Re: Please release 2.1r6
On Thu, 20 Apr 2000, Richard Braakman wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 20, 2000 at 12:33:33AM +0200, J.A. Bezemer wrote:
> > ATTN ftpmasters:
> >
> > To be perfectly clear: contrary to the Subject: line, 2.1r6 should _not_ be
> > released right after the included "wishlist" has been processed.
> >
> > According to release procedures we're currently trying out, the "Debian2.1r6"
> > symlink and the entry in the global ChangeLog should be made _only_ when
> > you're explicitly asked to do so (i.e. after CD images have been successfully
> > made, which will take a week or so).
>
> And have slink change silently and unannounced? I think not.
> We don't do that.
I think you're misunderstanding me. Of course the global ChangeLog should be
updated with information on upgrades of individual packages; the only thing
that has to wait a while is the
"--- Debian 2.1 r6 is released.\n`date`"
line (and the symlink -- the presence of which I can't really understand
anyway)
The fundamental reason for this is simple: we do not know if everything
needed for r6 has been done yet! And we _can't_ know until everything we _do_
know has actually been done.
Look at it in another way: what we're basically trying to do is implementing a
mini version of your own "release cycles" for the stable branch. Just because
`stable' has _shown_ itself to become slightly UNstable with every subrelease,
needing patches-to-patch-old-patches in the next subrelease. This always was
about 1 or 2 packages. This time, we'll allow them (if any) to be fixed
_before_ the actual release is announced, which increases the quality of the
end product.
There will be _no_ "silent and unannounced" changes; the individual
ChangeLog entries will be there for anyone to check, but the official
announcements will just appear slightly later. Looking at past events, that
shouldn't be any problem: there is (still!) no r5-is-released entry in the
global ChangeLog, IIRC there has never been an r3 symlink, and r2 never had an
announcement/press release.
Even better: this time, the announcements can also mention the availability
of CD images -- which hasn't been possible for any earlier release.
Which stresses an important point: the Debian distribution isn't anymore only
about FTP archives, but CDs are becoming increasingly important. This is taken
care for nicely with the potato test cycles, but as soon as `stable' things
are concerned CDs seem to be forgotten...
Regards,
Anne Bezemer
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