EdgyReleaseScheduleSpec

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 * '''Contributors''': ColinWatson  * '''Contributors''': ColinWatson, ScottJamesRemnant, MattZimmerman
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This document provides the rationale for the release schedule dates set and documented at EdgyReleaseSchedule.
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== Use cases == === Upstream Version Freeze ===
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== Scope == We've failed to catch up with Debian recently, and there are a large number of necessary syncs and merges; unfortunately Debian's freeze for `etch` is not at a useful time for us. To ensure there is sufficient time to discover bugs and actually work on features, two weeks and a half weeks have been allocated for the sync and merge from Debian.
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== Design == After this date we will monitor the list of bugs closed in Debian uploads to see whether there are new versions we would like to sync or merge in on an individual basis.
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== Implementation == === Distro Sprint ===
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=== Code === The proposed date for the distro sprint places it in the second half of the feature development, the current date is chosen to avoid clashes with Colin's wedding anniversary and Matt's trip to burning man.
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=== Data preservation and migration === === Feature Freeze ===
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== Outstanding issues == Feature freeze is the time at which features are ejected from a release because it is not believed that they will be stable in time; two months seemed a reasonable amount of time for shaking out the major bugs.
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== BoF agenda and discussion == For edgy, artwork and user interface design is considered a feature. Major theme changes to usplash, gdm, GTK+ theme, etc. should be completed by this time, while still allowing two months for tweaking and adjustments which are effectively bug fixes.
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Raw notes: === Documentation String Freeze ===
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= Edgy Eft Release Schedule = This date was chosen based on the dapper schedule, it allows for documentation strings to change at and after feature freeze while providing sufficient time for translations.
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At the time of writing, we are at T-18 weeks. For comparison: Breezy's UpstreamVersionFreeze was T-14 weeks, while FeatureFreeze was T-9 weeks. (Dapper is less comparable due to its unusual release schedule.) === Beta Freeze ===
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For comparison:
 * http://live.gnome.org/TwoPointFifteen
 * http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2006/05/msg00015.html
  * Etch's base freeze is too late for us; run MoM on just base so that we can track that, and cherry-pick?		 We decided not to match the beta release to the GNOME release to allow for enough time for feature development and bug fixes of those. While edgy is supposed to be exciting, it has to at least be useful. There may be a release on GNOME day that isn't the formal beta.
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Draft release schedule at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/EdgyReleaseSchedule === Beta Release ===
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Need an ubuntu-translators-announce mailing list (or ability to mail all Ubuntu translators in Launchpad). JordiMallach has been volunteered to coordinate (announce string freezes and exceptions). One week after the freeze, as usual.
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Artwork is now officially a feature (or bug fixes as appropriate, with the obvious sane definition), and is therefore subject to FeatureFreeze. === Kernel Freeze ===
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Bring docteam into spec tracking process: start documenting at beta-available. Other notification methods? Major bugs in the kernel usually show up pretty quickly after the mass-testing of the beta release, so the freeze is one week afterwards, giving a couple of weeks for it to be polished.
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== Tentative Dates == === String Freeze ===
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|| '''Event''' || '''Week/Date''' ||
|| Merges complete || Week ? () ||
|| Debian base freeze || August 7 (planned) ||
|| Sprint Date || Week 10 (August 24th) ||
|| Gnome 2.16 release || Week 12 (September 6) ||
|| FeatureFreeze || Week 13 (September 14) ||
|| BetaRelease || Week 15 (September 28) ||
|| ReleaseCandidate || Week ? () ||
|| FinalRelease || Week 19 (October 26) ||		 Strings are frozen to allow for corrections after beta, but give enough time for translations before release.
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=== Release Candidate ===

One week before the release, as usual.

=== Final Release ===

Last week of October, to keep to the original six-monthly schedule and restore both user and developer confidence that we can do it.

Summary

This document provides the rationale for the release schedule dates set and documented at EdgyReleaseSchedule.

Rationale

Upstream Version Freeze

We've failed to catch up with Debian recently, and there are a large number of necessary syncs and merges; unfortunately Debian's freeze for etch is not at a useful time for us. To ensure there is sufficient time to discover bugs and actually work on features, two weeks and a half weeks have been allocated for the sync and merge from Debian.

After this date we will monitor the list of bugs closed in Debian uploads to see whether there are new versions we would like to sync or merge in on an individual basis.

Distro Sprint

The proposed date for the distro sprint places it in the second half of the feature development, the current date is chosen to avoid clashes with Colin's wedding anniversary and Matt's trip to burning man.

Feature Freeze

Feature freeze is the time at which features are ejected from a release because it is not believed that they will be stable in time; two months seemed a reasonable amount of time for shaking out the major bugs.

For edgy, artwork and user interface design is considered a feature. Major theme changes to usplash, gdm, GTK+ theme, etc. should be completed by this time, while still allowing two months for tweaking and adjustments which are effectively bug fixes.

Documentation String Freeze

This date was chosen based on the dapper schedule, it allows for documentation strings to change at and after feature freeze while providing sufficient time for translations.

Beta Freeze

We decided not to match the beta release to the GNOME release to allow for enough time for feature development and bug fixes of those. While edgy is supposed to be exciting, it has to at least be useful. There may be a release on GNOME day that isn't the formal beta.

Beta Release

One week after the freeze, as usual.

Kernel Freeze

Major bugs in the kernel usually show up pretty quickly after the mass-testing of the beta release, so the freeze is one week afterwards, giving a couple of weeks for it to be polished.

String Freeze

Strings are frozen to allow for corrections after beta, but give enough time for translations before release.

Release Candidate

One week before the release, as usual.

Final Release

Last week of October, to keep to the original six-monthly schedule and restore both user and developer confidence that we can do it.

CategorySpec

EdgyReleaseScheduleSpec (last edited 2008-08-06 16:19:25 by localhost)