--- /dev/null
+Here are most of the steps we (maintainers) follow when making a release.
+
+* start from a clean, up-to-date git directory.
+
+ git checkout master; git pull
+
+* Run ./configure && make maintainer-clean
+
+* Ensure that the desired versions of autoconf, automake, etc.
+ are in your PATH. See the buildreq list in bootstrap.conf for
+ the complete list.
+
+* Ensure that you're on "master" with no uncommitted diffs.
+ This should produce no output: git checkout master; git diff
+
+* Run bootstrap: ./bootstrap
+
+* Pre-release testing:
+ Ensure that make check syntax-check succeeds.
+
+* Run "make distcheck"
+
+* Manually set the date, version number, and [stable/alpha/beta] on
+ line 3 of NEWS, then do e.g.,:
+
+ v=1.3.13
+ pkg=$(sed -n 's/^PACKAGE = \(.*\)/\1/p' Makefile)
+ git commit -F <(printf 'version '$v'\n\n* NEWS: Record release date.\n') -a
+ git tag -s -m "$pkg $v" v$v HEAD
+
+* Run the following to create release tarballs. Your choice selects the
+ corresponding upload-to destination in the emitted gnupload command.
+ The different destinations are specified in cfg.mk. See the definitions
+ of gnu_ftp_host-{alpha,beta,stable}.
+
+ # "TYPE" must be stable, beta or alpha
+ make TYPE
+
+* Test the tarball. copy it to a few odd-ball systems and ensure that
+ it builds and passes all tests.
+
+* While that's happening, write the release announcement that you will
+ soon post.
+
+Once all the builds and tests have passed,
+
+* Run the gnupload command that was suggested by your "make major" run above.
+
+* Wait a few minutes (maybe up to 30?) and then use the release URLs to
+ download all tarball/signature pairs and use gpg --verify to ensure
+ that they're all valid.
+
+* Push the new tag:
+
+ v=$(cat .prev-version)
+ git push origin tag v$v
+
+* Send the gpg-signed announcement mail, e.g.,
+
+ To: info-gnu@gnu.org
+ Cc: coordinator@translationproject.org, bug-gzip@gnu.org
+ Subject: gzip-1.3.13 released [stable]
+
+* Announce it on Savannah, too:
+ From here:
+ https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gzip/
+ click on the "submit news", then write something like the following:
+ (If there is no such button, then enable "News" for the project via
+ the Main -> "Select Features" menu item, or via this link:
+ https://savannah.gnu.org/project/admin/editgroupfeatures.php?group=gzip)
+
+ Subject: gzip-1.3.13 released [stable]
+ The announcement is here:
+ http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gnu.gzip.bugs/258
+
+ Then go here to approve it:
+ https://savannah.gnu.org/news/approve.php?group=gzip
+
+* After each non-alpha release, update the on-line manual accessible via
+
+ http://www.gnu.org/software/gzip/manual/
+
+ by running the gnu-web-doc-update script.