***DRAFT*** This documented is currently for facilitating discussion only.

Introduction

After a release of Ubuntu, there are tasks associated with that release. For example, tracking critical user issues and ensuring that they are fixed via SRUs or other means. Canonical staff working on Ubuntu typically split their time between working on stable releases and tasks on the development release. However, it may be difficult for people to strike a balance between stable and development releases. Furthermore, work on stable releases is risky, so requires considerable focus and attention to detail. This may be hard to achieve while also managing work items and bugs on the development release.

What

This document proposes that Canonical dedicate some existing engineers to maintaining a stable release. These engineers would not have work items for the development release.

These engineerings, along with community members as normal, would work within the existing SRU processes. The expectation being that their additional focus would result in better selection of fixes, as well as better quality of fixes.

In terms of prior art, note that currently the Canonical Kernel Team has a set of engineers dedicated to stable releases.

When

As currently proposes, this team is a rotational position, and lasts six months, for exactly one release.

11.10

11.10 should be the first release to try this.

12.04

12.04 will be different than 11.10 in at least 2 respects:

• It is an LTS release
• Apport should be reporting crashes to a database on the stable release, thus streamlining the identification of crashing bugs that impact users.

Who

Initially, we may start with 1 person from:

• Desktop
• Server
• Foundations

Pros/Cons

Pros

• Could increase throughput of important fixes on stable releases
• Could increase quality of fixes on stable releases (decrease change of regressions per fix)
• 6 month rotational positions may provide good relief for staff members looking for "change of pace"

Cons

• More SRUs mean more risk of regressions