Release Strategy Proposal

[Torgny Nyblom]

On Friday 26 April 2013 15.27.40 Sebastian Kügler wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> <tldr>
> Let's make 4.11 the last feature release for platform and workspace in the 4
> series, make 4.11 a long term maintainance release.
> </tldr>
> 
> I would like to propose the following for our release planning in the next
> year:
> 
> - Make 4.11 Platform and Workspaces a long-term maintainance release with
>   bugfix updates for two years
> 
> - After 4.11.0, shift feature development to Frameworks 5 and Plasma
>   Workspaces 2, in order to not delay this forever
> 
> - Applications are not part of this proposal, we'd need feedback from App
>   module maintainers. It doesn't need to be decided along with this proposal
> though. For now, App developers should be encouraged to make releases on
> top of 4.x, and jump onto KF5 "when it's ready"
> 
> Reasons:
> * This strategy will cement our leading role as desktop environment
> * It eases transition to KF5/PW2 by giving ample room to keep the old
> version * It communicates that we do not abandon SC4, but actively support
> it * It makes downstreams happy, particularly those with long term releases
> as they will have a version with multiple years of bug fixes to focus on *
> kdelibs 4.x is already feature frozen, we plan to do the same for Plasma
> after 4.11 and concentrate on PW2 then
> 
> How this will look like exactly:
> 
> 4.11 gets out as normal, but with the clear message: This is going to
> maintained for a longer period of 2 years: If you're doing an Enterprise
> distro, this one is the one you want
> 
> 
> Of course, this being a proposal, its main purpose is to sollicit feedback,
> but I'd also move towards a solution, as far as this describes common ground
> among all stakeholders.
> 
> 
> What do you think?

A solid +1 with the disclamer that we should keep a fixed release schedule as 
far as dates are concerned when the time for releasing different parts in 
different version.

/Regards
Torgny