Make the following directories:
clean sources-old sources dirty
and optionally:
test build done

Choose version number: 
 * remember that RPM is stupid and considers 5.0beta1 newer than
   5.0, so always use "code versions" for the packages. Also
   stuff like "-" etc is not working, so omit it

Checkout branch:
 fix the paths in versions script
 use the checkout script
 clean up the cache/ directory from previous builds

Update version number
 * */*.lsm
 * arts/configure.in.in
 * tdewebdev/quanta/src/quanta.h
 * tdevelop/configure.in.in
 * tdebase/konqueror/version.h
 * tdebase/starttde 
 * kde-common/admin/cvs.sh has VERSION="3.x.x"
 * tdelibs/tdecore/tdeversion.h
 * tdelibs/tdecore/tdesycoca.h --> tdesycoca version number
 * tdelibs/README
 * tdenetwork/kopete/libkopete/kopeteversion.h
 * bugs/template/wizard/report.html.tmpl
 * bugs/bugz/wizard_config.pl
 * www/areas/enterprise/bizcase/form.inc (major KDE versions only)
 * for koffice: configure.in.in, lib/kofficecore/kofficeversion.h, etc.
 * common and versions scripts

Update kdepackages in tdelibs/tdeui
Run "fixuifiles"
Make sure the meinproc in path is a version of the correct branch
Use tag_all to get clean sources into "clean" directory (e.g. <releasedir>/clean/koffice)
Make tarballs using "pack <module>". Start with tde-i18n. Do tdelibs/tdebase last.
If you have to redo a tarball because of a code change and don't want to wait for meinproc to complete,
 extract the old tarball inside cache/<module> before calling "pack". The docu script will
 then use the version from the cache instead of regenerating it, saving a lot of time.
Upload tarballs to their final location, as 'ftprelease' user under a src/ directory.
chmod o-rwx any new dir (so that they're not yet public)
chmod g+w the new directory where packagers will put their files
create contrib/ directory and make it g+w for group "packager"
Test tarballs
md5sum *.tar.bz2 tde-i18n/*.tar.bz2 > MD5SUMS
gpg --detach-sign -a MD5SUMS (if you're bored, do it for all files)
(Note: for KOffice, MD5SUMS should be signed with --clearsign instead of --detach-sign.)
Prepare a Changelog
Inform the packagers (kde-packager at kde dot org)
Ask for/write announcement (on the kde-promo mailing-list)

When everything is ready:

- Make directory on the FTP site readable, so that mirrors can start getting it
  Update latest and/or {koffice,tdevelop}-latest symlinks on the FTP site

- clean up the older releases. Make sure that kdestableftp and kdeunstableftp
  remain in their advertised size limits (~20 GB). Sort out older binary packages, 
  add compatibility links.

- Enable syncing during the night, so that the uplink can be saturated and
  does not affect interactive server load and network traffic. 

- Pre-notify sysadm@trolltech.com and sysadmin@kde.org about an upcoming release
  so that they can be ready for fixing bandwidth problems, server outages or similiar.
  Its not uncommon that slashdotting affects our server structure, and the right
  people have to know about the release date and time to be able to react in time. 

When most of the mirrors behind http://download.kde.org have updated:
Commit announcement (after adding PHP header/footer)
Add an entry to www/index.php, www/announcements/index.php, www/info/releases.php,
www/download/index.php and www/whatiskde/project.php

Post announcement in text to kde-announce@kde.org
Post news bit to
  * dot.kde.org (editors@kdenews.org)
  * freshmeat.net
  * newsgroups, optionally