When creating draft releases, choose release branch based on version number

build/Gruntfile.coffee

@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
   grunt.file.setBase(path.resolve('..'))
 
   # Options
+  [defaultChannel, releaseBranch] = getDefaultChannelAndReleaseBranch(packageJson.version)
   installDir = grunt.option('install-dir')
   buildDir = path.resolve(grunt.option('build-dir') ? 'out')
-  channel = grunt.option('channel') ? getDefaultReleaseChannel()
+  channel = grunt.option('channel') ? defaultChannel
 
   metadata = packageJson
   appName = packageJson.productName
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
     pkg: grunt.file.readJSON('package.json')
 
     atom: {
-      appName, channel, metadata,
+      appName, channel, metadata, releaseBranch,
       appFileName, apmFileName,
       appDir, buildDir, contentsDir, installDir, shellAppDir, symbolsDir,
     }
@@ -297,14 +298,19 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
     defaultTasks.push 'install'
   grunt.registerTask('default', defaultTasks)
 
-getDefaultReleaseChannel = ->
-  {version} = packageJson
+getDefaultChannelAndReleaseBranch = (version) ->
   if version.match(/dev/) or isBuildingPR()
-    'dev'
-  else if version.match(/beta/)
-    'beta'
+    channel = 'dev'
+    releaseBranch = null
   else
-    'stable'
+    if version.match(/beta/)
+      channel = 'beta'
+    else
+      channel = 'stable'
+
+    minorVersion = version.match(/^\d\.\d/)[0]
+    releaseBranch = "#{minorVersion}-releases"
+  [channel, releaseBranch]
 
 isBuildingPR = ->
   process.env.APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER? or process.env.TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST?

build/tasks/publish-build-task.coffee

@@ -31,14 +31,9 @@ module.exports = (gruntObject) ->
     cp path.join(docsOutputDir, 'api.json'), path.join(buildDir, 'atom-api.json')
 
   grunt.registerTask 'upload-assets', 'Upload the assets to a GitHub release', ->
-    channel = grunt.config.get('atom.channel')
-    switch channel
-      when 'stable'
-        isPrerelease = false
-      when 'beta'
-        isPrerelease = true
-      else
-        return
+    releaseBranch = grunt.config.get('atom.releaseBranch')
+    isPrerelease = grunt.config.get('atom.channel') is 'beta'
+    return unless releaseBranch?
 
     doneCallback = @async()
     startTime = Date.now()
@@ -55,7 +50,7 @@ module.exports = (gruntObject) ->
 
     zipAssets buildDir, assets, (error) ->
       return done(error) if error?
-      getAtomDraftRelease isPrerelease, channel, (error, release) ->
+      getAtomDraftRelease isPrerelease, releaseBranch, (error, release) ->
         return done(error) if error?
         assetNames = (asset.assetName for asset in assets)
         deleteExistingAssets release, assetNames, (error) ->