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Sellio Release Automation Guide

This document outlines the steps taken to automate GitHub Releases for the Sellio Categories Section Controller app, the challenges faced, and how they were resolved. It also provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a new release.

Goal

Automate the process of building the Flutter app for Android and Windows, running tests (optional), and publishing a Release on GitHub with the installer files attached whenever a new version tag (e.g., v1.0.1) is pushed.

Phase 1: Initial Setup

1. GitHub Actions Workflow

We created a file .github/workflows/build_and_release.yml to define the automation pipeline.

Key Configuration:

  • Trigger: on: push: tags: - 'v*' (Runs only when a tag starting with 'v' is pushed).
  • Jobs:
    • android-build: Builds the Android APK.
    • windows-build: Builds the Windows executable.
    • release: Depends on the build jobs, downloads the artifacts, and creates the GitHub Release.

Phase 2: Problems & Solutions

1. App Size Optimization (>40MB → ~15MB)

Problem: The initial APK was over 40MB because it was a "fat" APK containing compiled code for all Android architectures (arm64, armv7, x86). Solution:

  • We modified the build command to split the APK by ABI (Application Binary Interface).
  • Command: flutter build apk --release --split-per-abi
  • Result: This generates 3 separate, smaller APKs (~11-16MB each) tailored for specific devices.

2. Connection Error (Release Build)

Problem: The app worked in Debug mode but failed to connect to the backend in Release mode ("Is server running?"). Root Cause: Android requires explicit permission to access the internet. Debug builds grant this automatically, but Release builds do not. Solution:

  • Added <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/> to android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml.

3. Confusing Filenames

Problem: The generated files were named technically (app-release.apk, windows-release.zip), which is confusing for non-technical users. Solution:

  • We added a "Rename" step in the workflow to rename assets based on the version tag and intent.
  • Old Name: app-arm64-v8a-release.apk
  • New Name: Sellio-v1.0.1-Modern-Android-64bit.apk

4. Too Many Windows Files

Problem: The Windows build produces an .exe file plus many .dll files and a data folder (over 15 files). Uploading them individually made the release messy. Solution:

  • Added a step to Zip the Windows build output into a single file: Sellio-v1.0.1-Windows-PC.zip.

How to Create a New Release

Follow these steps whenever you are ready to publish a new version of the app.

Step 1: Update Version

Open pubspec.yaml and increment the version number.

version: 1.0.2+1

Step 2: Commit Changes

Run the following commands in your terminal:

git add pubspec.yaml
git commit -m "chore: bump version to 1.0.2"
git push origin main

Step 3: Trigger Release

Create a tag matching the version and push it. This triggers the GitHub Action.

# Create the tag (must start with 'v')
git tag v1.0.2

# Push the tag to GitHub
git push origin v1.0.2

Step 4: Verify

  1. Go to your GitHub Repository -> Actions tab.
  2. You will see a workflow running for the tag v1.0.2.
  3. Once it turns ✅ Green, go to the Releases section on the main page.
  4. You will see the new release with the following assets:
    • 📱 Sellio-v1.0.2-Modern-Android-64bit.apk (Recommended for phones)
    • 📱 Sellio-v1.0.2-Older-Android-32bit.apk (For old devices)
    • 💻 Sellio-v1.0.2-Intel-Emulator.apk (For PC emulators)
    • 🖥️ Sellio-v1.0.2-Windows-PC.zip (For Desktop)