math Release notes.
• Create the Stan Release notes.
• Create the Cmdstan Release notes.
• Create the Stanc3 Release notes, include new deprecations and removals.
• Rebuild and publish docs for the new version.
• Check that docs for the previous release links correctly to the newest docs.
• Create the Math release.
• Create the Stan release.
• Create the Stanc3 release.
• Create x86 CmdStan tarballs (check version, check that the extracted folder is in the cmdstan-version format).
• Create non-x86 CmdStan tarballs.
• Run CmdStanR tests with the release tarball.
• Merge release branch into master for math, stan, cmdstan
• Make a Stan blog release announcement post (thank the sponsors and all contributors, mention new devs).
• Link to the blog post in a Discourse thread.
• Make a Twitter announcement.

[WardBrian]

I believe #1184 is the only thing we're waiting on before we can freeze (stan-dev/stanc3#1347 would be nice, if it is ready)

[WardBrian]

I finally made the release-notes script a bit nicer and automatic

Here's the raw output, we can work on editing them:
https://gist.github.com/WardBrian/2898738905ab3592e33b0897d7129020

[WardBrian]

The issues mentioned above have been resolved, so @serban-nicusor-toptal you can run the RCs whenever you are available tomorrow

[wds15]

This is quite a BIG release in terms of new stuff. Awesome!

[serban-nicusor-toptal]

Good morning,

Release Candidates are out, see:

• https://github.com/stan-dev/math/releases/tag/v4.7.0-rc1
• https://github.com/stan-dev/stan/releases/tag/v2.33.0-rc1
• https://github.com/stan-dev/cmdstan/releases/tag/v2.33.0-rc1
• https://github.com/stan-dev/stanc3/releases/tag/v2.33.0-rc1

I've created a release/vx.x.x branch to use for RCs and the release.
Created a merge to develop for the version increase, we can either merge now for the version update or wait for the release, see:

• release/v4.7.0: updating version numbers math#2932
• release/v2.33.0: updating version numbers stan#3221
• release/v2.33.0: updating version numbers #1188
• release/v2.33.0 stanc3#1355

CmdStanR running at https://github.com/stan-dev/cmdstanr/actions/runs/5939209477

[WardBrian]

Thanks @serban-nicusor-toptal!

Re: merging those PRs, when do we update the change logs in the repos historically? Does it make sense to wait until those are finalized and do them with the version numbers? stanc3 would need a PR too in that case

[serban-nicusor-toptal]

Ah, you're right about stanc3, I'll open it now. ( can't do it now since there are no changes on the branch, will do it before release )

In general right before the release, I add the release notes ( they're ready usually after to catch possible fixes during RC ), merge them into the release branch, and then that branch into develop and master.

The only downside is that develop is still tied to an older version in the meanwhile, to fix this we can merge once now and once again during the release for the release notes.

wdyt is best to follow here ?

[WardBrian]

I’m happy to wait personally

[serban-nicusor-toptal]

Sounds good! Then I'll add release notes to the release branch and merge them during the release.
Please let me know if there's anything I can help with now! Are the cmdstanpy tests part of GH Actions here https://github.com/stan-dev/cmdstanpy/actions/workflows/main.yml ?

[WardBrian]

Yep, running here: https://github.com/stan-dev/cmdstanpy/actions/runs/5939297312/job/16105419727

I know from local development we have one test which will fail because we check too specific of an error message, but otherwise I expect it to pass