Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 09:08:20 +1000 (EST) From: Gary Roberts <garyr@ajax.wcs.uq.edu.au> To: p.richards@elsevier.co.uk Cc: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Status of -stable Message-ID: <199606112308.JAA12220@ajax.wcs.uq.edu.au> In-Reply-To: <199606111708.SAA27795@cadair.elsevier.co.uk> from "Paul Richards" at Jun 11, 96 06:08:50 pm
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Paul Richards writes:
[ content trimmed to just the salient points ... ]
> >> I like the idea of -stable where you have MAJOR bugfixes only.
> >> That's it. No mega-commits. No trying to get neat new features.
> >> I appreciate the monitary concerns raised here. I think that if
> >> the volume of deltas are very small, one person could handle them
> >> in a sane manner. Would make a good way to donate to the FreeBSD
> I've already said I'd be willing to maintain -stable if it was *just*
> bug fixes .....
Let us take Paul up on his kind offer. His (trimmed) points, quoted
below, are exactly what is needed here. I've added a few of my own
thoughts and invite comment.
> 1) I think -stable should go away since it's misleaeding, it suggests
> an ongoing stable branch which was never what it was supposed to be and
> is unworkable in practice.
Agree 100%. When Jordan gets 2.1.5-RELEASE out the door, -stable
just disappears and people who need stability just take the latest
-RELEASE. Under Paul's guidance, those who have an interest in
stability simply form a working group to manage the hand testing and
application of bug-fix patches only and use sup/ctm to distribute them.
> 2) Development is ongoing and takes place in -current. At some point it's
....
Exactly!! The developers direct all their energies to current and simply
forget about the last -RELEASE. ISP's and others with a vested interest
in stability take over at this point. If development in -current is
protracted and if the number of bug-fixes becomes too large, it may
well be advisable to cut another -RELEASE (say 2.1.6-RELEASE to replace
2.1.5-RELEASE). The timing just depends on circumstances. I don't think
you would want to have new people grabbing the -RELEASE and then having
to apply a zillion bug-fix patches. There must be something very
attractive in having a -RELEASE which is say at most 2-3 months old.
> 3) The bug fix branch would be available using ctm/sup as an automated bug
> fix support service. We can consider the option of doing a 2.2.1 (e.g.) cdrom
> in between main -current driven releases if the development cycle is
> prolonged (which it always seems to be). Such a cdrom could have updated
> ports as well.
Yep, the 2.1.5 -- 2.1.6 -- 2.1.7 ... cycle just continues until the
developers are ready to turn -current into 2.2.0. As soon as 2.2.0-RELEASE
is out, 2.1.X vanishes and bug-fixes for 2.2.0 start flowing. On the
presumption that the zero release always contains quite a few bugs *grin*
the expectation is that there will be a 2.2.1-RELEASE about 6-8 weeks
later. The rate of bug discovery will probably then slow considerably
and there _may_ be the opportunity for Paul's team to consider the odd new
driver if it is an easy fit and if there is significant demand for it and
significant advantage for the users in having it.
> 4) There would *never* be any merges from -current into -whatever. Fixes to
> -whatever would be done using separate patches (possibly extrated from current
> but more likely as things diverge by simply doing -whatever specific fixes
> by hand).
Richard Wackerbarth creates and distributes ctm deltas for -stable on a
daily basis right now and I've found that to be a very valuable service.
CTM is a very nice and easy way that is network load friendly for keeping
your source tree in sync. I'm not speaking for Richard but he would
probably be quite willing to distribute the patches. He'll need _something_
to keep him occupied when -stable disappears :->.
> I'm perfectly happy to do this if resources are kept available on freefall
> to maintain the cvs and sup/ctm facilities.
Thanks for the kind offer. What do we need to do to make this happen?
Cheers,
--
Gary Roberts (garyr@wcs.uq.edu.au) (Ph +617 3844 0400 Fax +617 3844 0444)
4th Floor, South Bank House, 234 Grey St, South Bank QLD 4101 Australia.
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