Re: A "progressive" distribution

[Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au>]

On Wed, Mar 15, 2000 at 09:35:16PM +0100, J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 15, 2000 at 15:06:57 -0500, Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:
> > It wouldn't help with out and out buggy programs but at least it
> > would catch dependency problems.
>
> It would catch problems with the dependencies a package declares. But
> it's no substitite for integration testing, part of which checks that
> the declared dependencies of a package accurately reflect the real
> dependencies.

true. that's why there will still a need for the freeze/test/release
part of the cycle even after automated snapshot releases are possible.

snapshots will get the latest stuff out to the nearly-bleeding-edge
users fast (hopefully once/month)...those users will then use & test the
software.

final testing as an integrated system will be done as normal, with our
usual freeze/test/release procedure...but should go faster because many
of the serious package bugs will have already been found by snapshot
users.

as i recall it, the basic package pools idea was something like:

development cycle:

 incoming - packages arrive here and stay until all dependancies are met
            (i.e. satisfied by the packages in unstable or incoming)
 unstable - packages auto moved to here by dinstall if no dep. problems
 ???      - packages auto moved to here after basic criteria met (e.g.
            in unstable for 2 weeks with no bug reports).  can't remember
			what this stage was to be called.

 snapshot - built automatically from the latest stuff in '???'.

release cycle:

 frozen   - forked from the latest snapshot when the release team feels it
            is nearly ready.
 stable   - final release, after testing, debugging, and integration work

(both cycles can, and probably will, occur simultaneously. the release
cycle can happen as often as the release team have the energy for it,
perhaps with as little as a few weeks or a month between a stable
release and the next freeze)



target users:

'unstable' will probably be used mostly by developers and bleeding-edge
type users.

'snapshot' will be used by those with fewer guinea-pig genes, who want
something up-to-date but with major obvious problems resolved.

'frozen' is for those who just can't wait for stable or who want to help
with final testing.

'stable' is for everyone.


craig

--
craig sanders