[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: 2.2 RELEASE SCHEDULE (update)
From:       Dawit Alemayehu <adawit () kde ! org>
Date:       2001-03-07 4:07:59
[Download RAW message or body]

On Tuesday 06 March 2001 21:04, Neil Stevens wrote:
> On Tuesday 06 March 2001 03:00 pm, Dawit Alemayehu wrote:
> > I urge you to please consider this from the average Joe's prespective.
> > I am not worried about the developers since most of us can manage  it, I
> > think. However if average joe who likes to send bug reports just updated
> > to 2.1.1 the week of release, is (s)he likely going to update to beta1 ?
> >  What would be the purpose of beta1 then ?  I mean people in the
> > "in-circle" probably have tested this stuff already since they get daily
> > updates.
>
> There are plenty of in-circle people (meaning people who try to follow KDE
> development) who can't or won't follow day-to-day CVS.  Some people simply
> lack the time or stamina to wade through all the bugs and glitches that
> come from following the CVS HEAD.  Others lack the bandwidth, cpu, or
> background knowledge to compile regularly, and thus have to rely upon
> using periodic quasi-stable snapshots.  Beta releases let everyone know
> that the code there is supposed to almost work, so it's safe to sink the
> time and energy to compile and test.

I think you mis-understood what I am stating here.  I am not against beta 
releases of anything.  That is a given and something very essential for 
development.  I am not even arguing about the upcoming 2.1.1,  I am only
against the timetable (not the beta release of 2.2) period.  I think the time 
frame is absolutely wrong IMHO and that is the only thing I am suggesting.
And regarding about the "in-circle", I was only refering about people that 
casually or semi-casusally update and compile thier sources.  Everybody
else fails within either the average joe/power user/other catagory and is 
intended to include the people you mentioned above.  I excluded all the users 
except the "average joe" to make a point :)

> > Anyways, IMHO the 2.2 beta1 temporary freeze should occur the same day
> > 2.1.1 comes out.  This would only push back everything only by a week,
> > but it is significant in that there is a two week time frame b/n 2.2
> > beta1 and 2.1.1 which should give people some breezing room and the
> > ability to have worked with both 2.1.1 and 2.2.
>
> The betas increase the testing, so the release ends up more stable.
> Sacrificing a couple of weeks for a more stable release is a reasonable
> tradeoff, I'd say.
>
> I also suggest that the betas are good psychologically for developers.
> They keep us remembering that one of these days there's going to be a
> freeze, so we must wrap things up.  It's better to suffer the slight delay
> and inconvenience of a release, than to suffer the huge delays from
> unbounded development, or an even larger rash of "Can we move the tag on
> xxx.cpp?  This a showstopper bug" requests.

I think you mis-undestood what I said.  I am not advocating to scrap the 
beta.  I am only requesting that it be postponded a week to give users time 
to try, out/paly with, whatever with 2.1.1 for an extra week.  That is it.  
Nothing more.  I do not think one week will make a big difference and IMHO 
will have no impact on the final release date for 2.2 which has yet to be 
set...

Regards,
Dawit A.
/me hopes Waldo will agree/consider his points
 
>> Visit http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]