[PROPOSED] release management

[Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>]

[See http://bugs.debian.org/34673 for background]

I'd like to propose that we make explicit some guidelines about how
well we support our various releases.  I'm not proposing that these be
retroactive -- the examples are just meant as clarification.

The part of this I'm least certain about is the second bullet point.
I see some need for this where a package has been released with known
bugs, or where problems are found in it after release.  I know we've not
had this as a requirement in the past (more along the line of a SHOULD),
but I suspect that it is better handled as a MUST.

------------------------------ start here ----------------------------

Package maintainers MUST support upgrades from:
  * the version of their package in the last stable release of Debian
    (e.g. slink -> potato, potato -> woody)

  * the version of their package in the 2nd previous stable release of
    Debian (e.g., hamm -> potato, slink -> woody)

Package maintainers SHOULD support upgrades from:
  * the previous unstable versions of the package since the most recent
    stable release

  * all versions of their package in the various "point releases" of the
    previous stable release of Debian

------------------------------- end here -----------------------------

I think this needs to be fleshed out with a few more words about releases,
and that this should be targetted at inclusion in or near the "Debian
Archive" section of policy.

Thanks,

--
Raul