diff --git a/do-release.sh b/do-release.sh
new file mode 100755
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/do-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,299 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# work around a maven-scm bug with git while releasing
+# this might also be necessary: git config --add status.displayCommentPrefix true
+# see https://jira.codehaus.org/browse/SCM-740
+export LANG=C
+
+export MAVEN_OPTS="-XX:MaxPermSize=1g"
+
+
+# check setup
+if [ "" = "$PMD_SF_USER" ]; then
+    echo "No env variable PMD_SF_USER specified. This is the sourceforge account name needed"
+    echo "during the release process to upload files via ssh/scp/rsync."
+    echo
+    echo "Please set the variable, e.g. in your ~/.bashrc:"
+    echo
+    echo "PMD_SF_USER=sfuser"
+    echo "export PMD_SF_USER"
+    echo
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ "" = "$PMD_GPG_KEY" ]; then
+    echo "No env variable PMD_GPG_KEY specified. This is your gpg key, that will be used"
+    echo "to sign the created release artifacts before uploading to maven central."
+    echo
+    echo "Please set the variable, e.g. in your ~/.bashrc:"
+    echo
+    echo "PMD_GPG_KEY=AB123CDE"
+    echo "export PMD_GPG_KEY"
+    echo
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# verify the current directory
+if [ ! -f pom.xml -o ! -d ../pmd.github.io ]; then
+    echo "You seem to be in the work working directory or you don't have pmd.github.io checked out..."
+    echo
+    echo "Expected:"
+    echo "*   You are currently in the pmd repository"
+    echo "*   ../pmd.github.io is the pmd.github.io repository"
+    echo
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+##########################################################################
+
+
+RELEASE_VERSION=
+DEVELOPMENT_VERSION=
+CURRENT_BRANCH=
+
+echo "-------------------------------------------"
+echo "Releasing PMD"
+echo "-------------------------------------------"
+
+
+MVN_VERSION=$(mvn --version | grep "Java version: 1.6")
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "Wrong java version!"
+    echo "Expected 1.6, but was:"
+    mvn --version
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+
+if [ "" = "$RELEASE_VERSION" ]; then
+    echo -n "What is the release version of PMD? (e.g. 5.4.0) "
+    read RELEASE_VERSION
+fi
+if [ "" = "$DEVELOPMENT_VERSION" ]; then
+    echo -n "What is the next development version of PMD? (e.g. 5.5.0-SNAPSHOT) "
+    read DEVELOPMENT_VERSION
+fi
+if [ "" = "$CURRENT_BRANCH" ]; then
+    echo -n "What is the branch you wnat to release from? (e.g. master or pmd/5.3.x) "
+    read CURRENT_BRANCH
+fi
+
+export RELEASE_VERSION
+export DEVELOPMENT_VERSION
+export CURRENT_BRANCH
+
+echo
+echo
+echo "*   Update version/release info in **src/site/markdown/changelog.md**."
+echo
+echo "    ## $(date -u +%d-%B-%Y) - ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+echo
+echo "*   Ensure all the new rules are listed in a the proper file:"
+echo "    pmd-core/src/main/resources/rulesets/releases/${RELEASE_VERSION}.xml file."
+echo
+echo "*   Update **../pmd.github.io/latest/index.html** of our website, to redirect to the new version"
+echo
+echo "redirect_to: https://pmd.github.io/pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}/"
+echo
+echo "*   Update **../pmd.github.io/index.html** to mention the new release"
+echo
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo "first - running a test install..."
+
+mvn clean install
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "Failure during test install...."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+(
+    cd pmd-dist/target
+    unzip pmd-bin-*.zip
+    cd pmd-bin-*
+    ./bin/run.sh pmd -d ../../../pmd-java/src/main/java -language java -f xml -R rulesets/java/unusedcode.xml
+)
+
+echo
+echo "---- OK?"
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo "Committing current changes (pmd)"
+git commit -a -m "Prepare pmd release ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+(
+    echo "Committing current changes (pmd.github.io)"
+    cd ../pmd.github.io
+    git commit -a -m "Prepare pmd release ${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+)
+
+
+mvn -B release:clean release:prepare \
+    -Dtag=pmd_releases/${RELEASE_VERSION} \
+    -DreleaseVersion=${RELEASE_VERSION} \
+    -DdevelopmentVersion=${DEVELOPMENT_VERSION}
+mvn -B release:perform
+
+(
+    cd target/checkout/
+
+    (
+        cd pmd-dist/target
+        unzip pmd-bin-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip
+        cd pmd-bin-${RELEASE_VERSION}
+        ./bin/run.sh pmd -d ../../../pmd-java/src/main/java -language java -f xml -R rulesets/java/unusedcode.xml
+    )
+
+echo
+echo "Verify once again..."
+echo "---- OK?"
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo
+echo "Generating site..."
+mvn site site:stage
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+
+echo
+echo "*   Login to <https://oss.sonatype.org/>"
+echo "    Close and Release the staging repository"
+echo "    Check here: <http://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/net/sourceforge/pmd/pmd/>"
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo
+echo "Creating the pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip archive..."
+(
+    cd target
+    mv staging pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}
+    zip -r pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}/
+)
+
+echo
+echo "Adding the site to pmd.github.io..."
+rsync -avhP target/pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}/ ../../../pmd.github.io/pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}/
+(
+  cd ../../../pmd.github.io
+  git add pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}
+  git commit -m "Added pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}"
+)
+
+echo
+echo "Uploading the zip files..."
+rsync -avhP pmd-dist/target/pmd-*-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip target/pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip $SFUSER@web.sourceforge.net:/home/frs/project/pmd/pmd/${RELEASE_VERSION}/
+rsync -avhP src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md $SFUSER@web.sourceforge.net:/home/frs/project/pmd/pmd/${RELEASE_VERSION}/ReadMe.md
+echo
+
+if [ ! "" = "$PMD_LOCAL_BINARIES" -a -d $PMD_LOCAL_BINARIES ]; then
+echo "Copying the files to local storage directory $PMD_LOCAL_BINARIES..."
+cp -av pmd-dist/target/pmd-*-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip target/pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip $PMD_LOCAL_BINARIES
+echo
+
+
+echo
+echo "Verify the md5sums: <https://sourceforge.net/projects/pmd/files/pmd/${RELEASE_VERSION}/>"
+md5sum pmd-dist/target/pmd-*-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip target/pmd-doc-${RELEASE_VERSION}.zip
+
+echo
+echo "and make the new binary pmd zip file the default download for all platforms."
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+)
+
+echo
+echo "Submit news to SF on <https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/news/> page. You can use"
+echo "the following template:"
+echo
+cat <<EOF
+PMD ${RELEASE_VERSION} released
+
+* minor version with lots of bug fixes
+* Changelog: https://pmd.github.io/pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}/overview/changelog.html
+* Downloads: https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases%2F${RELEASE_VERSION}
+* Fixed Bugs: https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/milestone/PMD-${RELEASE_VERSION}/
+* Documentation: https://pmd.github.io/pmd-${RELEASE_VERSION}/
+EOF
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo
+echo "Close the milestone on sourceforge and create a new one..."
+echo "<https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/milestones>"
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+echo "Last step - next development version:"
+echo "*   Move version/release info from **src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md** to **src/site/markdown/overview/changelog-old.md**."
+echo "*   Update version/release info in **src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md**."
+echo "*   Update pmd-{java8,ui}/pom.xml - the version is probably wrong - set it to the parent's=next development version: ${DEVELOPMENT_VERSION}."
+echo
+cat <<EOF
+# Changelog
+
+## ????? - ${DEVELOPMENT_VERSION}
+
+**New Supported Languages:**
+
+**Feature Request and Improvements:**
+
+**New/Modified/Deprecated Rules:**
+
+**Pull Requests:**
+
+**Bugfixes:**
+
+**API Changes:**
+
+EOF
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+git commit -a -m "Prepare next development version"
+
+
+echo
+echo "Now - last step - pushing everything..."
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+git push origin ${CURRENT_BRANCH}
+git push origin tag pmd_releases/${RELEASE_VERSION}
+
+(
+    echo "Pushing pmd.github.io..."
+    echo "Press enter to continue..."
+    read
+    cd ../pmd.github.io
+    git push origin master
+)
+
+echo
+echo "Create a new release on github: <https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases>"
+echo
+echo "   * Set the title: PMD ${RELEASE_VERSION} ($(date -u +%d-%B-%Y))"
+echo "   * copy/paste the changelog.md"
+echo "   * Upload the binary zip file"
+echo "   * Upload the doc zip file"
+echo
+echo "Press enter to continue..."
+read
+
+
+echo
+echo "------------------------------------------"
+echo "Done."
+echo "------------------------------------------"
+echo
+
+