Releases schedules and policy

[BogDan]

Hi folks,

I want to share with you my thoughts/plans for next releases, also I have a proposal regarding releasing policy.
Any feedback is highly appreciated !

====Releases schedules ====
Plan A:

  As you may know, currently we are trying to release Necessitas alpha3, we still need to implement 
some missing things to SDK Installer, also I've seen some show stopper issues, which must be 
fixed before release, the plan is to try to release it this month, and it should be the last but one alpha release.

  After this release we'll need 2-3 weeks to redesign Ministro and Java part, then we don't have to worry about
 java <==> android platform incompatibility, so we can release last alpha.
After a few weeks, *IF NO* regressions are reported we can rename the release as beta which will *GUARANTEE*
API/ABI compatibility. If someone will report issues which to fix them we'll break API/ABI compatibility, 
we must release another alpha.

----------------------------------------------

Plan B:

  Delay with one month this release, meanwhile we'll do our best to redesign Java part and Minitro, so 
alpha 3 release should be last alpha release, then, after a few weeks *IF NO* regressions are reported 
we can rename the release as beta.
I'd like to have this alpha shipped *BEFORE* Qt dev days ! :) So we must have everything in place before
Oct. 15 !

IMHO plan B is better, because this way we can ship fist beta earlier with at least 2-3 weeks (the 
time needed to create and test a SDK for a release).

We need to decide which plan we'll use, so your thoughts are very welcome.



====Releases policy ====

  Before we release first beta we also must have a policy about what branches will use to release a Ministro
repository and who is allowed to push in those branches.
First I want to share with you current architecture, Ministro is using 3 different repositories similarly with 
Debian (which IMHO is one of the most successfully community project out there, so I want to follow their path):
1 - *unstable*
2 - *testing*
3 - *stable* default repository used by Ministro.

Ministro is using *stable* repository by default, and to change it you need to download another tool 
(Ministro Configuration Tool),  this tool can be use by developer to test their apps against *unstable* and 
*testing* repos.

Who it works ?
Every new release will go first into *unstable* repo, there it should stay a while (IMHO it should be at least one 
month), then if *NO REGRESSION(s)* are reported we'll move it to *testing* repository, then again it should stay 
another month for further testing, then if nobody reports *REGRESSION* we'll move it into *stable*, of course
no new releases with new features will be released until this release will land on stable repository.
This way every developer has the chance to stop a release if it will break his existing apps on Android Market, so, 
if you are a developer and you have an application deployed on Market, you only need to download Ministro 
Configuration Tool, change Minsitro repository, and test your application against new qt libs.

Because Minsitro uses 3 repositories we should also use 3 branches for qt, qtcreator, webkit, etc. with the same names.
This branches are very important, so, we should create some rules, e.g. who has the right to push into this branches and in 
what conditions. My proposal is nobody should push directly to this branches, without a discussion on this mailing list 
and without a review by other two (or more) Necessitas developers.


Also on this topic I need your feedback ! 

Sorry for the big post :)
Thank you for your time ! 

Cheers,
BogDan.