Re: Release process (was Re: Move to a cadence release model?)

[John Wiegley]

>>>>> Stephen Leake <address@hidden> writes:

> I don't have statistics on how well the feature-freeze model works in
> getting release-critical bugs fixed. Have we had other release models in the
> past? did they work any better?

I'm not entirely sure how our freeze model worked in the past, but here's what
I intend: The 25.1 release branch isn't ready until all its critical bugs are
resolved.

This means we'll need a 25.1 tag, and we'll need to go through all current
high severity bugs to determine which should receive that tag. Then the clock
starts, until either we have closed the last one, or removed all such tags.

The motivation for working on a release branch has several aspects:

  (1) 25.1 isn't released until it's ready, so if you have work you're proud
      that you want to set free, help!

  (2) My focus will be on 25.1, and not on future features, so until we have
      25.1 out the door, our discussions may not be as fun.

  (3) It will give all of us a chance to hone our bugtracker skills, and make
      it an easier process so future releases go more smoothly. I'm open to
      making changes to reduce developer inertia here, and you can be part of
      that by telling me about your experiences.

John