Re: So... this is 4.2?

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Re: So... this is 4.2?
by dkite on Saturday 03/May/2008, @13:16

How do we know whether something is stable or not. It is tested. Why is it tested? It is released. The challenge is to devise some means of broad testing of software. So far the best answer is to release it.

And pray tell, who is going to merge the unstable to the stable branches? That hurdle alone dooms the idea.

Free software isn't a product. It's a process. Methods that work (some of the time) in well funded turnkey solutions usually end up harming free projects.

Why do I say that? Write 10 rules, enforce them vigorously, and see how many developers you have after a year.

Derek

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Re: So... this is 4.2?
by JRT on Tuesday 06/May/2008, @07:17

It is axiomatic that stable releases should not contain unstable code.

I believe that I have made two suggestions about how software can be released for testing without releasing a 'stable' release that isn't.

So, the Linux Kernel project is doomed? I think not. Who merges new features? Obviously, the person that wrote them and wants them included in the release.

Free software may be a process, but ultimately, it must deliver a product. If it doesn't ever deliver a stable product, then it is only entertainment for the developers.

NO! I would never try to rigidly impose rules. Commercial software companies have already found out that this is a bad idea. Having a good process and maintaining standards are different.

We have rules in the KDE project. Some of them are even written. I was told that I couldn't fix KView to conform to the KDE GUI standards because it would violate the rules to do so. But, most of our rules are unwritten. They seem to be enforced vigorously and we do loose developers because of them. Then we have the unwritten OSS rules that don't seem to be enforced and need to be.

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