[Kde-extra-gear] Re: Re: Hello and let's start to bugging everyone with proposals :-)

[Waldo Bastian]

On Wednesday 06 October 2004 13:02, Diego 'Flameeyes' Pettenò wrote:
> Waldo Bastian wrote:
> > Yes, but some applications have (like KDE itself) stable branches where
> > bugfixes get backported, as a distribution you would like to have the
> > last stable release PLUS all the bufixes that the developer considered
> > safe enough for the stable branch. There are also applications that only
> > tag releases in the HEAD branch and don't have a stable branch (such as
> > kiosktool at the moment) in those cases the tarballs will do just fine.
>
> As far as I can see I don't think this is so needed on keg, mainly for two
> reasons:
>
> - We aren't binded to deadlines for the releases, we release in a totally
> asynchronous mode, so if there's many bugfixes to backport, a new release
> can be done also after two weeks (or two days if urgents ;) )
> - Quite all the applications are 'small' apps, where bugfixes aren't so
> much needed, and for which the vanilla tarballs should be enough for final
> users as well as distributions.
>
> KDE is way more big than all the keg apps all together, and has synchronous
> releases, there it makes sense the stable branch.
> I'm talking for KNetLoad, I don't think I'll need a stable branch.

Good for you. There are other applications that do have a stable branch.

A new release can be done every two weeks but a developer may be busy with 
other things. if he has bugfixes ready it's a disservice to everyone not to 
include those in a distribution, even if he hasn't made a release for it. Not 
including such fixes may mean for a developer that he will be getting 
bugreports for another 6 months for a bug that he already fixed. Dunno about 
you, but I find that annoying.

It's much easier for everyone if there is a uniform way in which you, as 
application developer, can say "please use this version". In your case it 
would point to your latest release, for other applications it could point to 
their stable branch, if they so desire.

As far as release notes go, don't you put those in CVS as well?

Cheers,
Waldo
-- 
bastian at kde.org  |  Wanted: Talented KDE developer  |  bastian at suse.com
  http://www.suse.de/de/company/suse/jobs/suse_pbu/developer_kde.html
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