Re: critical issues

[David Kastrup]

Werner LEMBERG <address@hidden> writes:

>> If we refuse thinking about stable releases by taking GUB as an
>> excuse, the grand next stable release that will benefit users of
>> many operating systems is likely to fall in the class "too little,
>> too late".
>
> I second David.  Given that we develop within a GNU environment, bugs
> specific to Windows and Mac shouldn't prevent stable releases.

The problem is not that bugs specific to Windows and Mac would be
preventing stable releases.  The problem is that we have a _number_ of
problems preventing a stable release, and we are not addressing them
because Mac and Windows provide a convenient excuse.

The Learning Guide and the Notation Guide need a complete rereading and
reorganization, and it is not like the Extending Guide is in
significantly better shape.  There are only few languages for which the
translations can be considered maintained.

Stuff like that picks up considerably after stable releases since the
motivation to help with documenting something that will take years
before the helper gets to see it (and fresh blood tends to get started
on stable releases) is limited.

> I can even imagine that well announced release candidates for a new
> stable version attracts developers to help fix issues with problematic
> platforms.

If you take a look at Ubuntu release candidates, they usually start with
a list of "caveats" concerning computers and applications that won't run
at all.  You need to _start_ with the work for cutting out a release
before it is magically finished.

-- 
David Kastrup