Merge PR #6057: Start a release process documentation.

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+# Release process #
+
+## As soon as the previous version branched off master ##
+
+- [ ] Create a new issue to track the release process where you can copy-paste
+  the present checklist.
+- [ ] Change the version name to the next major version and the magic numbers
+  (see [#7008](https://github.com/coq/coq/pull/7008/files)).
+- [ ] Put the corresponding alpha tag using `git tag -s`.
+  The `VX.X+alpha` tag marks the first commit to be in `master` and not in the
+  branch of the previous version.
+- [ ] Create the `X.X+beta1` milestone if it did not already exist.
+- [ ] Decide the release calendar with the team (freeze date, beta date, final
+  release date) and put this information in the milestone (using the
+  description and due date fields).
+
+## About one month before the beta ##
+
+- [ ] Create the `X.X.0` milestone and set its due date.
+- [ ] Send an announcement of the upcoming freeze on Coqdev and ask people to
+  remove from the beta milestone what they already know won't be ready on time
+  (possibly postponing to the `X.X.0` milestone for minor bug fixes,
+  infrastructure and documentation updates).
+- [ ] Determine which issues should / must be fixed before the beta, add them
+  to the beta milestone, possibly with a
+  ["priority: blocker"](https://github.com/coq/coq/labels/priority%3A%20blocker)
+  label. Make sure that all these issues are assigned (and that the assignee
+  provides an ETA).
+- [ ] Ping the development coordinator (**@mattam82**) to get him started on
+  the update to the Credits chapter of the reference manual.
+  See also [#7058](https://github.com/coq/coq/issues/7058).
+  The command to get the list of contributors for this version is
+  `git shortlog -s -n VX.X+alpha..master | cut -f2 | sort -k 2`
+  (the ordering is approximative as it will misplace people with middle names).
+
+## On the date of the feature freeze ##
+
+- [ ] Create the new version branch `vX.X` and
+  [protect it](https://github.com/coq/coq/settings/branches)
+  (activate the "Protect this branch", "Require pull request reviews before
+  merging" and "Restrict who can push to this branch" guards).
+- [ ] Remove all remaining unmerged feature PRs from the beta milestone.
+- [ ] Start a new project to track PR backporting. The proposed model is to
+  have a "X.X-only PRs" column for the rare PRs on the stable branch, a
+  "Request X.X inclusion" column for the PRs that were merged in `master` that
+  are to be considered for backporting, a "Waiting for CI" column to put the
+  PRs in the process of being backported, and "Shipped in ..." columns to put
+  what was backported. (The release manager is the person responsible for
+  merging PRs that target the version branch and backporting appropriate PRs
+  that are merged into `master`).
+  A message to **@coqbot** in the milestone description tells it to
+  automatically add merged PRs to the "Request X.X inclusion" column.
+- [ ] Delay non-blocking issues to the appropriate milestone and ensure
+  blocking issues are solved. If required to solve some blocking issues,
+  it is possible to revert some feature PRs in the version branch only.
+
+## Before the beta release date ##
+
+- [ ] Ensure the Credits chapter has been updated.
+- [ ] Ensure an empty `CompatXX.v` file has been created.
+- [ ] Ensure that an appropriate version of the plugins we will distribute with
+  Coq has been tagged.
+- [ ] Have some people test the recently auto-generated Windows and MacOS
+  packages.
+- [ ] Change the version name from alpha to beta1 (see
+  [#7009](https://github.com/coq/coq/pull/7009/files)).
+  We generally do not update the magic numbers at this point.
+- [ ] Put the `VX.X+beta1` tag using `git tag -s`.
+
+### These steps are the same for all releases (beta, final, patch-level) ###
+
+- [ ] Send an e-mail on Coqdev announcing that the tag has been put so that
+  package managers can start preparing package updates.
+- [ ] Draft a release on GitHub.
+- [ ] Get **@maximedenes** to sign the Windows and MacOS packages and
+  upload them on GitHub.
+- [ ] Prepare a page of news on the website with the link to the GitHub release
+  (see [coq/www#63](https://github.com/coq/www/pull/63)).
+- [ ] Upload the new version of the reference manual to the website.
+  *TODO: setup some continuous deployment for this.*
+- [ ] Merge the website update, publish the release
+  and send annoucement e-mails.
+- [ ] Ping **@Zimmi48** to publish a new version on Zenodo.
+  *TODO: automate this.*
+- [ ] Close the milestone
+
+## At the final release time ##
+
+- [ ] Change the version name to X.X.0 and the magic numbers (see
+  [#7271](https://github.com/coq/coq/pull/7271/files)).
+- [ ] Put the `VX.X.0` tag.
+
+Repeat the generic process documented above for all releases.
+
+- [ ] Switch the default version of the reference manual on the website.
+
+## At the patch-level release time ##
+
+We generally do not update the magic numbers at this point (see
+[`2881a18`](https://github.com/coq/coq/commit/2881a18)).